No, I have not abandoned you. And thank you millions for all the reviews!
So, plans haven't gone completely as I had hopped. It seems you all can look forward to another chapter after this one :) ...enjoy!
Second Chances
BattleStations
The Secret Lives of Ma and Pa
"You have kids?" Kyoki shouted. I numbly nodded as I was tackled to the floor by two streaks of indistinguishable color. My face was assaulted with insane smiles and I couldn't help but feel detached from myself. This couldn't be happening. This was all just a dream. I know because I've had it on too many occasions. But there they were. I could look down on myself and watch them struggle with each other to hug me around the other. The blue of Naruto's eyes shown brighter then any dream, and Sasuke's smile was so heart wrenchingly beautiful I grabbed my heart suddenly wrapped up in the moment. I looked up at Kyoki again; I found myself back in my own body yet still couldn't bring myself to be happy. He stared at us slack jawed and confused and then the door creaked as it was pushed farther open. Sarutobi-san smiled down at me in my bundle of thin arms. My smile grew from the depths and I tried my best to engulf my boys in a hug, but they'd grown so much.
It wasn't a dream.
--
Naruto and Sasuke happily shoved all of my belongings into my bag as I silently sat in the middle of my couch looking up at Sarutobi-san. Kyoki had yet to recover, when the Mizukage appeared in my doorway, dismissing Ejuri and joining the stare down at me. Both of the Kages' faces were cast in shadows by their huge ass hats as the sun blaring through my window, illuminating the entire apartment. The fast shuffle of clothing behind the room divider barely registered in my numb mind.
"Huh?" I said completely lost. How did all this happen? How did they get here? When could I leave?
"The Mizukage informed me of your agreement and of your success," Sarutobi-san said. Even under all the shadows I saw him take in the absolute cramp-ness of my apartment. "I decided I would come to retrieve you personally," he added looking back to my face. I smiled lightly, though inside I was insanely happy beyond all belief. I was going home. I was going home. I was going home. I sang in my head and I couldn't help the slight bob I did left to right in rhythm to the happy mantra.
"And Sasuke and Naruto?" I asked curiously. I knew Sarutobi-san hadn't planned to bring them; I wanted to know how they managed to come along. In response to their names Naruto and Sasuke appeared around the room divider near the Mizukage and looked to me with grins on their faces.
"Stow-a-ways," Sarutobi-san said sourly, glancing briefly to Sasuke and Naruto. They had sense enough to look embarrassed. And the effect was absolutely adorable.
"I heard you were coming home and I couldn't wait long enough," Naruto confessed looking down at his feet and shifting nervously. Then he looked up at me with those big eyes and I laughed. The Mizukage looked at me suddenly and I realized he'd never seen be truly happy before. I'd always been scornfully sarcastic around him.
"You charmer," I said smiling. He grinned, dropping the shy façade, and ran to sit by me dragging my packed bag behind him. Not to be out done Sasuke beat him to my side and smiled up at me. "And you, mon ami?" I asked pulling both boys closer but looking down at Sasuke expectantly. His eyebrows furrowed at the foreign words (French actually) but he verbalized his reasoning to be a stow-a-way anyway. I felt Naruto look at Sasuke expectantly; I guess Sasuke never told Naruto why either.
"I didn't want Naruto to get to you first." At least he was honest. But I'm afraid my boys had a rivalry between them. I just shook my head, looking up at Sarutobi-san as he cleared his throat. I grinned; even Kage's couldn't resist the adorable-ness of children like my boys.
"You have kids!?" Kyoki breathed surprised again. His stance was ridged and his eyes were so wide he looked insane.
"Yes." I was surprised to hear Sarutobi-san answer for me. "Samma is young Sasuke-kun's guardian and Naruto-kun's unofficial one," he said nodding his head to me. I remembered that gesture; he wanted me to stand. And he wanted to leave. I rounded my boys to their feet and swung my bag on over the sword on my back. As the mass of steel hit by back I glanced at Kyoki, he'd given me the sword as a present a while ago.
I stepped past the boys and hugged Kyoki, dissolving his shocked expression. He looked down at me and I stepped back before reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. "See you around Montai." And after a nod to the Mizukage and a few more words exchanged between the Kages', we were gone.
--
And man did Sarutobi-san know how to travel. All sorts of ninja escorts were patrolling around Sarutobi-san's carriage and I felt a pang of pride for my boys as I realized they had to go unnoticed by all the ninjas with the Hokage to be the stow-a-ways they were.
As soon as both Sasuke and Naruto were no longer awake (and instead were snoring and drooling) Sarutobi-san twiddled with his hat before meeting my gaze. He looked older then I'd ever thought was possible. His crows feet had multiplied and his age spots stood out more then usual. I learned a lot away from the Land of Fire. I was afraid I'd changed too much while away. Knew more then I'd ever really wanted to know. As far as I was concerned when I first got here, this place was perfect. I didn't want to know about the wars, the death, and the demons. I stroked Naruto's hair as he drooled all over his jacket that was bunched up at a pillow in my lap.
"At first," I said to Sarutobi-san, "When I realized everything was too perfect, had turned out almost as best case scenario, I was afraid to ask questions." I looked to the shade covering the window and could still see the field we were passing through the fabric.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to be the one to answer them," Sarutobi-san confessed looking at the same window. "But I knew I would have to eventually, I'm the one who knows the most. I can answer more then anyone else could." He continued. I met his eyes then; I didn't know he was so aware of my unease. "It's my fault that I left it as your task to come to me, I should have addressed you first then maybe you wouldn't be so confused now."
"Why is my family so screwed up?" I asked full out. "Why were my father and I in one place and then I found my brother here?" I said again hoping I didn't look too desperate to have the truth. Sarutobi-san sighed, managing to look even older then before.
"I will tell you a story Samma." He said in stead. "And hopefully it will clear all you want to know." He sat back and I realized this would be a long story. I was almost disappointed not to hear a straight answer to my question. "At one time, you father and your mother resided in Konoha." My eyes widened, but I couldn't speak. This story was the story of my family. "Your father was a loyal S-class ninja to the fourth Hokage, he was known as the Bright Reaper of Konoha. He was best friends with Sakumo Hatake, Kakashi's father and the White Fang of Konoha." I was completely wrapped in Sarutobi-san's telling. I'd become a captive child. "And your mother, she was a special op ninja of a lower class. She specialized in corrupting an enemy ninja's Jutsu, which would make their attack backfire on the caster." I was too caught up in the story of my parents to register the grim look across Sarutobi-san's face more deeply then I had. "They worked together on one mission and were married two months later. Your brother was born the following year. It was after you were born—four years later—that we discovered that your mother was a Sand spy sent to collect a general report on the Hokage, the Yellow Flash of Konoha." I saw Sarutobi-san inconspicuously glance at Naruto briefly before continuing. "The fight to capture her broke out in the center of Konoha. Her talent of turning our attacks around barely used any of her own chakra and she held us off until your father arrived with you and your brother. Your brother was six at the time, I believe. Well, as soon as he saw your mother he ran to her as your father was starting his own attack. While your mother's betrayal was felt deep in the village, it was felt most in your father." He looked down at his hat again, and the rim slipped through his fingers as he twisted it around in his lap. "At the time, we'd figured your father had used the attack that had gotten him his name sake. He was called the Bright Reaper because his katana produced a long tail of golden chakra, which had never missed before, and the arc of charka resembled the blade of a reapers scythe. But the illusionary mist of your mothers attack blacked what ever we could see. And once it'd settled you and your father were gone and your mother was fleeing with your brother."
I sat back, drawing what I knew into Sarutobi-san's explanation. "Father didn't use that attack," I said softly, "He tried to use a transportation Jutsu to send my mother somewhere else, but, instead, we ended up there." Sarutobi-san nodded understandingly and put his hat back on as the carriage stopped. We had to hop a boat now to the Land of Fire. Almost home free.
Naruto mumbled nonsense as he slipped out of sleep and Sasuke merely sat up from leaning against me and blearily looked about the carriage with wide sleep filled eyes. "We take the boat now?" Sasuke asked standing from our bench and stretching. I nodded smiling at him as Sarutobi-san exited the carriage.
"Yay!" Naruto exclaimed, completely void of any lingering thoughts of sleep. I followed them down the few steps and was met with the lingering light of day. I watched the circle of ninja surrounding Sarutobi-san escort him to the much larger covered boat and stretched, reaching for the sky and contemplating what I had just heard. So I was never an outsider here in this world; I'd always belonged here. I smiled contently and joined the lingering ninjas at the water's edge. This is where I really belonged.
I hugged my outer jacket closer against the winter air and took a seat out from under the covered area hiding the Hokage from view. So the big conspiracy I'd thought was there had only been my imagination. The Hokage's secret had only been the fact that he knew more about me then I did. And sadly he knew more about my father then I had. My mother was a traitor and I doubted I'd ever meet her, or that I would want to if I had the chance. My brother was more then a figment of my imagination. And Kakashi's father and my father had been best friends! I sighed, leaning over the edge of the boat and looking down at the water. A swarm of very large fish swam along with our boat. The fat tails effortlessly propelling them through the water. Their thick scales flirted with the surface of the water and their big white eyes looked on blindly through the freezing water. What are those? I wondered looking up at the nearest boat, which had four of the escort ninjas in it, and one of them pointed out the fish too. They obviously weren't normal…
And that was when the attack started. They started with the outer boats, taking down the support ninjas crafts. I pushed away from the edge of the wooden boat we were in as the fish that I had been examining suddenly leapt from the water, transforming into a country-less ninja clad in all black. He lunged for me and I rolled back, kicking him square in the chest. He heaved for breath and I quickly pushed him off the boat before he gained his bearings again. He splashed into the water, but I hadn't waited to hear it. I was doing my best to run down our large boat to locate Naruto and Sasuke.
I stopped, eyes wide. Found them.
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-BS
