Perfect love in such an imperfect world is not understood by everyone. Some seek to destroy something so pure in such a tainted world. But true love endures the test of time.
An agitated little blond girl sat at the kitchen table playing with her breakfast while her father, with matching blond hair, read his paper. Her beautiful pink haired mother bustled about the kitchen, making another plate of food.
"Eat your breakfast, Takara," her mother gently encouraged.
"I'm too nervous" exclaimed the preteen, as she fiddled with her new forehead protector. Instead of the normal blue strap, she had taken her mother's with the red.
Her parents shared knowing looks before her mother placed the plate in front of her father and went out of the room. The girl's thoughts turned to how her life would change, she was officially a ninja now, with her own team and everything. To distract herself from her worries about the day ahead, she decided to grill her father, a favorite pass time for the inquisitive girl.
"Dad, why did Mama quit being a ninja?" she questioned, now that her feet were firmly on the road to becoming a ninja for her village, she needed answers to why her mother left her path to travel a new route.
"Takara," he sighed, she always asked this question and he never could give her a straight answer.
"You keep telling me you'll tell me one day, I'm a ninja now, you can tell me. I won't tell mom I know the secret," his daughter promised.
"You may be a ninja now but I still can't tell you," her father informed her.
"So, I don't have the clearances to know. Guess she didn't give up to be a mother," Takara thought out loud tapping her chin with her finger.
His daughter had to go and take after her mother, always thinking. He adjusted his paper and looked into her blue green eyes, she'd been a handful since day one, now she was finding new ways to test him.
"Its not my secret to tell," he spoke, clearly and confidently before poking the leaf inscribed on her headband.
His daughter knew that was the signal to drop the subject. Looking at the time she knew if she didn't leave soon she would be late.
"So are you and Mama getting a divorce?" she inquired, her parents had been fighting a lot lately. They weren't like the other happy couples she saw of her classmates. They picked on each other and the dirty looks that they gave each other could chill a normal person to the bone. She'd recently seen her father flirting with an ANBU, the masked woman had grabbed his ass and all he had done was shake his head as she vanished. If they didn't love each other anymore they needed to not hold on to what wasn't there.
"That rumor goes around every few years, just ignore it," her father stated not even bothering to look away from the paper that had recaptured his attention. He didn't see the real concern in the girl's eyes. The rumor mill pumped out some wild stories concerning Team Seven, they had all learned long ago to ignore them.
Just then her sister, Rayne, bounced into the kitchen, "hi Daddy!" yelled the energetic girl with pink hair and the same blue green eyes as her sister. Rayne was a few years younger than Takara and about the opposite personality, upbeat and optimistic about everything.
"Hello sleepyhead, hurry up and eat your breakfast or you'll be late," instructed their father who still hadn't touched his own food.
"Isn't it exciting! Takara gets her own team today! Do you know who is on her team?" the hyper girl asked.
"Yes I do, eat," Naruto chuckled, making his youngest daughter roll her eyes.
"I'm off," the blond child announced, still not having touched her food.
"Oh honey, have a good day, and don't be too hard on your sensei," teased her mother as she walked in carrying the youngest Uzamaki. He had bright unruly red hair that refused to obey any combing, and bright blue eyes, just like this father's.
"Garra is sick so he isn't going to be walking with you to the academy," the mother said to Rayne, as she rubbed the boy's back.
"Poor boy! Feel better baby brother," taunted the little pinkette as she pinched her brother's cheek on her way out the door. He barely had enough energy to swat at his sister's playful hand.
Saya came in with a bag packed for the sick boy. The ladies shared a look before the brown haired quiet beauty took the boy and left.
"She's taking him to my mother's for the day," Sakura sighed, she had too much going on to have to deal with a sick kid on top of it.
"Hey," Naruto called, pulling her onto his lap, "I'm sorry about yesterday. She just keeps asking and I'm running out of patients. When you're ready, we'll tell them," he rubbed her shoulder.
"Thank you," she smiled down at her husband and kissed him on the nose.
"I got to get to the office," he frowned.
Sakura looked at all the untouched plates on the table, "I don't know why I bother cooking for you people," she growled.
"Oh, it looks delicious," he tried to recover as he started to eat around her.
"Its fine, you're nervous too, its a big day for our baby," she worried thinking about their bell test.
"She's got a good teacher, she'll get through it," stated the man, trying to reassure himself as much as her, his wife got up and headed to their room to change.
He decided to follow her, "you going to help me?" she teased, taking off her shirt and adjusting her sports bra, pulling his eyes to her still fine breast, even after three children, she looked like a goddess to him.
"I would but I think I would be more of a hindrance than help," he grinned, he moved away from the door to close it, then vanished to his office before he made them both late for work.
Takara made herself comfortable on a boulder waiting for the rest of her newly formed team and sensei. She wouldn't voice it to her father but she was unhappy with who she was teamed up with. Her grades had been average, and her physical skills had been average, so over all she was just an average ninja. All she had was her own weakness to blame for her skills. But the two males placed on her team weren't any better.
Deep in her pondering, she didn't notice that a friend of the family, Hiroki Uchiha, had joined her on the large stone. When he blew on her ear she jumped with the cutest squeak coming from her mouth. Hiroki was like the rest of the Uchiha herd, dark hair and equally dark eyes, looks that made the opposite sex drool, even some from the same sex. Most of them were pretty aloof when it came to other people but they were fiercely protective of each other and their friends.
Hiroki was one of the triplets her mother had been the midwife for. While his brother and sister were amazingly skilled as ninja and had graduated ahead of them, Hiroki had stayed and been pretty unexceptional the same as her. She wasn't even sure if he could use the inheritance in his eyes yet. Being closest in age to the triplets and one of their sisters from their other mother, they had all been the best of friends. Takara was happy the others had gone ahead of them but it reminded her of how unimpressive she was.
The third member of the team showed up a little later, a little black puppy on his head, Akira Inuzuka with his midnight dark hair and contrasting white eyes, he was one of the heart throbs in her class not of Uchiha descent. All the other girls had told her how lucky she was to have such good looking boys on her team but Takara didn't care. She was disappointed with how ordinary her team was going to be.
"Hiroki, Takara," nodded the light eyed boy.
"Akira," Takara acknowledged, while Hiroki only gave a slight head nod, the puppy let out a little bark at the kids on the large rock, "hello Mutt," she smiled as he wagged his little tail.
Now they were waiting for the final piece of their unexceptional puzzle, she would be the only part that shined bright, not bound the the humdrum level they were. In twist of leaves and small explosions of lightning, she appeared with a grand entrance. There, in the dust and smoke, was her father's former student. Haruko, the Lightning Demon, master of the killing arts despite not having a clan, she was the embodiment of what a ninja should be, a true killer. A pang of guilt ran through the girl, this wild woman with brown hair and gleaming hazel eyes, had put her ANBU career on hold just to train the daughter of her teacher, and this was all she was getting.
"Let's get this party started!" whooped the woman.
"So, some team bonding games or we going to talk about our feelings today?" Akira mouthed off.
"No, nothing as lame as yesterday, today, I'm sending one of you packing," grinned their teacher as she held up two silver bells, shaking them to let out a little jingle as they bounced against each other. Tying them to her side, she turned back to her students, fresh from the academy, but they looked like they were already bored of being ninjas. "Who ever doesn't get one of these from me before the end of the day is going back to school," she snickered.
Three loud signs were all she received for her words as they slowly moved to the field, not a boisterous one in the bunch. Haruko was hoping for a least one hot head like her, but they were defeated before they even started. The sensei shook her head and headed out after them.
"Begin, if you dare," chuckled the former ANBU, her tattoo branded into her arm, showing she was at one time, part of the elite.
Takara didn't see either male move so she started with a barrage of different weapons. She had been in training since she could hold a kunai, and Hiroki had been there watching her every step of the way, as she spared with his siblings, competed with her, and being one of her closest friends. He still managed to mirror her attacks without special eyes, doubling the amount of projectiles the seasoned ninja had to dodge. Not slowing at all the girl moved in for close combat. Akira just stood on the sidelines at watched. Takara began to think it would be best to go back to and try again with a different team.
It didn't matter what she tried the veteran blocked or countered. Hiroki had been her back up but didn't do anything on his own while Akira had done nothing unless the fight moved into his personal space. And only attacking then if he thought he had an opening to the taunting bells. Lunch time came fast, and the exhausted girl was ready to be done with the whole thing.
"Well boys, there's no way we can get one of those on our own," Takara noted, feeling just how not special she was. Born of two legends and she was as plain as they came.
"Yeah, you and Mutt going to join the fight or stand around picking your nose?" Hiroki asked the other male.
"I don't see the point, we're never going to get them even if we work together. I told my parents who my sensei was and I learned all kinds of crazy things about her. She hasn't even used one elemental technique and she's holding us at bay. We're pathetic," growled the dog boy.
"You have no idea, my dad trained her, his dad trained her," she gestured to Hiroki, "but my dad trained me too, and I've been fighting Uchiha kids all my life, even the best have weaknesses and there is strength in numbers. So next round you get off your lazy ass and help," snapped the Hokage's daughter.
"Uzumaki, you want to work with me or boss me around?" questioned the Inuzuka.
"I want to punch you in the face," grinned the blond, staring up at the sky from her spot in the grass.
His father's grin spread across his face, she may be a girl but she had spunk, he liked it. His mother, Lady Hinata, was so quiet and reserved unlike his grandmother and aunt on his father's side. Takara seemed to him a bit of a combination of the extremes in his family.
"Who is going back to the academy?" questioned the boy with a puppy.
"I am," Takara stated, "if I can't tell who needs to go back just by this morning's fight, then I'm not fit to be a leader yet, so I will go back."
"You going to be Hokage one day?" teased Akira.
Takara's hand reached for the clouds floating lazily by, "I don't know what the future holds for me, but I don't plan to be average forever, so whatever path I find myself on, Hokage, ANBU, medic, I'm going to be the best this village has ever seen," she declared a high boast.
Hiroki loved it when she got worked up and that determined look sparked new life in her eyes. He could see her do whatever she set her mind to, she just needed to learn to stop choking at crucial moments. Just then their sensei popped out of no where.
"Ready to try this again?" she smiled, a sick glee on her features, she was going to add torturing children to her list of hobbies.
Takara rolled onto her stomach, "just say when," she smirked, new light in her eyes.
A satisfied look came over the trios teacher, "begin if you dare," she repeated. Three children vanished, Haruko closed her eyes and let her other senses find them. Opening her eyes just in time to dodge a flying kick to the face from Akira, only to have to block a punch from Hiroki, and spin to keep Takara from grabbing the bells. She slammed the boys into each other but they recovered with impressive speed. A spray of weapons followed her from all three preteens. She nearly didn't escape them all. The demon turned back, and charged the children. They all did an excellent job on ducking and weaving out of the way of her strikes. The Uchiha boy's hands flew through practiced hand signs as he prepared to shoot fire at her. She sprung backwards, high into the air.
She didn't know if one of them got lucky or if they timed it, but while she was in mid air a blade sliced the string the bells were on, sending them to the earth while the ninja was still headed away from the children. The two boys picked up the bells to jingle them, while all three wore smug faces.
"You father is going to kill me," sighed the woman.
"I'm fine with going back," the girl stated very seriously.
"Oh, none of you are going back, that was some good teamwork. I told him I'd die before you kids got those bells, now you're all making a liar out of me," laughed their sensei as she rubbed the back of her neck, a habit she picked up from her own sensei.
"Why the deception?" Hiroki asked.
"To pit you against one another, but you over came it to complete your mission," explained the Lightning Demon.
"I see," said the Uchiha.
"Tomorrow the fun begins, so go home and get some rest," Haruko ordered before she vanished on the winds.
"Hey, Takara," Akira called, she stopped while he caught up to her, placing an elbow on her shoulder, "you can be my Hokage or medic any day," he teased.
"Not your ANBU?" she inquired lightly, a twinkle in her eyes the boy didn't fail to notice.
"No, I'd rather see your pretty face," he flirted as he gently held her chin with his finger and thumb.
She rolled her eyes, "see you tomorrow," she said as she pulled away from him. His chuckle graced her ears as she walked home. Once there, she was surprised to find it empty. Her mother was always home when she got out of school. She was earlier than normal so she went to her dad's office. He was sitting at his large wood desk scanning over papers when she showed up.
"How was your first day?" he inquired when he saw her.
"Did you know about the bell test?" she questioned, hands on her hips.
"Of course, your mother and I had to take it, I gave it to Haruko when she was my student. Not everyone does it but I like it," he mused.
The girl just shook her head, "where's Mama?" she shifted the conversation.
"She's not home?" he wondered, earning him a look from his daughter that it was obvious she wasn't, "I'm not sure where she is, I know Garra is sick so she might be at your grandmother's."
Just then an ANBU popped in with a cat mask, handing a scroll to the Hokage. Takara had heard there was a special group in the ANBU who wore the cat masks, there were four of them and they were fondly called the C4 unit. Not highly original in the girl's opinion but it was easy to remember. It was all second hand information but she had also heard that they were the best of the best and only answered to her father and the head of ANBU. Her father scribbled something on the scroll and handed it back. The small blond didn't know if this was the ANBU her father had been groped by but it had been a cat mask.
"Guess I will go home and enjoy the quiet before Rayne gets there," Takara decided as she watched the cat masked person vanish.
"I'll see you at home tonight," her father smiled.
The girl made her way home, it was close to the tower but it gave her time to think over her eventful day. She knew she needed to change her mind set. Even if she had been stuck in the middle with everyone else that didn't mean her fate was set there. Her parents told her over and over that the placements didn't matter, but that was easy for them to say, they were legends. Back in the comforts of her home, she found her mother in the kitchen with her sensei.
"There's my little ninja," her mother beamed.
"Sorry you gave up ANBU to teach such an average group," sighed the little blond, fiddling with her headband.
She saw the adults share a look before her sensei spoke, "I might as well be an Uzumaki with my ability to give up, you don't leave ANBU, you may take a break, but its something that becomes a part of you, seeps into your blood. As for being average, there is nothing wrong with it, my teammates, I saw as below me because I was rookie of the year. But you know what, the one I saw as the weakest link, I would not fight against today. He practiced hard, never gave up, and found himself an excellent teacher who shared his abilities."
"You know where your father was?" her mother asked with a sly smile.
"Probably rookie of the year," grumbled the girl.
"No, your uncle Sasuke was rookie, your daddy was dead last," grinned the rosette.
Takara's eyes got big, "but dad's Hokage, and grandfather was Hokage, how on earth was dad dead last?" she asked.
"Lots of reasons," Sakura didn't want to go into the details of the tailed beast inside the man she loved, "the point is, it doesn't matter where you start, it matters how you end, and how you got to there," her mother encouraged.
"What about you? You're not a ninja anymore, why did you give up?" questioned the small girl.
"Like ANBU, you never really give it up," answered her mother. There it was, her mother answering the question while not giving a true reason for giving up the way of ninja.
"Will you fight me?" she questioned as a bubbly pinkette crashed into her.
"I'm home!" Rayne announced in the grandest of her entrances.
"I won't fight you today," smiled Sakura.
"Fight me!" yelled the younger sister.
"No way," growled the oldest. Her sister would be head of her class if she put in any effort. The way Takara figured it, she was a combination of her father's stamina and her mother's control, while Rayne was mostly stamina, and Garra was mostly control. Takara may be able to do more things than her sister, but Rayne could out last her in a fight, which aggravated the blond because of the age difference between them. Her father walked in surprising all the girls.
"What are you doing home early?" his wife inquired.
"Got to celebrate my girl's first day as a real ninja," he beamed picking up his daughter like she weighed nothing.
"I'm not a child, put me down," huffed Takara, embarrassed by his actions.
"Haruko, stay for dinner," Naruto called as he set his oldest down to go check on his youngest.
"Yes, sensei," yelled the little demon.
"Where's Raiden?" asked Sakura.
"Mission," huffed his girlfriend, making the rosette smile.
After a lovely dinner, there was a knock at the door. Takara answered it, opening to find the eldest of the Uchiha herd standing there.
"Good evening, Daichi, you here to see my dad?" she questioned as she moved aside to let him in.
"Yes, but this concerns you as well," he stated very seriously.
Hearing who was at the door everyone poured into the entry way. Daichi wasn't one to visit lightly, he was just like his uncle before him, a servant of the village, taking on the hardest tasks and completing them with ease.
"Its good to see you, Daichi, what can I do for you?" questioned Naruto, not use to seeing him without his mask.
"My father sent me to ask for permission to date your daughter," stated the dark eyed man, with no emotion to his statement.
"Oh," Naruto felt blind sided, he should have seen this coming with her becoming an adult, but there was quite the age difference between the two.
"Before you answer, I would like to say that I desire you to decline this request. While I feel fondly for Takara I do not see myself loving her with all my being, the way I feel about protecting the village," he set his enchanting dark eyes on her and knelt before her taking the young girl's hand, "I would gladly die to save your life but my heart does not long for you in the right way to justify making us more than friends, I hope you will not think ill of me," he spoke calmly and sincerely.
The girl blinked trying to process his words, girls still talked about Daichi in the academy, he had left a lasting impression on the school. It was the distant ones girls wanted to change with their love but he had remained single, much to his father's dismay.
"Of course not, I could never think ill of someone who speaks what's on their heart," she replied as maturely as she could with him.
He got up and bowed, taking his leave before Naruto even answered to either request. Next walked in Etsuo, the next oldest male of the herd.
"Dad is sending us down the line, so I'm suppose to ask to date your daughter but I'm already dating a girl, not that dad cared," Etsuo sighed at his father's determination to claim the Uzumaki blood line.
"We'll see you later, Etsuo, guess you can come back if things don't work out with the other girl," teased Naruto.
"No offense to Takara but I hope to not have to," winked the boy, as his next brother came into the house knowing his two older brothers were only there to please their father.
"Now Itsuki, do you have an excuse to not want to date Takara but are here because your crazy old man made you?" inquired the annoyed father.
"No, I would like to have your permission to date your daughter, if she'll have me," stated the boy, trying to not sound nervous under the scrutinizing blue eyes of his Hokage.
"You sure? You don't love the village too much or have another girl?" taunted the older man.
The boy laughed, "I do love my village but I believe in not being so single minded, and there are no other girls in my life."
"What do you say Takara, you want to date him?" asked her father as he looked down at her.
The young girl couldn't read her father, he seemed amused and annoyed at the same time. She looked at the boy standing in her door way, even thought he was a couple years older than her, he had been her classmate, he had waited until the triplets were ready to join the academy before he joined along with his sister from his other mother. She had heard him claim that it took him those extra years to decide on his path but him being as average as her and Hiroki, made her think it was because he lacked skill or the conviction to be a ninja. Also like Hikoki, she'd never even seen him use his inheritance. He may have been in the middle with her in the class but she suspected as far as Uchiha clan went he was below normal, or even a throw back.
She didn't want to hurt his feelings, one date couldn't hurt, it would show them they had nothing in common, "I guess," she whispered.
"Are you free now?" he inquired, his steady gaze on her, "with your permission of course," he added looking to her father.
"Be my guest," the father sighed in defeat.
The boy held out an arm to her, which she slowly took. All the girls had always gushed over the boys in the Uchiha herd but she had always seen them as friends and nothing more, they were too distant for her taste, with the execution of the two boys of the triplets, they had been open with her like she was a sister, while Itsuki had always been in the background watching over them, he rarely got involved with her. Now she was on his arm strolling the streets of the Leaf. He stopped and got her something sweet at one of the stalls before they continued their walk. They found themselves at a park near the outskirts of the village. They sat on the swings while she finished her treat.
He hadn't talked much, but she made him nervous, he'd been in love with her before he knew the meaning of the word. The true reason he had held off going to the academy was to be with her in hopes of being on her team. He was glad his brother had been placed with her since he wasn't. He was about to ask her if she was enjoying her time with him when he realized they were not alone. He knew the ANBU had been tailing them but the new presence was disturbing. In a flash he had her away from the swing she had been relaxing on, now filled with kunai, and he was in between her and the intruder.
"Not them again," signed the blond behind him. Rouge Petal ninja had been after her because of what happened to the Queen. The story was, she had been killed while in the care of the Leaf. Takara didn't know the details, just that not long after that her mother gave up being a ninja. Her gut told her the two were related. Takara had nothing to do with the incident but she was precious to the man who they felt let it happen and the woman they felt betrayed by.
"Is it always this exciting around you?" asked the boy who still had a hand on her, keeping her in place, the other fishing out a kunai.
"Afraid so, probably makes you rethink dating me," she guessed.
"It takes more than this to scare off an Uchiha," he grinned, adjusting his grip on his weapon.
Suddenly he turned around and jumped with her. He held her close with one hand, while the other deflected a few incoming weapons with his own. She looked up to see his dark eyes had turned red, he had three tomes around his black iris. He wasn't a throw back, he'd just been hiding it.
Four Leaf ANBU surrounded the couple, all battle ready. Takara couldn't see but they all bore the markings of the cat. Itsuki released her, and took a defensive position.
"Where's your bitch mother? I want her here when I kill you," announced a woman coming from the shadows.
"You won't be killing anyone today," came the calming voice of her father standing on the railing of the fence, his white coat flapping in the wind.
"I've missed you, Umeko," came the sound of a woman's voice similar to her mother's on the other side of the park from her father. There stood three cat masked ANBU, only differences were small markings on the face coverings, and two had their coverings extend over their heads, hiding their hair. One was obviously a fine figured woman while the other seemed to be a petite thing, a young boy or small woman. The one with pink marking and a shapely female physique strolled closer to the enemy. They began to exchange words that the girl couldn't hear.
Umeko, the young ninja had heard that name before, her uncles Sasuke and Sai had discussed her. She was the sister of the dead Queen, who swore vengeance against the Leaf and wanted her dead. The Petal Princess had gone deep underground, they said she in the top five of the bingo books across the nations.
"Think you can stop me? I've done nothing but become stronger in order to kill you. From what I heard, you've given up being a legendary ninja, banished to being a baby maker for a worthless Hokage," snarled the woman with the bluest eyes and stark white flowing hair.
"Such a waste," noted the ANBU, reaching in her pack pulling out her kunai, she sprung backwards, giving herself some room.
The petal woman became a blur as she attacked the lone ninja. Takara watched in horror as the woman fought the dangerous intruder and the people around her did nothing. The sounds of metal clanging against metal and grunts of pain echoed around them.
"Daddy, do something," a plea escaped her mouth as the cat masked woman skid along the grass. Itsuki snuck his arm back around Takara keeping her in the protective square.
Her father looked to her curiously, "she's fine," he noted looking back at the fight, a strange glint in his eye his child couldn't place. It wasn't fear, that gave the girl some ease, but there was a hunger there. Next to him appeared several masks, among them, a dog, a snake and a fox.
"You're the only one left Umeko, everyone else had been captured or killed," the Leaf ninja announced, noticing all the heavy hitters of the ANBU surrounded them.
"I won't give up until you know my pain," screamed the intruder, this time she attacked the ninja in front of the children. She became in cased in a wooden trap, the woman degraded into a mass of mud.
The child of the Legendary Medic and Toad Sage stood in awe as the ANBU slammed her fist into the ground creating a jagged gorge in the ground before her. The stark white haired invader flew from the earthwork, engulfing her enemy with a mountain of rubble.
"Someone help her!" cried the child, seeing this woman fight alone awoke a feeling in her that she didn't understand, something about the woman made her feel protective.
She saw more than heard the sigh that left her father's mouth. He made no move to interfere with the battle. His blue eyes were fixated on the pile of dirt and rock. She was going to help the ANBU even if no one else would, she got out of the distracted boy's hold and moved for the battle field.
"Don't," her sensei's voice spoke as a strong hand grabbed her shoulder, turning to see who it belonged to, and noticed another cat mask.
"Do something," begged the student, tears threatening to flow.
"I am, you should be doing the same thing," her head nodding to the battle area, "watching a master at work," answered the woman behind the bluish cat mask.
The pile of earth exploded, shaking the ground, Itsuki grabbed Takara before she stumbled and fell. There her mother stood in the middle of the dust and rock sent into chaos. Dirt covered her black clothes and pink hair that danced with the breeze. Scratches and bruises marred the pale skin of her arms. Her child didn't understand how she got there, where was the cat? An empty mask tumbled to her father's feet, he picked up the broken false face.
Sakura took to the air to do battle again with her opponent, sending the white haired woman to the ground, more dirt spraying into the air. The pink haired beauty came crashing down upon the woman who hadn't recovered yet. Screams of pain filled the ears of the on lookers. Another rupture of the earth caused the young girl to turn away. Suddenly, one of the ANBU was beside her stopping a kunia at her eye, the tip so close when she blinked her eyelashes brushed it.
"My apologies," came a deep voice the boy recognized as his eldest brother.
"I'll cover you," said another male voice from behind as the first male to speak vanished.
Another explosion from the main fighters and a blade came flying out of the dust that still hung above the combatants. It stuck into the trunk of one of the nearby trees, blood sliding down the blade onto the bark. The sight of blood filled the girl with fear for someone she couldn't live without.
"If you ever loved her, help her!" demanded the girl as she stared wide eyed at her father.
Naruto felt his brow furrow, his love for his wife was stronger than his daughter could understand. He loved her enough to let her fight her battles on her own. If his love showed any sign of need he would be by her side in a heartbeat. A horrid thought struck the girl as he watched his wife, the woman who gave him three children, and left the world of the ninja, do battle with one of the greatest foes she had heard of, he didn't care if she lived. Her mother's cry of pain stole her attention from her father.
A gush of wind cleared the lingering dirt haze. The medic was bleeding badly from her shoulder and another woman was there, now laying in the dirt next to Umeko. Both recovered from the assault from the pink haired monster, attacking her again and again but the child's mother refused to give them ground, blood splattered in the dirt as the new woman stuck another blade into the medic, ripping it from her side.
The boy tightened his hold on the girl as movement drew her attention away from her mother to the people who bore the cat markings standing on the opposite side of the field from her dad. One of the cat masks moved to the crater, the one with the head covering. The man who had gone after the ones who sent the kunai at the girl was back but she hadn't seen him return. Looking back the the pit she could see the punches and kicks where still flying in the dented earth.
"Enough," bellowed the woman behind the cat mask, she had an air of authority and she carried herself well, like she could kill you if you stepped out of line and she knew it.
Sakura jumped away from the women inflicting harm on her, "I was wondering when you would end this," grinned her mother as she healed her shoulder and side. It was then she saw the ANBU mark branded in her skin. Her mother had never abandoned this path. She was so deeply embedded in it that even her own children hadn't seen it.
"This isn't over," shrieked the small petal ninja, moving to destroy the Hokage's wife once again.
In an instant, the masked woman who ended the fight was in front of Sakura holding Umeko by the throat. Her free hand moved to her mask, pulling it off with the covering over her bright red hair wrapped with a Leaf inscribed headband.
"Aunt Rose?" mumbled the girl in puzzlement.
"Kamiko?" the bewildered petal ninja gasp.
"Hello, little sister," smiled Rose, "you shouldn't believe every rumor you hear, I tried to find you to tell you I wasn't dead, just reborn a member of the Leaf."
"Why?" cried the woman as her sister let her throat go.
"I met someone and made a life here," answered the former Petal ninja, the girl noticed the small glance at the other cat mask who had moved closer to the four surrounding the child of two great ninja.
Takara watched in disbelief as her mother pulled a second mask from her pouch but before she could place it over her face, her father was there intertwining himself with her. Lifting her off the ground, their heated kiss made their daughter blush at the open display of love and affection. He set her down as she pulled the cat mask over her face. Looking around she noticed the animal on the faces surrounding her were the same as her mother's. Counting them, she noticed seven cats in all, the rumors were wrong.
"Traitor," screamed the other petal woman, once the shock wore off, striking the Fallen Queen through the chest.
The rosette's monster strength struck out, a deafening crack sounded as every bone in the woman's body was broke, sending her tumbling and flopping away through the grass and dirt. Without even looking at Rose, Sakura's hand reached behind her to heal her friend, while she stood between the sisters in case Umeko got any ideas about trying to kill her sister. Takara hadn't even seen her move away from her father, she was just there.
"She's amazing," noted the boy still holding Takara close to him.
She looked up to see his dark eyes had returned from the red, they were trained on the girl's mother. Itsuki liked the feel of her pressed to him, he'd keep her there till she moved on her own. He watched as his father started barking orders.
"He's no good to me like this," the snake masked man gestured to the Hokage who was again clinging to the woman he called wife.
"I can't help it, do know how long its been since I've seen her fight," Naruto defended, rubbing his hands over her dirty black clothes.
"Easy boy, save it for when we get home," chuckled the medic, enjoying the feel of his hands roaming her body, but she was still trying to heal the woman with a whole in her chest. There was another cat mask holding onto the dethroned queen.
"I still don't understand," the white haired girl shook with confusion and anger.
"One day, an enemy of the Petal came into the Leaf and stole me away. They planned on the Allied Forces turning the Petal to rubble. But my husband knew better than my abandoning him. So the word was spread that I was killed in an accident, it wasn't the perfect plan but that way I was reborn a member of the Leaf with a new name and could give birth to a child I didn't have to hide. We tried to get to you before you found out but we were too late. You had gone so deep underground we couldn't find you to tell you the truth," explained the redhead, starting to stand on her own.
"How could you betray the Petal and fall for someone from the Leaf?" questioned the Petal Princess.
"I didn't understand it myself, until someone told me love doesn't see what's etched on our headbands," Rose spoke thoughtfully looking at the woman healing her.
"Why did you pretend to no longer be a ninja?" yelled Umeko, pointing an accusing finger at Sakura.
"I'm a ninja, its my job to deceive my enemies," explained the ANBU behind the pink cat mask.
Takara's brain was on overload until it just quit. Knowing her mother well enough to know that would be all she said on the subject. She was infuriatingly stubborn, an attribute Takara had gained from her. Years of begging for an answer to why her mother forsake the ninja world boiled down to something so simple. Takara decided the to think about this tomorrow, she was on a date.
"Come on Itsuki, you're walking me home," she got out of the Uchiha's arms only to grab his hand and pull him in the direction of her house.
Naruto stopped his fondling of his wife to watch the preteen girl drag the teenage boy away, a small frown on his face. Glancing over at his head of ANBU, he was sure that hiding behind that snake mask, the man was wearing a huge gloating grin. His little girl was growing up too fast.
The children of legends walked in silence still hand in hand. Takara was lost in her own world of betrayal by her own mother, while Itsuki was busy scanning for anymore unexpected guests. All he sensed were the four ANBU following them, his brother among them.
"You were pretty brave back there," came her quiet voice.
"Not really, you would have done the same for me," he answered, not even batting an eyelash.
"When did you activate your eyes?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
A humorless laugh sounded from the boy, "you were there, you were pretty young though. Three boys were picking on you, making you cry. I don't remember what they were picking on you about, I never saw any flaw in you," the girl next to him blushed, "I ended up in a fight with them to protect you, in the fight one of them said something so spiteful it activated my eyes. You were too busy crying to notice and then the triplets came and surrounded you," he explained as they stepped up onto her porch.
"I probably never thanked you," she smiled turning to him.
"You never needed to, but I think I remember what they made you cry about," his swift hand untied her forehead protector, her eyes shot open in surprise as it fell before them to the porch, "its really a cute forehead though," he said placing a soft kiss on it. She had inherited it from her mother, she had been teased about it when she was small but one day it stopped.
The Cherry Blossom Medic of the Leaf grinned from her perch on the arm of the couch as her husband paced in the living room. She enjoyed the worried father side of him. He kept glancing at the door, waiting for his daughter to walk in the door.
"They're fine," she smiled.
"She's too young for this," he growled.
"If I had said yes, you would have dated me at this age," pointed out his wife.
"That's different," he defended, he knew it wasn't but it was his baby out there.
"You know, you're rather cruel," he stopped his pacing to look at the battered woman, as she moved with cat like grace to him, "rub me down on the battle field, getting me all hot and bothered, then get me home and ignore me," she pouted, her bewitching green eyes full of desire.
He cleared his throat, "as soon as she is in this house away from that boy, you are all mine," he spoke softly, his words husky as he can feel his longing for her grow. Something about the smell of blood, dirt and sweat did it for him, knowing they had cheated death out of its prize once again.
"She is being watched by the deadliest ninja in the village, including his brother, who would never allow him to dishonor their family by taking advantage of a young girl," she reminded her husband as her hands slipped up his shirt to feel his rippled muscles, he shivered under her touch.
"Are you ever going to let me stop feeling like a teenage boy?" he questioned, feeling himself swell with hunger.
Just then the door opened and their daughter walked in, her sea green eyes not seeing anything as she moved to go to her room.
"Was it a good date?" her mother asked, already knowing the answer.
The girl just nodded, too lost in her thoughts to voice a reply.
"You going to see that boy again?" came her father's rough voice.
Her private smile told them she would be, she smiled at her parents before she raced off to her room. Sakura smiled, she hoped it worked out for them. The mothers of the children had seen Itsuki's love grow for Takara over the years. His devotion for her was something the pinkette really admired about the boy. He could have been in and out of the academy before Takara even joined. He patiently waited for her, even hid his talents from most of his clan and the entire school. Sakura knew his secret because the boy had learned hers, it was hard to keep secrets from Uchiha eyes.
Her hands were still on her husband's rippling abs, she felt them flex as she moved her fingers over the defined lines. He caught them up before the traveled to far down.
"I think I need some practice," he groaned into her ear.
"Still want more children?" she questioned, looking up into deep pools of lust and love.
"I want whatever you want. But I'm not sure I can handle anymore daughters, I freaked out more about Takara's date than I ever did one of ours," he sighed, leaning his forehead to hers.
"Well we didn't start dating until after you married me," she chuckled, and he joined her in the laughter.
He craned his neck to spill kisses down hers as his wondrous hands rubbed her tight body. A sudden gasp of pain had him releasing her like a hot coal. Worried blue orbs scanned her body, his hands moving to her tattered black shirt. Lifting it to have an angry purple and blue bruises confront his eyes and confirm his suspicions. Umeko had worked her over good and he was man handling her like she was unbreakable. Guilt flooded his features as his eyes sought hers.
"Its nothing," she protested only to have him place his lips over hers to silence them.
He should have listened to his daughter and helped her despite his wife's damned pride. But he didn't want to diminish the work and sacrifice she had made over the years to be the best for when the time came to protect what was theirs. He couldn't bring himself to blame Sai and Rose for Umeko's decision. They had fallen in love, he never thought it would happen for their teammate so he couldn't stand in their way and had even married them in secrecy. They had built a life together, a couple of kids and even got Rose into the elite unit under Sakura. All the while, Rose had been trying to find Umeko to tell her she wasn't gone, just set on a different path.
He broke the kiss, "I love you," he stated looking hard into her eyes, she cocked her head to the side, "I know I say it everyday but I mean it, and I'm sorry I let you fight alone."
"I didn't want you to," she spoke up but he stopped her with a look.
"She is my child too, so if anything like this happens again, you are letting me help," his tone left no room for argument.
She took a deep breath, "you're an idiot," his brows creased at her playful words, "even if you're not on the battle field with me, you still help me. Knowing you have faith in me is more support than you can imagine. And I love you too," she smiled pulling him into another heated kiss, letting the pain remind her she was still alive to cherish him. She had a couple close calls with that fight when the dust had surrounded her. She knew it was him that sent the wind to open her field of vision during the battle, his reassuring chakra had been intertwined with it.
He carefully worked his hands down to her thighs, pulling them up to drape around his hips. He moved off toward their bedroom, away from the stairs, where too little girls had been spying on them. Takara shook her head, she was glad her parents weren't getting a divorce. That all their problems were just her misunderstanding of their relationship. She pushed her sister back up the stairs to go to their rooms.
As the blond preteen stared at the ceiling, thoughts of the day plaguing her mind, she decided that next time something like this happened she wouldn't be the one needing protection. Promising herself to train harder to become a great ninja that even surpassed the almost mythical sagas of Team Seven made her grin. She knew the path she chose would be difficult but legends were never born with ease.