Chapter 49

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Wars.

AUTHORS NOTES:

This chapter gave me a case of the dreaded writer's block. I've never had that issue before to this degree. Given I had an unwanted pause I finally posted the Naruto/Ninja Gaiden/DOA story called Naruto: Dragon's Maw and I have to say it amazes me that some writers can switch gears between stories at will. To me I have to work on one or the other as my frame of mind is totally different for each story. Anyway, the other story is on the back burner for now as Lunar Eclipse will take precedence. Dragon's Maw will be updated sporadically whereas Lunar Eclipse will continue regularly.

On another unrelated note, I've had several PMs asking for Killer Bee. I hate to say it, I truly like the character but I can't write rap to save my life. I was originally intending to add him back at Chapter 18 with Team Samui but ended up choosing Terumi Mei instead after a couple of attempts at writing him. I've seen poor attempts at writing his rap and generally they were torture to read. I also don't believe I could skip his rapping as it is intrinsic to his character and the humor involved. Sorry Killer Bee fans!

Last time:

She kissed his forehead and said. "I love you my Gaara-chan. Please call me Momma like Tema-chan does. Mother sounds so formal."

"Alright….Momma." Gaara felt safe here embraced by his Mother. He was emotionally exhausted but he felt a joy inside.

They heard Temari sniffling and both looked up. She was embarrassed that she was crying but when Karura reached out to her she kneeled down and hugged them both. "Momma, you don't know how happy Gaara and I are to have you here. Somehow I knew you would recognize her Gaara. Let's all move over to the couch. There is so much to talk about."

The newly reunited family sat down with Shikamaru and Yoshino over tea and talked about all the things they'd missed in each other's lives. Karura was finally….home.

Planet Geodon

"Please tell me you're kidding!" lamented Alana aloud. "I can't believe your pregnant Mom! What the hell were you two thinking? I mean, you're 80! Don't you have a little self control? How did I end up the responsible adult here?!"

For their part Roland and Cressida were blushing in embarrassment as they held hands.

"Haven't you ever of birth control? You are both old enough to know better!" continued Alana as she face-palmed.

Roland spoke up in their defense. "Your Mom and I haven't been with anyone for decades Alana. Birth control was the last thing on our minds!"

"Still, aren't you a little old to be having babies?" asked Alana.

"That's nonsense!" retorted Cressida coloring up. "I'm not old! I have a good ten to fifteen years I'll be able to bear children. You just watch. Your Dad and I can pop out a whole brood of little brothers and sisters for you if we want!"

Alana just groaned. "Please don't. What do you plan to do now?"

"Well, we need to get back to Saphris and get that treaty squared away." explained Cressida. "Our visitors have waited more than long enough. Roland and I discussed it and the Shamshir-Fireveil Alliance is for the best. Of course, Celia's situation will need to be handled. She and Lord Ameer are involved somehow but I don't know how deeply."

"They want to get married." stated Alana.

"…." Roland stared.

"….Well, I guess I should have foreseen it. What do you think about it Alana?" asked the Grandmaster.

Alana shook her head. "From what Cierra said the two want to make their marriage a stipulation of the alliance so both sides will have blood ties. Cierra also said if that didn't go through she thinks they are planning to elope, consequences be damned."

Roland gave a crooked smile. "It seems that Celia has a headstrong side just like her mother did. We'll have to talk to them and see if the Shamshirs agree to the stipulation as well."

Soon, Roland and Cressida were on their way to Saphris to take care of business. Things were far from completely settled between them but they would work through it. They both were filled with joy that their marriage had a second chance.

Planet Saphris

Cierra announced the Grandmaster would be back tomorrow to address the treaty so everyone was preparing. Celia and Ameer in particular were on needles and pins. Their plans to get hitched were all up to Grandmaster Cressida now. They both fervently hoped things would go smoothly and their marriage would be approved. (Otherwise they had Plan B to run away together).

For their part, Naruto and Hinata had forgiven Kakashi after he made a sincere apology though they hadn't returned his items to him. (They weren't sure what to do about that). They also decided they could afford to pay for Izumo and Kotetsu's debts but at this point Kakashi and Gai were out of their price range. Kurenai agreed to return with them to Nardil as well although she hated to leave her friends Yūgao and Kurotsuchi behind.

All in all, everyone was looking forward to Grandmaster Cressida's return with hope in their hearts.

Planet Nardil

Sasori was at a crossroads. He decided to talk with Inoichi (he'd developed a bond of sorts with the man through their clothes shopping adventures/mutual suffering) and wondered if he should try to ask Sakura on a date. Both he and Sakura were extremely intelligent and wanted to master and perfect their 'arts' (namely puppetry and medical jutsu). They had good chemistry and as embarrassed as he was to admit it, his heart seemed to flutter whenever Sakura was around.

"It sounds like you really are attracted to her." said Inoichi. "She's always been a good girl and I've known her since she was little. If she decided she didn't feel that way about you she wouldn't lead you on I'm sure you could still be friends….have you ever been on a date before?" The flat, empty stare that Sasori had was all the answer Inoichi needed. "Oh, boy. I think we need my little princess's advice on this matter. Sakura is her best friend after all. Besides, she would know if Sakura likes you. If I'm reading her right, Sakura at least wants to be friends with you, maybe more."

Inoichi watched as the stoic puppet master's eyes became conflicted at the prospects and saw a more than a little fear. "Look Sasori, even if she says 'no' at least you'll have tried right? You would regret it later if you hadn't. I don't know you well enough to give you the best advice I can but from what I understand you've been alone and lonely all your life. Give it a try. Ino will know what Sakura likes and you two can try to enjoy a nice date together. What do you say?"

Sasori nodded gravely. "Very well Inoichi. I will listen to Ino's advice and try this. I feel like I'm accepting an S class mission though."

Inoichi patted his shoulder. "Love can be scary Sasori, especially when you're very introverted and shy. However, having been happily married I can tell you that it can be very rewarding as well. Just remember, if Sakura says 'no' that doesn't mean you have to give up on love. There are other girls out there so don't be discouraged if she turns you down. Anyway, as I said you could still be friends."

At Sasori's consent they agreed to go with this basic plan. "Alright, let me call Ino." said Inoichi as he touched the communicator on his desk. The panel whirred and crackled. "Confound this infernal thing…." muttered Inoichi. "Oh, here we go!" The communicator blinked and signaled Ino and Sakura's quarters. "Ino, are you there?"

"Hold on!" Ino's voice rang back distantly. A moment later Ino's voice came through clear. "Trying out the communicator Daddy? You could have just called me telepathically you know."

Inoichi blanched at his own stupidity. Re-gathering his wits, he asked, "Ino, are you and your friend Sakura available?"

"Forehead's down at the infirmary working her shift but I'm free." replied Ino. "Are your clothes not right Daddy? We could go back to the store…."

Inoichi's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "NO! I mean no, princess. My clothes are fine, better than fine. I thought I'd ask you for some dating advice from a woman's perspective."

"Dating advice? Boy, you move fast Daddy! Unless of course it's Nara Yoshino. But then that would make Shikamaru and I step-siblings….Man, that would be 'troublesome.' Are you sure about this Daddy? I know you and Yoshino have known each other since you went to the Academy and all…."

'How the hell did it turn into this?!' ranted Inoichi in his mind. "It's not for me princess. It's for someone else who is visiting me. I was hoping you could come by if you weren't busy right now."

"Well why didn't you say so sooner?" asked Ino. "I'll be over in a few minutes." The communicator went dead at that point. Sasori had a look in his eyes that said 'Are you sure this is a good idea?!' Inoichi just sweat-dropped. His little princess could be a handful at times.

The Flameblade

Keil was concerned. While he had apologized and pleaded his case that he came to heal them using the force, the lovely Miss Samui was less than convinced he wasn't just a perverted stalker. It seemed our distinguished Jedi was trying to figure a way out of this but Omoi told him to stay clear of Samui for now as she was "well and truly pissed" at him. It also didn't help that Keil couldn't help but envision her topless every time he saw her leading to some truly spectacular nosebleeds.

On the positive side, Lady Shion seemed incredibly gifted and strong in the force. Keil believed she would be an immense asset to the clan in the future. Her visions of upcoming events were uncanny to the degree even Keil was shocked (and a bit creeped out). He told her he'd foreseen visions of beauty and pleasure where Miss Samui was concerned but she quickly corrected him and told him she foresaw only pain and suffering in his future if he didn't leave Samui alone for the remainder of their voyage to Nardil. For once in his life Keil took the smart route and followed her advice.

Meanwhile Samui and her team where investigating the blank mask they'd received. It had the kanji for 'Root' upon it which Samui remembered was some sort of ANBU branch for Konoha but she wasn't 100% sure how they fit in to the overall picture. Inside they found a seal that was slightly scorched. Samui believed this was some sort of suicide seal to prevent agents from falling into enemy hands. She figured Naruto and Jiraiya would probably be able to figure it out. The main question on her mind was why they wanted to capture Shion even at the cost of their lives and those of their comrades.

Samui's team found the Root agents distressing. They seemed totally committed to their mission with no thought of anything else. They also seemed to hide themselves to the point of appearing androgynous and all appeared to have identical weapons and skill sets. Omoi suggested they were all clones of the same people and Karui agreed. The Root agents seemed disturbingly unnatural. This also begged the question of who was controlling them. None of these Root members showed any form of leadership over the others and they seemed to operate more like coordinated drones that were programmed rather than individuals who thought for themselves.

Karui's brief look at the face of the Root woman before the suicide seal took effect was inconclusive. The woman was obviously in agony from losing her hands and perhaps going into shock but at the same time her face looked lifeless and devoid of emotion. She also had pasty skin as if she'd been underground for months on end and never saw the sun. Karui had seen dead people that looked more alive than this Root woman. All in all Team Samui felt it was an unsettling mystery. They hoped that the former Konoha ninja could shed some light on this and planned to address them as soon as they got back.

The important thing was Lady Shion was safe. It seemed these Root agents or someone in conjunction with them had falsified Shion's death with a fake body so they could abduct her. Fortunately that had failed and Shion was safely in the care of the Ninja Clan now as opposed to whatever machinations Root had for her. Best of all the authorities weren't looking for Shion since she was already 'dead.' Samui's team didn't know whether Root planned to clone Shion or try to breed her for her bloodline but either way they'd saved her from that fate and for that Shion was eternally grateful.

The trip back to Nardil was filled with uncertainty for all involved…..

Planet Nardil

Sheena spun the deck of cards in her hands as she shuffled. She was showing off her abilities at Ninja Poker to Kushina as Hanabi looked on.

"That's pretty good Sheena-chan. Can you deal as well as you shuffle the cards?" asked Kushina with a smile. 'My Granddaughter is so cute when she's stacking the deck!' she squealed mentally.

"Once I was but a learner, now I am the master." replied Sheena with a prankster's smile as she dealt out the cards.

Hanabi watched proudly as Sheena dealt her new Grandmamma a losing hand while keeping the good cards to herself. It was obvious the older kunoichi knew what was going on. Hanabi figured Kushina was just humoring Sheena since she was smiling the whole time as she looked at her lousy hand of cards.

"Darn! It seems I'm having some bad luck at cards today." said Kushina as she snapped her fingers.

Hanabi blinked. She felt a tiny surge of chakra from Kushina but it wasn't enough for any technique she'd seen or heard of. Sheena didn't seem to notice.

"Shall we lay out our cards?" asked Kushina sweetly.

"Sure! I've got a full house Grandmamma." said the excited Sheena as she laid her cards out proudly.

Kushina asked, "Are you sure about that Sheena-chan? Look again."

Sheena and Hanabi looked down and their eyes widened. Sheena didn't even have a matching pair!

Kushina laid down her cards and had the full house. "Are you looking for these?"

Hanabi and Sheena looked on absolutely dumbfounded.

"How...?" mumbled Hanabi.

"When…?" asked Sheena.

Kushina burst into laughter. "Bwahahaha! You are dealing with the Queen of pranksters Sheena-chan!" she said with a ridiculous amount of theatrics in her voice and a small genjustu of a thunderstorm and a lightning strike behind her.

Sheena had a flashback to her Daddy and saw Naruto's image superimposed over Kushina's. 'Bwahahaha! I'm the Prankster King from Hell Sheena-chan!'

"Oh my god." shuddered Hanabi. "Are you saying that Naruto inherited his unbelievable pranking skills from you?"

"My Naruto-chan is a prankster?" Kushina asked with stars in her eyes.

Hanabi nodded. "He once vandalized the entire Hokage Monument in broad daylight and led the chunins, jonins and ANBU on a four hour chase throughout the village before he was caught. He was still in the Academy at the time. I still remember the uproar."

"Daddy told me he was called The Prankster King from Hell." added Sheena.

"I'm so proud!" cried out Kushina with a tear in her eye. "My Naruto-chan and now my little Sheena-chan, both pranksters! You've made Grandmamma so happy Sheena-chan!"

Hanabi sweat-dropped. 'Now Sheena has two dedicated master pranksters to train her! God help us all.'

The two redheads both burst into evil laughter with matching gleams in their eyes.

At Inoichi's quarters….

Inoichi welcomed his daughter into his quarters and explained the situation to his daughter about Sasori wanting to ask Sakura on a date. Ino locked eyes with Sasori as if to stare into his very soul for what seemed like an eternity to Sasori. Just about the time Sasori was ready to bolt for the nearest exit Ino squealed and said, "That's so cute! You and Sakura go so well together; I could tell when we all went shopping. Sakura's been in such a rut and you could help her out of it Sasori! I approve."

"Sakura's been in a rut?" asked Inoichi.

Ino nodded. "Yeah, she's been hung up on someone but he's taken. Sasori taking her out could be just what the doctor ordered."

Sasori asked, "So you'll help me?"

"Of course I will. You and Sakura interact well and she genuinely seems to like you. You make her smile like I haven't seen in a long time." stated Ino. "By the way, didn't she kill you in our first lives?"

Inoichi face faulted at the lack of tact on his daughter's part. Sasori just deadpanned, "Yes, yes she did. I have a great deal of respect for her as a kunoichi."

"Great!" exclaimed Ino. "Then you know she'd kill you again if you ever cheated on her."

Sasori colored up in embarrassment. "I've never even been on a date before; how would I know how to cheat?! Inoichi suggested I ask you what she likes to do so I could successfully ask Sakura on a date. You are her best friend aren't you?"

Ino smiled evilly. "Well, if you're serious about dating her I guess I could give you some advice. What's in it for me?"

"Princess!" scolded Inoichi.

"It was just a joke Daddy! I just want to see Sakura happy." explained Ino. "It's obvious Sasori here isn't some kind of player. I'll help."

Ino spent some time giving suggestions on Sakura's likes and dislikes along with her favorite places to go and do things on Nardil. She also mentioned that she thought Sakura appreciated Sasori's intellect and since they both were so obsessive compulsive they could discuss their talents in detail. Anyway, Sasori had quite a bit of medical knowledge from creating his human puppets out of bodies though Ino suggested he not bring up the dead body part due to the moral implications (not to mention the equivalent of discussing autopsies was less than romantic in Ino's opinion). After being encouraged a bit by Inoichi, Ino insisted they buy Sasori a special dress kimono for the occasion. As he was being dragged off by Ino to find a kimono, Inoichi mentioned he was staying behind. The wide-eyed Sasori could only call out, "Inoichi, you traitor!"

Planet Saphris

"I hope this all works out." said Naruto. "This whole trip has been pretty taxing Hinata-chan. If this treaty doesn't go through I don't know what will happen."

Hinata nodded. "I agree Naruto-kun but it's out of our hands now. I hope the Lady Celia and Lord Ameer can get together like they want. They'll both be heartbroken otherwise. Lord Ameer really deserves some happiness after what he went through with his first wife and his good-for-nothing daughter."

"I can't wait to get home." she continued. "I've missed Sheena-chan and the family and I'm sure she's missed us."

"I've missed her too." Naruto agreed. "Our little girl hasn't been in our lives but a few months and I feel incomplete without her here. She's had a big impact on our lives I just hope whatever mental issues she has from her previous training can be worked out. She's been through a lot Hinata-chan. I know she acts happy but I can see the pain behind it. I should know since I did the same thing throughout my childhood."

"There's a big difference for her though Naruto-kun." replied Hinata. "She has us and we love her. Somehow we're going to make her a complete, happy little girl like she should be. It's going to take time but we'll be with her every step of the way so don't worry. Besides, she told me she was eager to be a big sister before we left."

"A big sister huh?" Naruto got a faraway look in his eyes. "When the time comes we're going to have a big family that all love each other and Sheena is going to be part of it."

"I look forward to that day." said Hinata as she leaned on Naruto's shoulder.

The two watched the stars for a long time and then curled up in each other's arms and went to sleep. They both dreamed of having children that night and slept peacefully.

The next day….

Lady Cressida and Lord Roland Fireveil arrived that morning and were going over the treaty one last time before they contacted Grandmaster Damasca directly to hammer out the final details and make arrangements formally sign the treaty. Celia and Ameer had cleaned up the treaty quite a bit and added the clause that the two Ambassadors would be wed to form a proper blood pact between the clans. Cressida invited many of the senior Jedi to join her in reviewing the treaty and getting their input. While they were not politicians, the 'War Council' as they were known had sway in matters of military importance and Cressida trusted them to give honest opinions as most of them were old friends of hers anyway.

Finally a finished draft of the treaty was completed and Ameer and Celia awaited news of their marriage. After Lady Damasca was given time to review the final draft, Grandmaster Cressida contacted Grandmaster Damasca and the two had a long conversation on a coded frequency about what changes the treaty would bring and any fine points that had to be worked out. They were both surprised that their opposite numbers were very much of like mind on most points. They also agreed that Ameer and Celia should be wed even though the two Ambassadors were using the treaty as a pretext to just get what they wanted. It was agreed that the two Grandmasters would meet on Velusia in two month's time and the wedding would be held there. Celia would also be formally recognized as Lady Fireveil-Isis at that time.

The next morning….

Naruto's party was being seen off. In addition to their original members, Kurenai, Izumo, Kotetsu and Lady Celia were with them. Doc informed them they were ready to depart and the Misfire took off for Nardil. The plan was for Celia to meet the Shamshir council and then she and Ameer would head back to Pristiq to meet her future people. The main thoughts running through the group were being back with their loved ones. It had been a long trip.

Planet Nardil

The newly sworn in members of the Ninja clan were talking as they were issued standard weapons and overheard that Naruto's group was on their way back. Kushina hugged Minato and said. "I can't wait to meet our Naruto-chan! I hope we get along….Do you think he'll accept us Minato-kun? I mean he was orphaned birth and all. I'm worried."

Jiriaya appeared from nowhere and startled the two. "Of course he'll accept you two! Have faith in your son. On the other hand; don't start ordering him around immediately. I'm his Master and he still doesn't follow my instructions…." he sulked.

"I can't wait but I'm still nervous." stated Kushina.

Sheena piped up, "Daddy will think you're both great Grandmamma! I know I do!"

Minato picked up Sheena and hugged her. "When did you get here Sheena-chan?"

"I hitched a ride with Ero-sennin. We were talking about Tsunade baa-chan coming home and how much we missed her and Mommy and Daddy." said the exited girl.

"You're going to resume your training today aren't you Sheena-chan?" asked Kushina.

Sheena nodded emphatically. "Yes, I had a long talk with Mei-sensei and Master Talonis yesterday when I went with Rahu-chan. They both forgave me and Mei-sensei even hugged me! I can't wait to start. Do you want to meet Mei-sensei and Master Talonis?" she asked her new grandparents.

"We'll come and meet them but we don't want to be a distraction Sheena-chan. Besides, we're going to be training a bit with Jiraiya-sensei to see what kind of shape we're in. I bet we have a lot of work ahead of us." explained Minato.

"I wish I knew my element…." pouted Sheena.

"Leave that to your Grandmamma, Sheena-chan. I have a sure fix for that." Kushina said to her Granddaughter.

"I hate to break it to you Kushina but chakra paper no longer exists." commented Jiraiya.

Kushina gave a bright smile. "So who needs chakra paper? Back in Uzu we did it with seals because chakra paper was so expensive. When we go meet your sensei I'll check you and you teammate's affinities so no problem Sheena-chan."

"Seals are amazing!" exclaimed Sheena with stars in her eyes.

"That's right! You're going to learn them too." exclaimed Kushina. "Your Daddy already has started teaching you calligraphy and Minato-kun and I are going to help. Just you wait. We Uzumakis are the best."

Later that day….

The Flameblade came in for a landing and Keil and his passengers were disembarking. They immediately reported in to Gaara as Naruto wasn't back yet. Shion was welcomed but a dark shadow was cast when the word 'Root' was uttered. Gaara had heard of them and Shikamaru had as well. He remembered the strange ninja named Sai. A meeting was arranged for the advisors and because Orochimaru was involved with Danzo at one point he recognized the suicide seal as did Jiraiya. The irrefutable conclusion was Danzo was out there somewhere and was looking for 'volunteers' to join him. Jiraiya in particular wanted every detail Team Samui could supply and there was no doubt in his mind that this was an enemy they couldn't afford to ignore.

….Of course that was provided they could find him….If there was one thing Danzo was always good at it was concealing himself and in the opinion of the advisors Shion's visions might be their best weapon against him. That may well have been the reason Danzo tried to abduct Shion to begin with….

The Misfire landed the next morning. Naruto and his fellow ninja were immediately rushed to the advisory board's chambers and were told about the situation with Danzo. It was an exhausting two hours later that a meeting of the entire Ninja Clan was called to alert everyone of this threat. Naruto's parents watched their son quietly from the back. Naruto wasn't aware of their return yet and they didn't want to distract him for now. "His voice is a lot like yours Minato-kun." whispered Kushina as they listened to their son's speech about Danzo and his history.

"He has your mannerisms Kushina-chan." replied her husband. They both listened remembering how Minato foiled Danzo's attempts to reestablish Root when he became Fourth Hokage.

It was in the midst of this meeting that Koharu seemed the most surprised of all. Sakura was watching the older kunoichi like a bird of prey. If Koharu turned out to be a spy for Danzo then Haruno Sakura planned to remove her from the equation -personally. Jiraiya was quietly observing Koharu as well. He didn't believe the woman had any connections with Danzo currently but he wondered where her loyalties would lay if she was given the opportunity. Jiraiya would bring this up in private to Naruto later since Naruto currently didn't even know she was among them.

Most of the ninja had heard of Danzo regardless of what nation they were originally were from but they had no idea what atrocities the man had committed or his philosophy of killing the emotions of his followers. Almost all of them were appalled as the three sannin and others who had the misfortune of dealing with him gave their testimonies on the Warhawk's inhuman methods. The idea of them and their descendants being conditioned as mindless drones was a horrifying thought.

Once a question and answer session was gone through Naruto reported the success of the Shamshir-Fireveil Alliance Treaty and that for now it would remain a closed subject until Lady Damasca revealed it to the entire Shamshir clan. He did stress that those of the Ninja Clan were to treat Lady Celia with respect as she was a valuable ally however. After a few more questions the meeting was closed and everyone returned to their duties.

Naruto and Hinata's quarters….

Naruto and Hinata just wanted to relax and see their little girl Sheena who had been in the care of Rahu during the meeting. When they got back to their quarters a red blur dashed into Hinata's arms. "Mommy! Daddy! You're back, I missed you so much." said Sheena as she held onto Hinata for dear life.

"We missed you too baby." replied Hinata as she kneeled down and hugged and kissed her daughter. "We're so glad to see you and we're so glad to be home!"

Hinata passed Sheena to Naruto who also exchanged hugs and kisses with his little girl. "How have you been Sheena-chan? Were you good for Konohamaru and Hanabi-chan?" asked Naruto.

Sheena nodded happily, "Yes! We have a big surprise over at Uncle Kono and Aunt Hanabi's. It's the best surprise ever Daddy. Ero-sennin brought it back with him. You have to see!"

"Mommy and Daddy are exhausted Sheena-chan. Can we go see it later?" asked Hinata.

Sheena quickly shook her head 'no.' "It has to be now! Daddy's going to be especially surprised! Please, please, please?"

Naruto gave a tired shrug to Hinata. "I guess there's no rest for the wicked Hinata-chan." he said as he picked up Sheena. "Let's head over there Sheena-chan."

Sheena hopped down when they got to Konohamuru and Hanabi's place. "Give me a minute and I'll tell you when to come in, okay?"

"Sure, we'll wait right here Sheena-chan." said Hinata. She watched as her hyperactive daughter raced in. "She's sure full of energy Naruto-kun. I wish I was. What do you suppose the surprise is?"

"If it's Ero-sennin jumping out of a cake naked I'll murder him." said Naruto.

Hinata cringed. "I feel like I need to wash out my brain with bleach after those visuals."

"Sorry Hinata-chan." he apologized.

"It's just exhaustion messing with your brain Naruto-kun." she quipped.

Sheena popped her head out the door with a look of barely contained excitement on her face. "Are you all ready?" she asked in her quiet voice.

"We're ready Sheena –chan." answered Hinata smiling at how excited her daughter was.

As they were led into the room they saw Jiraiya and Tsunade along with Hanabi and Konohamaru….and the Fourth Hokage and Kushina.

Naruto stared at his Father and Mother for a long time before he said, "Dad? Mom…? Is it really you?"

Kushina was shocked and overjoyed her son recognized her. "It's really us, Naruto-chan. How did you know me?"

"I met both you and Dad in the seal and later I met Dad again because of the Edo Tensai." He reached out and touched his Mother's face as if she was the most delicate thing in the world.

"They've been dying to meet you and Hinata ever since we found them on Edo, gaki." said Jiraiya.

Kushina couldn't help herself and embraced Naruto in a bone-crushing hug. "Look at you! My Naruto-chan's grown up to be so handsome." she said shedding tears.

Naruto hugged his Mother tight. "You were the first person to say you loved me. I love you Mom." Kushina was ecstatic.

Minato came over and saw how his son had grown as well. "It's so good to see you again Naruto. This time I'm really alive." After Kushina released Naruto he hugged Minato as well as the tears streamed down his face.

"I can't believe it! My Mom and Dad are alive again!" Naruto turned to Hinata and pulled her over to hug him. "Mom, Dad, this is my wife Hinata-chan. She's the beautiful angel that stole my heart."

Hinata blushed and bowed to them. "I'm Hyūga Hinata and I'm so honored to meet you. I hope we can get along."

Kushina stood admiring Hinata. She took Hinata's hands in hers and said, "You are even more beautiful than I imagined. I'm Uzumaki Kushina and this is my husband Namikaze Minato. I've heard all about you from Sheena-chan. Thank you for taking such good care of my son."

Sheena darted over to her parents and said, "See? Grandmamma and Granddaddy are the best surprise ever!"

Naruto picked her up and kissed her. "They sure are Sheena-chan; they sure are."

Hanabi brought a cake out of the kitchenette and placed it on the table. "Now that we've all been properly introduced, let's have a welcoming party for Lord Minato and Lady Kushina!"

As the afternoon went on Hinata shared stories of many of Naruto's more infamous pranks much to Kushina's delight. Naruto stood back a moment and watched Hinata interacting with Kushina. Tsunade and Sheena. "It's like all my dreams have come true." said Naruto with a tear in his eye.

Minato put his hand proudly on Naruto's shoulder. "From now on we're going to be with you every step up the way. We're so proud of you Naruto; and Hinata seems like the perfect girl for you."

"She is Dad. Hinata-chan has brought me more happiness than I had my entire first life since we were reborn. She's a wonderful Mother to Sheena-chan too." said Naruto.

Minato watched as Sheena ate her cake and interacted with her Mother and Grandmother. "Sheena-chan really is something. She absolutely idolizes Hinata and you are her hero. We hit it off immediately. You did a great thing adopting her. Kushina just loves her."

Naruto simply thought back to what he and Hinata told Sheena back when she joined them on Pristiq. 'This is what it means to be family.'

POSTSCRPT:

And done. This was a shorter chapter than I planned but it was a good stopping point. The Shamshir-Fireveil Alliance arc is nearly at an end so a new arc will be launched soon. Blue out. 8/15/14