Disclaimer: I do not own the original Naruto characters used in this fiction, just the couples' kids.

Parents:

Sasuke & Sakura—Kiku and Daisuke; Neji & Tenten—Cho and Ryuu; Naruto & Hinata—Kitsune and Naien; Shikamaru & Temari—Shikarou, Tomoko, and Takara; Kiba & Ino—Misaki and Shiroko; Itachi & Hana—Katai and Chairomaru; Kakashi & Kurenai—Rei; Gaara & Matsuri—Yua; Asuma (deceased) & Kurenai—Raiden; Kakashi & Rin—Arata; Unknown—Osamu, Manako and Aoko, Soshina, Takeshi, Jun

Ages:

Raiden, Osamu, Arata—all 18; chuunin

Kiku, Cho, Katai, Manako, Rei, Jun, Takara, Tomoko, Takeshi—all 16; chuunin

Daisuke, Misaki, Kitsune, Shikarou, Ryuu, Yua, Naomi, Hayate—all 13; genin


Parenting 101

Chapter 52: War, part 2

Things are only impossible if you believe it to be.

As they reached the top, Kitsune whipped her head back around, looking out. The village wasn't necessarily in ruins, but the war was definitely taking its toll on it. Several buildings were collapsed, smoke rose in large puffs here and there, water and fire and sand and wind whipped violently around—and all she could do was watch and run in the other direction as her friends and family, once again, fought for her.

"Kitsune, come on, we've got to get moving," Yua reminded, running back and grabbing her wrist.

But Kitsune wouldn't budge.

"Kitsune!"

"I can't do it!" she yelled. She wasn't sure what came over her, but after seeing the village in the heat of battle, something snapped within her.

"If we can take Jun to Shizune and it really is her, we can save everyone," Yua reminded.

"Not unless it's too late!"

"Which is why we must hurry!"

"Go on without me, then," Kitsune said. "I need to do something to help!"

"And you will," Jun insisted, running back to them. "Trust me."

"You guys could go on without me, my presence can stall Master," she reminded. "I can take care of myself, and I have Neian-chan."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Jun argued. "If he gets either of you while you're accessing your demon chakra—"

"It could kill the both of us," Kitsune finished. "I'm aware of that."

"You really don't want to be here when my dad arrives."

There was a low chuckle. "I'm afraid it's too late."

Yua and Kitsune gasped, and Jun pushed them froze in horror, eyes widening, as a man wearing a black cloak emerged in front of them. He pulled down the hood, revealing his silvery gray hair, eying them with from behind his spectacles. Then he smiled directly at Jun.

"Oto-san…"

Kitsune and Yua looked at each other. "'Oto-san?'"

"It's been awhile Jun."

Jun was suddenly in front of Kitsune and Yua, taking a protective stance between them and Master.

"You're…Master?" Kitsune asked, barely above a whisper.

Master smiled, and it made Yua shiver. "Yes, I am."

A little louder, "What do you want with us?"

'Kitsune, please be careful,' Neian warned anxiously in her sister's head.

"What everyone wants with you two, dears: your power," he said. "You two are the only remaining Jinchuuriki."

But Kitsune shook her head. "No," she said softly.

His eyebrows rose slightly.

"Your wife. You're doing this for your wife."

It was silent for a few moments as Master's eyes fell on Jun.

"Yes," he finally answered. "I am."

"Why do you want to attack Konoha if this is where you two came from?"

He laughed. "You know nothing, little girl. You weren't even conceived when any of this happened. I came from Konoha, yes, but my loyalties were always to someone else."

"Orochimaru-sama," she blurted out. She stood up straighter, stepping around Jun despite his and Yua's silent protests. She looked straight into Master's widened eyes. "Your loyalties were always for your master, Orochimaru-sama, weren't they? Even though you didn't like him, you still served him."

"How do you know his name, child?" Master demanded.

"Because he's alive."

"…What?"

"Orochimaru-sama and Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama are still alive," she announced. "They're here in Konoha."

"Impossible," he said. "They were all killed in the war sixteen years ago."

She shook her head. "They went into hiding for the sake of the village. But they're very much alive."

"Kitsune," Jun interrupted, "what are you getting at?"

Kitsune shook her head.

"Why do you want to attack Konoha?" she repeated.

"They separated our family," he bit back angrily. His eyes landed on Jun. "That war took your mother away from us, and you side with them?"

"Oto-san—" Jun had begun to say.

However, he was abruptly cut off and shoved out of the way, tumbling over Yua. When he scrambled to look up, he saw his father and Kitsune only inches apart, his kunai pressing against hers between them. An intense aura was coming from her, so much so that you could almost feel it. Her eyes were a brilliant red, and he realized that this was no longer Kitsune.

Neian shoved Master backwards rather easily, her eyes narrowing as he landed on his feet a few yards away.

"If you keep thinking that way," Neian said, "then someday, you're gonna wind up all alone, and you'll have no one else to blame but yourself."

"It seems like you know the feeling, Kyubi no Yoko," Master said, a wicked smile creeping onto his face.

Neian's eyes tightened.

"That's not true!" Yua protested.

"You two are Jinchuuriki," Master reminded. "You've been driving people away for centuries."

"We have family now," Yua pointed out. "And you would, too, if you stopped this long enough to help you."

"Family." He said the word as if it was venom, his eyes falling on Jun. Jun flinched, and Yua squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. "Family means nothing."

"Not unless you allow it to," Neian corrected.

"You know your meaningless banter is tempting me to cut your little throats," Master growled.

"What about Oka-san?" Jun asked suddenly.

It was silent.

"You don't have a right to bring your mother into this," he bit back.

"I should. She's my mother," Jun reminded. "How do you think she'll feel if she founds out you're behind everything?"

"She's dead," Master spat.

Jun met his eyes.

"Are you sure of that?"


"It's impossible."

"It's not impossible, Shizune, it makes perfect sense!" Tsunade snapped exasperatedly.

Shizune just shook her head. She was aware of everyone's eyes on her, and their reasoning. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a part of her must've known that they were right. The odds were too greatly stacked for this to have been a mere coincidence. But you couldn't help her for wanting to deny this possibility.

"Was it really such a good idea to leave the kids alone like that?" Matsuri asked anxiously.

"The safest people in this war are those three," Hinata reminded, though even she doubted her own words as she glanced at her husband.

"Something feels off," Naruto said.

He looked at Gaara, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked.

"I don't know," Naruto admitted. "Even though the Kyubi isn't in me anymore, it's as if I still feel its pull, just a little."

Gaara nodded in agreement. "It's strongest whenever I'm around Yua, but not strong enough to mean anything."

"You two were hosts of those demons since you were born," Orochimaru reminded. "There will always be that part of them that won't ever leave you."

"It's not just that," Naruto explained. "I think it has something to do with Kitsune and Neian."

Hinata's eyes widened. "You don't think that they've—"

"We should find out," Gaara interrupted. "It's best not to leave it to chance."


"That's impossible."

Jun shook his head. "Did you see Oka-san die in front of you? Even then," he said, "Tsunade-sama could've revived her."

Master stared at him, his eyes wide. Any traces of anger seemed to have vanished from him, at least for the time being. "You know who your mother is?" he asked in a soft whisper, his voice barely audible as he said the word "mother." His fingers trembled slightly, but other than that, he seemed completely frozen and paled.

"I…have a feeling I know," Jun admitted. "I wasn't sure until now."

"If it really is her," Yua said, "will you stop this? If you found out she's still alive, can you call this off?"

"I've done far too much damage for any of this to be called off," Master reminded a bit solemnly.

"There's still time," Yua argued. "Uncle Naruto-sama would—"

Master's eyebrows rose. "Uzumaki Naruto? So that little guy really did become hokage."

Neian paused. "You know our father?"

"Yes, I did."

"So you know that he would spare you, right?" Yua asked.

He contemplated this. "I wouldn't count on it," he admitted. "Our history together is not something that would cause him to spare me."

"That's the past," Neian reminded. "If its one thing Oto-san strongly believes in, it's that the past doesn't matter."

"People move on," Yua added. "Look at Tsunade-sama and Orochimaru-sama. They told us about their past together and everything they've done to each other, and yet they seem so in love. There's still a chance."

"Kitsune! Neian!"

"Yua!"

Neian, Yua, and Jun all jumped in surprise. Master froze.

Hinata rushed to her daughters, throwing her arms around them. "What are you guys doing out?"

"Do you realize how dangerous it is?" Matsuri nearly demanded as she reached Yua.

Neither of them responded.

Instead, they seemed to be staring at Jun, who had paled and frozen just like his father. Jun's eyes were locked on Shizune, who stared widely back at him. They could've sworn either of them had whispered "impossible" though it was hard to tell. Then, hesitantly, her eyes fell on Master, and her lip quivered.

"Kabuto?"


A/n.

Quote from Chapter 51: "Come on, nobody's that heartless."—from The Emperor's New Groove

(EXPLANATION/DETAILS IN LAST CHAPTER)