My Precious People

by xWinorLose

Many years have passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War. Now twenty-six, Naruto has returned to Konoha to help someone precious to him. He finds some unexpected changes, among them the son of Hinata whom no one knows who the father is, and a new danger looms on the horizon. Rated M for language and lemons.

25. Ch 24:It's the Little Things That Matter

24. It's The Little Things That Matter

We are all a little weird, and life's a little weird. An when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness. And that's called love. - Dr. Seuss

Aaaannnndddd I'm back, my faithful readers! I apologize for the delay in getting this chapter out to everyone, but I have a very good reason for it. My wife and I have joined the Foster Care program in our state, and three weeks ago they placed a 10-year old girl in our home. She's a wonderful child, but she's also a constant ball of energy who doesn't take afternoon naps and insists that it's my job to keep her entertained.

On a side note, I'm now buying wine by the case instead of by the bottle.

As always, I'd like to thank fellow author Titokhan and my anonymous beta for all their help and support. You guys are the best and I couldn't do this job without you. Well, I probably could - but it would be a lot harder.

So let's go straight to my usual section of shout-outs and credit where credit is due:

Kingswriter: The Naruto/Hiashi conversation was written with you in mind. I had planned on having this happen anyway, but I made some changes based on your review. I hope you like the result.

I would also like to say that the design of the sword Freyja uses is based off of the Kit Rae Avoloch Mithrodin Edition sword.

TheMachine5499: That was a great idea, and when I use it you'll get credit. Thank you very much!

Arcana37210: Okay, a lot of this chapter is dedicated to you for the simple reason that you made a very good point. The previous chapter I really should have expanded on the meeting in the Hokage's office between Guy, Kurenai and Naruto but I was so eager to just push the chapter out that I summarized it. So, in this chapter I added several parts that expand on the interaction between some of the characters - the scene between Naruto and Hinata in the bedroom is one of them. Hence the title, because it really is the little things that matter.

A very big shout-out to Sunrise Moon 2 for all of your reviews. People like you are an inspiration to writers like me. Thank you so much!

And by the way, why aren't more writers using Dropbox? That way, if your computer crashes you've still got a copy on the cloud. Just saying.

Okay, let's get a move on with the disclaimer! No one got the one from last chapter, so I thought I'd make this one easier to recognize...

Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. And I want answers about Naruto and Hinata in the manga.

Masashi Kishimoto – You want answers?

Disclaimer – I think the readers are entitled to them.

Masashi Kishimoto – You want answers?

Disclaimer – I WANT THE TRUTH!

Masashi Kishimoto – YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! (+1 if you get the reference).

---

Chapter 24 – It's The Little Things That Matter

"I want you to retire as head of the Hyūga clan…and name Neji as your successor."

Hiashi froze with his tea halfway to his lips when he heard Naruto make his statement. "I don't think I heard you correctly, Naruto. Did you actually just ask me to retire and name Neji as my successor?"

Naruto nodded, calmly sipping his own cup of tea. "Yes, I did."

"The way you said that statement sounded more like a command and less like a request." Hiashi said, bristling a bit. "Is that the way you intended it?"

Naruto frowned. "I'm…sorry about that, Hiashi." he said apologetically. "It was a poor choice of words, and I didn't mean to come off sounding like that. I know I can sound rough sometimes, and I'm trying to work on that – but there's times I backslide." He looked sympathetically at his father-in-law, the barest hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes and glared at Naruto, suddenly on the defensive. "Actually, I don't. Could you be a little more specific?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it, Hiashi. You and I have talked what – maybe eight times since I've been back in the village, not counting the wedding? Even someone like me can tell you've been trying to thaw that stiff, frozen, unfeeling Hyūga personality ever since you found out the truth about Hinata and Hikaru." Naruto mirrored Hiashi's glare. "But it's a hard habit to break, isn't it?"

Hiashi continued to stare at Naruto, wondering what the point of having this conversation right now might be – but all he could think about was that perhaps Naruto wasn't asking the question as his Hokage, but maybe as someone who understood the problem he was struggling with.

He sighed heavily and dropped his gaze to stare at his tea. "You have an uncanny way of being able to see through the apathy we Hyūga show to the public, Naruto. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you possess the Byakugan – but you are correct when you say it's a hard habit to break." His head came up slowly, his eyes questioning. "It may be a bit out of line to ask, but…what was it that made you like this? My wife's death affected me in ways I could never imagine. In the years afterwards I became very cold and distant towards everyone, including my own children. I decided it was…safer not to feel any emotions. That way I couldn't be hurt again. I know that's why it's so difficult for me to make a change, but you were never like this as a child. This is not the young man I remember from the chūnin exams who swore to defeat Neji as a promise to my daughter – this is someone else entirely. So…"

Hiashi purposely left the question open-ended, giving Naruto the option of either answering or letting the matter drop. It unnerved him in more ways than one when Naruto's expression turned dark, and he flinched mentally as the young man gave him an answer he wasn't expecting to hear.

"Training sessions that sometimes were so difficult, I'd cough up blood for days afterwards. Eight years of suicide missions, trying to end my life in a variety of ways." Naruto closed his eyes and shuddered as memories came floating to the surface. "Ever seen a demon rip someone apart with their teeth? I have, on two occasions. They were my teammates – part of a squad that I was responsible for." He opened his eyes back up, and his look was so intense that Hiashi blanched. "I've killed more than my fair share of individuals who enjoyed torturing, raping and murdering innocent people. I've cleaned up the remains of those who died for their sick, sadistic pleasure. Ibiki Morino would lose his lunch over some of the things I've seen."

Hiashi swallowed heavily. The depth of pain he saw reflected in the young Hokage's eyes sent a cold shiver down his spine. It was someone who'd seen and felt far more than any sane person should reasonably expect. It was a person who'd tested the fires of hell, seen the horrors that go along with it and come out alive, only from sheer strength of body and will.

He decided right then and there that he didn't need any further details. Some things were best left unsaid.

"And as bad as all that sounds, I'd be far worse if it wasn't for Hinata. She's the light in my darkness. She keeps my nightmares at bay. She loves me despite knowing how broken I am and I will do anything – ANYTHING – to repay her for ignoring her confession to me during the battle with Pain, and the shitty life she was forced to endure before I came back to the village to honor your 'request'. Both she and Hikaru are the most precious people in my life. I would die for them, and I wouldn't even need the space of a heartbeat to think about it."

Hiashi actually physically felt the resolve in Naruto's voice, and a lesser man would have withered underneath it. He took another sip of his tea, trying to calm his nerves from the invisible tension that still lingered.

"I…understand, Naruto. And I have to say, if there was anyone who could help you…change, it would be my daughter. She seems to have that effect on other people, but it's especially apparent with you. I wonder sometimes how she turned out like she did, despite my efforts to the contrary."

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out, relaxing the mood. "You and me both, Hiashi. I know she can help me change for the better, but I'm sure she can do the same thing for you…" He crooked a smile at the Hyūga clan head. "…if you give her the chance. Despite your…efforts, as you put it she still loves you. You're her father, after all."

Hiashi thought about that for a minute, wondering if perhaps what Naruto just said was true. He wouldn't blame Hinata at all if she hated him – she had more than enough good reasons to do so. Maybe he hadn't screwed things up beyond the point of no redemption after all. He nodded in acknowledgment, before deciding to bring the conversation back around to the original subject. "So, you were asking me nicely to retire and name Neji as my successor. I'd like to know the reasoning behind your request."

"Well, let's face facts Hiashi. Every time I see you, I can tell that being the head of the Hyūga clan is starting to wear on you – and the elders seem to be a big part of that. It's time for somebody young and fresh to take over – someone who can deal with those assholes on a daily basis, create positive change and unite the clan." Naruto took another sip of his tea, his gaze thoughtful. "It can't be Hinata because she's married to me, and that would be too much power in the hands of one individual. I'm not ashamed to say that she's got a huge amount of influence over me as it is. But even if that wasn't an issue, she still hasn't been welcomed back in the clan – and I know the elders are the reason why."

"Now, Hanabi could do the job. She's strong and commanding, yet still understands when to take a gentle approach. If you think about it, her personality is halfway between yours and Hinata's. She'd make a good clan head – you've been training her since birth for it – but she's not part of the branch house. If you're TRULY interested in uniting the clan, someone from the branch house would really be the best choice."

"And that brings us around to Neji. He's a prodigy and one of your strongest members. He's well respected by everyone, the branch house trusts his judgment because he's one of them, and he's at least as qualified as Hanabi to run the clan. Also, if you put him in charge it'll keep any children he and Tenten have from being branded with the caged bird seal. He's the perfect choice for the job."

Hiashi's outward appearance remained impassive but inwardly he was astonished. Naruto had obviously put a lot of thought into this, and his logic was unassailable – but there was still one problem, and it wasn't something that could be easily dismissed.

"You make an excellent argument but you're forgetting something, Naruto. It's because Neji is part of the branch house that I can't name him as my successor. As long as he's branded with the caged bird seal, he won't be allowed to lead the clan – despite how qualified he is."

"What if he wasn't?" Naruto asked, smirking as he sipped his tea again.

Hiashi blinked in confusion. "Wasn't what?"

"Branded with the caged bird seal. If he didn't have it, could you make him the clan head?"

Hiashi thought he was confused before, but this was a whole new level. "Naruto, no one knows how to remove the caged bird seal. The knowledge has been lost for generations." He stopped, a sudden realization coming over him. "Unless you know of someone who can?"

"Hiashi, I can honestly say that as of right now, I don't know anyone who can remove the caged bird seal."

"How do I know you're not lying to me, Naruto?"

"Other than the fact that I'm a horrible liar? Go ahead and activate your Byakugan and ask the question again. You'll see I'm telling the truth."

Still skeptical, Hiashi did just that. Naruto's answer was exactly the same, so he was certain the young man wasn't lying – but that still didn't mean what he said was the whole truth.

"I believe you; however this still doesn't change the fact that Neji can't be my successor. Even if he wasn't branded, the same elders that won't let Hinata back in would never approve of him leading the clan. They know the first thing he'd do is to abolish the use of the caged bird seal, and that's something they absolutely refuse to budge on."

"And that's why you should name Neji as your successor right now, Hiashi. There's nobody who can remove the caged bird seal, so writing up an agreement and getting the elders to agree to it will be easy – they'll approve it out of sheer overconfidence, because they believe it'll never happen."

"I still don't know if they'll agree to it, Naruto. But assuming for the moment that they do, it won't make a bit of difference because there's no one who knows how to remove the seal."

Naruto's mind was racing. Hiashi was objecting to Neji becoming the clan head out of sheer disbelief that it could ever possibly happen. He needed to find a way for Hiashi to consider the possibility without revealing anything.

"How about this? Tell the elders that if nothing changes within a year, you'll name Hanabi as your successor instead. As to the rest, well…" Naruto shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "…you never know what the future might bring."

Hiashi was no fool – with that last statement, he realized that Naruto was being intentionally vague, along with purposely omitting information so that he wouldn't have to lie to the elders if they start asking pointed questions. However, before he had a chance to say anything else the door opened and Hinata walked hurriedly in.

"Naruto-kun, what…" She froze upon seeing Hiashi in the office; her expression a mixture of surprise and embarrassment, worried that she had barged in on something private. "Oh, I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were in a meeting. Mina must have stepped away from her desk for a minute, and…"

"It's okay, Hinata. Your father and I were just having a friendly chat, that's all." Naruto said casually, deferring suspicion as to how important the subject of the conversation was. He glanced at the clock. "I wasn't expecting you for another thirty minutes. Didn't the ANBU I sent to get you say that I'd like to see you at ten o'clock?"

"Yes she did, but I…I got a bad feeling. Like you were hurt and in pain for some reason." Hinata said, rubbing her right hand where the seal was hidden. "I got scared that something might have happened, and I…I hurried right over." She looked away sheepishly. "I'll come back in thirty minutes at the proper time…"

"It's not a problem, Hinata – really it isn't. Your father and I were almost finished, anyway. Why don't you come in and join us, and I'll tell you why I needed to see you."

Still hesitant, Hinata wondered silently if she should accept the offer until Naruto gestured invitingly at the empty chair in front of his desk. She nodded, closing the door before walking over to sit down next to her father.

"I went to the hospital yesterday and talked with Shizune nee-chan. She told me that with you being pregnant and all, you'll need to stop any stressful physical activity that you might be doing. That means no more training sessions with Kakashi-sensei or Tsunade."

"I know you'd go stir crazy just staying home with nothing to do all day, so I thought I'd give you a chance to do something else. I'm going to have Iruka-sensei and Mina work on a new curriculum for the academy – you know, something that focuses more on physical training and less on boring lectures."

"The problem is that he's going to need some time off to work on that, and I also wanted to give him a much needed vacation, since he's been teaching for what seems like forever." His eyes twinkled in amusement, because he had an inkling as to how she would answer his next question. "So, would you be interested in being a substitute teacher for the next several months? You wouldn't have to do anything physically demanding, and you'd get to spend more time with Hikaru until the baby comes."

Hinata's face lit up and she smiled brightly, elated at the thought. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Naruto-kun. I'd be happy to teach at the academy until the baby is born."

"Great! I'll speak to Iruka-sensei about it on Monday." Naruto's smile diminished a bit, but didn't disappear entirely. He stared pointedly at Hiashi for a moment, before his gaze flicked quickly over to Hinata – twice in the space of a few seconds – before settling back on Hiashi.

Hiashi understood the subtle hint Naruto was giving him. He took a deep breath and let it out, before turning his head towards Hinata. "Daughter, do you…have any plans for the rest of the morning?"

Hinata stared at her father, astonished at his casual tone of voice. She couldn't remember very many instances in her life of hearing him talk like this – especially to her.

"I have nothing pressing at the moment, father. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if perhaps you would like to…accompany me to that tea house you seem to enjoy so much. I was thinking we might spend some time together and… talk for a little while."

Hinata was almost at a loss for words. This was a side of her father she'd never seen before – he wasn't cold, unforgiving and unapproachable. Instead he seemed inviting and almost…pleasant to be around. It was a welcome change, and she wondered if Naruto had anything to do with it.

She smiled warmly, and her eyes grew moist with emotion. "I would like that, father. Very much."

Naruto stood up and said, "Then I guess we're done here. Hiashi, stop by sometime next week and let me know what you've decided. And Hinata, I'll see you at home tonight." He grinned and motioned them out of his office. "Now get going, you two. I have a full day ahead of me and my paperwork won't magically do itself."

The two of them made to leave the office, but just before Hinata walked out the door she turned to look suspiciously at Naruto, who was staring back at her with feigned innocence. She knew right away that her husband had EVERYTHING to do with what was happening right now.

As the door closed behind them, Naruto sat down and began to rub his temples, knowing he'd only delayed the inevitable. His wife was almost certain to interrogate him later about what just took place, but there was no way he could tell her what was going on. He'd have to use the 'private Hokage business' excuse, which he hoped Hinata would understand and not ask any more questions about… but he wouldn't bet on it.

"Well, the ball's in your court now, Hiashi. I've given you the nudge to get things moving, just like Kakashi did for me. This may be your best chance to start making things right with your family, and I pray to Kami you don't screw it up."

---

Naruto had no idea how right he was.

After a long, grueling and exhausting day, he dragged himself through the front door of his house around nine o'clock at night. Even though tomorrow was Saturday, no one was up and the house was eerily silent. His only thought was maybe everyone else had just as bad a day as he'd had.

He hoped Hinata didn't fall into that category. With everything he'd done behind the scenes, he'd hate for things not to work out with Hiashi. That would basically be like saying he'd wasted both his time and effort these past few months.

He opened the door to the bedroom and noticed the light was still on. Hinata was sitting up in bed, eating what appeared to be a sandwich made with… well, he really wasn't sure. He could see some sort of meat but it was slathered with a thick layer of something white.

As soon as she saw Naruto her face lit up. "Hello, Naruto-kun. You're home rather late. I'm guessing your day didn't improve after father and I left your office."

"You don't know the half of it," Naruto groaned wearily. He pointed to her sandwich. "What's that you're eating?"

"Oh, this? It's just baloney, sardines and marshmallow fluff on pumpernickel bread. Nothing special."

Now, Naruto was known far and wide in the Leaf Village for having a cast iron stomach, but even HE would have balked at making such a horrid concoction. He could almost feel himself turning green, and he wasn't even the one eating it.

"What in the world possessed you to make something that, Hinata? Let alone eat it?"

Hinata shrugged and took another bite. "I just had a weird craving for it, that's all."

That settled it. Naruto decided that tomorrow, he's send someone to bring Sasuke to his office along with every single pregnancy book his brother owned. There had to be something in there that covered this – along with the rest of the insanity that was sure to come. He decided to change the subject before he got sick from hearing of every other food nightmare she'd been dreaming up.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, facing away from Hinata so he didn't have to watch her eat and began to undress. "So, how did things go with your dad this morning?"

"Actually, rather well." she said after a brief pause. Naruto could only assume she'd taken another bite. "Even though he seemed awkward at times, our conversation was rather pleasant. He was interested in quite a number of things, from my training with Kakashi-sensei to the teaching job I just accepted. But most of all, he wanted to know how I was feeling now that I'm pregnant – and about Hikaru."

"Wow…that's really great." he said, pulling off his socks and shoes. "It sounds like he finally realizes that he hasn't been the best of fathers and he's trying to turn over a new leaf."

"Yes, that's what I thought as well." Another pause, which probably meant another bite. "How did you do it?"

"How'd I do what?" Naruto asked innocently, as he removed his shirt.

"You know what I'm talking about, Naruto-kun. My father is suddenly interested in me, Hikaru and our future child. He even asked if I had any news about Hanabi and Tenten." Another pause…Kami, wasn't she finished with that sandwich yet? "To say I was blindsided by this is an understatement, and let's not forget he was in your office today. I have my Byakugan activated so I can tell if you're lying, Naruto-kun. What was it you said to my father that caused him to ask me to tea this morning?"

Naruto sighed, silently cursing himself. He hated being right about things like this when it came to his wife, because there was no answer he could give her where he didn't get blamed in some way or another. If Kakashi or Sasuke were here they'd be laughing their asses off at him right now.

"Are you done eating your sandwich?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

He turned around to see Hinata staring intently at him with Byakugan eyes; her hands folded neatly in front of her and her lips pressed into a thin line. As much as he loved her, there were times when Hinata could be downright scary and this was one of those times.

"I can't tell you what I was talking about with your father this morning, Hinata. It's private Hokage business."

She leaned in towards him, her eyes scrutinizing every movement of his face. "All of it?"

Naruto realized she wasn't going to let this go, but he needed to put a stop to this line of questioning before he let something slip. Luckily enough, he knew that half-truths worked against the Byakugan. He wouldn't be lying, he just wouldn't be telling her everything either.

"Hinata, I swear to you that what I was talking about with Hiashi this morning involved private Hokage business. It's something only he and I know about, and I can't discuss it with anyone else." He made sure his tone of voice was gentle, yet firm – no sense in upsetting her any more than necessary.

"Now, can we please talk about something else? Like, how the rest of your day went? Or how Hanabi and Tenten are doing? Didn't you see them…"

Concerned, he stopped in mid-sentence. Hinata hadn't moved an inch but her face was now paler than it usually was.

"Are you okay, Hinata?"

She swallowed, but otherwise remained very still. "I…I suddenly don't feel very good, Naruto-kun."

In an instant he was next to her, placing his hand protectively over her stomach. "Is something wrong? Is it the baby? Should I bring you to the hospital? I have a Hiraishin seal there, I can…"

That was as far as he made it. Without warning, Hinata pitched forward and vomited in his lap. He tried to avoid it, but she was far too close – although after the first wave, she slapped her hand over her mouth and sprinted into the bathroom to continue emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

He silently cursed himself as he sat there with his arms spread apart. He should have seen this coming, considering what she just ate.

"Wonderful. A perfect end to a shitty day." he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Despite his current level of frustration and exhaustion, he was still sympathetic towards Hinata and her condition, so he set about stripping the rest of his clothes off, as well as the sheets on the bed so that he could put them in the wash. Hinata was in no position to help him out right now, and he hoped she'd be done throwing up by the time he came back to use the shower.

He threw on a robe and gathered up the pile of laundry, remarking to no one in particular, "Only eight more months to go. Life just DOESN'T get any better than this."

---

***Timeskip – 6 Days Later, Friday Afternoon***

Knock, knock, knock.

"I'll get the door. That's probably for me." Hinata shouted to the rest of the house. Iruka was due over that afternoon once classes at the academy were done for the day. She needed to go over the lesson plan with him for when she began her substitute teaching job on Monday.

However, when she opened the door she was surprised to find someone else besides Iruka standing there.

"Kakashi-sensei? What brings you here today?" she asked worriedly. "I hope you're not upset with me about missing our daily training sessions this week. I was sure Naruto-kun said he was going to talk with you about that…"

Kakashi eye smiled. While she had made quite a bit of progress during their time training together, Hinata still had moments where she was still the same shy, nervous girl from before. It was probably one of the reasons why Naruto loved her so much. "Calm down, Hinata. Naruto did speak with me and I'm certainly not upset with you. Your condition takes top priority, but in all honesty I'm not here to see you."

"Oh? Then why are you here?"

Kakashi coughed nervously. "I, uh…I was hoping to talk with Freyja."

A slight smile appeared on Hinata's face. It had only been two weeks since the incident at training ground twenty-six. News had traveled quickly throughout the village as to what Freyja had done to Kakashi – the only thing that hadn't been revealed was what Kakashi looked like underneath his mask, but the only two people besides Freyja who knew weren't talking for some strange reason.

She figured it would be at least another month before Kakashi got over his embarrassment and came by to see Freyja, but with such a short time passing, Hinata could tell he cared more about Freyja and less about how embarrassed he was. In a way, the situation reminded her very much of when she and Naruto were young – even the part about Kakashi following Freyja around for several weeks.

Following, but not stalking. Certainly not stalking.

"Hang on and I'll get her for you." Hinata said impishly. She shouted into the house, "Freyja! There's someone here to see you!"

"Can you tell whoever it is to wait a minute?" came the reply. "I'm getting Reira into a clean outfit!"

"Would you like to wait inside, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata offered, stepping aside and gesturing into the house.

"Ah, no…" he said awkwardly. "I'll just wait here, Hinata – but thank you for the offer."

"Suit yourself," Hinata said, walking back inside and leaving him alone at the door.

After a couple of minutes, Freyja appeared at the door with Reira in tow, her face lined with frustration. Apparently it had been a very trying day.

"Kakashi? What're you doing here? Did Gabriel send you to get me, or something like that?"

"Um, no." Kakashi said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I came by to ask if you would give me a rematch."

"A rematch? Why?" she asked curiously. "Don't tell me you're still hung up on taking me out on a date."

"Well to be honest, yes I am. Look, I…I really like you Freyja, and I figured if I tried again I might beat you this time. Then I could take you out to dinner, and…"

Freyja held up her hand, silencing him. "Kakashi, I don't think it would make a difference. Do you really believe you have a chance of beating me? And give me an honest answer."

"I think I have as good a shot as anybody else – better than that, actually." Kakashi said obstinately. "I'm not fighting you for some weird sense of pride; I'm doing it because I want to take you out on a date. What better motivator is there than romance?" Feeling embarrassed after that last statement, Kakashi dropped his gaze – and saw Reira staring back at him, her eyes wide like she just saw something she should have noticed before.

"I would say your life being on the line is a better motivator, but I don't feel like arguing your point." Freyja said, before sighing despondently. "Look, Kakashi. I appreciate how interested you are in me. It's actually kind of flattering, but…"

"Mom." Reira said, tugging on Freyja's hand that was still holding her own.

Freyja glanced down at her daughter disapprovingly. "Reira sweetie, I was talking. It's not nice to interrupt people." She looked back at Kakashi, who was staring at her with a painfully sad look on his face – well, what little she could see of it anyway. She knew her next statement would rip his heart out, emotionally speaking – it wasn't something she wanted to do, but she had rules about this sort of thing…

"Like I was saying, Kakashi – it's really flattering you'd go so far for someone like me. And let's face it – it's not like you aren't good looking, either. It's just that…"

"Mom!" Reira said again, this time much more insistent.

"Honey, what did I just say?" Her daughter was certainly trying her patience today. "It's very rude to interrupt someone while they're talking."

"I know Mom, but this is important!"

Freyja rubbed her forehead, trying to stave off the oncoming headache her daughter was sure to cause. "Fine. What's so important that you had to interrupt me…twice?"

With her free hand Reira pointed at Kakashi. "Comfortable shoes!" (1)

Confusion reigned on Freyja's face for a moment, and then the realization hit her. Her eyes went wide and she whipped her head around to stare at Kakashi – who was now staring at his sandals, wondering why Reira was suddenly so fascinated with his footwear.

"You're kidding me. You've gotta be kidding me!" Freyja shouted. "Are you being serious right now?"

Reira nodded enthusiastically.

Freyja couldn't believe what she was hearing. The odds of finding out something as important as this – especially at this exact moment – were truly staggering. "Sweetie, you can't just…I mean, you know I have rules about this sort of thing. I can't…"

Reira pulled away from her mother and placed her hands on her hips. "Mom!" she said stubbornly, punctuating each word with a stomp of her foot. "Comfortable!" *Stomp* "Shoes!" *Stomp*

Freyja glanced once again at Kakashi, and then back at Reira. She was still finding all of this hard to believe. "Are…Are you sure about this? Absolutely sure?"

"I know what I feel, Mom. I'm as sure about this as I am about Hikaru-kun."

Once last time, Freyja glanced at Kakashi and then back at Reira. This was unfamiliar territory; something she wasn't emotionally prepared for and had no clue how to handle. Reira's words left her feeling unsure of herself and very confused – probably because this was something beyond her control – and she didn't like things in her life that she couldn't control.

"Reira, I…I don't know what to say. You'd know better than me about something like this, because you can feel what I can't. So, I'm…I mean, I'll let you make the decision about this because I don't…I mean, I can't…" She took a deep breath, trying to calm down and steady herself. "I…I just don't know what to do right now."

Reira nodded, understanding in an instant what her mother was trying to say in her jumbled mess of words. She turned, crossing her hands defiantly in front of her chest and gave Kakashi a piercing stare.

"Okay, mister Hokage person. You gonna be nice to my mom? And treat her right?"

Kakashi found it somewhat funny, and also a bit odd that he was now negotiating with a six year old. "I planned on it, yes."

"And will you buy her nice things? Like flowers, and jewelry and stuff?"

"If your mom wants stuff like that, sure. I don't see her as a flower or jewelry kind of person, though."

"She is if I say she is!" Reira argued.

"Okay, okay." Kakashi said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "You win. I promise to do things like that."

"What about me? Will you treat me nice, and take me to the park anytime I want? And buy me candy and ice cream whenever I ask for it?"

"REIRA!" Freyja shouted, horrified at the audacity of her daughter.

Reira huffed, before sticking her lower lip out and pouting. "Okay, no candy or ice cream. But what about the park thing?"

"Er, sure. I'll take you to the park whenever you want."

Reira tapped her chin thoughtfully, purposely stretching the moment out. "You know what? I'm good with that. You can go ahead and date my mom, and take her out tomorrow night for dinner. Make sure it's someplace really nice. I'll stay home with Hikaru-kun." Reira broke out in a grin. "And I wanna go to the park now."

Kakashi was dumbfounded. Not only had he just been told he could date Freyja – by her own daughter nonetheless – but he was immediately being thrust into the role of babysitter. And he was still wondering what the hell that whole 'shoe' thing that went on between the two of them was.

"Now? You mean, like right now?"

"Yup. And I want a piggyback ride there."

Kakashi looked at Freyja expectantly – not only for permission to take Reira to the park, but also to see if after thinking about it, she changed her mind about…well, everything.

Freyja shrugged. "The park is fine. And you can go ahead and give her a ride if you want."

Even though that he was being forced into servitude by Reira, Kakashi was privately overjoyed with the result of the conversation. He knelt down so that Reira could hop on his back, and he began walking towards the park with Freyja following behind.

After a minute Reira tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Why are you going so slow? I know you're faster than this. Let's run there!"

Kakashi looked questioningly at Freyja. "That okay with you?"

"Yeah." She glanced back towards the house. "You know what? I just realized I forgot to tell Hinata where we were going. You guys go on ahead and I'll catch up."

Kakashi nodded. "Okay, hold on." he said to Reira, and then took off down the street at a brisk pace. Freyja stayed where she was and watched them fade into the distance, as she heard Reira's voice carry over the people talking on the street.

"Faster horsey, faster! Run faster!"

Freyja didn't head back toward the house immediately. It had been a bit of a white lie; she was still going there but she needed a moment to think. In the space of fifteen minutes she'd gone against one of her longest standing principles, simply because her daughter had a skill that she didn't, and could tell something about a person that she couldn't. She was placing her entire future in the hands of one little girl – one who was very smart for her age, but was still a little girl nonetheless.

Even though they were already out of sight, Freyja could still hear Reira giving Kakashi commands.

"Whee! Now jump over that building! The tall one!"

For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile appeared on Freyja's face. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. Having someone strong to take care of Reira was certainly important, but if the guy treated her like shit what was the point? That's how it had been with Gideon, and it's the main reason why she kept Reira hidden. She also did it because she knew Gideon would use Reira as leverage to get her to do whatever he wanted – and despite her code of honor, she was nobody's bitch.

Reira was the most important thing in her life, and she'd do whatever it took to make sure her daughter was happy and safe. But why couldn't she be happy and safe too? She deserved it. She earned it.

Konoha and its people – especially Gabriel, Hikaru and Kakashi – would protect Reira until their last breath. She knew it. And now thanks to her daughter, maybe she'd found someone who could make her feel happy and safe as well.

---

It was six o'clock on Thursday night and Hikaru was sitting alone at his desk, pouring over his notes and drawings regarding the caged bird seal. This thing had been a major pain in his backside so far, but it was still WAY better than being at the academy over the last few days…

***Flashback – Monday morning***

"Where do you think Iruka-sensei is? He's never late for class."

Takamu shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe he got sent away on a mission or something."

"Idiot!" Nishi exclaimed. "They don't send academy teachers out on missions!"

"Maybe he's sick." Kiyomi said absently.

"Even if he was sick, they wouldn't just leave us here all day." Yukio said. "They'd send someone else to teach the class."

"You are correct, young lady. They did send someone else to teach the class."

Everyone turned in the direction of the voice and saw Hinata standing in the doorway, carrying a stack of papers. Her twinkling eyes and sly grin told them she was enjoying how confused everyone was – especially one young man in particular.

"Mom?" Hikaru said incredulously. His jaw dropped as he stared at his mother in disbelief. "What're you doing here?"

"Close your mouth, Hikaru. You'll attract flies like that."

He snapped his jaw shut as the rest of the class chuckled softly.

"And to answer your question, I'm your new substitute teacher." She looked around at the class. "Everyone, please take your seats."

Hikaru continued to stare at his mother in stunned confusion as he followed his classmates and took his seat.

"Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what happened to Iruka-sensei. The Hokage has given him a special project to work on, as well as a much needed vacation, so he'll be gone for the next several months." Hinata set the stack of papers down on the desk and placed one hand protectively on her belly. "And as I'm sure many of you know from the words I asked Hikaru to paint on the Hokage monument a few weeks ago, I am currently pregnant."

"I've been informed that until Hikaru's baby brother or sister is born, I can't engage in any type of strenuous activity – that means no missions or training of any kind, either in or out of the village. So the Hokage offered to have me teach this class until Iruka-sensei finishes his project or my condition makes me unable to do so, whichever comes first."

"I'm very much looking forward to this, and while I'm here you will all address me as Hinata-sensei. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Hinata-sensei." A chorus of children's voices responded.

"Yes, Mom." Hikaru said dejectedly.

Hinata quirked an eyebrow. "Hikaru, I'm not going to make you use my first name, but while we are here at the academy you will address me as Sensei, just like the rest of the class."

"What? Why?" He said incredulously. "You're my mom!"

"I most certainly am, but that doesn't entitle you to special treatment. While we're at the academy, you will address me as Sensei. Is that clear?"

Hikaru sulked a bit. "Okay."

"Okay what?"

He groaned in annoyance. "Okay, Sensei."

"Thank you, Hikaru." Hinata turned and began writing today's lesson on the chalkboard. "What we're going to be learning and working on for the next few weeks is advanced chakra control techniques."

With Hinata's back now facing the class, Hikaru rolled his eyes and buried his face in his hands, clearly depressed about the entire situation. At the same time, his friend Shiga was laughing silently and pointing his hand mockingly at Hikaru, while his dog Takamaru lolled his tongue out of his mouth in amusement.

"Hikaru?"

His head snapped back up. "Yes, Mo…I mean, yes Sensei?"

Hinata continued to write on the chalkboard and without missing a beat she said, "Please don't roll your eyes at me. And tell the Inuzuka boy sitting to your left to stop ridiculing you and pay attention."

***End Flashback***

That day had been a very sobering experience for his classmates as they had gotten an up close, firsthand experience with an advanced user of the Byakugan – someone who, for lack of a better term pretty much had eyes in the back of their head. There was another girl in his class, Hitomi Hyūga who also had the Byakugan but it wasn't nearly as good as his mother's.

But if he'd been paying better attention he would have realized that the entire scene was a hint of things to come.

Dire, ominous, embarrassing things that he couldn't avoid because his mother was involved.

Before he had a chance to ponder it any further, there was a knock at the door and his father walked in.

"Hello, Hikaru. Made any progress on the caged bird seal?"

Hikaru gave him a scathing look in reply.

"I'll take that as a no." Naruto said blandly, pulling up a chair. "What's got you in such a bad mood tonight?"

He gave his father a withering glare. "Mom."

"Your mother?" Naruto said curiously, raising his eyebrows. "What did your mother do?"

"Everything! You made her my teacher at the academy! She makes me call her Sensei. She's constantly using her Byakugan to keep an eye on everyone in the class, especially me. She calls on me more often than anyone else. She INSISTS on making me eat lunch with her every day, instead of letting me hang out with my friends. Have you SEEN some of the stuff she's been eating lately?" He shivered as he remembered several moments from the last few days. "And she's scary! It's like one minute she can be the kind, sweet person I grew up with and the next minute, I can picture her giving me the worst jyuuken strike I've ever had."

He heaved a sigh in exasperation. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Dad. I love Mom and I'd do anything for her, but…but everyone needs a break, right? The only time I'm not around her is when I'm working on this…" He tapped his fingers on the paperwork in front of him. "…but it's hard because Mom doesn't know about it and besides that, it's supposed to be my punishment. I…I just need a little space, y'know?"

Oh, Naruto knew. The dinner meeting almost two weeks ago had been nothing but an appetizer in the grand buffet of what was to come. The books he borrowed from Sasuke told him to expect several things – odd food cravings at all hours of the day (which he'd seen in its multicolored glory once already), water retention (which he decided to never mention, even if he saw it) and extreme mood swings (which he was secretly saving several diplomatic Hokage missions on the side for when things got to be too much) being only a few.

He completely ignored the chapter about women and their increased sex drive during pregnancy. He didn't even want to think about something as…awkward as that at this point. He almost considered ripping the entire chapter out of the book and burning it.

Either way, he was beginning to doubt his decision to put Hinata in charge of Hikaru's class but he couldn't fire her after only a few days on the job, and replacing her with someone else while Iruka worked on his project. That would be like pouring gasoline on an open fire. Despite the risk of severe personal injury, he knew he'd have to have a talk with Hinata about this.

"Okay, you make a good point. Just deal with it for a couple more days and I'll have a talk with your mother on Saturday." One corner of his mouth turned up, and his voice took on a humorous edge. "Unless of course, you'd like to get away from your mother by volunteering to watch Reira when you're not at the academy."

"UGH!" Hikaru exclaimed, cringing at the thought. "Don't even joke about that, Dad! Ever since she said she was gonna marry me, it's like I can feel her eyes watching me all the time and it's really creepy. Is this how it was when Mom was stalking you when you guys were young?"

"Well, to be honest I didn't know your mother decided to marry me when she was six years old until Reira blurted it out the other night at dinner. And as far as the stalking, your mother was pretty good at covering her tracks. I was pretty oblivious and stupid when I was young and between the two, I either didn't know or didn't care. Ramen and training were the only things I was interested in."

Hikaru suddenly perked up. "Hey, that's a great idea Dad! Do you think someone from the Yamanaka clan can erase my mind and make me oblivious, just like you were?"

"NO." Naruto said emphatically, putting an end to that line of thought. He wasn't going to turn Hikaru's mind into a carbon copy of what he was like at nine years old. The boy would just have to deal with what was going on, along with everyone else in the house.

Besides, Reira was still very young and had plenty of time to naturally change her mind. And even if she didn't, Hikaru could do a lot worse. Reira was a nice, sweet girl who seemed to care about his son a lot. She reminded him a lot of Hinata…just without the stalking aspect.

At least Hikaru knew how Reira felt about him. Naruto hadn't known until Hinata almost lost her life in the fight against Pain because she'd been too shy to tell him before that. Reira didn't seem to have that same problem.

"Let's just talk about the caged bird seal. Have you made any progress?"

Hikaru shook his head. "Not really. I've still got the problem of the modified vacuum seal working with the ingress seal we created. If I make changes to one, it won't work with the other." He pointed towards the massive stack of books in one corner of his room. "We've gone through everything in the library and in the restricted village archives, and there's nothing in any of them that'll help. We've officially hit a dead end."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and frowned, clearly unhappy with that answer. "Well, that's not going to work. I had a visit this week from your grandfather, and he's going to give my idea of putting Neji in charge of the Hyūga clan a try. He's having the agreement drawn up next week."

Hikaru's head jerked up and he looked sharply at his father. "You're asking Ojii-san to put Uncle Neji in charge of the clan? Why?"

"Because he'll get rid of the caged bird seal once and for all and unite the clan. Keeping their baby from being branded will also be doubly insured if we get rid of the seal on his forehead and make sure he's the one running the show."

Hikaru shook his head, not convinced. "The elders will never go for it, Dad. Most of them are stubborn, crotchety and hate anything that involves change. They think it defies tradition, or something stupid like that."

Naruto snorted, agreeing somewhat with his son. "Hiashi said the same thing, which is why I told him this is the perfect time to do it. The seal can't be broken right now, so the elders will vote for it because they think it'll never happen. And when we actually do find a way to get rid of the seal, they'll have no choice but to honor the agreement they all signed."

Hikaru sported a sly grin. "That's pretty sneaky, Dad. But it won't make a difference if…" His voice trailed off, as the realization of an idea suddenly came to mind. He silently berated himself for not thinking of it sooner.

"Hey Dad, can you show me that seal on your stomach?"

Naruto was taken aback. "My seal? What for? And how do you know about it?"

"The old lady told me about it a few months ago. It was when you left me with her before going on that mission for Hokage-sensei. She said that Minato Ojii-san made it to seal away one of those tailed beasts…the fox, I think it was."

"Kurama, Hikaru." Naruto corrected him. "His name is Kurama."

"Okay, Kurama then. I'm thinking there might be something in the seal that'll help, since he and Kushina obaa-san were the last real fūinjutsu masters Konoha ever had."

Naruto chuckled wryly. "Well, technically they weren't the last real fūinjutsu masters. Pervy-sage was pretty good too."

"Who?" Hikaru asked, confused as to who his father was talking about.

"You probably heard Tsunade call him Jiraiya. He was one of the legendary Sannin, just like her." Naruto smiled wistfully, before pulling up his shirt to expose his stomach. "He was also a rampant pervert, as well as being my Godfather. And I miss him very, very much."

Hikaru could hear the pang of regret and the ache of loss in his father's voice, and as much as his natural curiosity was egging him on to ask more about the man his father had just called 'Pervy-sage', he decided it probably would be best if he asked the old lady about it some other day.

Naruto pushed some chakra into the seal in order to make it visible. As soon as he did this Hikaru narrowed his eyes and glared at it, like he was scrutinizing the work.

"The order of the seals is off. Any why's there a gap in it?"

"A gap? What are you talking about? And what's with the order of the seals?"

Hikaru's finger began darting around the seal, pointing out various items as he continued to talk. "The order of the seals is actually very important when you're making something as complicated as this. Normally you'd put symbols with similar traits at opposing spots to balance things out, but these are right next to each other. Ojii-san must have been in a real hurry when he made this."

You don't know the half of it, Naruto thought.

"And the space between the tiger and dragon seals is a tiny bit bigger than the rest. Those two symbols represent the most aggressive animals of the group, and putting them right next to each other focuses things like hate, anger, and rage on that one spot. It'll also make those feelings stronger so if you ever get mad or angry, they'll be worse than they normally are."

Naruto stared in awe at his son. After only a cursory inspection, Hikaru had found two glaring weaknesses in the seal that had probably contributed to his anger management issues while growing up. The fact that Kurama's emotions are stronger than any human certainly didn't help matters either.

It was also staggering to realize how far ahead of everyone else Hikaru was in fūinjutsu after only a few months.

"How can you tell that the space between the tiger and dragon symbols is bigger than the rest? Nobody who looked at it before noticed that."

Hikaru shrugged nonchalantly, as if it was no big deal. "Probably because of how many books and scrolls I've been looking at over the last few weeks. Most people would probably miss it if they weren't looking really hard. It's actually only a fraction of an inch."

"But you know what?" Hikaru asked, smiling confidently as he lifted his right hand, which began to glow a bright blue. "I think I can fix it."

Naruto's expression suddenly turned serious. "That's okay, Hikaru. I don't need you to fix the seal, its fine the way it is."

"It's not a problem Dad, really." He extended his glowing hand and touched the gap in between the dragon and tiger symbols. "All I have to do is…"

Hikaru's voice trailed off and his eyes glazed over, like he was in a trance.

"Hikaru?" Naruto asked, concerned at how unnaturally quiet his son was being all of a sudden. "Hikaru, what's wrong?"

Hikaru continued to stare straight ahead, glossy eyed for a moment before his body went limp and listed to one side. Naruto caught him before fell over.

"Hikaru!" Naruto exclaimed quietly, trying not to raise his voice so that Hinata might hear. Naruto shook him, and waved his hands in front of his son's eyes, as they stared vacantly at the ceiling. "Hikaru!"

Hikaru was unresponsive and Naruto was panicking. This is bad…REAL bad. I don't know what the hell just happened, but I have to get it fixed and quick. Naruto thought. Otherwise, I'll have to tell Hinata about it, along with what's been going on with the caged bird seal. Maybe Tsunade can…

Naruto.

"Kurama? Whatever it is, I don't have time to talk with you right now. I need to get Hikaru…"

Naruto, calm down. He's in here.

"Who? Hikaru? In where? What are you…"

He's in your mindscape, Naruto. Just shut up and get in here. Your rambling questions are giving me a headache.

Still confused, Naruto laid his son down on the floor before sitting next to him and assuming the lotus position. He closed his eyes and entered his mindscape.

As soon as he appeared, he noticed Hikaru was standing there, staring up at Kurama in fascination – and Kurama was staring down at the boy in annoyance.

Hikaru! Naruto shouted, running over to him. He knelt down and feverishly checked Hikaru over. Are you okay?

I'm fine, Dad. Hikaru said, embarrassed at all the attention. But where am I? What happened?

Naruto sighed in relief. Thank Kami you're alright. And I don't know how you did it, but right now you're in my mindscape. That creature in front of you is Kurama.

Hikaru looked skeptically at Kurama. You mean you're the nine-tailed fox?

Indeed I am. Yet I get the sense that you are unimpressed, kit.

Hikaru shrugged. I don't know. Somehow, I thought you'd be bigger.

Kurama chuckled at the audacity of the boy. In many ways he was just like his father – especially his cavalier attitude. However, he decided that Hikaru needed to be taught a lesson. He spiked his power and began to swell, growing in size until each one of his razor sharp teeth were as large as the boy standing in front of him.

He brought his maw down close to Hikaru and grinned sadistically, before enveloping him in a blast of steamy, hot breath.

Are you impressed now? Or should I eat you to prove my point?

Eyes wide from fear, Hikaru rapidly shook his head. N-No, that's o-okay, he stuttered. I-I'm good right where I am, thanks.

Somehow I thought you'd say that.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Okay Kurama, can you stop scaring my son for a minute and focus? I'd like to know how Hikaru got in here in the first place. I thought only the Yamanaka clan had this ability.

Kurama stopped grinning and sat back on his haunches, his nine tails swaying lazily behind him. As did I, Naruto. However, if I was forced to hazard a guess I'd have to say it was a combination of factors. Between the fact that the kit carries your genetic code and he was using chakra writing in an attempt to fix a flaw in the seal… He paused and looked pointedly at Hikaru. …that should not have been tampered with in the first place…

Hikaru looked away from Kurama ashamedly.

All of these contributed to his consciousness being drawn into your mindscape. However, unlike a Yamanaka I believe the only way he'll be able to leave here is if I force him out.

Naruto stared at Hikaru in amazement. You were using chakra writing to modify the seal? When did you learn to do that?

It was in a scroll that I got from Hokage-sensei when I first started learning fūinjutsu. I thought it might be a good idea to learn it, since I won't always have chakra ink to do seals with.

How good are you at it? Did you even have a chance to practice using it before you decided to mess with the seal on my stomach?

Hikaru nodded his head. I sure did, Dad. I've made several things using it, including a multi-layered storage seal for one of the pranks I used on Hiashi Ojii-san.

Naruto raised his eyebrows. Multi-layered? What's that mean?

You know how you can layer genjustu on top of each other? I did the same thing with two storage seals. As soon as you touch it the first one goes off, then the next one follows about five seconds after that. I used it to cover ojii-san in fluorescent paint, and glitter shaped like little hearts and flowers. The trick is to make the pattern in the storage seals slightly different so they can stay separate, but still be written one on top of the other.

Naruto could only stare dumbfounded, astounded once again at how gifted Hikaru was at fūinjutsu.

All of this is BEYOND fascinating, Kurama growled sarcastically, but in the end you're missing the original point in all of this. Trust me when I say that you will not find anything in the seal that will help you in coming up with a solution to break the caged bird seal. But you should already know where you might find one.

Naruto's head snapped up. What are you talking about, Kurama?

I'm talking about something you learned during the fourth shinobi war. The last repository for this knowledge should be your next stop.

Naruto furrowed his brow for a moment, before shaking his head. I'm still confused. What did I learn during the war that can help us out here? And what's this last repository you're talking about?

Kurama sighed. You disappoint me, Naruto. Your Hokage predecessors, and that perverted sage you cared about so much are probably rolling over in their graves right now due to your obliviousness. Maybe that Toad Sage Fukasaku can knock some sense into you with that club he used during your training at Mount Myōboku as well.

Naruto glared at Kurama, offended by the comment. What's that supposed to mean?

Kurama snorted in derision. You have said on multiple occasions that you're not nearly as dense as when you were younger. Prove to both me and your offspring that you're worthy of the title of Hokage. I've given you more than enough to figure out the answer on your own. He waved his clawed hand dismissively. Now, begone from my sight.

There was a sudden surge as Kurama forced Naruto and Hikaru out of the mindscape. The two of them woke up in the real world, just in time for Naruto to see Hikaru pick himself up off the floor, groaning while holding his head in his hands.

"Hikaru! Are you okay?" Naruto asked worriedly before helping his son stand up.

"Yeah, I think so." Hikaru replied. "Remind me never to do that again."

"I don't think I need to remind you of anything. You'll remember all on your own."

"Okay, I'll give you that." Hikaru looked wearily up at his father. "Dad, what was Kurama talking about when he made those comments? The ones about the war, the other Hokage and that Pervy-sage guy?"

Naruto clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth, his mind a whirlwind of thought. "I'm not sure, Hikaru. But whatever it is, Kurama said he gave me enough information to figure it out. He wouldn't be leading me on a wild goose chase, but he's right that I should be able to figure this out on my own."

He suddenly stopped and looked solemnly at his son. "I need some time to think this through. I'm going to training ground twenty-six – tell your mom where I went and that I had to blow off some steam, or something like that. Hopefully a good workout will clear my head and give me some inspiration. I'll be back later."

And with that, Naruto vanished in a flash of yellow light.

---

Hikaru was in bed, just on the verge of falling asleep. It had been a long, tiring day even before the episode where he accidentally jumped into his father's mindscape and dealt with Kurama, so he thought it would be best if he turned in early.

Too bad it didn't work out that way. The next thing he knew, someone was shaking him awake.

"Hikaru."

His mind still a bit groggy, he lifted his head and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He knew who the voice belonged to.

"Dad? What's going on? I was almost asleep."

Naruto walked over to the dresser and pulled out a shirt and a pair of pants, then tossed them onto the bed. "I need you to get up and get dressed. We have somewhere we need to go."

Hikaru threw the covers off and scrambled to put on his clothes. "It's pretty late, Dad – and I've got classes at the academy tomorrow. Where do we have to go at this hour?"

"I figured out what Kurama was talking about. We're going to see the one person who may be able to help us."

.

.

Knock, knock, knock.

The hour was late but Tsunade was still awake, mainly because falling asleep had gotten much harder since she gave up drinking. However, she vowed that no alcohol would pass her lips until Naruto had forgiven her for everything she'd done.

It made the days seem longer and so much harder to bear. But it was nothing compared to what the most precious person in her life had endured… what she had unknowingly forced upon him… the misery and despair she had contributed to. Naruto had only seen her sparsely since he'd gotten back in the village and become Hokage – it was like he was going out of his way to interact with her as little as possible.

Not that she could blame him, of course. If the circumstances were reversed, she'd probably be doing the exact same thing. But it made her realize how much she missed her adopted grandson and his comforting presence in her life.

So she was surprised when she opened the door to find Naruto standing there, with Hikaru in tow. Both wore very serious expressions on their faces.

"Gaki… I mean, Naruto… what are you doing here, at this hour? And with your son no less?"

"Good evening, Tsunade. Can we come in? Hikaru and I need to speak with you privately."

Tsunade felt a twinge, just as she did every time Naruto called her by her real name. It was like pouring salt on an open wound; a constant reminder of her failures as a friend, grandmother and Hokage.

She moved aside and motioned for them to enter, closing the door behind them. The two of them walked over and sat down on her couch, waiting for Tsunade to join them.

She sat down in the chair next to them, clasping her hands together in her lap. "So tell me, what's so important that the two of you needed to talk with me tonight, rather than wait until tomorrow morning?"

Naruto held up his hand. "Hang on for a moment. Hikaru, could you make the room private please?" He asked casually. While he was more than capable of putting up privacy seals, he wanted Hikaru to do it in order to prove something to Tsunade.

Nodding, Hikaru lifted his right hand, which began to glow a bright blue. He leaned over, and with his right index finger he wrote two seals on the coffee table and then placed one of his hands on each seal, pushing more chakra into them. The symbols spread out across the floor and over the walls before meeting in the middle of the ceiling. However, they didn't stop there – each group of symbols continued to spread, overlapping each other until the entire room was covered in two sets of seals.

Tsunade watched the display, while several emotions ran across her face – shock and fascination being the most prominent. "What…What did you just do?"

"Modified privacy seals," Hikaru stated, grinning impishly. "Not even the Byakugan or the Sharingan can see through these."

Tsunade stared at Hikaru, her eyes wide with shock at what she just witnessed. "Where did you learn how to make something like that?"

Hikaru shrugged casually. "It's just something I came up with. One of the books Hokage-sensei gave me talked about how you can filter things like light and sound, so I wondered – what would happen if I made two privacy seals that ran opposite of one another?" He pointed to the first seal. "This one filters things in an up and down pattern, while this…" He moved his hand to the second one, "…filters them to the left and right. If someone using the Byakugan or the Sharingan focuses on getting past the first seal, they won't see or hear a thing because the second one runs crisscross to the first. Same thing happens in reverse if they focus on the second one."

"You thought up something like that all on your own?" she asked, pointing a shaky finger at the two seals. "And you used chakra writing to make those two seals. Who taught you that?"

"I taught myself. It was in a scroll I got from Hokage-sensei. He told me that Minato Ojii-san could do it, and I figured it would be a good idea to learn it, because I won't always have chakra ink around to use."

"Hokage-sensei?" Tsunade asked, scrunching her forehead in confusion. "Are you talking about your father?"

"Nah. I'm talking about the one before my dad – Kakashi." Hikaru extended his right hand towards Tsunade, palm up. "He's also the one who helped me finish my training on this."

Thinking she couldn't be any more shocked than she already was, Tsunade was proven wrong when Hikaru produced a Rasengan right before her eyes. The boy was going to be nine years old in a few months and he had already mastered a high level A-ranked ninjutsu, and she had heard rumors that Hikaru was skilled in fūinjutsu, but what she had just seen was beyond anything she could have imagined.

Still in awe, Tsunade swallowed heavily and turned her head towards Naruto. "I'm…I'm guessing you didn't come here tonight to give me a show, so…so why are you here, then? And why the need for all the secrecy?"

Naruto motioned for Hikaru to disperse the Rasengan before he answered. "The two of us – well, mostly Hikaru to be honest – have been working on trying to break the Hyūga clan's caged bird seal in order to let Hiashi retire and put Neji in charge. Hikaru came up with an idea on how to do it, but we've hit a wall and there's nothing in either the library or the restricted Konoha archives that's been able to help. But that's where you come in."

"Me?" Tsunade said, startled at what Naruto had just divulged. "From what I just saw, your son could give Jiraiya a run for his money and he was better than either you or me at fūinjutsu. What help could I possibly give you?"

"Access to your private Senju archives. Hashirama and Tobirama were at least as good at fūinjutsu as either Pervy-sage or my parents." Naruto said matter-of-factly. "I know I've been asking a lot of you lately, but this is beyond important for a number of reasons I can't get into right now. You'll have to stop giving Hinata medic-nin training anyway since she's pregnant, and Shizune can handle most of your duties at the hospital so in place of those, I need you to start helping Hikaru in whatever way you can with his research while I check the only other place that might have something useful to offer."

Tsunade crooked an eyebrow, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. "And where would that be?"

"Mount Myōboku. If there's anyone else who could help with this, it'd be Fukasaku and Shima. And besides, I still owe Gamabunta several barrels of sake and I think it's about time I paid up. Although…" Naruto closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his torso, shuddering at thought of what was to come. "…I'm not looking forward to the food Shima is going to make for me. It may be the only stuff more disgusting than what Hinata and her pregnancy induced cravings have been coming up with lately."

---

True to his word, two days later Naruto had a talk with Hinata about how her mood swings were affecting the students in her class at the academy. And as expected, the conversation quickly took a dark turn…

***Flashback***

"Did Hikaru put you up to this?"

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "Hinata, Hikaru has nothing to do with this." It was a lie, but there was no way he was going to draw Hikaru into the discussion. And if he didn't have to look Hinata in the eyes, it'd be easier for him to lie anyway.

Not that he enjoyed lying to his wife – he hated it, actually. But sometimes a Hokage had to choose between the lesser of two evils.

"Are you questioning my ability to teach Hikaru's class?"

"Not in the least, Hinata. I'm just saying that your mood swings…"

"Mood swings?" Hinata asked, her voice going up an octave or two. "If I'm having mood swings – and I'm not saying I am – but if I was, perhaps I should remind you that I'm having them because YOU got me pregnant and I'm carrying YOUR child?"

Naruto remained silent. There was no way he was going to answer that question, or remind her that SHE was the one who seduced HIM for a week straight in an effort to get pregnant. Nope, no way in hell he was going to do that.

Hinata took his silence as confirmation that she was right. "So you agree that this is all your fault?"

More sighing. More rubbing of his temples. "I never said that, Hinata."

"Then what are you saying?" She asked, backing him into a hypothetical corner and demanding answers. "That I'm the one who's wrong? Or is it that you think I'm being overbearing and irrational?"

"Well, I…" Naruto started, before he began to feel fear creep up his arm through the seal.

She gawked at him, eyes growing wider by the second. "You…You think I'm fat and ugly now that I'm pregnant, don't you?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but he was silenced instantly as the amount of fear coming through the seal skyrocketed. The feeling was so powerful that it actually caused his entire arm to go numb, and he hissed from the pain.

Her lower lip trembling, Hinata brought her hand up to her mouth and gasped. "Or is it that…that maybe you don't love me anymore, Naruto-kun?"

As soon as he heard that, Naruto decided he'd had enough. His Mienai Segi training asserted itself and he pushed the feeling of fear back, sending a massive surge of love through the seal. Hinata flinched when the force of the emotion hit her.

"No, that's NOT it, Hinata." Naruto said forcefully, "And I never want to hear you say something like that again. You should know by now how much I love you. What more do I have to do to prove it? And why in the world would you even say something as hurtful as that?"

At hearing Naruto say those words to her, Hinata's eyes filled with tears and she broke down, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder, crying uncontrollably.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I didn't mean it, I'm just…I'm just so emotional. I know this happens during pregnancy, but these mood swings seem so much worse than what Lady Tsunade told me to expect. Do…Do you think there's something wrong?"

Naruto held her close and rubbed her back soothingly. He expected the mood swings too, but of course this was a first for both of them. He wanted to be as comforting as possible to her, because he couldn't imagine what Hinata was going through right now. He knew that seeing it and feeling it were two totally different things.

"I'm sure everything's fine, Hinata. And I'm sorry I yelled at you. I just don't like hearing you say things like that." He kissed the top of her head lovingly. "Why don't you go see Tsunade again tomorrow and let her know what's going on. Maybe she's got something that can help take the edge off – you know, like an herbal remedy."

Hinata sniffled a bit, before pulling back to stare questioningly at Naruto. "You…You really think she might have something that will help?"

"If anyone would, it's her. She's probably been through this with more kunoichi than I can count." He smiled as an idea came to mind. "Hey – how about after you get done teaching at the academy every day, why don't you take an hour or so and spend some time with either Tenten or Hanabi? They're farther along in their pregnancies than you are, so they've got some experience with what you're going through now. I think talking to them would be really good – you can ask them all sorts of questions, and besides – I think it'd be nice if you spent some time with your family."

Hinata smiled, grateful that Naruto was so concerned for her wellbeing, and it made her comments from before seem even more ridiculous, now that she thought about it. "But what about Reira? She needs someone to watch her if Freyja isn't around, and Kakashi-sensei has been spending a lot of time with her lately…"

"I'll have Hikaru do it. He's almost nine years old, and I think it's about time we gave him some responsibility." Naruto chuckled softly, and then smirked at his wife. "He IS an Uzumaki, after all. I'm sure he's strong enough to handle watching Reira if you or Freyja aren't home."

Hinata nodded in thanks, before giving Naruto a quick kiss and hugging him once again. She knew that the next several months would be an emotional rollercoaster ride, but she was happy that Naruto was here with her, helping her get through it.

For his part, Naruto was feeling a rush of guilt over what he'd just done. Two days ago, he'd joked with Hikaru about having him watch Reira, and now here he was doing just that.

I'm sorry about this Hikaru, Naruto thought remorsefully, but your mother is going through a rough time right now with her pregnancy and we need to do something to help her out, otherwise things will get worse than they already are. Someone's gotta make a sacrifice in all of this, and unfortunately you're the only one who can do it.

***End Flashback***

---

The following Wednesday, Naruto decided to go to Mount Myōboku for the day, leaving Kakashi in charge. He chose the day specifically because Hinata would be teaching and Hikaru would be at the academy – there was no sense in subjecting either of them to Shima's cooking, especially Hinata. She was having enough problems with her morning sickness as it is.

Naruto purchased ten barrels of the best sake in the village for Gamabunta, setting him back about five thousand Ryo. He also forced Ichiraku Ramen to open early, so he could purposely fill himself up before he made the trip. He figured he could beg off Shima's cooking if he honestly told her he was full, so he ate thirty bowls and tipped Teuchi and Ayame generously for accommodating him.

Of course, he didn't consider that Shima wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She insisted he eat something, and reasoned that even though he had just eaten a very big meal, he still had room for dessert.

Naruto cursed himself for forgetting such a small detail. He cursed himself even more when he was forced to eat Shima's grasshopper pie with a smile on his face – because it was made with REAL grasshoppers, and not those chocolate mint cookies any sane, rational human being would use.

But it was all worth it in the end. After telling Fukasaku and Shima about what he'd been up to the last nine years, how he was now Hokage and what he was trying to do with the caged bird seal they were more than happy to help, allowing him to look through their library of scrolls for anything that might be useful. As he only had a limited amount of time, Naruto created a hundred shadow clones to read through everything by the end of the day and even though it wasn't much, he was lucky enough to find five scrolls that offered some ideas. He quickly made copies of the scrolls and thanked them, promising to bring his entire family back as soon as he could.

After summoning himself back to Konoha he headed straight for the house – hopefully Hikaru would be there right now, and he could show him what he found before he went to see Tsunade later on tonight to work on the seal. Even though Naruto wished he could be there in person, he thought it would be better if he met with Kakashi about what happened today in the village while he'd been gone.

And besides…he didn't want to stay home and see what Hinata had made herself for dinner. His stomach was still doing backflips from the grasshopper pie, and he didn't think he could handle both of them being sick at the same time.

---

For the most part, the following two weeks passed without incident. Hinata took Naruto up on his suggestion and talked with Tsunade, who gave her a mixture of herbs to help with her mood swings. She told Hinata that if she took them along with some juice first thing in the morning, it should even things out until sometime around dinner every night.

It took a few days, but everyone who dealt with Hinata – adults and students alike – agreed that whatever the mixture of herbs were, they worked wonders. Naruto actually thought about selling it on the open market – there had to be a huge demand for something like this. Husbands everywhere would buy the stuff by the case.

Hikaru and Tsunade continued to make progress on cracking the caged bird seal. She found that even though Naruto was avoiding her – albeit for a very good reason – she was enjoying spending time with her great-grandson. But she still stubbornly refused to believe she was old enough to actually have one.

But if she wanted to have any hope of regaining Naruto's trust, she needed to help Hikaru find a way to break the caged bird seal. She knew without Naruto saying so that he had some plan in mind to unite the Hyūga clan, which was something she'd tried to do several times when she was Hokage with no success. Even if there was only a ghost of a chance of this actually happening, she'd give everything she had. The entire branch house was depending on her efforts in helping out Hikaru, and there was no way she was going to let either one of her most precious people down through all of this.

Naruto put Sasuke in charge of the ANBU, just like he planned. It was a big step for someone who hadn't been given very much responsibility in the village since Naruto convinced him to return all those years ago, but Sasuke felt he owed it everyone, especially Sakura and Mikomi to take the job. The men and women under his command would be responsible for the safety of the village, both in and out of its borders and he appreciated Naruto trusting him with something so important.

This of course left very little time for Sasuke to oversee the restoration of the Uchiha estate, since his days were now filled with mission briefing and debriefings, along with deployment strategies that Shikamaru was working on to widen the spy network outside of the village. So because of that, he decided to put Sakura in charge of the day to day operations. It kept things moving along, and it also gave Sakura a therapeutic outlet for some of her anger issues that she was still working through in her weekly sessions with Tsunade.

Regarding that, both Sasuke and Tsunade reported to Naruto that the therapy sessions were going well and Sakura was making significant progress. Even though he tried not to show it, Naruto could tell that Sasuke seemed to be having a hard time dealing with Sakura about this problem. Sasuke loved her but he had a problem openly displaying emotions. It also didn't help matters that in this case, Sakura was clearly in the wrong about a great many things she did and said.

Sasuke was caught between a rock and a hard place; walking a fine line between friend and husband. Only Naruto, because he'd been around Sasuke so much when they were younger could actually see the worry and stress on his brother's face – and he hated it, because he felt that in some way he was contributing to Sasuke's misery.

Naruto hoped that very soon Sakura would turn things around and try patching things up with everyone she had hurt. Despite how he felt about her and their history, Naruto wasn't kidding during that meeting with his classmates when he said that he didn't want Sakura to be an outcast in the village, or suffer so much that they ended up taking Mikomi away. He might be angry about everything she'd done, but he certainly wasn't heartless either – and it would make his job as Hokage so much easier if things went back to normal…or as normal as they could get right now.

Shikamaru had fallen into his new job like he'd been born for the position. In the space of only a few weeks he diffused several underground plots regarding the civilian council members, confiscated over a dozen illegal goods shipments into Konoha, arrested those responsible and expanded his network of informants to most of the small businesses in the village.

When Naruto asked him how things were going at home, Shikamaru told him that Temari still wasn't pregnant, but it wasn't for lack of trying…apparently, it was a sore spot with her that she wasn't pregnant along with everyone else. Naruto found that to be a bit weird, since Temari was the last person he could imagine being eager for motherhood. Plus, she was also getting a push from Yoshino, who wanted grandchildren in the worst way.

At that point, Naruto decided he didn't need to hear any more updates on the subject. Really, he didn't. He told Shikamaru to just let him know when the conditions of the contract had been fulfilled – and nothing else.

It was business as usual in Konoha. Most missions were completed without incident – yes, he had to deal with the occasional injury or death, but oveall the survival and recovery rate of his shinobi force was very high. The new batch of genin that would graduate the academy this year looked very promising. Life was peaceful, the villagers were happy and Naruto and his family were content.

---

But the same couldn't be said on the far side of the continent.

Two days travel past the western border of Suna, at the base of a small mountain range lay a cave, the interior of which was very basic and nondescript. Outside of that cave was a small clearing, in the middle of which upon a large rock sat the leader of the Mienai Segi. His legs were folded in the lotus position, his arms outstretched with thumb and forefinger connected as he began his morning meditation.

His eyes closed, Saladin lifted his head to the sky, letting the sun's rays warm him. As he did every day, he attempted to gain true enlightenment, and today seemed especially promising for that purpose.

The sky was the perfect shade of blue, and across the entire expanse there wasn't a cloud to be seen. There was no sound of chirping birds calling out to prospective mates, nor rustling of leaves as deer pared them from bushes to satisfy their hunger.

There was nothing to disturb the moment. It was the perfect example of peace and tranquility. Saladin could feel his consciousness expanding, becoming one with nature and the life energy it generated. He was closer than he'd ever been…he was almost there…

And then from out of nowhere a breeze blew across the clearing, breaking his concentration. However this was no ordinary breeze, because not one blade of grass or tree danced in it.

But one thing it did do was chill Saladin to his core – it was so powerful that he felt it in the deepest part of his bones.

He shivered, as the sensation made its way up his spine and settled on the back of his neck, making the hairs there stand on end before heading south and wrapping its icy grip around his heart.

And it was in that moment he knew. He opened his eyes and sighed, realizing he couldn't postpone the inevitable. He walked back inside his cave and headed straight for his desk, opening the top drawer and removing a special scroll he'd been saving in the event something like this ever happened.

He spread the scroll out across the top, smoothing the fabric to make sure there wasn't a single wrinkle. His hand steady despite the situation, he picked up a pen and began to write what he considered to be his epitaph, to the one person he felt he could trust with his final message.

Gabriel…today I have felt an omen. An omen of my approaching death…

---

A/N: So before anyone asks, I know I was supposed to put a part in this chapter regarding Sakura and the other kunoichi, but since I added several parts there just wasn't enough room for it. It will be in the next chapter, I promise - along with a few other gems that will really start to move the story forward.

(1) - I've had several reviews and PM's sent to me asking what this means. It's a reference to Chapter 19, where Reira says to her mother that she can tell what a person's chakra actually feels like, not just how powerful they are. Go back and check it out if you can't remember the reference (I wouldn't blame you if you didn't). It's about halfway through, right before the lemon scene.

So I think I've resolved the issues regarding Hiashi, and Naruto has given him a bit of an incentive to start interacting with his family more often. Hinata is in full swing with her pregnancy, and I WILL say that she'll experience the full gambit of symptoms in future chapters. I'll be writing about them in great detail.

Poor Hikaru... he just can't catch a break, can he? And now that he has to watch Reira... well, the writing's on the wall for his future, don't you think? And how about Reira getting Kakashi and Freyja together? Man, I loved writing that part.

So what's coming? Well, the part with Sakura where she begins to make amends with her classmates. Kakashi and Freyja will start getting hot and heavy with their relationship. Hinata keeps thinking up horrid food ideas (did everyone like the one I came up with?) And Saladin... well, it's pretty obvious what's going to happen there.

Even though I only mentioned her fleetingly in the story, I'm reminding everyone that Mina Mikon is the OC of MattWilson83. 'Nuff said.

Recommendation time! So, I'm continuing along with my theme of recommending stories that don't have that many followers, even though the writing or the story is very good. This is one of two that I've been enjoying very much lately, and it's something I stumbled upon when I checked the favorite story list of someone who recently started following mine (didn't know I did that, huh?).

So please check out Wait WHAT! by Aqua-Zodiac. There's a bit of angst in it, Hinata is much more forceful than she usually is and Sakura is a total bitch in the story. Fair warning, it's rated M and there's a steamy lemon scene in chapter 10... but things get resolved in the latest chapter. If you DO happen to read it, please put the story on your favorite/follow list and leave the author a review. I'm sure she'd appreciate it.

Here's the link, as usual remove the spaces and you know what to replace the stars with:

www . fanfiction . *** / s / 9907722

REVIEWS! Okay, sixty nine reviews for last chapter - mostly thanks to Sunrise Moon 2 and as usual, I appreciate each and every one. I'd like to see if I can do better this chapter, because I'm looking for some feedback for future chapters. So as usual, I'm pleading for more reviews. I've seen far too many stories on this website (including some I've recommended) that haven't been updated in like, forever because the motivation is gone. Reviews keep me writing, they keep me from pushing this story aside and drive me to write more chapters.

So please take a few moments when you finish reading and kindly leave a review. I do my best to reply personally to each and every one...and remember as always, the more reviews you leave the faster the next chapter gets out.

That's all for now. Take care and stay safe.

Serious Sam