Forgive the inconsistency, I've recently come down with Covid and I feel a bit tired. Thank you for all the support so far. Do not worry, I am fine. But writing has been a bit of a slog. Please, enjoy the slightly longer chapter as thanks for your patience.
_
They made it another few miles before they stopped to make camp for the night. Nobuo needed rest, and Naruto wanted more time to think. What was he going to say? What should he say? After nearly a year apart, he didn't think they had a whole lot to speak on. Besides the obvious, of course.
"Remember what Tenten said, let's not lose this battle before we fight it," Naruto sighed to himself as he sat upon a rock.
A campfire crackled somewhere behind him, the soft warmth licking at his back as he faced out towards the forest. He and Nobuo had offered to take the first shift watching the camp. With very little chance of getting attacked, he felt as though he could let his guard down a bit.
"Ah, Lord Uzumaki," Nobuo came over, a pair of cups of hot water clasped in his hands. "Here, you should keep warm."
"Ah, thank you Nobuo."
The guardsman sat down next to the blonde ninja and took a small sip. With a satisfied sigh, the man loosened up and gazed out over the scenery. Naruto still found him to be an enigma. He hadn't spoken much, nor had he given many details about his life. If he had been around the last time he and his team had traveled to Shion's kingdom, he didn't remember.
"I sense you are worried, Lord Uzumaki."
Naruto paused mid-sip before putting down the cup. "You can just call me Naruto, you know."
"Okay, Lord Naruto," Nobuo nodded. "But you didn't answer my question."
Geez, talk about uptight, Naruto smiled a bit awkwardly. "Y-Yeah? I mean, how can't I be? I don't know the first thing about being a father."
"A sentiment shared across all expecting dads, I believe. Luckily, it's a position you grow into," Nobuo chuckled softly.
"I guess, but… I dunno, I just can't imagine myself being that kind of guy, you know? Being responsible, raising kids. I never even knew my dad, how can I possibly be one myself?"
The man seemed to consider that for a moment, periodically sipping his drink. With the hot water and the fire, the dim chill of the breeze seemed a distant thing. Stars shone brightly overhead, accented by the occasional flicker-flash of what might've been a comet. It was an image that one didn't truly see in the Leaf village. All the lights tended to blot out most of the stars.
"Are you worried you might fail? That you might not be good enough?"
It was Naruto's turn to think. How could he even put it into words? Setting aside the complex mix of emotions he had going on inside him, the terror of failing paralyzed him most of all. He barely even knew what it meant to "fail" in this context!
"It's more like… I worry that I'll mess up badly. That I'll mess them up, disappoint them, make them worse. I don't… I don't want it to be where having no father was better than what I gave them," Naruto's hand clutched around the cup tightly. "I couldn't live with myself if that happened. I grew up alone, with no parents, and that was one of the worst things I ever experienced."
"But maybe not as bad as having bad parents?" Nobuo guessed.
The young man nodded, head downcast.
The guardsman breathed in deeply before releasing it. "I don't imagine there's a single person in this world who hasn't made a mistake, and I'd say that goes for parenting as well. You're not alone, you'll have Lady Shion, you'll have me, you'll have all of us. Parenthood can be a trying ordeal, but it is, in my opinion, the most rewarding challenge one can undertake."
"But what if-"
"What if this, what if that. You can ask yourself a hundred thousand hypotheticals. What if none of them come true?" he countered.
His words gave Naruto pause. His mind rang back to Tenten's words. His own insecurities were poisoning his mind with doubt. If he only focused on what could go wrong he would fail. He needed to get over it.
"No way out but through," Naruto breathed deeply. "I get it. If that's how it is, then you can count on me. Believe it!"
Nobuo smiled. "That is very good to hear, Lord Naruto."
Time ticked by, the stars rolled over head, and the fire began to die down. There was a peaceful, comfortable silence between the two as they finished their drinks. The whole affair was a curious case of Deja Vu for Naruto, who remembered being in a situation similar to this many months ago.
"You know, this sorta reminds me of when Taruho and I spoke about Shion," Naruto said absently.
Nobuo paused. "Does it? What did you two talk about?"
"Yeah. He and I spoke about Shion's past, her gift. I remember thinking she was a lot like me, despite how insufferable she was being. He apologized on her behalf, and tried to get me to see things from her perspective."
"That… sounds a lot like Taruho. He was quite the loyal guard to Her Majesty."
"Did you know him?"
Nobuo's lips thinned for a moment, as if he were thinking on how to respond. After a moment, he set down his cup and answered. "He was my cousin. While you all went out to stop Moryo's threat, I stayed behind to keep things running and to keep the city safe. I received news of his death after the destruction of the Ghost Army."
"I see…" Naruto's expression was melancholy. "He was a really great guy, you know. Right up until the end. Not an ounce of fear in him."
"I imagine so, he was a most loyal guardsman. He has a statue in his honor in the palace courtyard. By Lady Shion's orders, in fact."
Naruto chuckled softly. "Yeah, I can believe that."
Taruho had been a good man when Naruto had known him. Brave and driven, even when so far out of his depth that he was, in honesty, of little help. No ninjutsu, no ninja training, merely a sword and his will. And in the end he gave up his life to save the world. If there was anyone deserving of a statue, it was going to be him.
"To Taruho," Naruto raised his now-empty cup. "In his absence, I'll protect Shion. Believe it!"
Nobuo smiled. "Believe it!"
"Quiet!" Tenten called from her sleeping bag.
0-0-0-0
"What a gorgeous morning!" Lee crowed, doing his stretches. "Truly we've been blessed with such great weather!"
"Geez Lee, do you need to already be yelling?" Tenten yawned.
Neji walked over to the rest of them. "Did you sleep well, Nobuo?"
"Yes, Lord Hyuga, just give me the word when you're ready to head out."
The jonin nodded and examined the path laid before them. With his byakugan he could trace the shortest route to reach the Land of Demons capital city, Ashiya. Luckily, as one grew closer to the main city and its surrounding towns the roads got easier to traverse. Being such an insular country, what little trade was done was done along the main trade route throughout the whole region.
Them taking an alternate route had put them out of the way of such things. It made getting there a bit slower but, also, drastically reduced the chances of being attacked by anyone. His reconnaissance done, Neji turned back to his team.
"I'd say with the pace we've currently been making we'll arrive in Ashiya by sunset. Let's get moving!"
"Right!" they cried out.
Neji's analysis proved to be accurate once again. By the time the sun had been reduced to a mellow orange blob in the sky, the city was in sight. The painted hues of purple and orange overhead cast the place in a surreal light, as if they were looking at a masterfully constructed painting. Naruto thought it almost looked ephemeral, like if he got too close it may disappear like a mirage.
"Not too much longer," Tenten sighed, wiping her forehead. "And not a moment too soon."
"Come now Tenten, you're young you should have more energy!" Lee spoke loudly.
"No offense bushy-brow, but the only person with energy - and eyebrows - like you is Guy Sensei."
"Do not insult Guy Sensei's eyebrows!"
"Enough, both of you," Neji ordered them before Lee could finish putting Naruto in a headlock. "We should make it there before nightfall to avoid causing any confusion."
"Who died and made you prince?" Naruto began before he was cut off by Tenten pinching his cheek.
"Get that rudeness out of your system now, Naruto."
"Ow, ow, ow- Geez, fine, I get it! I get it!" she finally let go with an exasperated sigh.
Neji glanced back at the routine and sighed mournfully. "How you ever reproduced…"
It wasn't another forty minutes until they reached the imposing front gates of the city. Smaller than the Leaf Village's, but impressive nonetheless. The red-painted doors were engraved and detailed with demons and murals of the heroes who beat them back. Naruto saw that the embellishment extended to the arches overhead and even to the walls surrounding the city!
"This is known as the Iron Ring, you probably didn't get to see it last time you were here. It is our greatest cultural and artistic piece anywhere in the Land of Demons," Nobuo explained. "It was made long ago as protection against evil spirits and demons. We've added to it as time goes on. I believe you all even have your own spot on it, somewhere."
"Talk about a grandiose introduction," Tenten mumbled as Lee and Naruto nodded.
"Halt, state your business!" a guard at the top of the wall called out. "Traders?"
"Not so, I am Nobuo Shiganshina of the Royal Guard," he flashed some kind of large metal token. "I bring with me Lord Uzumaki as well as three honorable ninja from the Leaf Village."
"Captain Shiganshina! Apologies, sir, I did not recognize you from up here. We've been eagerly awaiting you and our Lord's return. Open the gate!" the guard called.
The doors swung open, revealing the city within. Rolling sprawls of streets and vendors curled out deeper into the city. Larger constructs of wood occasionally interspersed the squat, almost historical buildings, towering over them in their might. The first word that occurred to Naruto was "rustic".
The city was by no means backwards or out of date, but there was a certain sense of vintageness to it. Homes that were classically constructed and only later on modified to have more modern conveniences in them, large buildings comprised mostly of wood, and clothing that had been more popular twenty or thirty years ago than today. It was a small shock to take in all at once, but Nobuo gave the group no time to adjust.
"Quickly, we must get to the palace to inform Lady Shion of your arrival," the man said excitedly, brushing past them. "The White Lily Palace is the seat of our government and the main living quarters of Lady Shion and, soon enough, you, Lord Uzumaki!"
"Fancy name," Naruto murmured.
"Indeed, named so after the impressive garden Lady Shion's mother cultivated in her lifetime. Lady Shion herself has taken to tending and even expanding it to include medicinal herbs and other useful plants!"
Geez, I'm beginning to feel more like a tourist than an honored guest, Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"This place is interesting, are these buildings authentic?" Neji asked as they passed through the streets.
"Indeed, sir. The Land of Demons still practices many construction techniques passed down through the generations, although we have since incorporated better materials and safety standards, not to mention things such as plumbing, heating, and cooling."
Naruto hummed to himself. It wasn't always a guaranteed thing to have those outside of a major city. Heck, there were plenty of villages in the Land of Fire without those modern conveniences. Ashiya may have been a capital city, but the Land of Demons was also something of a remote nation.
"I'm sure you must have a robust cultural heritage here, then."
"Oh yes. I'll give you all a tour after we get things sorted out. We of the Land of Demons take pride in our history and have extensive documentation dating back over a thousand years! Since before the time of your Leaf Village, in fact!"
Lee whistled, and Naruto felt inclined to agree. A thousand years was, well, a thousand years. That far, far predated the Leaf Village and most of what Naruto knew to be his country's major history. Had the Land of Demons been around for that long?
The walk to the White Lily Palace wasn't long by any stretch, but it certainly felt like a distance when everyone seemed to turn and stare at them as they passed. Neji, Lee, and Tenten noticed it as well, giving each other confused and slightly tense glances. Nobuo picked up on the hesitation and was quick to explain.
"Ah, yes, following your triumph over Moryo, Lady Shion wished to spread your heroism throughout the land. I'd say everyone in this city must know your faces! Following Lady Shion's successful delivery, many people were ecstatic waiting for your return in particular, Lord Uzumaki."
"O-Oh, how wonderful," Naruto stammered.
Great, it's not like I have enough pressure to deal with already, Naruto bemoaned in his head. He paused as he bumped into something in his way. Looking down, a young boy with absolute awe in his eyes gazed up at him.
"You're him! You're really him! I knew you'd come back, you're the hero who defeated Moryo and the Ghost Army!" the boy shouted excitedly.
"W-Well, I mean, I didn't do it alone, but-"
"See! You are him!"
"Woah, hey, kid, I'm just-"
"Mom, check it out!" the boy pointed as an older woman came up to him. "It's the hero who defeated the demons and saved the world!"
"Yes it is, but he's busy right now," she scooped up the young boy in his arms. "We don't want to stop him, do we?"
"No way! Hey, Mr. Hero, before you go do cool hero stuff can you tell me how I can be a hero!?"
The boy's blind enthusiasm was nearly enough to give Naruto heartburn. A quick glance back at his allies showed them either conspicuously looking away or stifling their giggles.
Traitors, he thought to himself before glancing back at the kid and his mother. The woman offered him a sympathetic smile, and Naruto was compelled to say something.
"Uh… go to bed early, train hard, and, um, eat your veggies, kid," he ruffled the young boy's hair. "Then you'll grow up to be even stronger than me, believe it!"
"Woah! Cool! Mom, can we have miso soup tonight!?"
"Sure thing hun," the woman winked at the blonde ninja as she walked away.
"See Naruto, I knew you had those paternal instincts all along!" Lee cried, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.
Oh man oh man, what did I get myself into?
0-0-0-0
"Now presenting, Lord Uzumaki and the shinobi of the Leaf Village!" The court steward splayed an arm towards them all.
They received polite nods from the various courtesans that dotted around the throne room. It was a splendid thing of white stone and tapestries depicting even more history. Naruto wondered if it had a more special meaning than the stories that had been painted on the wall outside.
At the end of the room, in front of a trio of long glass windows sat the immaculate White Lily Throne itself. Upon sat none other than Lady Shion, her priestess vestments perfectly arranged. With the rays of light coming in behind her, she seemed as angelic as the city had seemed when they had approached.
"Thank you, steward," she spoke regally, a slight smile on her lips. "Leave us, please."
The man bowed deeply as he and the court goers quickly vacated the room. It left them and Nobuo to approach the throne alone. Shion didn't seem much different than when they had last met, but, Naruto reasoned, neither did he.
"I'm glad to hear you all came back without issue. Truth be told, I was a little worried about if something would go wrong," she stood and descended the stairs in front of her throne. "I take it everything went well, Nobuo?"
The man knelt. "Yes, Lady Shion. The journey was free of any troubles, thankfully."
She stopped just short of him and smiled. "Good to hear. As of late, it seems the only thing I do is worry about my subjects and their affairs."
The young woman turned to face the leaf ninja, taking in their faces and no doubt recollecting their names. When she finally got to Tenten, she paused. "Oh, my apologies I'm afraid I don't remember you."
"Tenten at your service, Lady Shion. I am the original third member of Team Guy, that is, the teammate to Neji and Lee," she gestured towards them. "During the Ghost Army incident I was assigned to setting up traps to try and halt Moryo's advance."
"I see. Thank you. As for you Naruto," she stepped closer.
Naruto himself froze. He wasn't sure whether he should speak or hug her. What did one possibly say to the mother of their children after being absent for the entire pregnancy? Whatever response he thought up felt stilted or simply too awkward.
"Shion, I-"
"I missed you," she pulled him into a tight, warm hug.
At that moment, all the words in his head lay forgotten. His doubts, his insecurities, for the moment they simply washed away. There was no anger in her voice, no sadness, merely relief and joy that he had returned. It occurred to him that she had dealt with the emotions he had felt for far longer and thus had had more time to process them.
He returned the hug, relaxing. "Me too…"
"Oh Neji, it is beautiful is it not?" Lee sniffed tearfully, slightly ruining the mood. Neji rolled his eyes but said nothing.
It was Shion who finally broke the hug, dusting off Naruto and giving him a welcoming smile. "You all must be tired. We have rooms set up for you all and we should be eating in not too long. Please, let me show you to your rooms."
"Lady Shion, are you sure you should be walking around? We don't want to strain you," Neji asked.
Shoot, I should've asked that! Naruto grimaced to himself.
"Oh come on, I was pregnant not deathly ill," she giggled. "Besides, if I can lead a country while expecting I think I can show my guests some hospitality."
She led them through the palace, which itself was an extensive building. Every part of it was created with care, worked on by master craftsmen and embellished with the finest details. The more Naruto looked the more things began to stand out. The ceilings overhead were engraved with scrawlings patterns as were the walls. Even the columns holding up the ceiling and rooms seem to have images of honorable heroes fighting back against demons.
It was breathtaking to explore, and was nearly worth the trip itself. Naruto wondered if he could ask Shion about it later. Even in its heyday, Konoha hadn't had this much care put into its buildings. Not even the Hokage's tower!
"Here is where you all may sleep. I've made it so you three may each have your own rooms. The baths are just down the hallway, you can miss them," Shion pointed them out.
"Thank you, Lady Shion," Lee said, setting his bag down in his own room.
"Uh, hey, Shion, what about my room?" Naruto asked.
"Hm?" she looked to him before realizing what he said. She giggled again into her hand. "Naruto, you'll be sleeping in my room."
Naruto choked. Lee choked. He was pretty sure somewhere in the leaf, Grandma Tsunade was choking. Tenten looked almost scandalized, or awed at Shion's straightforward confidence. The priestess, for her part, didn't even seem to be embarrassed by her words.
"W-Woah, hang on, time out! What the heck do you mean we'll be sleeping in the same room!?" Naruto cried in shock.
She cocked her head to the side, confused. "What do you mean, Naruto? It isn't like there's a whole lot of boundaries between us."
She… had an excellent point. After having children with someone, sleeping in the same room seemed to be pretty lowkey in comparison. Naruto's jaw worked open and closed before he finally shut his mouth and nodded woodenly. Was it really so strange?
"Nice job, Lady Shion!" Tenten gave the woman a thumbs up.
"Besides, after the marriage ceremony we'll be sleeping together anyway so, you know, it shouldn't matter," for the first time that afternoon, Shion seemed to blush.
Naruto swayed on his heels, only steadied by Lee. "Lady Shion, perhaps you should not deal such haymakers to your fiance in such short succession. Naruto is not equipped to deal with such things. Mentally, I mean."
"Not helping, Lee…"
Shion laughed. "I guess not. Well, I'm glad you all didn't change a bit. At least I know what to expect."
"Lady Shion," an older woman in a servant's uniform stepped closer. "I am very sorry to bother you, but your sons will just not lay down."
"Being fussy again?" Shion guessed.
"Apologies, once again. I swear those boys never stop to breathe."
Lady Shion merely patted the woman's shoulder and turned to, presumably, deal with them. She stopped, however, and turned. "Naruto, do you want to meet your children?"
Naruto's heartbeat began to pick up, and he nodded sharply. This was it, he was going to meet his children! He felt a pair of hands come down on his shoulders and turned to see Lee and Tenten there, toothy grins and all. Behind them, Neji gave him a bit of a sterner look as if he expected the blonde ninja to blow it off.
The caretaker stayed behind to get his friends settled, and both he and Shion left to go see the children. As they walked in silence, Naruto began to hear something in the distance. Crying, and it was growing louder as they approached.
"They both get a bit fussy this time of day. I think it's because I usually spend a lot of time in the court and don't get to see them," she seemed serene, peaceful. The perfect image of a mother. Even the tone with which she spoke about them seemed to radiate warmth and care.
"I hope they like me," Naruto said, mostly to himself.
"Come now. You are their father," she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Be strong, they're not that intimidating."
The two young parents came upon a door which Shion opened. The crying seem to hesitate for a second before it picked up again. Naruto stepped in behind her, hands clutching nervously at the edges of his jacket. Inside the room was painted a bright sky blue, the ceiling painted to have little fluffy white clouds on it. A pair of cribs were in the center of the room, painted orange and green.
Shion approached them, and instantly the crying calmed down. She got closer and stuck her hands into each one. "Hello there, cuties. I brought someone for you."
Naruto took that as his cue and stepped forward. He peered into the cribs, and gazed upon his sons for the first time. The one in the green crib resembled him more than his mother, with the faintest outlines of whisker marks on his face and a head of reddish-blonde hair. His twin in the orange crib squinted at his father through pale blue eyes, a small bit of pale blonde hair to match it. Naruto wasn't sure if he inherited that from his mother, or if his hair had simply not yet darkened.
"Cute, aren't they? Say hi to your daddy," Shion smiled.
"H-Hello…" Naruto was almost at a loss for words. They were beautiful in a way that put every piece of art he'd seen thus far to shame. Breathtaking in a way the scenery here couldn't compare to.
He reached his hand into the redheaded one's crib and nearly flinched back as his son grabbed at his finger. With weak baby strength he pulled the blonde father's finger up and down in some mock expression of a handshake. Naruto felt weak at the knees.
"Yeah, that one picked up on handshakes pretty early. Methinks he'll be a really fox when he grows up."
Naruto smiled. "Just like his daddy."
Shion snorted in a way that was neither priestly or ladylike, but it sounded natural. Amused. What had possibly been worried about?
"Do they have names?" he asked as he glanced over at his other son who regarded him with a confused squint. He tickled the baby's stomach and finally elicited some laughter from the infant who slapped at his hands in enjoyment.
Shion paused before answering. "No, I… I wanted you to be there. I insisted on it, actually, despite by advisor's words. It felt too important to do without you."
No names? What could he possibly name them? Ichiraku and Ramen? No, no way. Grandma Tsunade would punch his head off his shoulders for that. Sasuke and Kakashi? No… that felt kinda creepy. Besides, he didn't want to be thinking of his sensei everytime he addressed his son.
"Do you have any ideas?" he asked her, and was surprised when he saw that she was actually blushing a little.
"I mean, I did have one in mind."
"Go ahead, I want to hear it," he said, still fencing his redheaded son with his fingers, making the baby giggle in delight.
"Taruho…"
Naruto thought about it. He looked down at his blonde son and could see the intelligence behind those eyes. The determination. He would undoubtedly grow up to have the same willpower as Taruho had.
"Yeah, Taruho, I like that," Naruto smiled.
"Yes! I knew you'd love it!" she pulled him into a hug with a bright smile on her face. "We just need a name for his brother!"
"A name for his brother? Geez, I dunno. What's a good boy name?"
"Well, my mother always told me it was less about the name and more about the meaning," she said, her voice slightly muffled due to being pressed into his shoulder. "It can be anything, so long as it makes sense and has meaning."
A good, male name with meaning to him? He thought of his friends, of the people he'd met over the years, good and bad. He thought of all the names he could think of, going over them time and time again. Eventually, he realized the solution that had been right in front of him. He looked into the crib of his redheaded son and, gently, picked him up into his arms.
The boy cooed and reached up at his father, clearly wanting to play again. Humored, Naruto thought the boy had a bit of a big head. Just going off that personality of his, he'd be a bigger troublemaker than Naruto was back in his day! Yes, only one name made sense. The name of someone who he owed everything to.
"How about… Iruka?"