The blonde had clearly been running away from something bad.
Mebuki immediately knew that if someone didn't step in and help the child, there would be no evidence left of them.
These wars that had hit other Villages... Konohagakure had managed to stay mostly safe and stable. But other places in the world had suffered devastating losses- both physical and emotional. The Hidden Stone Village was one of those Villages rumored to have started taking drastic measures to ensure the reestablishment of their power and its subsequent longevity.
Whispers around the Village said that orphans were disappearing every night; and only the leaders of the Village knew the truth about what happened to them. Kids were taken from the destroyed streets of the Village with no witnesses and no one had yet to see them again.
Unfortunately, it was very obvious to see that this blonde child was an orphan. Their clothes were absolutely destroyed; it would be more accurate to call the things the child wore rags that covered up their body, rather than clothes. The patchwork was obvious for her to see, even from far away.
Her heart immediately ached at the sight.
She had not wanted to come to the Hidden Village when her husband had asked her to accompany him. The work he partook in as a merchant was absolutely vital for their family's sustenance- and it was a labor Kizashi threw himself into with his full passion, considering how he knew he aided those people that were in the most need with his low prices.
But Iwagakure had an oppressive atmosphere that was hard to ignore, and she had never been drawn to it.
Kizashi had wanted her to be with him because he had been asked to meet with an important noble and she had more tact and respect than him- she was good for public relations, he insisted.
Mebuki watched the child as they came running in her direction, blue eyes wide with unshed tears. Within a few seconds, she was able to see the person that was chasing them; a large man with a bloodied apron that was waving a cleaver that was as stained with blood as his hands.
She frowned and stepped forward. She barely took note of the fact that her husband called on her to ask what she was doing.
She was much too focused on giving this child the aid none of their fellow citizens was willing to give.
When the child was within arm's reach, she reached out to grab them and pulled them into her body. They gasped out and shouted out in surprise and fear, tiny hands immediately wrapping around her arms in an attempt to pry them away. Mebuki held on tight to the child, though, and turned her body so that the child didn't have to look at the large butcher that was lumbering towards them both.
"What would you accept to stop chasing this child?" she questioned as soon as he was within ear-shot, receiving a look of surprise from the bearded man.
"You'd pay for the brat?" he asked, voice somewhat hollow in what she assumed to be absolute surprise. But he quickly shook his head and offered a lecherous smirk; he was missing two different teeth. "Five hundred ryo."
Mebuki was both surprised by this exorbitant petition and, at the same time, not. She was not very sure what was the story behind this man and the child she was currently trying to aid; but she was very much aware of the fact that no cut of meat this child may have attempted to steal would be worth such a price.
Closing her eyes, she took a moment to compose herself and calm her anger at the abuse of this asshole. As she grounded herself, the child's struggles began to lessen. They were still attempting to make her let them go, but with less energy.
Eventually she breathed out and opened her eyes, offering a tight smile. "Give me a few seconds to get my purse."
~/~
"So why was that brute chasing after you, Deidara?"
The kid was ravenous. Mebuki wasn't surprised to see him just about choking down the food they had bought for him; he was more bone than skin.
Her husband was not very pleased with the sudden loss of so much money. But he wasn't angry with her decision to help the child out. He was more angered with the brute that had taken advantage of someone's kindness than he would ever be with someone that offered anyone said kindness.
Between his hurried chewing, the blonde child spit out, "He thought I destroyed part of his meat stash, hn…" he hurriedly gulped down his drink before burping loudly, took a moment to breathe in, and finally let them know, "I didn't. He's just always had it out for me…" now the boy's voice lowered, acquiring a sadness that was absolutely heartbreaking. "He keeps telling me one of these nights the spirits will take me away because I'm rotten."
Mebuki's heart burned.
She took one stabilizing breath, held it within her lungs for a few seconds, and finally breathed out once she knew she wasn't about to chase down the butcher that had said such a horrible thing to a child.
"That won't happen."
"Mebuki…" Kizashi tried to warn her off, but she shook her head at him.
This was the kind of decision they were supposed to take together, she knew. And she was very much aware that this was not supposed to be the kind of decision she decided on impulsively. This was the kind of thing she needed to really mull over, deliberate with her husband about, and maybe take a tiny bit more time to think about.
But… she wasn't about to spend too much time thinking about anything.
"We don't have any kids at home yet, Deidara. If you'd like, you could come live with us."
There was a moment of absolute silence in which she made a point of absolutely ignoring any look Kizashi may have been sending her way; she only focused on the blonde boy she was proposing to adopt.
Bright blue eyes widened for a split second. Then tears began to sprout up just as the eyes began to blink rapidly.
"You're serious?" his question was breathless and absolutely surprised- his voice even held a tremor as the tears continued to build up. "You're not trying to trick me?"
"I would never do that."
The boy jumped into her arms and devolved into a crying mess all she could do was hold him tight and promise him that she wasn't lying to him and she would do anything it took to bring him back home with her.
Kizashi didn't try to fight her on her impulsive decision.
Even though this was a decision she knew they were supposed to have taken together, she also knew that her husband understood that she hadn't decided on this on a whim. When she made split second decisions like this, it was with a heavy heart. Maybe she didn't have a complete understanding of every little thing that had occurred before they had arrived in this child's life. But she knew that this was a scared little orphan boy that had been mistreated and terrorized by an adult in his life and no one in this Village was willing to help.
To hell with the Hidden Stone.
~/~
"Did you two seriously kidnap a child from the Hidden Stone?"
As a civilian in the Hidden Leaf Village, there weren't many people she could turn to that she could ask for help in bringing in a child she and her husband had essentially stolen from the Hidden Stone Village.
"He's an orphan. It pains me to say this, but no one's going to miss him." She informed Tsume Inuzuka. "We barely even had to work on sneaking him out."
Kizashi added, "I think we would have had the same success if we had just walked out with him holding both of our hands. The Hidden Stone is in chaos- they're not going to strike out at Konoha because another of their orphans disappeared in the middle of the night."
Tsume's lips pursed in clear disdain- not at their actions, but at the Hidden Stone's. Her eyes were cold daggers, the negative emotions clouding them more than clear to Mebuki's own unclouded pair.
The Inuzuka Clan had a bone to pick with Iwagakure. Tsume Inuzuka had a reason to hate everyone within the Village… she had a reason to stand behind any move that directly went against anything that would have aided the decrepit society.
There weren't many people a civilian in Konohagakure could turn to when it came to aid in issues that directly attacked another Hidden Village's power. Unless one belonged to a clan, there really wasn't much power to have in international affairs. Even a non-clan affiliated shinobi, with their high post in society, would find difficulty gaining enough footing to stand against another Hidden Village.
But if there was one clan a civilian could turn to when it came to doing anything that would strike a blow, no matter how minimal or inconsequential, to the Hidden Stone, then it would be the Inuzuka Clan.
Only a few seconds passed with Tsume deliberating silently within her own mind before she came to a decision. "No one's got to know you stole him." she crossed her arms over her chest before allowing a small smirk to crook the corner of her lips. "You found him abandoned on the side of the road returning from Iwa. Kid's an orphan- no one was about to answer for him. As long as you don't mind taking care of the payment for citizenship and all that jazz, I don't see why the Hokage's Advisor would have any reason to reject your plea to let the pup in."
Getting this meeting with the Head of the Inuzuka Clan hadn't been as easy as Mebuki would have hoped. But, coincidentally, it had not been as hard as her husband had feared it would have been. With the Inuzuka's regular shipment of her husband's good, Mebuki had snuck in a note asking for a meeting with the Clan Head. It had taken a few days, but eventually, the kunoichi had agreed to meeting with them. She had said it was because, at the very least, she could listen to whatever it was that was bothering her favorite civilian merchant.
Tsume Inuzuka was terrifying up close… but there was comfort in how much raw power she exuded. Her voice was firm, relaxed, and sure- there was no room for doubt within it. And due to this, Mebuki felt that there was no reason to doubt the success of whatever plan she came up with.
"Where've you been holed up?"
Kizashi answered, "Midori-no-Mori. I've got a small property there that I sometimes use for the longer trips that take me out of Konoha." after a few seconds of silence, "No one's seen the boy."
Against her wishes, Mebuki had returned to Konoha to keep up appearances while Kizashi had stayed behind with the child they had taken from the Hidden Stone.
Tsume's smirk became so much sharper upon hearing her husband add this.
"Thinkin' like true shinobi, ain't ya, civilians?" there was humor to her tone, but no malice.
The consensus around the Village was that the Inuzuka clan was particularly resistant to interaction with non-clan members because of their belief in their own superiority… but… from the way she and her husband had been treated during the last week; with how quickly the Clan Head had given them audience; how equally they had been treated once they had entered the clan grounds… Mebuki couldn't help but start to wonder how inaccurate such thoughts were.
She had been in other clan's compounds before- she knew the way those that considered themselves superior to them would look upon them. None of the Inuzuka had looked at them in such a manner.
Maybe the Inuzuka Clan didn't just house the predisposition to help strike a blow against the Hidden Stone… maybe they were also willing to aid fellow members of their Hidden Village just because they were from the same home.
Well… a woman could hope.
"Alright. Yeah… I can work with this." Tsume nodded to herself one final time before motioning to the tea that had been left mostly untouched during their conversation. "I'll have a proper plan for you two by noon tomorrow. After that, your pup's origins and anything that might connect my clan to your crime is never to be spoken of again."
"Of course." Mebuki nodded immediately. "Thank you, Inuzuka-sama."
The woman's eyes took on a warm glow at the title, "Please, we're bound by subterfuge. Drop the title; we're equals here, Mebuki."
A small gasp was ripped away from her chest at the very thought… a civilian- an equal to a Clan Head?
Preposterous.
Tsume grabbed her cup of tea and motioned for her and her husband to take hold of their own. She had brought out a tea set that her husband had sold a few years ago- it had been crafted in the Land of Frost, was of fine size, and had the most beautiful, glazed finish in bright blues and pale grays.
Mebuki stared at her in trepidation before allowing her slightly shaking hands to travel down to the cup with the green tea they had been served.
Ridiculous as the idea may have been…
Mebuki smiled softly when the edge of the cup met with her bottom lip, then allowed the sweet tea to flow into her mouth.
The Clan Head of the Inuzuka Clan had served them her husband's own product- some of the finest gyokuro tea in the land.
Maybe this powerful Clan Head truly did see them as equals…
~/~
The Hokage's Advisor was more intimidating close-up than Mebuki had believed he would be.
She had always known the masked man was an imposing figure. He was tall- taller, even, than most people that lived within their Village. His oddly colored eyes were inhuman and absolutely unique- no one Mebuki had ever even heard of had such a mutation and that was quite a feat because Mebuki was Kizashi's wife; they had connections throughout the whole world. The closest eye mutation that could even come close to what he had would be that which some of the members of the Chinoiki Clan had sported in life, many years ago. But even then, those particular eyes were activated in battle… the advisor's eyes were naturally unique.
There were many mysteries to the man, including some that weren't born of the physical characteristics one could see. The mask he wore- how it covered most of his face- had always left people wondering about what kind of hideous deformation he suffered from to hide himself away.
Even with the standard shinobi uniform he always wore; even with the fact that he never did anything to stand out or dressed in any way that was different or impressive; the Hokage's favored advisor was anything but ordinary. If anything, the ordinary nature of his vestments added to how unordinary the man was.
Sitting behind his desk, with very little emotion in his voice, wearing the common uniform of all shinobi, Kakuzu still managed to emanate an imposing aura that made Mebuki think of the sheer power all shinobi needed to possess to stand out in their field.
"Are you sure you would like to go through the strain that adopting a foreigner entails?" the man's deep voice rumbled, inhuman eyes clearly tired and mostly disinterested with the case he currently found before him. "I must warn you; it is a long legal process that ensures those unwilling to bend will give up. It may be easier and cheaper to return the child to his proper home rather than try and bring him into Konohagakure."
Mebuki looked down at the blonde boy she had proudly stolen from the Hidden Stone Village without a second thought and smiled. Deidara's blue eyes brightened when he noticed her face, then he offered a small smile back at her.
"He is already part of my family." was the only reply she knew was necessary to convey how serious she was about taking on the perilous journey that was the naturalization process for people from the Hidden Stone Village.
"Hn." was the advisor's monosyllabic reply to that particular sentiment.
For someone so intimidating, for someone that seemed to have strength roll off of him; for a man as large and naturally imposing as the advisor was… Kakuzu seemed more tired than menacing sat before them.
Maybe she was projecting?
Having dealt with more shinobi and political leaders in the past week within her own Village than she ever had in her life had drained her. Preparing the house for Deidara's eventual arrival hadn't aided at all.
The advisor opened up a drawer behind his desk, pulled out a sheet of paper, and slapped it down in front of them. He repeated the motion a second time, placing the subsequent paper down beside the first one. Deidara, curious as over, craned his neck so he could take a look at what was on the papers without having to stand up. Kizashi did a very similar thing.
Mebuki smiled beside herself.
They were doing the right thing.
"Two different forms. One is to have the kid come into the Village as a regular civilian;" the man grunted his explanation, voice still bordering on bored. "The other, much shorter one, is to have him admitted as an aspiring shinobi."
The insinuation in his voice was clear.
Mebuki's lips pursed.
Even in times of peace, there was need to prepare for war.
"Thank you very much." Kizashi answered, his own interpretation of what the man had just let them know lost in his pleasant disposition.
Whenever he put his mind to it, Kizashi could disguise his true intentions and emotions like the best of them… well, Mebuki didn't know if his craft was up to snuff with a shinobi that dedicated their lives to fooling others. But she at least knew her husband was one of the most deceitful and well-received merchants in the land.
"Depending on which form you wish to take is the case-workers you'll be assigned. Return within a week with your decision and I'll point you in the right direction."
The dismissal was as clear as the water forming puddles in the ground outside waiting for them outside. The rainy season had hit Konoha once again.
~/~
It took a full month for Deidara to officially be allowed into Konohagakure as a member of the Haruno family.
It would have taken six months if they had decided to bring him in as a regular civilian.
The naturalization process civilians were subjected to… it was cruel, really. There were many hoops one had to jump over just to be able to begin the process. They had gotten lucky with Tsume Inuzuka agreeing to help them- she had been able to get them audience with Kakuzu within a week of having met with them.
Kizashi now had to travel into the Land of Fur to acquire some pelts and possibly acquire a new breed of dog that had been discovered. It would take months to complete such a journey, even with all of the established trade routes. Mebuki would have to raise Deidara by herself while he was gone; he could not send for such supplies because he needed to make sure they were of top quality.
No ninja ever did something for nothing; Mebuki had always known this, so she didn't find any reason to dislike Tsume Inuzuka's conniving manipulation. She had helped them when they had most needed it and asked for nothing explicit in return. Her clan had been looking forward to the aforementioned wares for some time now, though, and had not been able to contract a merchant to set up business for them.
Kizashi was now in serious talks with the Clan Head's husband, Danzō Inuzuka, to set up a team of Inuzuka ninja to escort him all throughout the long trip. It was very likely that Tsume would take part in the caravan, to both ensure the quality of the items Kizashi was to get and to stretch her legs after months of only in-Village work. It wasn't supposed to be common for Clan Heads to leave the Village, after all, and it seemed that Tsume had finally hit her limit of remaining in the same place for a prolonged period of time.
It was nice, though, knowing that it was likely that Tsume would be accompanying her husband. The word around the Village was that there was no finger Inuzuka warrior around- Tsume Inuzuka was the epitome of greatness every member of her Clan strove for.
~/~
"Hey… uh… I-I can call you mom, right?"
Mebuki's eyes filled to the brim with tears she didn't allow to flow.
It had only been a week since Kizashi had left with Inuzuka guards on his incredibly long trip to the Land of Fur. In that time, Mebuki had done her best to aid Deidara in becoming accustomed to his new home.
The room they had prepared for him was painted light blue, had wooden furniture of light colors, and a futon with dark green sheets. When Mebuki had asked if he would have preferred a bed or futon, he had stated that he was more accustomed to a futon and a bed was odd for him- no matter how long he had slept on one while waiting with Kizashi in Midori-no-Mori. Maybe there would come a day when he would want a bed- if the day came, they would get one for him.
There were schematics of drawings on the largest wall in the room, the only one that sheltered Deidara from the outside, seeing how the rest were connected to the rest of the house or other rooms. Some outlines of clouds, trees, and other such things found in nature had been drawn by her with Deidara's input. They would begin painting in the scenery tomorrow.
At the moment, Mebuki had just finished tucking Deidara in and had been wishing him a good night. But he had stunned her with the sudden question… it felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her lungs.
These past few days, Deidara had really avoided calling her by name; just like he had avoided saying her husband's name.
Now she seemed to have found the reason why he had been so careful about names.
With a small smile and her eyes burning with tears, Mebuki nodded softly, "I would like that. I would like that a lot."
Deidara's smile could have brightened the whole Village.
~/~
The Hidden Stone's political instability had led to the less 'important' sectors being left ignored in favor of strengthening what was deemed in such a manner. This meant that while the shinobi sector of the Village was undoubtedly learning at an amazing rate, orphans and civilians weren't deemed 'necessary'. Only if an orphan signed their souls away to becoming a Shinobi of the State, would they receive the kind of education necessary to excel in life. And not many orphans were given the opportunity to take part in such a program- the only saving grace of such a horrid Village, in Mebuki's opinion.
Shinobi of the State weren't like regular shinobi. It was something more like ANBU in the training process- but instead of picking an adult to form part of the organization, children were recruited and brainwashed into only working for the Hidden Stone. They were elite ninja, yes, some of the finest in the land… but few could consider them to be proper human beings after the indoctrination process they were forced to undergo. They were more like automatons that only listened to orders given by the Village Leader; the only distinction between them and an actual automaton was that they were made out of flesh, rather than gears and metal. Few were recruited into such a program, though, because the Hidden Stone knew that having too many agents like these would cause further friction between them and the rest of the world- not just other Hidden Villages.
At least… the word was that publicly, they kept the numbers limited.
It was more than likely that they had more than just that limited number of agents and were constantly searching for orphans to pick up- the world of shinobi was a world of subterfuge and lies, after all.
It was regrettable to see how mundanely Deidara had been mistreated by his Village- and all because he had been an orphan. He was so intelligent he could have easily become a productive member of Iwagakure, if only he had been given the chance.
He was so intelligent, in fact, that Mebuki had believed he was six or seven years old. The way he could structure sentences and grasp explanations had aided her in believing that he was older in his childhood years- his small frame was just a side-effect of having been orphaned and neglected for so long.
She had been wrong, though. Deidara was incredibly intelligent, yes, but not for a six- or seven-year-old. He was hyper-intelligent for a four-year-old.
This broke her heart further because Deidara was sharp enough that he could easily become one of those analytical ninja that could turn the tide of battle with one quick-thought; but he had been ignored.
It did, though, bring her some comfort that he was so young. This meant that, for one, he had not suffered more than four years of neglect by the Village he was living in, and it meant that he would not have to enter the Academy by the beginning of the new semester. She still had time to raise him right and not worry about him getting involved in dangerous battles… the hardest part about having adopted him under the shinobi clause was knowing that she would one day have to see him leave home and fear he would never return.
But… Deidara's family had been shinobi; he wanted to grow up and be one too.
Deidara would be attending the Academy eventually- once he turned six. Until then, though, he would be taught by Mebuki within the home… and she would be able to keep him safe.
Until he turned six, Deidara would be safe.
~/~
Life as a parent was deceptively easy with Deidara.
Possibly, having grown up as an orphan for so long had made him wary of making mistakes and admitting to weaknesses, because he was very much independent for the most part. He had an inquisitive mind that led Mebuki to have to answer many different sorts of questions and, because of this, helping him learn the things necessary to be ready to take the Academy Examination when the time came was absolutely easy. He wasn't much of a bother at all and, really, he was incredibly well-behaved.
When Kizashi returned, he cried when Deidara ran into his arms and called him his father. Mebuki joined the hug, her own tears much more restrained than her husband's, as they shared the first family hug ever since Kizashi had left to the Land of Fangs.
It had been a particularly sunny August morning when his caravan had returned from the trip and Deidara had wasted no time in throwing himself at his father once he had begun to walk up the path that led into their home in the busy residential neighborhood in the civilian sector of the Village.
Maybe it had been because it had been so long since she had last seen her husband; maybe it had been because Deidara's exuberance had rubbed off on her; she didn't really care. All she did care about was the fact that her husband had finally returned, and they could be a complete family again!
Wolf-whistles and cheers had broken out from the Inuzuka squad that had followed after Kizashi and Mebuki smiled broadly as she kissed her husband quickly, wrapping her arms around both of her boys.
Tears streaming down his cheeks, Kizashi informed her that he had promised the Inuzuka squad that they would be able to relax from the grueling trek they had faced once they reached the home and Mebuki quickly nodded and ushered the shinobi into her home.
The hug from Tsume had been unexpected, but Mebuki had accepted quickly.
The next hour, Deidara and Kizashi had been inseparable- the child had hugged onto his leg and refused to be shaken off when Kizashi had needed to walk. When Kizashi sat, Deidara quickly scrambled to sit on his lap. And the sight of the two so comfortable with each other and so very clearly happy to be together once again… it warmed Mebuki right up.
The Inuzuka shinobi had happily recounted some of the misadventures they had ran into during their trip to the Land of Fur and, after that had finished up, Tsume had asked about Deidara and his own progress- which the boy had been more than happy to demonstrate by reciting some of his favorite haiku and brandishing some of the paintings he had made.
All of the Inuzuka had gushed over the artwork and Deidara had preened at the accolades- it was at this moment that Mebuki knew that her son was destined to make some truly awe-inspiring works of art once he was older.
After lunchtime had come and past and their guests had eaten a hearty meal- which Mebuki had been able to quickly whip up-, the Inuzuka left.
Tsume commented on how Deidara was pretty close to her own daughter's age- maybe they could send the kid to the clan compound one day and the kids could meet- and left with a wave at their small family.
Once the door had closed behind her, Mebuki turned to both of her boys and hugged them close once more.
Their family was finally together. And nothing would separate them.
~/~
Deidara had been a deceptively easy child to take care of.
Because of this, when Mebuki found out she had gotten pregnant, she had believed that they would be prepared for their first biological child.
As they prepared for the new baby, they made sure to let Deidara know that this would be their younger sibling, he was as much part of their family as this new child was going to be and it didn't matter if he had been adopted or not. He took on the title of 'older brother' very seriously and began to prepare different drawings and paintings with stories so that he could aid in raising the child through his art.
It was on a day when Deidara had gone over to hang out with Hana and the Inuzuka clan that Mebuki found out she had a complicated pregnancy and would need to remain in bed for as long as possible unless she wanted to suffer a miscarriage.
The fear of losing her first biological child had left Mebuki stricken, and she had been unable to stop herself from crying that first night- luckily, Kizashi had remained by her side the whole time and Tsume had allowed Deidara to sleep over.
Things had to change afterwards for their small family. Because Mebuki was unable to get out of bed for prolonged periods of time, Kizashi had been forced to stay in the house more often than ever before to be able to take care of the chores she could no longer complete. Deidara, as independent as always, had picked up some slack here and there with his own cleaning and bathing, but he had still only been a child.
Mebuki felt absolutely useless for the first month she was laid up in bed.
It had not been until she was unable to move around freely that she noticed exactly how much she did on a regular day. And it had not been until his work had been restricted that Mebuki fully understood how lucrative her husband's business these last few months had been he had been away.
He still had partners that aided him, yes, but because he was working less, he was also earning less. Kizashi was a fair boss and refused to abuse of those that worked for him when he was unable to aid them.
That damned pride of his.
Money-wise, things became tighter than they had ever been.
By the time December came around, her doctor was assuring her that her first child's birth was going to be safe and there would be no danger to her or the baby- but she needed to continue resting. And so her unmoving torture continued- and all for the sake of her unborn child.
She wasn't sure when it began… but she eventually began to drift away from her husband and son.
No longer did she feel the energy to paint alongside with Deidara, as they had done in the beginning, on her bed. No longer did she ask Kizashi about how his day had been. No longer did they share meals in the same room.
Honestly speaking, Mebuki knew there was something wrong with her. But she did not know what.
When January arrived and she was only three months away from finally being able to give birth, Kushina Uzumaki arrived, bearing smiles and knowledge. She had been informed by Tsume of her particularly harsh pregnancy and had decided to come and aid her in any way she could- even though Mebuki was confused by such a thing.
Kushina had only recently given birth to her first child only a handful of months ago. What was she doing running around the Village so early?
The first thing she had done had been to give Mebuki a quick series of tests- apparently, being a medical ninja had given her enough education on pregnancy that she knew much more information about pregnancy and childbirth than many other first-time mothers. That had been the reason why her complicated pregnancy had not been overly complicated- at least, that's what she had said.
Unlike her real doctor, Kushina had not sugar-coated the truth. She was underweight for a pregnant woman and her stress wasn't aiding in the baby's growth. Somehow, just by using her chakra, the kunoichi had been able to figure this out.
But, she had added with a soft smile, the child's chakra and chakra paths were forming nicely and were already steady and strong.
Kushina believed it would be likely that the child would be born prematurely and so advised Mebuki and Kizashi to prepare for such a possibility. This was in direct contradiction with what her doctor had said but, somehow, Mebuki believed Kushina more than the civilian man. She wasn't sure why… maybe it was a purely sexist assumption that a woman would have a better understanding of pregnancy and birth than a doctor that had only experienced such things second-hand… maybe it was because Kushina had told them so seriously; it didn't matter. Mebuki just knew that they prepared for the child to be born before April.
~/~
Time proved that Kushina had been correct.
Sakura's name was inspired by the cherry blossoms in bloom within the garden at the center of the hospital. Mebuki had been able to see the exact moment they had begun to sprout after a draining birth to her first baby girl.
~/~
Two weeks after her birth, Sakura was finally allowed to leave the hospital. She had been underweight- something that Kushina had also predicted successfully- and so had needed to stay longer in the hospital.
When she finally returned to her home after two weeks in the hospital, something in Mebuki cleared up.
Deidara and Kizashi remained at a noticeable distance from Sakura for the first few minutes, wary about the tiny creature they were faced by.
Mebuki smiled for the first time in a very long time at her boys' antics.
~/~
It took a few months, but eventually Mebuki began to feel like herself again.
Perpetually tired, yes, but like herself.
Sakura had quite the set of pipes in her.
~/~
Once he was sure that he would not cause any harm to his younger sister, Deidara took to carrying her wherever he went. When he was in lessons with Mebuki, he would set Sakura up right beside his desk on top of a fluffy blanket so she could 'learn too'. When he set about painting a new masterpiece, it wasn't an uncommon occurrence for him to have his sister sign the work by dunking her hand in paint and plastering it on the paper.
Mebuki indulged Deidara and allowed him to do such things because she wanted him to understand that Sakura truly was his sister and blood did not matter in determining family. She also believed that it aided in helping him acquire trust in himself and continue developing his independence.
It wasn't all that surprising when Sakura's first word was 'Dei'.
It wasn't very surprising to have to console a sobbing Deidara when he had been informed that he would not be able to take his sister with him to the Academy either.
And it wasn't surprising at all that Deidara eventually began to set Sakura up beside him in the evenings to explain what new lessons he had learned during the school day.
~/~
A month into the schoolyear, Mebuki and Kizashi were asked to meet with the Advisor once more to talk about Deidara.
Mebuki had, of course, been worried that such a meeting would end up with them being informed that Deidara was going to be taken away.
Realistically speaking, they had nothing to substantiate such an act. Deidara was a good student in class and only ever acted up by speaking too much, asking too many questions. Aside from that, though, he had not caused a fight with any of his fellow students, got good marks, and always finished his assignments on time.
This time, Sakura accompanied them to the meeting. Mebuki wasn't able to find a babysitter and it hadn't been her fault- Kakuzu had essentially asked to meet them with less than a day in between informing them of the meeting and the actual meeting itself.
Luckily, Sakura napped through the whole meeting. Unluckily for Kizashi, this meant that she drooled over his shoulder the whole time.
"Deidara is a sharp kid. I believe that part of his outbursts in class can be cured by one simple solution- move him up one grade."
Mebuki and Kizashi had gasped in unison at the same time Deidara smiled broadly at the praise.
Moving up one grade meant that Deidara would be graduating earlier than he should have- that meant that he would become a genin at least a year earlier than they had thought possible.
Immediately, Mebuki wanted to tell Kakuzu that she did not believe that was necessary.
Unfortunately, Deidara asked both of his parents if he could do so- he wanted to learn more!
~/~
Within a few more months, Deidara was moved up to Hana's same year. He had cheered at this because he was with a good friend of his in class and he loved being with her.
If not for Sakura and his constant need to have her around, Mebuki was very sure that Deidara and Hana would be just about fused at the hip.
It was at around this time that Deidara began to mention the name of Itachi Uchiha in the house. He was a boy in the class that he did not get along with very well.
From the stories he told, Mebuki knew that he did not get along with Itachi because of the blatant favoritism from his teachers. Deidara had always puffed up at receiving praise and in the past two grades, he had been the star pupil. Now, though, he had to compete with kids two years older than him and an Uchiha that was touted as a true prodigy.
Mebuki had not wanted Deidara to move up in grades. Deidara had. Kizashi had wanted what made Deidara the happiest. And neither of them was particularly inclined to refuse Kakuzu's wishes.
The advisor hadn't flat out told them that he wanted to move Deidara up in years, but Mebuki knew for a fact that he must have had some kind of stake in doing so. If not, he would not have been the one to inform them both times of the wish to have Deidara advance a grade.
The world of shinobi… they had entered it quite some time ago when her husband had become a trusted merchant to many of the shinobi clans in the Village.
But this was a world of lies, deceit and manipulation that Mebuki knew she would never be able to fully grasp- even if she did understand the reason why it was so deceptive.
~/~
By the time Sakura could walk, Mebuki barely ever saw her once Deidara and Hana returned from school. Even though she was still incredibly young, neither of the older children seemed to mind having her around and instead carted her about with them whenever they left the house.
It was odd, really, in a way, to have Sakura always following after Deidara and Hana. Tsume had a child Sakura's age who had been born only a few months after Sakura- and yet, they did not get along very well. Partially, it was due to the fact that Kiba seemed to be harsh in his movements and Sakura was accustomed to soft and smooth movements from both her brother and Hana.
Tsume had not tried to get Sakura and Kiba to interact too much, either. Mebuki was fine with this because Hana understood how fragile Sakura was; Kiba did not.
Oftentimes, Deidara and Hana would reappear with their clothes completely ripped up and dirtied while Sakura was left pristine and untouched. Mebuki, in exasperation, asked the children what they had gotten up to and Deidara would spin her an amazing tale that was half-reality and half-fiction. Sakura would add her own input every now and again, all the while Hana nodded along with a large smile.
Mebuki would then aid the two in getting cleaned up while Sakura chirped about how fun their adventure had been before Hana returned to her home.
Life was good.
~/~
The day Sakura decided she wanted to follow in her brother's footsteps and enter the Shinobi Academy was the day Mebuki knew she would never know a day of complete bliss ever again.
For as long as both of her children were active shinobi, she would always have to fear for their safety. No amount of training or preparation would ever ensure their complete survival, after all.
Kizashi and she didn't try to talk Sakura out of such an idea. Not only because it would be unfair to not allow her after Deidara had been allowed, but also because many of the people Sakura knew in her life were shinobi. The Inuzuka considered her to be a pup. Naruto and her went on play-dates every now and again; and he was going into the Academy as well.
~/~
Itachi had a younger brother that was also Sakura's age.
Because of Kushina and Tsume, Mebuki knew that many of the clan heirs had been born the same year as Sakura. She just hadn't known until Deidara had returned to the home in a huff with Sakura dragged in tow that Itachi's younger brother was her same age.
"Mom, Sakura's going to skip a grade just like me when she gets into the Academy, hn."
A month had already passed since Sakura had begun her classes. She got along rather well with the kids in her class and was already demonstrating an intellect similar to her brother's with the work she was completing.
"What are you talking about, Dei-Dei?" Sakura struggled to pull her arm away from her brother's grip, "I like my classmates!"
"Yeah, too much." he grouched and Mebuki finished wringing her hands on the kitchen towel- she had only recently finished washing the dishes before the two had burst in. "Mom, she's making googly-eyes at my arch nemesis' brother!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!" Deidara turned to Sakura with a glare, cheeks reddening with building anger. "And he's stupid!"
Sakura gasped and renewed her efforts to escape from his grasp, "Take that back! Sasuke's really smart! You're just angry because he's smarter than you!"
Deidara rolled his eyes and waited for the moment when Sakura wrenched her arm back to release her, causing her to stumble backwards and struggle to rebalance. "Sure, sis, some dumb six-year-old is smarter than me, a prodigy. Man, the stupid's rubbing off on you."
"Is not!"
Mebuki chided Deidara for treating his sister so roughly and told him he needed to calm down, he couldn't strong-arm her no matter what he thought. Then she turned to Sakura and asked her if this Sasuke boy was cute.
From the way her cheeks immediately flared up and she stuttered out a quick answer, Mebuki knew that Sakura thought Sasuke Uchiha was cute.
From the glare being sent Sakura's way by her brother, Mebuki knew that Deidara was not happy by this development.
~/~
It was during the Graduation Ceremony that Mebuki found out that there had been a fatal mistake within the Academy's records.
"The Award for Academic Excellence is shared between three incredibly intelligent twelve-year-olds: Itachi Uchiha, Inuzuka Hana, and Deidara Haruno."
A series of raucous cheers erupted from the Uchiha members within the graduation, only rivaled by those that came from the Inuzuka members. Kizashi whistled in glee and everyone around her was more focused on cheering and applauding than analyzing what had been said.
Mebuki, though, did stop to analyze what had been said.
And it was the kind of mistake that didn't just happen.
When they had first brought Deidara into the Village, they had been forced to undergo a series of tests and experiments to make sure that the boy was healthy and viable as a shinobi-prospect. Two of those had given a definite measurement of Deidara's age. First of all, the medical ninja that had examined him, his growth, and his overall measurements had deemed that he was closer to four years of age than five- Mebuki hadn't understood the medical jargon, but she had understood the conclusion. And second of all, when a member of the Inuzuka clan had been brought in to verify his origins, Daichi had agreed with the age of four years old.
Finally, Deidara had explained to her that one of the various scrolls he had brought with him had been written on the day he had been born. He had told her this years after he had been adopted, once he had fully understood that he was her son, and nothing would take him away. The date, if Deidara had been correct, corroborated the age of four years old at the time he was found by Mebuki and Kizashi.
Deidara was not twelve years old when he graduated. He was ten.
It was after the shock had worn off that Mebuki understood that there had not been a fatal mistake in the Academy's records.
The world of shinobi… was one she would need to enter even deeper to ensure the safety of her children.
She did not know why Kakuzu had allowed such a discrepancy to become official in the Village's records. What she did know was that the advisor had a reason to have done such a thing.
She did not miss the incredibly young newcomer to join her son's class as she stood up to accept her diploma. She was young, younger even than Deidara.
Tsume had let her know that Tenten shared a similar story to Deidara; Kushina believed she was a great kid that had been given harsh cards in life.
~/~
Much to her surprise, Deidara was not placed on Hana's team.
In part, that was good because he still did not get along well with Itachi. In part... it made no sense.
Why would the newcomer be placed on such a team? She wasn't a prodigy like Deidara, after all... she was exemplary for her age, but that wasn't enough when in a team of prodigies.
Well... at least the Uchiha he was with, Izumi, was one he got along rather well with.
~/~
"Oh, yeah, that bastard likes Tenten. But his real motives are completely secret."
Mebuki sighed softly but nodded and thanked Tsume for the information. Tsume didn't think it was all that surprising for Tenten to be on Hana's team- she thought it more important that Sakumo Hatake was their sensei.
"I'm sure that everything's been decided for your kids' best interest." Kushina offered comfortingly as Mebuki began to serve them tea. "We may not understand what's going through Kakuzu's mind, but I'm very certain that everything he does is for the best of everyone."
"I don't trust him. He's got too much power."
Mebuki finished serving their tea and returned the teapot to the kitchen counter, then sat down beside her friends.
"If I may be frank, I don't think I trust anything a ninja does."
Kushina frowned softly at her honesty, but Tsume barked out a harsh laugh that was very genuine.
"That backbone of yours don't appear often, but I love seeing it!"
Mebuki nodded softly at this and sighed, "I just want the best for our kids."
There was a moment of silence between them and Mebuki clearly heard the sounds of her children returning to her home. In only a few seconds, both Deidara and Sakura burst into the kitchen, elbowing each other to be able to reach the refrigerator.
Mebuki smiled fondly at their energy- even though Deidara proudly wore his hitai-ite over his forehead and below his long bangs, he was still very much a child at heart.
Both children wore similar clothes that were less form-fitting with traditional collars and long sleeves, but both preferred their clothes in contrasting colors. Deidara had always liked blue shades while Sakura preferred shades reminiscent of her hair color.
"Pups, no low-blows!" Tsume chided, causing them both to freeze up for a single second before they quickly gathered themselves and bowed in apology to her.
She chuckled at their words and soon motioned for them to continue their rough-housing.
Just as Deidara asked Tsume how Hana was doing, Sakura took advantage of him being distracted and wrenched the fridge's door open and slammed it into his body.
Deidara shouted at her that he was going to make her regret that before sliding beside her to steal the final drops of refrigerated green tea they both favored.
Sakura screeched at him about how much of a monster he was and Deidara stuck his tongue out at her. One quick slap at his arm had his pride fading.
Mebuki sighed softly and shook her head.
These two...
One thing she had to admit, even as her kids continued to whisper and hiss at each other, was that Deidara did not ever hit his sister back. Even through all of the abuse he was subjected to, Deidara continued to utilize mind-games to rile his sister up, rather than resort to physically hurting her.
Mebuki believed that Deidara still saw his sister as that small, fragile creature he had at first been too terrified to get too close to. He may boss her around and pull her wherever he wanted her to go... but he had never raised his hand at her.
Deidara was a deceptively well-behaved child.
~..~..~
I am contemplating that a very possible thing to do would be to write a multi-chaptered story wherein we focus on this iteration of the Konoha 12(?- I need to count) and the series of adventures and such their lives take becoming genin. With cameos, of course, of all of the not-Akatsuki and not-bad guys. Not sure.
For now, though, I believe this is the official end of this series! We know what's happened to all members of the Akatsuki in this new reality (except for Zetsu because no thank you- I don't understand what he's supposed to be and I don't like Kaguya, so meh). And we also know exactly how many of the big canon diverging moments took place.
If y'all have any ideas about what story you might like to see next, let me know via review or PM. I really do love this universe and would continue playing around with it, even though I've run out of ideas (for the moment).
I will be going back and checking up on all the past stories to rewrite anything that might need to be rewritten.
Thank you for the read!