Disclaimer: Definitely don't own Naruto…

A/N: Whee! Recapness! NaruSaku, ShikaIno -- married with kids. NaruSaku Kiku (9), ShikaIno Saeko (9) and Kiyoshi (7). That's it. Oh, and Naruto is the Hokage, cuz Naru, Saku, Shika, and Ino are all 33 years old. I think I have a few spoilers for manga chapters 150(ish) plus. Just Itachi and Tsunade there. And some stuff about Akatsuki. That's all I really have to say. Oh, that and there'll be some plot progression in this chapter.

I appreciate the reviews that you guys have given on this story, however, I like the name Kiku. And so her name will stay Kiku. So, sorry greeneydgrl74.

-- Sakura Kaijuu

"No, Kiku," Iruka scolded. He was now 47 years old, and still an instructor at the academy. They were beginning Kawarimi, and Kiku was failing miserably at it. They were beginning by simply switching places with a chair quickly enough to keep Iruka from hitting them with a simple wooden rod.

Kiku cringed. This was her least favorite part of class. She hated the fact that the rest of the class was staring at her. She started to turn red. "Sorry, sensei," she whispered.

Iruka's expression softened slightly. "Sit down now, Kiku. Next," he called. As she sat, he half watched her. He was reminded of the part of Naruto no one ever saw. The part that was always disappointed, and the part that Naruto pretended not to have.

Kiku usually sat alone. She wasn't very good at making friends, mainly because she knew that most people only wanted to be her friend because her father was the Hokage. Today, however, someone had decided to sit with her. It was Saeko, Ino's daughter. It was Saeko's turn to attempt Kawarimi, and she did it perfectly. She sat down next to Kiku.

"Kiku, you need to stop worrying about what the teacher tells you," Saeko patted her friend on the shoulder.

"I know, but it's so hard," Kiku looked down and rubbed her eyes. "I want my Papa…"

By this time the rest of the class had finished it was almost noon. "You may go to lunch. Be back by one o'clock," Iruka announced. There was a mad rush for the door, and Saeko and Kiku were in the middle of it.

"Hold on," Saeko slowed Kiku down. "I have to get my brother or my mom will be mad."

They stopped by one of the junior classes and Saeko led Kiku in. The teacher, a male chuunin, glanced over at the door. His class had just broken for lunch, and he was grateful to see Saeko. "Kiyoshi!" he called.

The black-haired boy stood up and ran over to his sister, "Saeko! You came to get me!"

She rolled her eyes and muttered, "This is more trouble than it's worth."

Kiku smiled a little, "Come on, Kiyoshi. Today we're going to see my papa."

Kikyoshi's eyes widened in excitement. "REALLY? We're going to see the Hokage?" He started jumping up and down excitedly. Saeko sighed in exasperation and dragged her brother out of the classroom and Kiku followed, giggling a little.

"So why are we going to see Naruto-nii-san?" Saeko's arm was practically being pulled out of its socket as Kiyoshi tried to hurry the two older girls through the academy's halls.

"I feel like eating lunch with him today. You don't have to come if you don't want to," Kiku was smiling. She was glad that Saeko treated her normally. Most people treated her like a glass doll that would break if someone looked at her wrong. She wanted to be normal.

Kiyoshi looked around at his sister in horror. "You better go! If you don't…I don't know what I'll do!"

Saeko rolled her eyes again, "Kiyoshi. We're going to go. But it's not like you don't see Naruto-nii-san every couple of days anyway."

He looked up at Kiku, "Will he let me wear his hat?"

She laughed, "I don't know. I've never asked him if I could wear the hat."

The three of them had reached the front doors of the school. Kiku looked around with a worried look on her face. Saeko noticed this and looked around. There was no one there. "What's up?"

"Usually there's someone here to get me at lunch time…" Kiku looked confused. This was true. Most days Kiku ate lunch in the classroom with Saeko, but on days when she did leave the classroom, Ebisu was always there to lead her to her destination. She had a sneaking suspicion that Iruka kept a closer eye on her than the other students by her father's orders. "Where's Ebisu-sensei?"

"I dunno," Saeko couldn't see the ninja anywhere. "Let's just go. It's not that far."

Kiku shrugged and led the way to the Hokage's office.

Naruto's desk was buried with paperwork. He had been Hokage for eight years, and he still had no concept of organization. There was a knock at the door and it opened. It was Hiro, a chuunin that had been hired to a secretary-like position. He was carrying another stack of papers. "Sir, Jiraiya-sama is here." Hiro set the stack on a chair next to the desk.

"Hmm…" Naruto muttered. He rubbed his temples. "He can come in…"

"Yes, sir," Hiro bowed and left the room.

Moments later an elderly man with long, white, spiky hair entered the room. He smiled, "Hey, Naruto…How are you doing?" Jiraiya was now 71 years old and still the same, energetic, perverted guy he'd always been.

Naruto smirked and looked up at him, "Fine, Ero-sennin. What brings you here?"

"Not such good news," Jiraiya's smile fell off his face.

The blond man became alert at once. "What is it?"

"I've received word from an anonymous source that there some missing nin have plans to kidnap Kiku," he replied gravely.

Naruto's blue eyes widened. Suddenly he started tearing through the papers that covered his desk, throwing everything aside, looking for a clock. Unable to find it he practically ran from his office, hoping beyond hope that Kiku was safe and at the academy.

Kiku was laughing and Kiyoshi was still pulling at Saeko's arms. It was a beautiful, sunny day. It seemed like nothing could go wrong. They headed towards the Hokage's office.

Saeko stopped. "Something's wrong…" she pulled Kiyoshi closer to her.

Two ninja dressed in black, their faces masked, jumped out of the shadows and surrounded the children. "Damn right something's wrong…" one of them hissed.

Kiku squeaked and moved closer to Saeko. Saeko's eyes widened as she squeezed her little brother tightly. Kiyoshi watched the nin with a confused look on his face. The nin grabbed the three of them and started to make their way out of the village quickly, jumping from rooftop to rooftop soundlessly.

"Shit shit shit!" Naruto shouted, trying to get to the academy as quickly as possible.

He skidded to a halt in front of the school and hurried inside, trying to make himself look a little more dignified. He stopped at Iruka's classroom and peeked inside. "Iruka-sensei? Do you know where Kiku is?"

Iruka looked up at the Hokage. "No…I don't. I thought she was on her way to your office. Where's Ebisu? I know I called him."

Naruto's jaw dropped and he fell to his knees. He held his head in his hands. "Oh God…"

"What is it?" Iruka was worried about his former pupil. "What's wrong with Kiku?"

"Jiraiya came to my office a few minutes ago…" Naruto mumbled. "With news that some missing nin were planning on kidnapping Kiku…"

"What about Ebisu?" Iruka insisted.

"Ebisu's out on a mission today. He wouldn't have gotten the call," Naruto lifted his head. He wore an expression that displayed some hysteria. He laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" Iruka was confused. The kidnapping of the Hokage's daughter was not something that exactly tickled his funny bone.

"I just thought of something," Naruto grinned in a very forced way. "The mission Ebisu is on was assigned this morning while you were teaching. And the client requested Ebisu in particular. So I'm starting to wonder how well planned this kidnapping was."

"What are you going to do?" Iruka watched the Hokage carefully.

Naruto stood up and sighed. "First I'm going to find Sakura. Then I'll get Kakashi, the pervert and the old lady to help me decide what to do."

"If I find anything out, I'll let you know," he replied.

"Thanks, sensei," the blond man smiled and left the classroom, wondering what the hell he was going to do.

The nin were a good mile or two outside of the village before they stopped. They put the three children down and studied them. One looked at the other. "Which one is the Hokage's daughter?"

"Not that one," the other replied, pointing at Kiyoshi. "Why'd you grab him?"

"No duh he's not the Hokage's daughter," the first one rolled his eyes. "I grabbed him because we couldn't leave him there. It would be providing a witness, dumbass."

"Good point. Should we kill him?" the second ninja pulled out a kunai and looked at his partner.

"No!" the first man took the kunai. "We weren't hired for killing. We wait until we deliver all three children to Itachi-sama. And then maybe he'll let us kill the other two."

Kiku and Saeko had been listening to this conversation with their mouths hanging open. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. As soon as they had started talking about Kiyoshi, Saeko held her brother tighter than ever, until he almost cried out in pain.

The girls exchanged a look that said simply, "What are we going to do?"

A/N: Dun dun duuuuun. Cheesy sound effects rock. But anyway. I told you that there would be plot development. I guess I'm involving Shika, Ino, Naru, and Saku more than I thought I would. Whatever. Doesn't matter. So now we've got the little 'uns kidnapped for (dun dun dun) Itachi! I have taken further liberties with the story and have made Itachi the leader of the Akatsuki. Cuz who knows what would really happen in 21 years. It IS a long time. So…later.

-- Sakura Kaijuu