Madara tucks Ajisai into bed and leaves her bedroom. The moment he steps out of the door, the baby starts screaming like someone is trying to murder her. Sighing, Madara turns and goes back into the room to calm the baby down. He picks her up, props her up against his shoulder and rubs her back until she calms down and goes to sleep. He waits a few more minutes before gently putting her back in the crib. He manages to tuck Ajisai in without waking her and sneaks out to put Tachibana to bed.
Halfway through helping Tachibana button his pyjama shirt, Madara hears Ajisai whimper. A moment later, the house is filled with window-rattling screams.
"I think she's lonely," says Tachibana, fumbling with a button.
Sighing in exasperation, Madara heads to the baby's room, scoops her up and takes her into Tachibana's room. He lays her on the floor beside them while he finishes buttoning up Tachibana. Then he tucks Tachibana into bed, scoops up the baby and heads back to the baby's room to put her back in her bed.
The moment they enter her room, Ajisai starts crying in anticipation.
Madara sighs and creates a shadow clone. "Take the crib into my room," he says. "She's too young to sleep by herself, apparently."
The clone does so, and Madara takes the baby to his room and puts her to bed. By this time, Madara is exhausted so he takes off his armour and goes to bed himself. It crosses Madara's mind that he's been wearing the clothes he was resurrected in for about four days now and they probably need a good wash. He should get a change of clothes. With these mundane thoughts on his mind, Madara falls asleep.
He wakes a few hours later to find Ajisai crying and Tachibana climbing over him to get to her. Madara pushes Tachibana off his stomach and gets out of bed. He takes the baby out of the crib, sniffs her nappy to see if she needs changing and dumps her in Tachibana's arms. "Hold her while I get her a clean nappy," says Madara sleepily.
Some minutes later, Ajisai has a clean nappy on. She is still crying, so Madara makes her up a bottle and shows Tachibana how to feed her. When Ajisai is finally happy again, Madara tucks her back into her crib, sends Tachibana back to his room and goes back to sleep.
A few more hours pass before Madara wakes again to Ajisai crying for food and Tachibana cuddling up to his back. Tachibana wakes up and climbs over Madara again. He reaches into the crib and picks up Ajisai while Madara goes to make the baby another bottle. He is not getting much sleep tonight.
When the baby is fed and back in her crib Madara tells Tachibana, "If you must sleep in here, you stay in front of me, where I can see you. Got it?"
Tachibana nods.
Madara goes back to sleep, with both kids where he can see them. He can't stop these kids from sleeping in his room, so he might as well lay down some ground rules.
He wakes up the next morning with Tachibana curled up against his chest and Ajisai staring at him through the bars of her crib.
Madara sighs. This is going to be his life for the next year, isn't it?
And then he remembers: there are three more brats still to come.
The four members of Kurama's Guards who went out searching for the other groups of Bijuu Guards are back. Arashi steels himself and heads over to their barracks to tell them what happened while they were gone. One of their number is dead, one is crippled for life and three others, including Sei, are being kept in hospital due to severe chakra exhaustion. The four Guards are devastated by the news and head to the hospital to see their wounded comrades. Before they leave, they tell Arashi that they will go back to Kurama's Temple to bury their fallen comrade.
Once they are gone, Arashi heads back to the house to tell everyone the news. It is still early morning so everyone is at the table eating breakfast. Arashi tells them the news.
"Naruto, I expect you'll be going with the Guards?" says Kazama without any hesitation.
"Um...yeah," says Naruto. "...Kurama says he was just about to ask me to convince you all to let us go. He wants to be at his Guard's funeral."
"I thought so," says Kazama, nodding. "And Kurama should be there, so you must go so that he can be."
Minato leans over to whisper to Kushina, "So is one of us going with him, or…?"
"I think we'd best both go," whispers Kushina. "I can tell you really want to see Kurama's Temple, and I feel like I should go - as a former jinchuuriki."
"And also because Naruto is going," Iruka whispers, leaning into the little whisper party. "You can't fool us."
"Haha," Minato laughs nervously and scratches the back of his head. "Is it that obvious?"
"Blindingly," says Arashi, grinning. "Now don't about three of you need to get to the Academy?"
"Ah! We're going to be late!" Iruka, realizing the time, promptly inhales the rest of his breakfast and leaves the table to find his sandals and the worksheets he marked the previous night.
By the time he is done, Burifu and Kimiko are finished eating and are putting on their shoes while Kushina puts the girls' lunches in their bags. Iruka tears back downstairs with his bag of teaching stuff. Gratefully, he accepts a bento from Kushina and stuffs it in his bag. Kimiko and Burifu, who are now ready to go, are, of course, nowhere to be found.
"Where the hell are they?" demands Iruka.
"You go on ahead," says Arashi. "I will find them. They don't need to arrive as early as you anyway."
"Thanks," says Iruka, and leaves, calling goodbye over his shoulder.
Arashi puts on his sandals and waits. Sure enough, Burifu and Kimiko emerge all panicked. Arashi grins. "You two are going to walk to school with me today, since Iruka is running late and needs to get there quickly."
The two girls look relieved.
Arashi herds them out the door before they can vanish again and heads off to the Academy, holding the two girl's hands. It is a fine morning and a lot of people are out and about. They reach the Academy at the same time as Madara Uchiha. The poor man looks exhausted. He has a baby in a sling attached to the front of his body and a blind boy hanging on to one of his hands.
"Hello Madara," says Arashi, feeling a pang of sympathy for the man. "I take it these two are the oldest and youngest of the kids Iruka is forcing you to look after?"
"Yes," sighs Madara.
"Take good care of them," says Arashi. "It won't get easier, but you'll get better at it. If you need any help, just come and see me or my wife. You know where we live."
"...Thanks," says Madara, looking a little startled.
"You girls be good," Arashi tells Kimiko and Burifu, patting their heads.
"Yes Grandpa," says Kimiko.
"I'm not making any promises, eh," says Burifu.
"Alright class," says Iruka. "We have just enough time before lunch to practice the clone jutsu. Get up everyone. Moegi, give Ajisai back to Madara sensei."
The students all get up and head to the front of the class. Tachibana is the only one who does not know the drill, but he gets the idea and follows the other kids to the front of the classroom. Moegi gives Ajisai back to Madara and takes her place in the line.
"Alright, first up: Udon," says Iruka.
As expected, Udon fails to produce a clone.
Completely unexpectedly, Madara says, "You'll need to develop your chakra coils a bit more before you can perform the clone jutsu, kid. Go do some chakra building exercises while the rest of the class has their turn."
They work through the rest of the class, who are about the level they should be. When they reach Tachibana, Iruka has to explain the jutsu to him before the boy can attempt it. He fails, and is quite upset about it. "Don't worry," says Iruka, kindly. "It's your first time even attempting to mold your chakra. You'll be able to do it soon enough."
And then it is Burifu's turn. She does the hand signs and says, "Clone Jutsu!" A weak, pathetic clone appears and soon puffs out of existence. "Oh," says Burifu, looking at the place her clone was.
"Haha!" one of the other kids laughs at her. "You're so good at everything else, but you can't even do a simple jutsu?"
"So what?" says Burifu, shrugging. "I can't do that jutsu, but I can do this jutsu. Mud Clone Jutsu!" Burifu weaves the hand signs and produces a perfect mudclone.
"Nice," says Iruka. "When did you learn that? You couldn't do any ninjutsu when we went on our road trip - only fuuinjutsu."
"Oh...Grandpa taught me after…" Burifu stammers out, blinking back tears. "I asked him...to teach me ninjutsu…" she starts sniffling. "He tested...my chakra nature...Water...and earth…I have...the-the...Mud Style kekkei genkai…" Burifu finally gives in to her tears and starts sobbing. Iruka puts his arm around her and tells the rest of the class to keep going.
While Burifu calms down from her fit of sadness, the rest of the students take their turn.
And then, last of all, it is Konohamaru's turn. Konohamaru grins and weaves the hand signs for the shadow clone transformation jutsu. What is he up to? "Behold: my new jutsu! Sexy Jutsu: Girl-on-Girl technique!"
Iruka sighs. Of course he made a new version of that jutsu, but with two naked girls instead of one. Strange, the jutsu has no effect on him. Must be because of Mei.
"What is that?" asks Madara, shocked. "You were told to make a clone, not transform yourself into two naked girls."
"Aw, you're no fun, Uncle Madara Sensei," says Konohamaru.
"Technically he did make a clone," says Iruka. "But please don't do that again unless you are fighting a pervert."
"Hey! Since when were you immune to this jutsu?!" demands Konohamaru, changing back to normal.
"Since I got a girlfriend."
"Who's your girlfriend?"
"The Mizukage."
"WHAAAAAT?!" all the kids except the ones who know already fall over backwards in shock.