One.
Kurama yawns, showing his fangs. The gate guards hide behind their desk. Kon and Fukuro just sigh and keep walking behind Kurama. Kurama loves scaring humans with just a yawn. When he gets back to Naruto's house, he's going to rejoin his other half and take a very long nap.
When they finally arrive at the Uzumaki house, Kurama and his sidekicks find Naruto, Kushina, Minato, Kazama, Arashi, Iruka, Mei, Namiko and three random babies in the garden enjoying the sunshine. Jiraiya, Burifu and Kimiko are up on the roof sunning themselves.
"Hey, Mr. Kurama!" yells Naruto, waving. "Come and meet my baby brother, dattebayo!" He holds out one of the random babies.
"Wonderful," says Kurama. "Minato and Kushina procreated while I was gone."
"They weren't the only ones," says Iruka, sounding quite proud of himself.
Kurama eyes the other two random babies sceptically. "These two are yours, then?"
"Yes, and we have another on the way," he says.
Kurama raises an eyebrow. "Wonderful."
"How was the training?" asks Kazama.
"Kon and Fukuro are actually competent now," says Kurama. "Naruto, open the seal, I'm coming in. I need a nap."
Naruto opens the seal, and Kurama jumps in while his sidekicks are still processing the fact he used their names.
Show me what I missed, Kurama says to his other half as they join together.
Ladies first, says his other half, smugly.
There is no need to show eachother their memories. The moment they rejoin, they both know what the other has seen and done while they were apart. Kurama is so amused by everything that happened to the two halves of him that he laughs so hard Naruto gets a headache.
Fugaku swings his Hokage chair around to face the window and stares out thoughtfully. He just finished organizing his ANBU and the police to stand at ready in preparation for tomorrow. He's already arranged for Nono Yakushi to collect the children of Joe from Madara tomorrow, and take them to the orphanage. How will the children take it, he wonders. They will not be happy, but Madara was only ever meant to take care of them until the end of the truce.
Fugaku strokes his mustache thoughtfully. Is he doing the right thing? Should he try to reason with Madara first, or fight it out? To trade blows in an effort to get through, or to try peace through negotiation?
A messenger bird taps on the Hokage's office window. Fugaku gets up and opens the window to let the bird in. It is Itachi's messenger crow. Fugaku takes the message, gives the crow a treat and lets the bird sit on his shoulder to rest.
Father, the message reads. I am returning to the Leaf tomorrow for the end of the truce. Keep my crow with you until I return, unless you need to send me an urgent message. -Itachi.
Fugaku frowns. He would prefer it if Itachi stayed away. He does not really know how strong she is anymore, and he does not want to risk her being hurt or killed now that she has a child.
But, Itachi does what Itachi wants. Fugaku sits back down in his chair and stares out the window, wondering how tomorrow will play out.
"Big sister?" says Eizo-Mori, tugging Sasuke's skirt. "Play with me!'
Sasuke breaks out of her thoughts and turns to her little brother. "Maybe later," she says, absentmindedly poking his forehead.
Eizo-Mori is having none of it. "Don't do that!" he snaps, slapping her hand away. "You aren't Itachi! Now play with me."
Sasuke sighs. She isn't really in the mood, but perhaps playing with her brother for a while will take her mind off the fact that she will lose her master tomorrow.
"Fine," she says, and let Eizo drag her to his room to play.
Madoka wipes the sweat from his brow as he practices a particularly difficult healing technique. Tsunade looks on, occasionally correcting Madoka's technique. Madoka is finding it difficult to focus. Tomorrow is the end of the truce.
Finally, Madoka finishes the exercise - but he fails the attempt.
"Having trouble focusing?" asks Tsunade.
"Yes," admits Madoka. "But I need to learn to keep my mind on the task at hand, so I will try again."
"Good," says Tsunade. "This time, do it without my help. The sooner you learn this technique, the better."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," agrees Madoka, and starts over.
Kakashi looks up from his book. There are a lot of messenger birds flying around today. He is not surprised. Today is the final day of the truce. Everything will be settled tomorrow, for better or for worse.
Aki and Minoru laugh as they play in the grass below the tree Kakashi is perched in. They miss their undead grandparents and uncle, but they are happy enough to go back to the old way of playing with their father watching from above like a sentinel. They will call if they need him.
And tomorrow, Tenzou will join the ranks of ANBU on standby in case Madara decides to launch an attack. Kakashi will meet with his team, and keep them from getting in the way.
That light, warm feeling is back. Madara doesn't think too hard on it. Tomorrow is Ajisai's birthday, and he's sure he's forgetting something. The brats begged Madra to take them on a picnic tomorrow, so Madara is currently supervising the creation of a large picnic basket. Sekitei is making cake, Tachibana is making riceballs, the twins are making mochi and Ajisai is asleep in the corner with the kitten Sasuke gave them.
"Uncle Madara!" says Sekitei. "Can I make the cake pink?"
"Ew, pink is for girls!" protests Yatsude.
"The cake is for Ajisai," points out Madara. "And she is a girl. You may make the cake as pink as you like, Sekitei."
"YAY!" Sekitei jumps down from the chair she is kneeling on and runs to the cupboard to grab the food colouring.
Madara is forgetting something incredibly important, and he knows it. But he can't for the life of him remember what it is. Ah well, it'll come to him.
It's a rare day when Iruka and Naruto go to Ichiraku without a tag along or five. But today they managed it.
"Menma is still my least favourite ramen topping, 'tebayo," Naruto tells Iruka.
Iruka smiles. "Some day you'll be able to bring Menma here and see if he likes menma."
"Tomorrow is the last day of the truce, isn't it?" asks Ayame, leaning on the counter. "Does anyone have a plan of any kind?"
"I doubt it," says Iruka. "Madara hasn't said anything about giving up on his plan, but I doubt he's had time to make any kind of real plan." Iruka slurps up some more noodles thoughtfully. "I had hoped that looking after those kids would give him a reason to give up the plan - especially after he showed reluctance to enact it, now that he knows about Kaguya."
"That was all the plan anyone ever had, I take it?" says Ichiraku. "It might still work. But then, would a man like that throw away 100 years of planning to look after five children who aren't even his own?"
"Sasuke would know if your plan still has a chance," says Naruto, poking at his naruto. "She's spent the most time around Madara."
Iruka is about to reply, but another customer enters the ramen stand. Iruka and Naruto drop the subject - it's not something they can talk about around just anyone, after all.