Chapter 3 – Moving Day
"Talk"
'Think'
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto sensei. So…yeah.
Some drabbles
The moving went smoothly since all Shizuka had to pack are hers and the babies' clothes. Shisui initially offered to help, but he has to cancelled due to last-minute mission although in return, he commissioned a D-rank mission to help Shizuka moves and settle in the new house.
Her house was at the corner, bordered with a wall that she shared with Maruboshi Kosuke and Maruboshi Keiko on one side, and a small forest on the other side. A few metres behind the house was a brook that run through the forest.
The single storey house came with a small kitchen near the entrance, a living room with a door to the garden (where she plans to grow vegetables), an en-suite bathroom (for her and Noriko), a smaller bedroom (for Naruto) and a bathroom near to the kitchen.
Upon arrival, Shizuka, Naruto and Noriko were met by Maruboshi Keiko, a tall thin chūnin with her dark hair tied in a high ponytail, dressed in a simple short-sleeves kimono-style blouse in pastel colour with dark brown apron skirt and black leggings.
Initially Keiko was angry towards Naruto and Noriko; her older brother was amongst the casualties during the Kyūbi's attack. Everytime she saw them, she was constantly reminded of her brother's lifeless body, covered in chakra burns and the smell of burnt flesh intermingle with the smell of blood.
When she confronted her father, Kosuke calmly responded "We are shinobi. Death is parts of our job. Your brother died protecting Konoha, along with many others including Yondaime Hokage and his wife. It would be a dishonour to smear their sacrifices by hating those babies just because they had the luck to become the prisons for the Kyūbi. If you switch places with your brother, do you want him to become like those idiots who cannot differentiate between prison and prisoners, or do you want him to live his life to the fullest?"
The response stunned her. It took her a few days before she braved herself to visit Shizuka along with her father. She was honest with Shizuka; she was angry but she'd like to give herself a chance by getting to know Naruto and Noriko. When she saw the babies, she looked for any of the Kyūbi's sign; red eyes, sharp teeths (wait, they are babies, no teeth, cross that), claws (aww…what a teeny tiny fingers), malicious chakra (does baby emit chakra in general?), and all she saw was two pairs of innocent eyes, one blue and the other black staring back at her, as if they are scrutinizing her to see if she's okay. Then they cried. It appeared she had failed her first impression on them.
After that, she became one of their frequent visitors and at times, had to fight with that jerk Shisui to bring them to the park. Unfortunately, uncle trumps acquaintance, as Shisui often says (and gloats…that jerk).
Walking with the babies was an eye-opener, it became apparent to her how many of the villagers feared and hated Naruto and Noriko (how dare they!). From their mutterings, she heard that almost all of the accusations are based on ignorance and imaginations although a few worried that history will repeat itself.
When she forwarded it to Saindaime Hokage, she was re-assured that the only way the seal will break is when Noriko give birth (she's still a baby), a work of a seal-master (scarce), or when they died.
That night, she cooked for her father his favourite meal and when asked why, she said she's glad that she was no longer amongst the idiots and thanks her father for his pep talk His father smiled in amusement and continued eating. It was then she mused "Pity they did not live next door since it is empty" which caused her father to put down his chopsticks and spoke slowly "Well…Shizuka expressed her wish to move out where Naruto and Noriko can run outside…"
Her eyes met her father's "You or me?" she asked.
"Me. I am calmer. Besides, Shisui has to be informed too; you are definitely not the right person to talk to him"
"That jerk…we'll see…when they live next-door, I get to bring them out. Ha! Take that you jerk" muttered Keiko.
Kosuke eyes twinkled when he said "You do remember it is closer to Uchiha district than Hokage's residence".
Keiko face showed horror before she said vindictively "Never mind. We live next door. Try to beat that!"
"Well, he could move in-"
"NOOOOO!...aren't you supposed to be on my team? Why are you siding with him?"
"It was fun. Good night" at that, her father went outside (He never sleep inside).
Keiko was brought out of her trip to memory lane with cries from two babies. Smiling, she offered to tend to Naruto and Norike in her house while Shizuka took charge of the genin team.
Once Naruto and Noriko are changed, fed and burped, she carried them to their house along with her present.
"Here, your house-warming gift" Keiko said while giving her gift.
Shizuka opened her present and her face shown a surprise. Inside was a variety of seeds; flowers, vegetables, herbs, and a couple of fruit trees in a seal.
"Thank you. I'll give you our first harvests" said Shizuka appreciatively. This will save her a lot of money and may generate new income for her.
Keiko smiled, happy that her gift made Shizuka smiles. She had grown fond of her, and thought of her as a younger sibling.
"It's a small thing. We are neighbours now. I've boiled water and made some snacks for you and the genins. Why don't you sit down while I bring them over" at that, Keiko passed the babies to Shizuka and walk to her house to fetch tea and snacks.
Next day, Sarutobi Hiruzen saw a heart-warming scenery depicting Shizuka and Keiko tending her garden while Kosuke and Shisui talking and playing with Naruto and Noriko. Their laughter filled the air. He decided not to disturb the happy family and return back to his office. It appeared that Shizuka really had made a good choice.
Once Naruto and Noriko can sit and play by themselves, Shizuka resumed her study. Prior to her pregnancy, she worked as a nurse while pursuing Iryō ninjutsu though she has no interest in becoming field Iryō-nin. Since pregnant, she halted her study as her chakra flow was uneven.
When her stomach started to show, she was thrown out from Uchiha district and she lived in a rented small room near the hospital. When she was almost due, she met with Uzumaki Kushina at the hospital who became angry when she heard what had happened to Shizuka.
Kushina then proposed that Shizuka lived with her and Minato in their spare-room. At first, she declined but Kushina wore her down. She reasoned that neither the Uchiha nor the Hyūga can touch Shizuka for as long she stayed with Kushina and Minato (Shizuka told them about Hyūga Heiji). Shizuka accepted on a condition that Kushina allows her to work as her housekeeper once her confinement was over which Kushina agreed reluctantly.
Working for Kushina also gave Shizuka some insights on being a jinchūriki. It was the reason Shizuka used to Sarutobi Hiruzen to allow her to take care of Naruto, apart from her debt to Kushina.
Living next to a brook gave Shizuka ample supply of fish for her to practice her Iryō ninjutsu…and dinner when she failed.
Occasionally, she would pay a visit to the hospital to check on her skill level and once cleared, she moved on from fish to small animals. Finding injured animals is quite easy having a small forest as your neighbour. Sometimes, Keiko, Kosuke and Shisui allowed her to practice on them for small injuries (in Shisui's case, he injured himself) which she appreciated greatly.
End of Chapter 3
Iryō ninjutsu – medical ninja techniques
Iryō nin – medic ninja