Surprise, everyone! For those of you familiar with my current stories and having figured out the cycle I'm running on I'm sure this update is a bit of a shock, though hopefully the good kind. Given that family is a central theme to this story I decided to do this special Mother's Day one-shot. If possible, please save any questions regarding timeline placement and so forth until the end. Please enjoy.

I do not own anything.


Fox Tails and Whirlpools

Gaiden 1-Love that Heals


Having learned to trust his instincts, especially when it came to his students, Iruka held off on departing the academy once class had ended. Call it a gut feeling, but something told him he should have stuck around. A brief mop of blond hair caught his eyes as his students began to gather their things for the evening and depart. Joy fluttered through him as he watched a crowd of kids gather around Naruto, smiling and laughing. It was a beautiful far cry from his state of being when school first began and practically everyone made it their business to get as far away from him as possible as quickly as possible. Though preoccupied with other things, he opened up his ears to bits of the conversation.

"Um, are you guys…sure you can help?"

"Of course we can! We've got more experience with this than you! Um, s-sorry about that."

"Way to go, Sasuke."

"N-No, i-it's fine! I-It's just I…I really don't wanna mess this up."

"You won't, Naruto."

"Darn right, we won't let you! With all of us working together, you'll knock it out of the ball park!"

"You realize he's asking for advice on how to get a woman a gift, not a dog, right?"

As a teacher, there was no sound greater than his students laughing and playfully arguing amongst themselves. Though his curiosity had peen peaked, he tried to remain at least a little impartial by diverting his attention away from the little group. They were far from alone in discussing what plans they had for the up incoming weekend.

"So, feel like hitting up the bar?" Offered his white-hair compatriot.

"Kind of early, don't you think?" Replied the scar-nosed chunin catching Mizuki's smirk. Though drinking wasn't exactly a hobby of his, he could be spotted hanging around a few bars and such from time to time. Naturally, he kept such times limited to Iruka and never to their students. It was still too soon for them to start learning about those sorts of things.

"Well, I've got a mission coming up over the weekend. Feel like joining me?"

"Over Mother's Day? You…don't have any other plans?"

Immediately, the white-haired man waved him off. "Look, you don't have to parse words, in fact, I'd prefer it if you didn't. I really don't have much to celebrate and it's not like I want to try faking it. You know I'd rather use my time for something constructive. Heading out on a mission is something constructive. And before you ask, don't worry, I'll be back in a little while, like maybe by Wednesday or Tuesday. Interested?" Mizuki pressed lightly jabbing him by the shoulder.

A part of Iruka wanted to say yes, and he almost did. What stopped him was looking to the empty seats where his students once sat. His shoulders sagged causing Mizuki to sigh in resignation. "Sorry, but no on both accounts. That said, watch your back out there, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, maybe if you're lucky I'll bring you back a present or something, but don't count on it. In the meantime, watch your back and don't do anything stupid."

It didn't take a stretch of the imagination to know what that meant. Mizuki may have been abrasive at times, but at the end of the day Iruka often found his old friend was doing his best to look out for him. He had been one of the few who'd readily accepted their world had become a more dangerous and unpredictable place. Some had taken the change in strides, overjoyed they'd finally have some "excitement" to spice things up. Iruka was more than content to let those people do the exploring. Wrong or selfish as it may have sounded, he wanted the world charted so at least he'd be able to teach his students how to survive. Teaching them the basics of the ninja way was hard enough, now they all had to contend with magicians and their super-powered…partners, Servants, running about doing who knew what. Speaking of which, there was a silent hope that this coming weekend would be peaceful and quiet.

He hoped so for the sake of one Master-Servant pair who'd made peace and settled down in the village, oh, and their adopted son.

Speaking of said son, Iruka finally submitted to the desire to check up on him. Mother's Day was less than two days away and for the first time, Naruto would be able to celebrate it properly. The first of many things he was no doubt going to need some help with. Iruka knew he…wasn't quite as qualified as some others, some would even argue having finally been adopted, Naruto was no longer his pseudo responsibility, but he couldn't help it. Even if it was only for a short time, he'd known the touch of a mother and had the chance to celebrate her life on the day it was warranted. The least he could do was offer the blond a little help. To do that, he'd have to find him though.

It wasn't too difficult.

Contrary to what several thought, Naruto had potential. Fitting with his whisker-like birthmarks, he had the makings of a trickster in him. That said, from the bottom of his heart Iruka wished he could sit down and properly study like the other kids. Not even adoption and familial love had been enough to completely erase the prank-loving little kid he'd come to know. And in a way, Iruka was thankful for that. Naruto was Naruto, and that was never going to change. At least he hoped until he graduated. He knew most if not all of the young blonde's hiding places well enough. It was only a question of which one he'd chosen this time. Iruka explored the hidden closest and desolate classrooms over the next half-hour. He took his time in doing so, enjoying the quiet serenity if the academy after classes had officially come to an end.

His ears picked up their voices upon turning a corner into an old and rarely used wing of the building. Iruka knew it well, once, when the academy was still newly built, classrooms for about ten or so had been built. In times of war, the classrooms had seen usage as more and more students were admitted, no, conscripted. When the war ended and enrollment was somewhat scaled back, new classrooms had been built giving reason for the old ones to be closed off and used only in the case of special instances and emergencies. Or, in the case of some more daring students, serve as a nice little hideaway.

Iruka had to give them some credit. The paper disguise they used to hide the door would have worked on students and those teachers who didn't pay too much attention. Rather than immediately tear the cover away, Iruka merely leaned in close to listen. He could plainly make out the voices on the other end: Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Hinata, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Choji. They were intensely discussing something, or the first six were, Choji was clearly still eating. Iruka patiently listened as the children argued back and forth until suddenly it all stopped. He felt his hair stand on end and his instincts told him to move. It was too late.

"Gah! I-I-I-I-I-Iruka-sensei?!"

Blinking in surprise, it took him a few seconds to register the fact that he was now standing before an open door, in the doorway stood a very-confused looking Naruto. Beyond him, the teacher caught glimpses of the other students, all spread around a table looking quickly shocked.

"Um, s-sorry, about that! I-I…I…um, w-well, carry on!" It was an admittedly stupid response to their gaping shock, but he didn't want to make a bigger mess of things. The adult thing to do would have been to leave them to their own devices, let them experience their first taste of adulthood by charting their own way forward. "S-S-Sorry for disturbing you all!"

"W-Wait, p-please!" Shock was the appropriate response to Hinata Hyūga speaking up. While she did clam up upon having eyes go to her, she seemed to push through it. "P-Please, I-Iruka-sensei, c-c-could you…um…could you please help us?"

Even though he already knew the answer, a part of him still couldn't help but humor the children. "With…what?"

"Well," began Sakura shuffling on her feet.

"I need to know what would be a good gift for Mother's Day!" Declared Naruto getting to the heart of the issue. Though he was looking just as nervous as the rest of the children, his eyes were still glistening with a familiar determination. "You see this is my…well, it's the first time I've ever…had a mom so I want to make this right. Even though I don't know what I'm doing."

"The rest of us don't know either, so we could really use the help." Noted Shikamaru seeing his duty to speak the unabashed truth, even if it did earn him a couple of hard glares from his classmates.

His suspicions had been on the mark, but that left a new problem. Iruka knew where the children were coming from all too well, but he feared they'd stumbled upon the wrong adult to ask for guidance. However, as their teacher, he still had duties to fulfill. "I-I see, w-w-well then, y-you're in luck! I-I'm here to offer whatever expertise I can!" Not very much! Dammit, what the hell am I doing getting into a position like this?! At best I'm only going to make things worse!

Naruto's face splint into an ear-to-ear grin as he grabbed the tan-skinned man's hand and ushered him inward. He stood out in sharp contrast to the small gathering of seven-year-olds, yet upon taking a seat at the circular table Iruka felt an odd sense of belonging. Spread out over the wooden table were countless drawings and sheets. He smiled in recognizing some, little doodles that Naruto had made in his spare time. He had to confess, he'd kept one or two for sentimental purposes. It seemed Naruto was thinking of giving one to his adoptive mother, or that's what Iruka believed until Naruto took up several sheets and crumbled them into paper balls.

"It'd be nice if I could buy her something that she actually liked." He grumbled.

"You've been living with her for over three months and you still don't know what she likes?" Shikamaru drily sniped.

"No! I know what my mom likes! Me, my dad, sweets, origami, some weirdo brand of romance novels-"

"Wait! Your mom too?!" Shouted Kiba looking more invested than he had a moment before. "Same thing with my mom and my sister, even though she tries to hide it!"

"Great, here I thought my mom was the only one." Muttered Shikamaru.

Now that they mention it, I hear there's been some new book that's been making the rounds with women in the village. Maybe I should… "Guys, let's try to get back on track. Naruto, what else has your mother taken an interest in?"

"Interior…interior…"

"Interior decorating?" Spoke up Choji.

"Yeah! That!"

"My mom's into the same thing." Noted the Akimichi child with a soft smile. "Maybe you can go shopping with your dad to see if you can get her something like a lap or picture frame."

"Or you could try painting one yourself." Offered Hinata with a kind smile.

Sakura laughed as she held up one of Naruto's drawings. He'd told everyone it was supposed to be a dragon, but what everyone had ended up seeing was some mish-mash of a sea-monster likely taken from some comic book he'd been reading. While not exactly appealing to the eyes or a work of art, it was something he'd made himself. "Maybe you could try drawing something up yourself, with help of course."

"You say that like my drawings aren't awesome enough on their own, Sakura." Spoke the whisker-faced boy.

"You told me this was supposed to be a bird." Began Sasuke holding up some brightly colored…thing spread out along the page. "I look at this and all I see is a bug fighting another bug…or trying to fuse with it into some sort of super bug."

"Is that what you see? I was getting some sort of elephant face." Snorted Kiba.

"Hey! I thought you guys came here to help me, not criticize my artistic ability!" Shouted Naruto throwing his hands up. "You're supposed to be helping me, not putting me down! I'm trying to make my mom's first Mother's Day with me special. I mean she's…she's done more for me than I could ever dream of. She's cooked, cleaned, hugged me, and even taught me how to-"

"How to do this?"

All the children looked upward at the teacher, and their mouths promptly dropped in shock, For Sasuke and Hinata, their amazement was evident while Shikamaru merely raised an eyebrow in honest surprise. Choji as well though his reaction was more muted. Kiba titled his head as if trying to figure out what was so special before coming to a similar conclusion to his classmates. Sakura squinted her eyes to get a better look at the sheet of paper. Her mouth dropped in shock as she realized she could hardly read half of what had been written down. Speaking of which, she could hardly believe the sheer neatness of the handwriting. Slowly, she turned her gaze to Naruto, who had failed to notice what all the uproar was about.

"Your…your mom's been teaching you calligraphy," began Sasuke with slightly wide eyes. "And you're actually good at it!"

"Yeah, why? Is that wrong?"

"Oh, you know, some of us are clan heirs and our parents get on us about learning it. It's a stupid old art that most of the older clans force their children to learn." Explained Shikamaru looking over the sheet that was without a doubt Naruto's. Even he had to admit, it was impressive seeing him having written down not only his name, but those of his classmates as well in such form. "Naruto, isn't your new mom some kind of courtesan or something? That explains how she knows it and why she's teaching it to you."

"Someone like Naruto being raised by a noble, who'd of thought." Chuckled Kiba.

"Ahem, we're getting off track again, or maybe we've stumbled onto something we can use." Began the chunin. He felt like he was back in the classroom, trying to keep his students focused on the lesson at hand. "Perhaps you can use this new skill of yours to create something special for her, perhaps a poem she can frame up somewhere."

"Provided Naruto knows any poetry, which is heavily unlikely." Snorted Shikamaru.

"B-But it doesn't have to be poetry, it could anything, maybe even a simple 'I love you'. Your adoptive mother…I'm sure she'll hold it close and thank you for it, Naruto." Stammered Hinata shyly giving the blond passing glances.

"A kanji print!"

Naruto looked to the second youngest Uchiha. "A what?"

Brimming with energy, Sasuke jumped up, ran around the table, and snatched the sheet from Iruka's hands. The teacher didn't seem to mind too much as it was rare to see Sasuke practically bursting with energy. He'd gradually discovered Naruto was able to incite such reactions. It seemed a real friendship was beginning to bloom within the two. "My dad made them for my grandmother, and I hear some families have it as a tradition. They're basically like photos or paintings! Naruto, with your level of skill you can make a great one!"

"Y-You can also try making a fabric print, I've seen my mother do it a few times." Offered the pale-eyed member of the group.

The young blonde's smile was bright as the sun, and best of all, it was genuine. Iruka felt he could count the number of times he'd seen him truly smiling from the depths of his heart. Since the brown-haired youth and his pink-haired lover had come to the village, he'd honestly lost track. Better yet, to see his classmates who'd once avoided him for whatever reasons now pitching in to help him, all of it was almost enough to bring a tear to his eyes. Quickly recovering, he decided to add his piece. "Naruto, do you think you could have your father take you out to gather up some supplies to create some prints? Obviously you'll need a safe place to keep them since I imagine it won't be easy."

"You have no idea. It's like my mom is all-knowing or something!"

"Moms usually are." Noted the Nara clan child giving him an apologetic nod.

"Trust us, they'll find out what you're up to." Kiba added.

"And what you're thinking." Seconded Sasuke, though his expression wasn't one of annoyance. It was of deep thought. No doubt he was probably of thinking of gifts for his own mother and what he could do. "Hinata, my mom once said your mom uses a special kind of fabric, do you know the place that sells it?"

"I, um, well…I…can't remember." Admitted the blue-haired girl with shame coloring her cheeks.

The expressions of the children fell as did Iruka's. Things such as sewing and the like fell outside of his domain so he couldn't say he knew the stories of the village quite so well. That didn't stop him from wracking his brain around what he did know, combing through his memories for anything that might be of use. At the moment, he regretted not doing more shopping, something he never thought he'd say. At least until he got a girlfriend to spend time with.

"Hm, I think I might know the place. Is it called Hamasaka's Silk. It isn't that far from here so we can probably make it there in little over half an hour, hopefully they'll still have some good stuff left over. After that I know a few more places for paint and materials to create a print."

All eyes immediately went to the door, which Iruka had made sure to seal up upon entering the room. Recognizing the voice, Naruto sprung to his feet and hurried over, throwing the door open. Instead of his father, he found nothing but a deserted hallway confusing him greatly. He stepped out and looked back and forth beginning to think it was just his mind playing tricks on him until he felt a soft hand rubbing his golden spikes. Spinning around, he came face-to-face with his brown-haired adoptive father. Not missing a beat, he jumped into Hakuno's arms.

"For a man who wasn't trained as a ninja, you sure do know a lot of shinobi-like tricks." Laughed Iruka catching sight of the embrace.

Hakuno winked at the older male. "Hey, it wasn't ninja training, but it was the sort that kept me alive and taught me what I needed to know. Comes in handy a few times. Sorry about eavesdropping, I…kinda couldn't help myself."

"Well duh, you're married to some sort of fox-lady." Grumbled Shikamaru only to be shut up by a jab by Sakura.

Iruka thought to himself what would happen if Naruto started undergoing the training his adoptive father had. The ability to completely mask one's presence and disappear from sight, if he picked that up at a young age stopping his pranking sprees would be nothing short of a nightmare. Oddly enough, he couldn't help but thank of the fun he'd have from such a thing.


It had taken a single glance at Hakuno and Iruka for the store owners to truly ease up and allow Naruto entrance into the establishment. Neither men were entirely surprised at this, nor the fact that some customers still cast sideways glances at the young blond while he and his classmates shopped around. Iruka soberly noted at the very least they weren't throwing Naruto out or hurling insults at him like they used to. He was thrown for a bit of a loop when Hakuno told him he understood the feeling.

"Let's just say Tamamo and I…went through some rough patches before we came here. She, no, we know what it's like to be hated and turned away for something you can't control."

In the end, Naruto had been joined by Sasuke, Hinata, and Shikamaru, who they quickly noted was simply doing his best to avoid going home for as long as possible. Sakura, Kiba, and Choji all had family obligations to fulfill, but before departing wished Naruto the best of look and promised to see him again come Monday when a new school week began.

"I…had a feeling about that. With all due respect, I've noticed how guarded your wife is around Naruto and other people." He kept his voice low hoping not to attract anymore attention. God forbid he ruin the good mood that had been going strong since the afternoon. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She's working at the store, working overtime really."

"Being an all-star cook comes with its ups and downs, doesn't it?"

The two shared a laugh while their young charges continued to look around. "Yes, yes it does, but it's something she says she's willing to bear if it'll put a smile on people's faces." There was a pause as the young father turned his head to look out the window, where hundreds of people were going on with their daily lives. "Naruto's not the only one who's changed if only just a little."

Iruka placed hand on his shoulder. "Parenthood has a way of doing that, or so I've been told."

In the lowering of his head, the chunin saw the memories the younger boy was revisiting. "I…don't tell Naruto this, I…never knew my parents either. In fact, I really don't remember all that much about my family."

"Then you aren't alone, or…well, you're far from being alone in not having a mother to celebrate this Sunday." He gave Hakuno a soft smile when he looked to him. There wasn't any need to clarify, Hakuno was a smart guy and put the pieces together almost immediately. It made his respect for Iruka tick a notch upward. "Maybe that's another reason why you've been able to bond with him so closely, you don't want him to feel the same loneness you've felt."

"Tamamo too, in fact, she's really the life of the whole house. Mister Iruka, I, I can't thank you enough for this. It means a lot."

"You pretty much took the words right out of my mouth." Chuckled the dark-haired adult.

"So, if not a parent, do you have a…special someone you can spend the day with?"

"Huh?!"

"Just asking. Naruto told me you spend a lot of your time around kids so I got a bit curious."

"A-A-And that's what you jumped to?!"

He playfully shrugged. "Blame my wife, she's something of a match-maker the likes of which you wouldn't believe. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if in a few years she's already eyeing a perspective daughter-in-law."

Iruka wasn't sure rather to be impressed, scared, or some combination of both. Certainly sounds like a noblewoman, but…she's at least looking out for Naruto. Sighing, the older of the pair hung his head in slight embarrassment. There didn't seem to be that big of an age gap between him and Hakuno so the differences between them were quite pounced. Then again, he still knew next to nothing regarding the brown-haired youth's past and how he met his pink-haired lover. "To answer your question, no, no girl for me to spend time with, but I'm alright with that. I'm perfectly happy being a bachelor."

"What's a bachelor?"

Hakuno and Iruka blinked at one another, then turned their heads to find the whisker-faced blond and his dark-haired friend standing before them.

Naruto repeated his question. "What's a bachelor? Is it a good thing?"

Sasuke answered for him. "I think it's someone, a guy, who doesn't have a wife, or a girlfriend, or a 'lady-friend' as my mom likes to say."

"I thought girlfriend and 'lady-friend' were the same thing." Started Naruto.

"Well, my brother's friends told me there's differences." Retorted the Uchiha before swinging his gaze back onto the two older males. "Iruka-sensei, Mr. Kishinami, what's the difference?"

Both men looked between each other, nervous sweat quickly forming on their foreheads. It seemed to be a silent debate over who would be the one to answer the question. Within seconds, they decided on a joint statement. "We'll tell you when you're older." A moment passed before the two boys went back to their shopping, and when they did, Hakuno and Iruka breathed out relieved sighs. Something in their guts told them this was only going to be one of many messy situations they found themselves in. Particularly since while talking they seemed to lose track of their charges, who had an uncanny ability to come in at the worst possible time.

Almost half-way across town, a certain fox-eared woman paused in her cooking as she felt a tingle run up her spine.


A very real part of Tamamo wanted to remain here, curled around her adoptive son while he peacefully slept the night away. Naruto wouldn't mind as there were still nights he had nightmares, dreamt-up horrors where she and her Master-turned-husband cast him out or disappeared leaving him alone in the cold dark world once again. To chase away such horrors, she'd created fox familiars. Most parents gave their children stuff animals or something of the like. Personally, she liked to think her personal spin on things was a good enough fit, perhaps even a better one. Stuffed animals couldn't cuddle back, nor could they alert the rest of the household to intruders, and even attack said intruders with the ability to tear them to shreds.

Running a hand over blond spikes, Tamamo thought back to her own youth. A world of differences existed between her and Naruto, yet they shared more than a few things in common. They'd both gone through childhood ignorant of who and what they really were, but she'd been lucky to find a caring family to take her end. Now, as a day to celebrate one of those people approaching, she found herself fighting back tears as memories of her own adoptive mother returned to her. The gentle smiling face that hoisted her in her arms and kissed her cheeks. From her she'd learned at bit what it meant like to be a proper lady, and a good mother and a wife.

"I suppose that makes her your grandmother, Grandma Nami." Laughed the Caster in a quiet voice as not to disturb the sleeping child. "Oh, Naruto, how I wish you could meet her. Actually, I wish you could meet both of your grandmothers, parental and maternal, I'm sure they would have…" Rather than finish the thought, she let it linger onward int the night air. The more she talked about it the more she felt she was inviting tragedy and discontent upon herself. Since adopting him, she'd taken a vow to protect Naruto from as much of the world's darkness as she could.

She'd also taken another vow, to protect another person.

Placing a light kiss on her son's head, she rose and left the room allowing one of her fox familiars to replace her. Naruto hardly noticed the difference as the warmth he'd so longed for remained as far as he was concerned. It would be there when he awoke.

It was a blissfully quiet night, just the sort she normally would have enjoyed spending in the arms of her beloved. In a way, Tamamo felt she was still going to get her wish, it was also going to require some talking as well. That was quite alright with her as she loved talking with her husband. They'd come a long way from their first admittedly oddball meeting when he was still learning so much about himself and the Moon Cell. Hakuno was still learning in spite of all that they'd been through, and to a degree, so too was Tamamo.

"How's Naruto doing?"

"Sleeping like kit," Giggled the pink-haired Caster taking a seat beside her husband. Hundreds of stars glistened above their heads s did a shining half-moon. In a few nights or so, it'd be a full-moon, a fact both of them were well aware of. "What about you, Hakuno?"

"Still pretty obvious, aren't I?" Offered the human wrapping an arm around her.

Kissing his cheek, Tamamo added, "Oh, you could try as hard as you'd like, as your wife, I'll see through every last defensive illusion you throw up." Her expression turned somber as her left hand glided over his chest. She felt it beneath his flesh and bone, the "gift" that he'd been bestowed with upon their leaving of their home world. "Have you…tinkered with it yet?" At the very least she wasn't beating around the bush regarding the subject matter.

"…I've been too scared to."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

He looked to her with familiar eyes, sad eyes, eyes that made Tamamo's heart skip a beat. Without thinking, she looped both arms around his neck to bring him into the warm embrace he'd become somewhat accustomed to. For the moment, Hakuno felt all of his worries and unease melt away, no, burn away.

"She would have loved you." Whispered the human Master.

"You…really think so?"

Raising his head, he placed a light kiss atop her forehead quite similar to the one she'd placed atop their son's head before falling asleep. A hot pink blush crept across Tamamo's cheeks and her tail swayed back and forth in open view of her husband. "You make me happy and you've been a great mother to our son. Pretty sure that's all the requirements needed to make you a great daughter-in-law."

Gripping him by the chest, Tamamo returned the favor, in her own way. It was good that Naruto was sound asleep, she was still a tad shy about him catching her and her husband being physical with one another. Through great restraints, she kept the kiss somewhat on the light side, putting more love than lust into it. Hakuno readily returned the sentiment. When they separated, their respective lips were a tad pink. "And you would make for an ideal son-in-law. My mother always hoped I would bring home a fine man, I feel I've shattered her expectations." The tears Tamamo had been fighting spilled outward as she buried her face in Hakuno's chest. He responded by softly rubbing her back. "Is it wrong I wish I could show Naruto my mother, Nami? She's not…I have no idea how she'd react, but I…I…I'm being selfish again, aren't I? Wanting to build up this happy little wonderland in complete disregard for the rules of reality."

"If it's selfish, you're not alone. I'm pretty selfish too." His laugh was supposed to be uplifting, but it came out more as something of self-mockery. Turning his gaze back to the courtyard, he seemed to be looking out at something beyond the horizon. For those that personally knew Hakuno Kishinami, it wasn't an uncommon sight. "I'm sitting here, in a nice village with a steady business a beautiful wife, an adorable son, and…it's still not enough. It's not like I don't want any of it, I just…" His hand went to his chest, a habit he was beginning to pick up in this new world. "I've got a great present and a bright future…but I'm still digging for the past." Turning his head to her, he bowed his head in apology. "And I'm doing alongside someone who…who was probably better off not knowing who she really was. Tamamo, I'm sorry."

"Mikon," she whispered kissing him by the cheek. "Don't you remember what Mister Archimedes said, 'Man's present is built on the past, yet we must still struggle to form a future independent of yesterday.'"

"Hey, you actually remembered the full quote." Noted the human causing his foxy wife to grin.

"I'm using everything my mother taught me so I can give to Naruto what she gave to me."

"So far, I'd say you're doing a great job so far."

The couple rose from the porch, their souls soothed by the words they'd exchanged. They remained in each other's embrace. Neither could deny that they'd lost some things in the various changes they'd gone through, things that they could never get back. The pain would never truly fade from their souls, but they could move on from it. Indeed, Hakuno and Tamamo had learned that though time didn't heal all wounds, it gave them the strength to carry them on the path forward. They hoped they'd be able to impart the lesson onto their son for in their hearts they knew the peace they enjoyed wasn't going to last. That fact was perhaps the only constant of their lives.


Peaceful, that was exactly the word that could have been used to describe the graveyard.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had gone through many pains to ensure the quiet little patch of forest with a small pond remained pristine and undisturbed, primarily for the sake of the child who the grave's occupants had left behind. Tamamo felt like an intruder upon ground that was practically sacred. Before her stood the graves of two heroes, and she, an Anti-Heroic Spirit of infamy who'd laid claim to their son. If anything, it should have been Naruto standing before the wave-encrusted graves; that had been the original intention, but Tamamo knew often plans rarely worked out the way one intended. Such a fact had caused her and her Master and her allies no end of grief.

Yet surprises weren't always bad, somethings they turned out to be blessings in disguise.

"I…don't usually get flustered like this, at least not when it comes to social matters. I fancy myself something of a social expert given my status and background. Honorable Fourth Hokage, Honorable Lady Kushina, you both have me at a loss." A humorless laugh left her lips as she got down to her knees placing the grave offerings before the two tombstones. Hiruzen had told her he'd made an active effort to come out to the graves every other week and shine them up. Tamamo believed him with every fiber of her heart. There was no faking the despair and guilt that colored his eyes when he spoke of his deceased successor and his wife. "Respectfully, I do believe you both know why I am here. In particular, Lady Kushina…I have come for your blessings."

If she wanted to, she could have easily tapped her spirit for a true conversation. Not only was her Witchcraft stronger than ever, but the power inside of her, the monster within her was fully capable of rousing the spirits of the departed even without her other-selves present. Briefly, she fluttered with the temptation to do so before shooting the thought down. This was about the two parents who'd been unjustly torn from their child the day he was born and attempting to give them some form of closure. For that, their souls were owed the utmost respect.

In just a couple of hours it'd officially be Mother's Day. The Hidden Leaf was going to be quite an active place, filled with parents and couples and whatnot. For the first time, Naruto Uzumaki would be amongst them, joining in the celebrations as he finally had someone to call a maternal figure. Before said figure could official do so she had to do this first.

"Lady Kushina…your son is a very bright and outgoing young man, a trait I hear he shares with you. Heh, it seems to be a trait of us foxes, or those of us associated with foxes, huh? I hope that energy will remain with him, but hopefully balanced out by a wee bit of caution and wisdom. Sadly, such things sometimes escape me leaving it to my husband to administer them. Be that as it may, I will try my best, for his sake." Bowing her head, Tamamo hoped her words reached the afterlife, and that they were accepted by the red-headed kunoichi who'd birthed Naruto. From what she'd gathered, Kushina had been a fiery-spirited woman, the kind that she might not have entirely gotten along with. Or so she told herself. From time to time, she'd caught her husband joking with the Third Hokage, casually remarking the similarities between the two women. Tamamo would have liked to meet Kushina Uzumaki in person to see if that were true. "One day…Naruto will find this place, he will stand before you two. I…you have my word, I will do all in my power to ensure he's matured into a fine young man when he does."

Your word? What good is your word? Chimed a deep and mocking voice that made Tamamo's sorrowful frown twist into a snarl. Have you forgotten that you are a mass murderer and a liar? The great deceiver who'd bewitched an emperor and nearly brought down an entire country. Your word, about as good as a-

SILENCE! You know that's not what really happened!

There was a pause, almost as if her inner self was surprised as the hot defense Tamamo had raised in defense of herself. Usually, when the divine monstrosity chose to berate her, the pink-haired Caster normally took it in painful silence and acceptance. That had changed. Who was the cause of it though, was the question. Tamamo had met a great many people in her quest to stop her Alter Egos, people who'd offered their opinions on what she'd done and what kind of person she was. Bit by bit, they'd helped give her the strength to stand against the accusations. Newly added to the list was a little blond who knew next to nothing of her past, yet whose very voice and presence filled with a righteous strength that made her feel like a decent person.

Perhaps it was some of the fiery will of the Red-Hot Habanero's spirit leaking into her. Unknown to all but her husband, Tamamo-no-Mae and Kushina Uzumaki shared more than a few things in common, namely an inner demon they bought fought to suppress, an inner demon that had caused them great pains in life. Yet in spite of that pain they'd managed to find love in others and love for themselves.

After gathering herself, Tamamo returned to her prayer. It was probably the first time she'd done so since arriving in the world of shinobi. A few would have pointed out the irony in her, a goddess in disguise, praying. No, more like begging for another's forgiveness, a mortal's forgiveness, and their blessings.

The world was a strange place, the barriers that separated the divine and mundane could be switched and even toppled. Both races shared a few commonalities, the desire for love and acceptance being one of them.

What felt like hours marked by the wind and the shifting leaves passed. After another long work-day, Tamamo was happy for the tranquility. Though she received more than enough coming home to her husband and adoptive son, there were times even she needed to be alone with her thoughts, dark or depressing as they may have been. Clouds passed overhead allowing the glow of the moon to return to the world. She took that as a sign to return to her home, to the quiet little family she was slowly building.

Rising to her feet, she turned her back to the graves and began walking. Tamamo got ten paces before she stopped and turned her head. Two graves, the names of inscribed on them names that had brought hope and dread within various people. For Tamamo, they were living monuments that she'd accepted the task of living up to, one in particular.

"One day, Naruto will return here, and I…he will have a smile on his face as he thanks you for the life and love you gave him."

The Hidden Leaf Village was as silent as it was when she'd set out from her home. There were a few people out as one would expect from a decent-sized city with a population in the thousands. For the moment, that's all Tamamo and her Master were, just another set of faces in the crowd. When the sun rose in a few hours she'd be something else-a mother to a child. As she hopped from rooftop to rooftop a part of her still found the transformation hard to believe.

Coming upon the door of her home, she took extra care to turn the knob as lightly as possible and slip inside with equal silence. The last thing she wanted was to wake her slumbering husband or her son. Seconds after entering the home, she realized that one of them was already up.

Though no Assassin, Tamamo could be stealthy, she was after all, a fox. In heartbeat she was tip-toing into the living room where she caught sight of her son.

Naruto had a deep look of thought on his face as he stared at the object in his hands. Beside him lay a stack of floorboards, freshly pulled up and piled up to his right. Momentarily, Tamamo questioned if Hakuno had slacked off in designing their home or done so intentionally. Knowing him, she was willing to bet it was the latter.

She made the mistake of letting out an audible gasp upon hearing the sound of sobbing. It caught Naruto's attention, somehow. Turning his head, the blond immediately went to wipe the tears from his eyes, but Tamamo was already on him. He didn't fight her embrace.

"Another nightmare?" She softly questioned.

"N-No…no, I…I kinda got hungry and wanted something to eat. I…went out and just…I got to thinking. M-Mom, I…what do you…um…well," The more he tried to force the words out the more unsure he felt. It was a painful paradox he was too young to deal with. Luckily, Tamamo had seen such unease and doubt before and knew a little about how to deal with it.

Wrapping an arm around him, she gently kissed his golden spikes. "She loved you, Naruto, she loved you more than you could possibly imagine."

"But how do you know that? Did you…did you…know my real mom? I-I mean my birth mom?" He immediately corrected hoping not to break the mood.

Before answering, she took him out to the pouch, the same pouch that she and her husband had sat upon the night before. The serene cocoon they'd sat in quickly coiled around her and the young jinchūriki. "No, but I know that she was a strong-spirited woman, just like you, her son."

Those words seemed to be enough for the smile that she'd come to adorned returned. Slowly wiggling out of her arms, Tamamo watched the young boy shuffle on his feet keeping the frame-like item pressed against his chest. "Um…since it's kinda…of…eh, here goes. Here you go, mom." Holding his arms out, Naruto grinned, showing the smile that Tamamo knew in her heart would one day become his trademark.

A lone tear slipped from her eyes as she took the light wooden frame. "N-N-Naruto…"

Always the emotional person, the Servant pulled the boy into a hug he eagerly returned. It was very possible that all the hugs in the world would never be enough to make up for what had been taken from the boy, but it was a start. It was not the last, far from it.

Okaa-san itsumo arigatou.

Those words cut both ways, ways that the two foxes would treasure always.


A very belated Mother's Day chapter I hope you all enjoyed. The translation of the print Naruto created means, "Mother, thank you for everything."