Akiko did well to hide her amusement and keep herself from laughing. Her Mama just looked so, so startled. It was such a change from the odd expressions dancing across her face just moments before. Guilt, understanding, sadness, fear, anger, apprehension. To see all those complicated emotions give way to shock...it was wonderful.

"Akiko-chan...you- children-" Himawari paused, took a breath and continued, "Akiko, a child can't adopt another child...not unless it's under certain circumstances."

The little girl pouted, "Oh."

From behind her, Akiko could hear Naruto making all kinds of strange, confused noises. She honestly didn't understand why they were so surprised by the suggestion. Naruto was an orphan. People adopted orphans. It was why there were orphanages and adoption papers.

After a moment, the pout was gone and Akiko did her best to put on her 'most cheerful, happiest grin ever'. It was actually a bit painful. She wasn't sure cheeks were supposed to stretch that much. However, this was a moment that called for such a painfully happy expression.

With all the confidence a chronically-sleep deprived three year old could possess, Akiko looked to her mother and said, "Then you can adopt him."

Himawari stared at her daughter with worried blue eyes. Her skin paled ever so slightly, making the bright red markings over her eyes stand out even more than they did. What was she thinking? Adopt...Uzumaki Naruto?

The woman sat down on the ground, setting the shopping bags off to the side. She and her daughter were vaguely aware of people all around the park were staring and whispering.

Akiko's eyes were narrow brown slits. She could hear them. She didn't like them. The mean things they whispered about her mother and about Naruto, weren't right, or kind, or fair. Why did they have to say those things? Couldn't people find it in themselves to be quiet about their hatefulness?

The mother sighed, not even giving the people around them a second thought. Her mind was occupied with the current problem. Adopting Naruto. This...wasn't going to be easy.

"Are...Are you sure?"

There wasn't even a second of hesitation, not that either Saisei expected there to be, "Of course."

Himawari gained a far-away look in her eyes. She'd have to see Lord Third...guilt trip him into letting her have the boy...convince him it wasn't the machinations of the clan. Her stomach turned at the thought of speaking to Fugaku about this. Her brother-in-law wouldn't be pleased.

The clan had already suffered enough thanks to the fox. They were blamed for the attack. If she brought the fox's 'keeper' into the clan, the council would accuse the clan of trying to use the boy. In reality, the council wanted to use him themselves...but they'd be even angrier if he was with the Uchiha...never mind that if something happened and he lost control, the Uchiha were the best equipped to handle the situation-

Actually. That sounded really good.

She could use the obvious dislike her clan had for her, but still point out that the Uchiha were best at keeping the rest of Konoha safe...right? And if she used some of the wait her family name still held-

As her thoughts raced on how best to go about adopting the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the two children turned back to one another,

"U-um...Akiko...?" Naruto whispered quietly, "What's happening?"

"Oh!" she blinked as she turned to look at him, "We're adopting you."

He furrowed his brows and scrunched up his nose, "Why?"

"I dunno...Because you should be adopted? Because I want you to be my brother?" the girl shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't going to explain the dreams.

"B-but...I'm...a monst-"

"No you're not!" Akiko snapped, giving him a horrified expression of disbelief. How could he say that about himself? He was Uzumaki Naruto!

Uzumaki Naruto is the farthest thing from a monster.

Her mind suddenly felt full. Memories of dreams rose up. Images of a boy giving that sunny-lie of a grin. Saving lives. Fighting bad guys. Protecting his loved ones. Declaring he'd protect a village full of people who deserved nothing but his hate.

A little blond boy on a swing set-

"But that's what all the grown-ups say." the boy told her, looking so lost and confused in that moment. Like he couldn't fathom that maybe they were all wrong, and that someone out there didn't see him that way.

Akiko lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him. Her mind was full of panicked thoughts she didn't understand. Then, as quickly as the flood of memories came, they sank back down into the depths of her mind, leaving with a strange sort of pride for the boy and anger at the nameless population of Konoha.

He was tense in her grip, not sure what to do. Of course, he'd seen people do this all the time. It was called a 'hug'. He'd gotten one or two from Jiji, but those never lasted long, and he never really knew what to do. He was supposed to wrap his arms around the other person in the hug right?

Hesitantly, he returned the hug.

Eventually, Akiko pulled back from the hug slightly, but stayed close enough to the boy that it didn't matter if she wasn't actively hugging him, since she might as well have been.

Himawari shifted, bringing their attention back to the woman. She turned her gaze to Naruto, "My name is Saisei-Uchiha Himawari...and I'll be your mother from now on."

The children stared at her in silence. Akiko was beaming, and didn't feel the need to speak. Naruto, on the other hand, was staring in wide-eyed disbelief. Someone actually wanted him? Not just another kid, but an actual adult who wasn't Jiji wanted to adopt him?

After a moment, both children are scooped up into a pair of deceptively delicate arms. Himawari grins down at the two children in her arms.

"Well. Let's get going," Himawari had a little skip in her step as she started moving. Behind her, an earth-clone picked up the shopping bags, trailing along after the three.

"Where?" Akiko questioned.

The blue eyed woman spoke loudly, not only to tell her daughter where they were going, but to make sure the ANBU hiding from view would know that she wasn't just kidnapping the boy off the street.

"If we're going to be adopting Naruto-kun, we'll have to go speak with the Hokage, but that could take a while. So we'll be getting some lunch first, so you two don't get hungry."

Mind you, she should have just run off with the boy. It would teach those lazy morons a thing or two about childcare. Honestly, letting the boy wander around town where anything could happen if they didn't step in fast enough. He was three years old! Kids that age need CONSTANT supervision.

"Lunch!" Akiko cheered. She squirmed in her mother's grasp, making the woman stop and set the children down. Akiko grabbed hold of her mother's fingers with one hand, and grabbed Naruto's hand with the other, to make sure neither of them got lost.

Naruto stared down at the hand holding his own, before looking around them. Like he was expecting this all to be some kind of trap.

Akiko supposed she should have expected this. Naruto wasn't lucky like Akiko was. She had a Mama who loved her very much, and an Aunt and cousins who were just as protective. Naruto wasn't used to having a family. He didn't know what it was like to have a sibling or a mother.

She'd teach him though. Siblings were amazing. They would kill for one another. Nothing could come in between them! Akiko was going to be the best sister in the universe.

Of course, Akiko was aware that she was...different from other children her age...or at least, different from Sasuke and Naruto. She was a bit like Itachi. Old inside. Or at least that's what it felt like to her. It was hard to stay innocent when people died every time you went to sleep.

So...the three year old figured she'd have to be the Itachi to Naruto's Sasuke.

Or something like that.

Why did that thought make her feel all cold inside?

She shook her head, casting her thoughts to better things. Like lunch.

With a strength unexpected from such a tiny girl, Akiko dragged her mother and soon-to-be-brother down the street. She knew of this fantastic ramen place her mother had taken her to once. And then again. And again andagainandagain...their ramen was really good.

Naruto liked ramen.

Or at least...he looked like the kind of person who likes ramen.

Akiko would know. She was an expert on ramen. She loved the stuff, and her mama seemed to enjoy it as well, so it wasn't like she was a stranger to the heavenly food.

"Ramen, ramen. Ramen~!" Akiko said in a sing-song voice as she continued to tug the two along. It was partly to let her Mama know where they were going, but also to express her undying love to ramen.

"Alright, alright, Akiko. We'll get some ramen. And then visit the Hokage."

As the little girl nodded enthusiastically, the boy tilted his head in question, "Um...Akiko-chan...What's ramen?"

She was completely delighted to hear him call her 'Akiko-chan'...it meant he didn't feel like he had to be formal with her or anything! That was great. And soon? She'd get him to call her his sister.

Her brow furrowed when another thought hit her after he spoke. What had that last thing he'd said been? Something about… 'What's ramen?'

"Oh here we go." Himawari muttered to herself quietly as she watched Akiko grin, wrapping an arm around her 'brother's' shoulders.

"Well you see, dear brother...Ramen...is the food of the Gods."

Himawari let out a very unladylike snort, quickly covering her mouth with her free hand. It was just like Kushi-

Ah. Best not think about that. It was hard enough looking down at the two of them as they walked a little bit ahead of her. All she could see was a girl with red hair and a boy with spiky blond locks. The fact that the red head was ranting about ramen just made it- It hurt, so, so much.

Kushina was gone. Minato was gone. So many people were gone, and they left gaping holes in Himawari's heart. She couldn't find them no matter how hard she searched.

Somewhere in the back of Himawari's mind, a voice whispered 'Fear not, little Sun...soon you'll be able to find those bonds again.'

And she didn't fear. Not really. It should have scared her...but she'd known for years now that it was coming closer every day. She'd prepared for it as best she could. When she was gone, at the very least her daughter wouldn't be alone. The little girl would have enough bonds with the people around her that she'd never be alone.


Heheh...guess who finally decided to work on this again? Ah...yeah.

SO! This sin't as long as I planned it to be, but since its been so long since I've worked on this story, and I'm not quite used to Akiko anymore (If anyone's read my story 'Demon Eyes' you know that Akiko's very, very different from Aisako...despite the similarities they have in appearance and name).

I can't promise this one'll get updated as often as it should, but hopefully until I run out of the old stuff to rewrite, it'll be a bit quick?

Big thanks to DarkDust27, KawaiiPineapplePrincess, Lulumo, Random2Friends, belladu57, Shadowed Sorceress and Angelica7714 for reviewing!

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