Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.

Chapter 13: Before the Storm

At the Akimichi household

Chouta was now lying on her bedroom thinking about her recent trip to the thick forest two days from the Leaf Village. The trip was in preparation to the Chuunin Exams. Before she had left, her mother Sanae had encouraged her to be strong and have faith in her teammates. She had of course heeded her advice, but there was something she didn't expect to witness while doing the preparations.

She had witnessed Inojin being consumed by a slight bloodlust and had even caught a glimpse of his red eyes. That was the first time she had seen the Sharingan. Prior to that, she possessed some knowledge about the different Kekkei Genkais, including the Byakugan and Sharingan. But after seeing the way Inojin acted with those crimson eyes, she had felt greatly troubled.

But she didn't want to antagonise her teammate, and neither would Shikaien. For now, they would have to contend with it, and hope that none of this would be spread amongst the Leaf Village. Only Ayumu-sensei, the Hokage and even Nashiko's father could only keep this information.

Chouta's thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and in came her mother Sanae Akimichi. She had short, black hair and unlike her husband and children, was thinner. But she greatly appreciated their appearances and always stood by their side whenever someone insulted them. That's what made Sanae a terrific mother of two children and a wife. She was actually from the Hidden Rock Village in the Land of Earth, but after meeting Chouji during the Fourth Shinobi World War, she and him had started a relationship together and eventually got married. Since then, Sanae had been living in the Leaf Village as the proud wife of the Akimichi clan's patriarch

Sanae smiled at her daughter and Chouta did so in return. "Are you feeling alright, Chouta?" she asked her.

Chouta nodded in return. "Yeah…..I guess so. I am just a little bit anxious about the upcoming Chuunin Exams" she answered.

"Well I can't blame you. All young genins feel insecure about the Exams when they first hear it" Sanae answered with a smile. But then she shifted focus. "Oh, I almost forgot! You appear to have a visitor, Chouta. So I will leave you two alone" she added, much to the chubby girl's surprise.

"Who is it? Is it Shikaien?" she asked, but paused in surprise once she got a glimpse of who were standing in the doorway as her mother left. It was Inojin. This took her by surprise. The young raven-haired boy had a somewhat sad look on his face as he eyed Chouta.

"Hello….Chouta" he said lowly while eyeing her. This was perhaps the first time Chouta had seen Inojin greeting her at such a friendly manner.

"Hello Inojin. What brings you here?" she asked while replying to his greeting.

The young boy stared at the ground for a bit before eyeing her again. "I have heard that you like slush. So I was wondering if…you would like to go to the candy shop with me" he said while being gentle.

Chouta couldn't believe her eyes. The usually serious and cold Inojin was asking her to hang out with him. Sure it wasn't necessarily a date, but more like: hanging out. Her face fixed a gleeful smile upon her face and she stood right before him.

"Are you saying you want me to hang out with you?" Chouta asked with her eyes glittering.

Inojin nodded awkwardly. "Yes….that's what I'm asking about" he replied. Chouta squealed Inojin tightly, much to his surprise and confusion.

"I am so glad you came here asking, Inojin! I was feeling bored and didn't know what to do! But then you came and asked if we could hang out!" she said with happiness in her voice. "Then what are waiting for? Let's go the candy shop! It's good when friends hang out, right?" she asked, making Inojin surprisingly chuckle at what she asked.

"Of course it is, Chouta" he replied while continuing chuckling.

As the two friends went out, Sanae watched with pride as her daughter was now hanging out with a friend. But she was suddenly interrupted in her thoughts by her husband, as well as their other child and Chouta's younger brother: Daichi Akimichi. He resembled his mother in terms of personality and appearance, plus being chubby. He was also good friends with Nashiko's younger brother Jiro.

"Well, there goes our princess, hanging out with her newfound friend. I don't wanna antagonise Inojin, but I can't help but to feel insecure about Chouta being with him" Chouji commented to his wife. Daichi was chewing on some potato chips so he didn't necessarily care what they were talking about.

Sanae smiled at them while showing some understanding for her husband's concerns. "Yes I know. But remember, we can't fault him for all the horrors that happened many years ago, can we?" she asked him.

Chouji smiled at this and nodded. "You are right. This is a new era. We shouldn't concern ourselves with this. Chouta is on the verge of understanding how it is to grow up. So we will leave this matter with Inojin to her, Shikaien and Ayumu" Chouji said while realising the point.

At the Aburame household

Outside the Aburame household, Saburou was sitting on a branch of a tree in his garden. The blonde-haired boy was sitting there while allowing the insects within him to run freely across the branch and search for food. He then watched the sun, as it gazed through the opening in the leaves.

As he sat there in silence, Saburou could only think of the disastrous test he and his teammates had faced. It ended up badly with Kazue-sensei forced to intervene with humility. Once he had gotten back of the mission, the all of the students' parents had gotten word of the test and its result, including Saburou's father. And of course, Shino had scolded his son for not taking this seriously, but Saburou fought back the criticism.

However, it didn't take long for the blonde-haired boy to realise that the reason why the test failed was because of him and his teammates' failure to cooperate. This wasn't necessarily the case with Ochinko. Instead, it was between him and Minami. From the day they were put on the same team, people, even Ochinko and Kazue-sensei, could tell the differences between Saburou and Minami. He was the more calculating, she was the more ambitious.

"Damn…..speaking of having issues" Saburou thought in his head while watching the sun through the leaves. He could feel the wind blowing and it made the leaves move. "If I am gonna work better with her, then I must start to know her better" he added to his thoughts. Somehow, he knew that this was the only way of accomplishing something with his team.

The insects began crawling into his hoodie and Saburou was finished with sitting on the branch. He jumped down and was about to enter his home, but stopped once his father opened it from the inside. Shino still wore sunglasses and wore a thick beige jacket. And of course, his hairstyle had changed, as it had grown longer and was now tied to a ponytail.

"What were you doing in the garden, my son? Were you watching the insects?" he asked his son. Saburou only nodded as a yes. "Well that is fine by me. However, I expect you to prepare train yourself in preparations for the Exams. Since you are my son, I will reveal you this: I am actually hired as an examiner in the Exams" he revealed sternly.

"So that means you will get tougher with us? That shouldn't be a problem for me. But for the others, yes" Saburou replied with a surprisingly smug look on his face.

Shino formed a frown on his face. "I advise you not to underestimate your own father, Saburou. During the Exams, I trust you will take them seriously. If not, your exit is right before you" he warned his son while adjusting his sunglasses.

Saburou didn't feel like listening to his father's advice any longer, so he walked beside him and into the house. Shino didn't prevent him and only stood there watching his son heading for his bedroom.

"I still don't get it why he behaves that way. Must be his mother's inner confidence he has inherited" Shino remarked lowly while thinking about his wife, a fellow member of the Aburame clan: Umeko Aburame. She like many of her clansmen had participated in the Fourth Shinobi World War. After the war ended, Shino and Umeko had surprisingly grown romantic attracted to one another. Their marriage resulted in them becoming the parent of three children: their eldest daughter Susumu, their only son Saburou and their youngest daughter Yasu.

Being a family father was something Shino didn't expect to become. He was actually a work-orientated man. But he would still try to be a good father and help his children in any way possible.

"Do you think he is ready for the Exams, father?" Shino could hear the voice of Yasu coming from beside him. She was wearing a purple jacket and had short, brown hair. It was the same colour as that of his father's hair. Shino eyed his youngest child while adjusting his sunglasses.

"That is a question I would really like to find the answer of, Yasu. But I am not giving up on him so easily. All I seek is that he understands the true meaning of comradeship" Shino replied to her daughter's question.

Yasu chuckled and smiled while thinking about her older brother. "I can tell that you are hiding something from me, father. Perhaps you actually do have confidence in him, which I would like to find out myself" she thought in her head while eyeing her father.

In the streets of Konoha

Chouta and Inojin were walking down the street, having just been to the candy store and bought some slush. Chouta had a strawberry slush while Inojin had bought an orange slush. Together they passed through many people as they wondered where to go next.

"So which place shall we go? We can sit in the café if you want" Chouta came up with a suggestion to which Inojin eyed her with approval.

"Of course, we can sit there" he replied and they headed for the café not far from where they stood.

But as they were nearing the building, they paused once they saw Nashiko and Shunsuke exiting the café's door. The two duos met each other and surprises appeared on their faces.

"Oh, hi Inojin, Chouta!" Nashiko said with a smile. Chouta replied back while Inojin eyed her in a awkward manner.

"Nashiko and Shunsuke, we didn't expect to run into you by the café" Chouta remarked while smiling.

Shunsuke eyed his brother who eyed him in return. "Brother, what are you doing here? Are you and Chouta hanging out?" he asked him.

Inojin nodded as a yes to his question. "We have just been to the candy store and we thought it would be nice to find a place to sit, so we chose this café" he said, much to Shunsuke and Nashiko's surprises. It was surprising because a loner like Inojin was actually socialising with someone. And it was Chouta, his own teammate!

"And it was he who actually asked me to hang out with him" Chouta smiled while taking a slurp from her slush.

But right now there was something going on between Nashiko and Inojin. Months ago, they had a duel between each other after. And while it had been a while, Inojin still hadn't apologised to Nashiko about the confrontation between them. He hung his head in shame, which both Shunsuke and Nashiko noticed. The young pink-haired girl wondered what was wrong with him.

"Hey Nashiko….." he spoke up while slowly lifting up his head. His eyes were filled with humility. "I know it was months ago…..but I still haven't apologised for that fight after school. So I am sorry….sorry for attacking you" he said while closing his eyes.

Shunsuke, Nashiko and Chouta were surprised by Inojin's words. For Shunsuke, this was probably the first time his brother had apologised to someone other than him and their mother. He had never done that Iruka-sensei or other instructors. Nashiko didn't know what to say, but she formed a cheerful smile on her face while eyeing Inojin. She also began giggling.

"That's okay, Inojin. We all make mistakes. I mean, who hasn't?" she replied back as if it was not that big of a deal. But she could see that Inojinwas more than content with her words. He nodded in approval.

"Anyway, what were you two doing in the café together? Are you two on a date?" Chouta suddenly asked Nashiko and Shunsuke mischievously. This caused Shunsuke to blush in embarrassment while Nashiko snapped with anger.

"I-I've n-no idea of w-what you s-speak of!" Shunsuke said while stumbling with words.

Nashiko's face was filled with anger. "WHO EVER SAID WE WERE DATING, YOU FATGIRL!?" Nashiko asked while insulting Chouta using the f word.

This triggered Chouta and she was furious of what she heard. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING FAT, BIMBO!?" she retorted and was about to walk towards Nashiko, until they all heard a known voice calling to them.

"Hey! What are you kids bickering for?" it was the voice of Naruto who suddenly appeared before the group and eyed Nashiko who gulped once she saw him. "Hey Nashiko, don't you ever judge people by their appearances and weight. Chouta is a smart girl, you know. And she is good-looking just the way she is" Naruto scolded his daughter's outburst who stood there in embarrassment.

But he could see that Shunsuke and Inojin were with the girls as well, which amused him. Shunsuke eyed him with wonder, while Inojin gave him an approving glance. Naruto smiled at them in return.

"So I see you're hanging out with Shunsuke. But where's Takeda? Why isn't he with you?" he asked both Nashiko and Shunsuke.

"Actually we asked him if he would like to join us, but he politely declined. But he appreciated our offer, anyways" Shunsuke told him, making Naruto nod in approval.

"I see, then that makes sense. For you see, I was wondering if you and my pumpkin were on a date or something" Naruto remarked while joking which caused Nashiko to become even more embarrassed. Shunsuke only chuckled, trying to go along with Naruto's joke.

"DAD, WE'RE NOT DATING!" Nashiko shouted furiously, in a same manner as her mother would.

But Naruto ignored this and shifted his focus on Inojin and Chouta. "What about you two? Why isn't Shikaien with you?" he asked them.

This time, Inojin was the one to answer. "The thing is: I never intended to hang out with both Chouta and Shikaien at the same time. I first needed to get better acquainted with them individually. It is not for being selfish and mean, but because it will help me to develop friendships with both Chouta and Shikaien" Inojin explained. This made Chouta feel emotional and happy at the same time.

Naruto nodded his head. "Well that's a good start, Inojin. Then I take it you were the one to ask Chouta to hang out, right?" he asked while commenting Itachi's efforts. The young raven-haired boy nodded his head.

"I hate to be rude, Master Naruto, but what are you doing here?" Shunsuke asked.

The blonde-haired man chuckled in amusement. "Please, there's no need to address me with formalities. Just call me Naruto" he told the young Uchiha. Naruto then focused his gaze on Nashiko who snapped in surprise. "Now as for why I'm here, I actually came here to apprehend this lazy girl beside you. She didn't finish cleaning her room before she left the house" the blonde-haired man explained while eyeing his daughter like she was an escaped convict.

With quick pace, he grabbed Nashiko and lifted her like she was a sleeping bag. She was furious and demanded he immediately let her go to no avail. Her friends only watched this with confusion.

Naruto turned around to eye the children one last time before scramming. "It was nice talking to you all, especially you, Inojin. I will tell this to Sakura and she may change her opinion on you, with your consent of course" Naruto explained while briefly eyeing Inojin who was surprisingly grateful to Naruto for doing this.

The trio continued watching the distance Naruto jumped towards. But they couldn't catch up with his speed, of course. Naruto was way faster for them to follow.

At the house of Kurenai Yuhi

Ayumu had decided to catch on with his mother. It had been a while since they had spoken with each other, considering that Ayumu had been busy with preparing his team for the upcoming Chuunin Exams. But his mother fully understood that. As a former jounin herself, she knew all the challenges that lied ahead for her son.

After Ayumu knocked on the door, it opened and Ayumu was greeted with a hug by none other than Kurenai Yuhi herself. After many years working as a jounin, Kurenai had decided to retire and passed on her legacy to her son. Some of her generation still operated, but she felt that their time had passed. Now it was her son's turn to guide new lives into the new era.

"Ayumu, I am so glad you came here!" she exclaimed while letting her son go of her embrace.

"Hi mom, it's been a while since we last talked, huh?" Ayumu asked while smiling at her aging mother.

She smiled in return. "Come in, Ayumu. You see, someone else wanted to see you" she said.

Once Ayumu got in the living room, his face changed into that of excitement. Sitting on the couch was his own cousin: Konohamaru Sarutobi. He grinned mischievously and waved his hand at him. He still wore his blue scarf around his throat, even though he was an adult and many years older than Ayumu.

"Hey there, cuz, surprised to see me here, huh!?" he asked Ayumu with enthusiasm. "Well believe it or not, your lovable cousin Konohamaru Sarutobi is here!" he added with confidence.

Ayumu only laughed at this. "Whoa! This must be my lucky day! So I guess you have returned from your "diplomatic mission", unless I'm mistaking" he said with sarcasm. Konohamaru grinned in return.

"Damn right! The whole journey to the Hidden Rock Village sure was a big pain in the ass. Both there and back again, I mean. But at least the mission was a success. Both the Hokage and Naruto were pleased by our progress!" Konohamaru exclaimed while resting his arms behind his neck. Ayumu only smirked.

Kurenai came back and at on a seat beside them. There was much she wanted to hear from her son. "Tell me, Ayumu. How does it feel like to guide new students?" she asked with enthusiasm. "I think Konohamaru would also like to hear this" she added while gazing at the brown-haired man.

Ayumu cleared his throat and decided to tell them in his own way as possible. "I enjoy this job, mom. Believe me or not I am actually teaching Shikamaru-sensei's son, as well as the Akimichi heiress" he explained to them.

Kurenai smiled and so did Konohamaru. "Well that sounds very familiar to me. Your father was Shikamaru's teacher when he was younger. Also Chouta's father was under Asuma's wing" the aging woman explained. But she shifted focus. "But who's the third of your students?" she asked.

The red-eyed man took a brief moment to think about how to answer this. But he sucked it up and decided to try his best, by asking her something. "Listen ma. Even though Sasuke Uchiha did many atrocities before this…..hell broke loose. You wouldn't necessarily hold grudges against his children, would you?" he asked with seriousness in his voice.

Both his mother and cousin widened after hearing him. Why are you asking me that, Ayumu? Wait a second…..are you saying you…." Kurenai was out of words and Ayumu decided to speak up.

"That's right. I was chosen by the Hokage and Naruto-sensei to also be the mentor of Inojin Uchiha: one of Ino Yamanaka's twin boys. But he and his brother are also Sasuke's sons" he revealed, causing a brief silence in the living room.

Suddenly Konohamaru started to speak up, ceasing the silence. "I know what you're getting at. But just to be clear, Sasuke may had joined the Akatsuki later….but he wasn't the one directly responsible for your father's death" the brown-haired man told his cousin while putting his hand on his shoulder.

Kurenai started to smile and decided to speak up to Ayumu's case. "Your cousin speaks the truth, Ayumu. And truth be told, I would've never hold a grudge against Sasuke and Ino's sons just because of something terrible that happened many years ago. I got you and raised you to become a strong ninja just like your father" Kurenai spoke with a touching voice. Ayumu watched her with eyes of realization. "If he was sitting here right now, I am sure he would've urged to be strong and guide your students. That would also include mentoring Itachi" she encouraged him.

Ayumu's face began smiling as he knew that his mother spoke the truth. He then looked towards a corner where a picture of his father was standing. As he watched it, Ayumu smiled with confidence in himself.

"Thanks pops! I am gonna do my best, I swear it!" he said in his head. But that brief moment was interrupted by Konohamaru's cheeky and smiling face appearing right before his. Ayumu freaked out because of it.

"ARRRRGHHHH, WHAT THE HELL, CUZ!?" he asked. Both his cousin and mother laughed at his reaction.

"I'm so sorry, Ayumu! But I just had to…..you're so funny when you freak out!" Konohamaru began another round of laughing.

Kurenai stopped laughing and watched them with a smile. "Well that's just Konohamaru to us!" she surprisingly began laughing with him.

Ayumu watched this, but he only smiled in return. What could he expect? This was just his family for him. He valued them greatly as much as he valued everyone else in the village.

Later, at the Uchiha-Yamanaka residence

Shunsuke was now staring towards a picture. It was a picture of his father and his teammates when they were younger with their sensei standing tall behind them. He had always been curios to know how his father was really like, without the mentioning of the crimes he committed many years ago. How was he during the Chuunin Exams?

He approached his mother, who was busy watering some plants which were going to be sold at the flower shop. Shunsuke didn't know if this would help, but he had to try.

"Hey mom, can I ask you something" Shunsuke said to catch her attention.

Ino turned around to eye her son. "Sure, what is it?" she asked with a smile.

Shunsuke gulped before asking. "It's about dad. I mean, how he was like when he was…...a genin?" he asked, uncertain if this was correct of him to ask.

"Well, there are many things I can describe him. As a genin at the Academy, he was handsome, intelligent and cool, but at the same time also arrogant, cold and socially awkward" Ino explained while answering. "He and I were among the top students in our class. I remember how I always strived to gain his affections….but your father had problems opening up to people given the trauma he had been through" Ino further explained, also reminding her son about some certain details.

"But he did express admiration for his teammates, right?" Shunsuke asked further.

Ino giggled after hearing this. "Of course he did. He was put on the same team as Nashiko's parents and he started to develop bonds with them, more specifically with Naruto" Ino revealed.

Shunsuke couldn't help but to smile at this. "Then I guess he did well on the Chuunin Exams…..didn't he?" he suddenly asked.

Ino was filled with confusion after hearing this. The thought of what Sasuke did during and aafter the Chuunin Exams made her less than obliged to reply to her son's question. She hung her head and stared towards the ground. Shunsuke noticed this and decided to cheer her up.

"I am sorry, if I am asking too much, mom. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable" he said while trying to lift her spirits, only for the blonde-haired woman to sat down to his level and put her hands on his shoulders. She then eyed him with a forgiving look on her face. Shunsuke however faced the ground. "It's just that….I wish dad could've spent more time with us. Even though we get to see him, it feels like I don't know him. I don't understand!" he said with confusion in his voice.

Ino smiled at him sweetly. "I know you do. And I am glad to see that it is not just me who cares about your father. But don't worry, Shunsuke. I am certain your father will be present at the Chuunin Exams" she said while trying to cheer him up. Shunsuke smiled in return, trying to make her mother feel secure.

But while they were speaking about his father, Inojin entered the room, watching as his twin brother and mother hugged each other tightly. He had overheard their conversation. Shunsuke and Ino stopped and noticed Inojin standing there with his arms crossed.

"Inojin, I see you're back after hanging out with Chouta" he said while smiling. Inojin didn't say anything in return.

Ino smiled after seeing Inojin "How did it go, sweetie? It's nice that you have decided to make contact with someone outside your family" she commented her son.

Inojin closed his eyes before answering. "It went fine. She was satisfied by hanging out with me" he answered plainly. "But I better get back to my room. I have important things to do, so excuse me" he then added and was about to turn around and leave, until he was stopped by Shunsuke touching his shoulder. "What's your deal, Shunsuke?" Inojin asked while looking over his shoulder, trying not to be enraged as possible.

Shunsuke eyed him with a determined face. "Inojin, we know you overheard our conversation. So let me ask you this: what do you think about dad? Don't you wish he could've spent more time with us?" the raven-haired boy asked while wanting an answer. Itachi only eyed him sternly in return. His mouth began forming into a frown.

"Why do you ask? I have already given you my answer. That man, our "so-called" father, was never able to convince people in this village to not drag us into his actions of the past!" he replied with a hint of anger in his voice

Ino decided not to be left outside and intervened. "Inojin, don't speak as if you know all of this. You weren't present to witness all these atrocities, so why bother dwindling in them? They happened years ago" she asked sternly while crossing her arms.

The long-haired boy didn't necessarily want to start a conflict with his mother. But still, he had to answer her question. "If so, why does people still condemn us!? Why do people in this village still call you a slut and a whore for marrying a former international criminal!? And more importantly….." Shunsuke and Ino could hear Inojin sobbing and tears began streaming from his eyes. Shunsuke then let go of his grip on his brother's shoulder. "Why…why didn't he stand up for us like a true father would? Why did he always give us disapproving glances? And why the hell does he consider me to be special" Inojin continued asking as tears streamed from his eyes.

Shunsuke decided to cheer his brother up, but something hit his head. "I see…..you were kind of…..jealous of the relationship Nashiko had with her father…..right?" he asked, but he got no answer.

Ino could feel her son's sadness and it began infecting her as well. She then looked down to the floor, thinking about her husband. It's true she missed him. But she also understood how Sasuke had chosen this way, considering that he wanted to atone for his hateful actions. But deep insider her, Ino hoped that Sasuke would be able to come back and support their twin sons in the Chuunin Exams.

To be continued…

Author's note: That was chapter 13. The next one will be the start of the Chuunin Exams. And of course, I will try to make it different from what Naruto had. But at the same time, I will also introduce new original characters, some who might be the children of the many characters in the Naruto-universe.