Dreams Unbroken Dreams Unbroken
Chapter 10
Eneko then spent the next five minutes brushing the dirt and dust off her family's outfits and adding quick touch-ups while Naruto called the meeting.
"Now, what I need the three of you to do is go right inside the house and when I call your name come outside and introduce yourselves, okay? Does that sound simple enough? Sachi, Ijin, dears, don't be overwhelmed. Our family is kind of large now and days." She grinned over at Itachi who shook his head in exasperation. Niji smiled at her brother and sister and grabbed their hands, dragging them inside the house, trying to quickly give descriptions of each person so that they knew who they were looking for. Sachi's eyes were lit up with excitement while Ijin looked a little nervous. Eneko chuckled briefly before the first smell of smoke entered her nostrils. Naruto appeared, his hands crossed over his chest.
"Hi again, Eneko. I contacted as many people as I could. And don't worry Itachi." The blonde hokage added as Itachi looked over at him questioningly. "I didn't tell Sasuke any of the details." Itachi grinned and Eneko shook her head, smiling to herself.
"Thank you, Naruto-sama. But, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait to see my kids. They'll all be introduced once everyone gets here." Naruto grinned and nodded as everyone else started to arrive. First it was Hinata with Koro and Tami, both looking excited at the opportunity to have been invited to a meeting of any kind. Tami's eyes lit up as she saw Eneko.
"Eneko-sensei! You're back from your mission! We missed you in class! The substitute is so boring!" She exclaimed, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Eneko laughed and smiled at her.
"Well, if luck is on our side, Tami-chan, I'll be back in class on Monday. Are you ready to learn some more about strategy?" She asked. Tami nodded, her navy-colored hair bouncing around her face. Sakura and her four children were the next to arrive. Tai ran up and hugged Eneko as soon as he saw her.
"Eneko-oba-sensei!" He exclaimed happily. Eneko smiled and hugged him as well, shooing him back to his mother. Eneko waved over at Sakura, who waved back before breaking up a fight that had started up between the twins and Shura, yet again. Akari and Fugaku arrived next, followed by Deidara and finally Sasuke, looking exasperated.
"Man, Eneko. Ever since you got back, my life has gotten so much more busy." He muttered, rubbing his temples while standing by his wife. Eneko smirked over at him.
"You say that like it's a bad thing, Sasuke. Be happy that I did come back, or you'd still be having to deal with Grumpy Uchiha over here." She smirked, pointing at Itachi, who frowned.
"Eneko, can we please get on with it? I want to see the expression on Sasuke's face when he finds out." Sasuke sent him a strange look while Eneko just grinned and turned to address everyone.
"Hi everyone! Sorry about messing up your schedules and everything, but I think that you all should hear this. You all know I have a daughter, correct? Niji? Well, if you were alive then," she paused looking at the children, "you'll remember that the both of us where kidnapped by Akatsuki. Thankfully, I could get Niji away with one of my fans before any damage was done to her, but I was taken to the base. I won't go into details about what happened, but while I was there I befriended Kisame." She paused sighing. "He was the only one who knew that…I was pregnant. I found out while being held in the Akatsuki base." The air decreased as everyone took a gasp.
"While I was fighting Pein, I tried to teleport his corpse out of the continent. Instead, I found that I was standing on a portal into the otherworld. Sachi was born there, my son. He's ten years old now. And while I was finding our way home, I met Itachi and my doubles, Taki and Neko, and their daughter Ijin, Niji's double. Recently I had a premonition that Taki and Neko would be killed, and it was true. I couldn't warn them in enough time and now, they've gone on to the next realm. But their daughter is alive. Ijin is now my daughter and Niji's twin and if anyone says otherwise…" Eneko shot a threatening look around the group of gathered people "they'll have to answer to me." She smiled then.
"Niji, hon, could you come out now?" Eneko called toward the house. Niji walked out and stood by her father, smiling at the group and waving. "Ijin, sweetie, you next." She called. "And don't forget your introduction." She quickly added. Ijin walked out into the clearing to stand by Eneko.
"I'm Uchiha Ijin. Nice to meet you everyone!" She waved, winking. Eneko smiled at her and put a hand on her head, ruffling her hair.
"Sachi! Your turn." Eneko called back again. Nothing happened, no sound, no footsteps. "Sachi?" She called again.
"Sorry, Mom. We tried to convince him that what he was thinking was utterly unnecessary, but he wouldn't listen." Niji apologized from her spot behind Itachi. Eneko blinked before looking up. A blur spun towards the Earth, dark wings sprouting from his back. He spiraled down to land gracefully in front of Eneko and Itachi, grinning at his audience.
"What's up everyone? My name is Uchiha Sachi!" Everyone stood, stunned for a moment before the kids started clapping. The adults looked at each other, their looks saying 'yeah, that's defiantly Eneko's kid'. Eneko smiled and hugged Sachi from behind.
"Nice entrance, Sachi-kun, but don't scare me like that again next time, okay?" Sachi grinned and nodded at his mother. Naruto came forward and held his hand out.
"Hello you two. I'm your hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to finally get to meet you both. Welcome to the village." Ijin and Sachi's eyes both lit up as the rest of the group came to meet the newcomers. Eneko smiled at the happy scene before a blinding pain centered around her neck shot through her body. She gasped in pain and grasped Itachi's arm, shaking as her eyes began to dull.
"Itachi! Get everyone away! The curse is flaring up again!" She managed to gasp out. Itachi's eyes widened as he moved everyone out of the way. Eneko fully lost control as she slipped into a different world. In her mind's eye, she saw Konoha being attacked by two figures. Both had on black cloaks with red clouds imprinted on them. She gasped as she fought against the control while watching the two Akatsuki members attacking Konoha with ruthless intensity. Her eyes widened as she recognized the orange-haired figure, who smirked cruelly at her through the vision.
"Eneko! You have to snap out of it right now!" She heard Itachi's voice through the madness.
"Mom! Stop it! It's okay!" Niji's voice broke through as well. She seemed to open her eyes as the veil lifted and she found herself pinned down by all three of her family members. Itachi's anxious face searched hers.
"Did I hurt anyone this time?" She gasped. Itachi shook his head and let her up. Sachi, Ijin, and Niji released their holds more slowly, making sure she wasn't going to lash out at them again. Eneko grasped Itachi's waiting hand and stood up, marching over to Naruto on unsteady legs.
"Naruto. You have to put the city on full lock-down. It's not safe." She ordered him, her voice getting stronger the longer she talked. Naruto was immediately all business.
"Why is that, Eneko? I can't just go around ordering people to do whatever I like. They'll want to know a reason why." Eneko turned away, using a jutsu to put her into battle clothes, fully stocked and ready with weapons. She half-turned her face toward him, speaking over her shoulder.
"Because Payne has found a way to get to me." She explained. "And he'll kill anyone I'm close to." Naruto's eyes widened and he nodded, running off to tell the guards the situation. Sakura and Hinata gathered their kids and took them to their homes to explain everything. Eneko walked over to Itachi, sighing softly and putting her head on his chest.
"Itachi. I fear that this might be a repeat of what happened ten years ago. If my fears are realized, I want you to promise me that you'll protect our family at all costs." She whispered. Itachi wrapped his arm around her in a comforting embrace.
"I will not allow you to leave me again, Eneko. I will promise that I'll protect our family, but in return, you'll have to promise that we'll do it together. And don't get into any one-sided fights this time. I don't want to loose you." Eneko nodded, smiling, her fears pushed aside fore the moment. She patted his chest lovingly.
"I'm going to go take first guard since I know what kind of thing that I'm looking for. You help the kids okay? Explain what's going on?" She asked him, backing away and heading for the closest guard tower. Itachi turned back to the children, all standing in a line, seemingly awaiting orders.
"All right, kids. It's time to train for a battle. Ijin, your job will be to help patients in the hospital, all right? We're hoping for no casualties, but just in case, Sakura will need help at the hospital." Ijin nodded, thinking over what that would mean. Itachi turned to his other two children.
"Niji, you may need to help Ijin learn at least a little basic taijutsu, just in case she needs to defend herself. During the battle, you'll be one of the strongest ones out there, so try not and get too cocky. I don't want to loose you because you made some rookie mistake." He told her teasingly. She swatted at him playfully, smiling. Finally, he turned to Sachi, who was awaiting his orders with hardly concealed anticipation.
"Sachi, we're not sure what your specialty is, so this might be a little more difficult. If we had more time, I would train you myself to get a new specialty, but by the way Eneko is talking, we don't have long until the battle starts. So, we're going to train at a rapid pace. Does that sound all right with you?" Sachi nodded, saluting.
"Whatever you need me to do, Dad! Just ask, and I shall obey. But don't think that that'll stay long. Only for battles." He grinned. Itachi grinned at him.
"You are without doubt your mother's son. Now, during the battle, I want you to stay close to me. Not because I don't think you can do it, but just because I want to see how you do in your first battle." The two men grinned at each other before Itachi looked where Eneko had run off.
Don't worry, Eneko. Your children will be safe with me. I promise you that.