Naruto: Children of the Ninja

By Hikari Dohjutsu

A/N: I'M BACK! Well here's the next chapter sorry it took so long to write! And just as a note to myself so that I don't mix up verb tenses anymore. I WILL STAY IN PAST TENSE FROM NOW ON! Okay now on to the story

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But I do own the o.c's and the plot of this story.

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"Haku! You're late you had me worried sick!" Haruka cried from the doorway running up to her brother.

Haku looked down and mumbled something about Aunt Ten using a paralysis jutsu on him. He then tipped and fell to the side crashing down.

Haruka tried to stifle laughter as she helped Haku up. "Stupid thing still hasn't worn off," he glared wearily at his right arm. Haruka helped him walk up the stairs to their reasonably comfortable home. Haku limped into the living room and collapsed on the poofy dark green couch. "Arigatou, Haru-nee chan."

Haruka rolled her eyes. She was only two minutes older than Haku, and yet he insisted on calling her nee-chan.

"Where's dad? Haku asked still lying back on the couch.

Haruka's eyes dimmed a bit. "He has a mission briefing with Tsunade-sama." She told Haku flatly.

Haku eyed her surprised, but quickly changed the subject, "Guess what I passed the genin exam!" Haku exclaimed happily making to raise his hand in triumph but only managing to raise it half-heartedly.

"So did I," she said, rolling her eyes as she remembered the exam's odd turnout.

"That's great Haru-chan!" Haku exclaimed. Haruka nodded vaguely and then blushed.

"Umm… Haku?" Haruka asked, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Yeah?" Haku looked up interested.

Haruka scratched her head, "Am I fat?" she asked turning cherry red. (A/N: In case you don't remember Hotaka told her she should lose weight in Chapter 14.)

Haku fell off the couch than quickly composed himself. "Of course not Haru-nee-chan you barely eat," he tilts his head curiously, "Why?"

Haruka smiled slightly, "No reason,' she said quietly, but never-the-less sounding slightly happier. Take that Inuzuka!

Naruto than popped his head through the door, "Hey guys!" Naruto said cheerfully, lumbering through the doorway. Naruto had definitely matured in the last 20 years, his hair had grown slightly longer, and he had grown a lot taller, but he still had on his signature grin.

"Hey guys guess what we have for dinner?" Naruto asked holding up the grocery bag.

"Ramen," Haku sighed.

"What kind of ramen?" Naruto asked tauntingly.

"Beef Ramen," Haruka stated firmly.

"How did you know?" Naruto asked slightly crestfallen.

"You always make ramen dad," Haku whined.

"And it's Wednesday, you always make beef ramen on Wednesday," Haruka informed her father.

"I do?" Naruto asked obviously clueless.

"Yes," the twins declared unanimously.

"Oh well, you can never have enough ramen!" Naruto instantly perked up and headed for the kitchen. Haruka followed her father to the kitchen and started to rummage through the cupboards.

"What do you really want for dinner Haku?" Haruka called to Haku who was sitting at the table in the roomy kitchen/dinette.

"Anything but ramen!" Haku exclaimed.

Naruto started crying anime-style, "My own son, my own flesh and blood," he cried out.

Haruka rolled her eyes in the kitchen.

Once Naruto got over the whole ramen betrayal thing he looked at his kids expectantly, "Well," he started, "How did the exams go?"

"We both passed!" Haku grinned toothily.

"That's great guys," Naruto smiled but he had a far off look in his eyes.

"Hey dad didn't you have a mission briefing?" Haku questioned his father.

Haruka's eyes darkened again and she cooked the dumpling she had decided to make with a certain ferocity.

"Yeah um well about that," Naruto trailed off, his mind wandered back to the mission briefing.

Flashback

"Hey Tsunade baa-chan!" Naruto called out waving, "What's this mission you have for me?"

Tsunade gazed at Naruto between her interlocked fingers. "It's not a mission Naruto," Tsunade informed Naruto.

"Than what is it?" Naruto asked obviously confused.

"I have just been informed that your kids have passed their genin exams,"

Naruto smiled proudly, "Well of course," he boasted "They are my kids,"

"Than you know what I'm going to ask you to do," Tsunade asked smiling slightly.

Naruto remained silent.

"I am old Naruto, and I want to retire, I can think of no other person to take my place," Tsunade's eyes held a heaviness, "I know you had to raise the kids alone, and that was difficult for you, but now they are ninja and they will be going on missions, they have grown up enough to take care of themselves, I know you didn't take the job of Hokage because you were afraid you wouldn't be able to raise the kids,"

Tsunade's smile widened, "But now I would like to give you the chance to be Hokage.

Tsunade was shocked when she saw Naruto shake his head no, "Not yet Tsunade-sama just wait a little longer,"

Tsunade sighed, "Why not Naruto?" Tsunade questioned, "What's holding you back?"

Naruto looked up, " I promised Sakura I would bring him back, and Uzumaki Naruto does not break his promises."

"Sakura has moved on Naruto," Tsunade said gently, "You have to move on too,"

Naruto shook his head no, "I promised Sakura," he repeated stubbornly.

Tsunade sighed, obviously exasperated, she straightened up, "Well than Naruto, you'd better leave tonight, I'm not giving you a team because I know you can handle it on your own, don't tell anyone that you are going to go bring him back because some will want to go with you, do you understand?"

Naruto nodded.

"Naruto," Tsunade started, "Can I ask you a question?"

Naruto nodded again.

"Why didn't you go get him sooner?"

Naruto thought for a minute and when he started speaking he spoke slowly.

"Well I had the kids, and well one time I was on a mission and I came across this clearing and there was Sasuke just sitting there, with this baby in his arms and a little girl falling asleep in his lap, she was probably the one who died, and well I saw something truly frightening Tsunade-sama, Sasuke had given up and just looked like all was lost, and he reminded me of myself you know two kids at home and I couldn't see the mother anywhere, it was just Sasuke-teme all alone so I thought I'd give him a chance to get his life in order,"

Naruto looked up determinedly, "But I've given Sasuke-teme enough time, it's time I kept my promise and bring him home,"

Tsunade looked at Naruto sympathetically, "Do you have someone to stay with the kids?"

Naruto laughed, "That is one thing I won't have trouble finding, if they can't stay alone they can go over to Hanabi's place, or stay with Neji, or go over to Sakura's, or stay over at Kiba's, or go over to visit the Nara's, or they can stay with Kakashi-sensei and his family, or…well let's just say they won't be lonely,"

Tsunade smiled slightly, "Very well, tell your kids you'll be gone, you leave tonight at midnight, and when you come back you have no excuse, you hear me?"

Naruto grinned.

"Now hurry up and come back safely," Tsunade ordered him out of her office.

End Flashback

"It's just a simple retrieval mission," well it wasn't a total lie he was going on a retrieval mission, though it might not be that simple.

"Oh, alright, when do you leave?" Haku questioned.

"Tonight," Naruto answered. "And when I come home I've got a surprise for you two."

"What is it?" Haku asked his eyes shining.

"When I get back, now do you want to stay over with anyone?"

"No," Haruka answered hurriedly, "We'll be fine,"

"Alright," Naruto said doubtfully, "If you get lonely just call someone, "I'm sure they won't mind."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"So you're going away again?" Haruka asked flatly.

"Only for a little while, princess" Naruto said quietly his eyes pleading.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Haruka asked her eyes flashing angrily.

Naruto shut his eyes in concentration but he could not seem to remember anything.

"What?" Naruto gave up.

"Never mind!" Haruka snapped angrily, placing the pot of dumplings heavily on the table.

Haku looked back and forth between his father and his sister. They all started eating in silence. Haku suddenly frowned, Haruka sensed he was upset using their "twin powers".

"What's wrong, Haku?", Haruka asked, her head tilted.

Haku muttered something completely inaudible.

"So it's a girl who doesn't like you?" Haruka said using there "twin powers" again.

"Yeah," Haku mutters. He suddenly brightens up. "Hey dad, can I bring some ramen over to this girl on my team?"

"Well," Naruto eyes his ramen greedily, "I guess," he agreed reluctantly.

"Thanks dad!" Haku jumped up, and hugged his dad, "Come back soon dad I'll miss you!" Haku yelled.

He ran toward the door, "Hey Haku here's the rest of your dinner," Haruka called out handing him a paper bag.

"Thanks Haru-chan," Haku called back, running out the door, "I'll be back soon!"

The house than took on an uncomfortable silence, "Princess," Naruto started looking at his daughter, silently begging her to understand, "Don't be mad at me, this mission is really important,"

Haruka nodded mutely, yet still her anger with her father remained.

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Meanwhile with Sasuke Jr.

Sasuke was having dinner over at the Lee household. Sakura-san seemed to have taken a liking to him and he had dinner over there almost everyday.

Baby Gai was doing his best to ensue havoc, and mayhem, running around the table and throwing food at people, he also had a pair of extremely sharp chopsticks with him.

Saki covered her face highly embarrassed. Rockie, Lee, and Sakura chased baby Gai around the table but to no avail as he moved extremely fast for a two year old.

"Stop Gai that is certainly not youthful!" Rockie cried trying to stop his little brother from smashing a plate over a chair.

Lee stopped in his tracks, "Wait a minute, since he's a baby and he is already extremely youthful does that mean smashing plates is youthful?"

Rockie thought for a minute, "But smashing dinner plates is surely not youthful!"

Lee puts on a confused face, "But he's a baby and that's as youthful as it gets so does that mean we should do whatever Gai does if we want to be youthful?"

Rockie brightens up, "Yes I see! So that means to be youthful we must smash some plates,"

Sakura looked up panicking, "No! smashing plates is certainly not youthful in the least!"

Lee and Rockie looked shocked, "Well of course we will never smash plates than," Lee said looking highly offended at the thought of doing anything that was not youthful.

Sasuke smiled slightly, "You have a nice family Saki-chan," Sasuke complimented the extremely embarrassed Saki.

Saki stared at him, eyes wide, "You're making fun of me aren't you?" she asked ruefully.

"No honest!" Sasuke looked down at her anxiously.

"But it's so loud and noisy and insane!" Saki blurted out.

Sasuke laughed slightly, "But you're never bored!"

Gai toddled up to Sasuke's seat, grabbed his plate and threw it across the room. Sasuke than expertly grabbed the young toddler and strapped him into his high chair.

Sasuke turned to Saki seriously, "You're family is complete," he told her simply.

There was a moment of silence, and than Gai burst into angry wails.

"How did you do that?" Sakura asked in awe.

Saki gawked, "No one has ever caught the beast during one of his rampages!"

Lee gave Sasuke a nice guy pose, "That was an excellent job Sasuke."

Saki and Sakura sweatdropped at Lee's nice guy posed. Rockie jumped up, "Dad you are so cool!" he yelled at his father. Lee smiled, "Yes I do know your hip ways,"

"Dad!"

"Rockie!"

"Dad!"

"Rockie!"

Father and Son hug with a sunset in the background, even though it is 7:30 p.m.

Saki groaned and sank farther down into her chair.

Sasuke simply smiled.

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A/N: Well that's the end of another chapter. In the next chapter Haku's going to visit Kei and we're going to learn a little something about Kei.

School's starting so updates are going to be slower, I'll do my best to update weekly. Wish me luck!

Okay now for pole time! Who's your favorite character out of the o.c's so far? I'll tell you guys when poles are closed, the winning character will get a one-shot done about him/her. I'll hold these poles every once in a while so this is the first one.

I also redid my profile and there is info on this story. Check it out if you want!

Please review! It's hard to review without feedback. Tell me what you think! Just no flamez please!

To my reviewers thank you all so much, you guys are the best!