A/N: Hey, sorry about the time-skip where I didn't mention how Naruto hid the child without anybody noticing it! Haha. Oh, and also sorry for the previous short chapter! Hehe, I thought it was already long. XD Anyway, here's the 5th chapter and thank-you for all your reviews!! (I never imagined I will go farther than 3 chapters haha)
Disclaimer: I… I… I do not own Naruto!!!! (runs away with precious diamond-like tears flowing from my eyes)
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Recap:
"Your… daughter?" Sasuke asked.
"Um… yeah, her name is Kokishin." He smiled.
"Daddy, he's the one who helped me get back my teddy bear." Kokishin smiled at Sasuke.
"Thank-you, Sasuke," Naruto smiled, "So, I guess I'll just see you around later, then. Ja ne!" He said as waved and then walked away.
Kokishin smiled sweetly at Sasuke and said a goodbye.
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Chapter 5: Carousel
They met at Ichiraku's that night and sat down to order some ramen.
"So… how was your day?" Naruto broke the silence engulfing them.
"Hn."
"Are Sakura and you getting any better?"
"Hn."
"I'll take that as a yes." Naruto grinned.
"No." He said more of a rush.
"Oh?" Naruto confusedly looked at him.
"That girl… your daughter, Kokishin… Who's her mother?"
Ramen was served.
"Um… well… some girl I hit on the bar… She wanted me to keep Ko-chan."
"How did you manage to hide the baby from us?"
"Us? Haha, actually you're the only one who didn't know about it." Naruto chuckled after gobbling up a mouthful of ramen.
"What?" Sasuke flinched from the fact.
"Yeah, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, Baa-chan, and everybody else helped me raise the child until about three, and then afterwards they let me do the rest of the job alone. I remember the time they first knew about it. They were, like, shocked to find that out. Then, they were cooing and giggling over the baby. They even were confused because the baby is so pretty unlike me, but they confirm the fact that she got my eyes." He smiled at the memory.
I bet the girl's genes were so damn good that they overwhelmed Naruto's bad genes and that the baby came out to be pretty. "But how come I'm the only one who didn't know about this?"
"Well, you've never dropped by to visit me and you were, like, so busy training." Naruto sipped on the ramen broth.
Sasuke remained silent, head bowed down and eyes covered with his bangs. Ayame, the waitress at Ichiraku's, could testify to the fact that he saw a glimpse of red behind those raven-colored bangs.
"So… got to go now. Ko-chan might be waiting for me now. It's getting late; you should also be going home now," He said as he placed some money on the table, "G'night!"
"Naruto." Sasuke called.
"Hm?" He turned to Sasuke.
"…"
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." He replied in his usual cold, monotone voice while turning his head away from the blond, hiding the slight trace of something that seems to be the lightest shade of pink that crept on his pale cheeks.
"Oh… alright. Bye, then." Naruto said, confused.
-At Naruto's apartment-
"Ko-chan? Are you still awake?" Naruto called as he entered the apartment.
While passing through the small living room, he noticed a petite body lying on the sofa. He, then, went to the sofa and knelt down. He gently combed the hair of the petite body's owner with his fingers.
"Daddy, you're back." The owner of the petite body woke up.
"Sleep again, Ko-chan." He said as he looked at her with so much affection.
"Oookaay…" The girl replied as she went back to sleep.
After a while, Naruto carried the girl from the sofa and placed her on the only bed in the small apartment. He kissed the girl's forehead before lying down next to her.
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"Ohaaaayooooo, Saaakuuuraaa-chaaan!" Naruto greeted in his usual loud voice.
"Hey, Naruto," The pink-haired lass replied, "I heard the academy will be opening again the day after tomorrow. Have you enrolled Ko-chan?"
"Yeah, of course! How could I possibly let that thing pass? She's so excited about her first day at school!" Naruto beamed.
"Great! May I visit her now?" Sakura inquired.
"Sure, she's home right now." Naruto smiled.
-At Naruto's apartment-
"Ko-chan! Daddy's back!" Naruto called.
There was no reply.
"Ko-chan?" Naruto became a little worried. Sakura linked her arm with Naruto's because she's worried, too.
Still there was no reply.
"Ko-chan!!" Naruto called loudly and anxiously while unlinking his arm from Sakura's and rummaged throughout the apartment.
Then, he found Kokishin sitting on a chair by the table. She was doing something. Naruto let out a sigh of relief.
"Ko-chan, why didn't you reply to Daddy's call?" Naruto asked.
She appeared to be busy doing something.
"Ko-chan?" He drew near unto Kokishin to peak on what she's doing.
Suddenly, Kokishin turned and presented unto Naruto a piece of paper.
"Daddy, I drew a picture of you, me, and Aunt Sakura!" She beamed.
Naruto gently took hold of the paper. It had childlike doodles on it, but to Naruto it was worth more than the world-known painting by Leonardo DaVinci—Monalissa.
"Thank you, Ko-chan." Naruto said.
"Aw, that's so sweet, honey!" Sakura glanced at the drawing, too.
"Really?" She grinned widely.
"Yeah." Naruto replied with a grin, too.
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Next day…
-At the park-
"Daddy, I'm so excited! Tomorrow's my first day at school!!" The raven-haired girl giggled, and then licked on the ice-cream she's holding.
"Yeah! You must be in your best behavior, alright?"
"Of, course, Daddy!" She answered.
"Okay, here's the deal. If you behave properly and got a high grade in your first test, I'll take you to the theme park." Naruto said as he stuck out his thumb in an 'ok' position.
"It's a deal!" Kokishin also jutted her thumb and pressed it against Naruto's.
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After a few weeks…
"Daddy! Daddy! Look!" Kokishin called.
"Hm? So, what does Ko-chan have here?" Naruto turned away from the dishes.
"I got a high score!! A 100 in our first test!" Kokishin proudly presented her test paper.
"Great! Okay, tomorrow, as promised, we'll be going to the theme park!" Naruto smiled at her.
"Hurray! We'll be going to the theme park tomorrow!!" She jumped in her happiness.
"Okay, why don't you change your clothes while Daddy will go back to washing the dishes?"
"Oookaay!"
-At the Hokage's office-
'Tok, tok!' There came a knock.
"Come in." Tsunade was expecting Naruto, but to her disappointment a raven-haired ANBU appeared.
"Oh, Uchiha, what brings you here?"
"We got a letter here that comes from an anonymous person."
"Really, what does it say?"
"It says that the horse will explode in its tenth turn."
"Hm… It seems like a threat…"
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Next day…
"Damn it! I can't decipher this damn sentence!" The Hokage blurted out, everybody flinching from the sudden out-burst except for a certain raven-haired ANBU.
Suddenly, they overheard two ANBUs talking outside the room.
"Hey, Ryu, you know after I finished my job for today, I'll be taking my daughter to the theme park. She really loves the carousel."
"Really? Me too."
Then, something came into Tsunade's mind.
The carousel. "Damn it!! The carousel!! It will explode in its tenth turn!! Uchiha, go to the theme park and tell the operator of the carousel to stop it!!" She commanded, and then Sasuke disappeared in a blink.
-At the theme park-
He waved happily at his daughter who's riding a horse on the carousel. Kokishin waved back to her father as happy as he did.
6…
7…
Suddenly, Naruto heard some arguments where the carousel is being operated. He saw the raven-haired boy yelling at the operators.
"Stop the carousel!"
"Why, sir?"
"The carousel will explode in its tenth turn!"
8…
9…
Naruto was back to his senses. He, then, went over to the operators and yelled some curses that even the devil would flee from. The operators quickly tried to stop the carousel, but it was too late…
A loud explosion was heard throughout the theme park.
Twenty children lay there on the remains of the carousel. Most badly hurt and some dead…
Naruto rushed to the now half-dead Kokishin. He bent down and hugger her tightly.
"Gomen nasai… gomen nasai, Ko-chan… I… I should've known better…" Naruto choked between sobs, tears trickling down his cheeks.
"Is Daddy crying?" Kokishin asked in her usual sweet innocent voice, but now slightly weak.
"Ko-chan… Ko-chan… Gomen nasai…"
"Don't worry, Daddy. Kokishin will… be… fine…" She closed her eyes in defeat.
"Ko-chan? Ko-chan! Ko-chan!! Honey, wake up! Don't leave Daddy! Ko-chan!!" He screamed in a trembling voice.
Suddenly, Naruto felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Naruto, I'm sorry… I was too late…"
"How could you say that about your own child?! It's still not too late! No! I wouldn't accept that!" He said in desperation without being aware of what he just said.
"My… own child?"
Then, what Naruto said registered in his mind.
Oh, great… I spilled it…
"Forget it…" He said as he walked away with Kokishin in his arms.
"Wait! Naruto! What did you mean?"
He stopped… "I said forget it." … and continued walking again.
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The sleeping raven-haired beauty fluttered her eyes open. Her eyes wandered across the white walled room. Her ears heard some machine beeping. She already knew where she is—the hospital.
She remembered what had happened at the theme park. Suddenly, she felt a hand locked with hers. She tilted her head to look whose hand it is. It's her daddy's.
Naruto felt the hand locked to his move.
He woke up.
"Ko-chan."
"Daddy, Ko-chan's fine now…"
Her voice was barely audible because of the oxygen mask she's wearing, but Naruto heard it because of his ninja ears… more fit, his father ears.
"No, Ko-chan! You still have to rest!" Naruto insisted.
"But Daddy…"
"After Ko-chan gains back her strength, Daddy will buy her anything she wants."
"Really?"
"Daddy promises Ko-chan." He smiled gently.
"Okay." She said as she went back to sleep.
And Daddy promises, too, that he'll always protect Ko-chan… He said as he cried on Kokishin's hand.
TBC
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A/N: There! Haha, I hope you like this chapter!! Hehe, Sasuke's suspicion arouses!! I hope it's not too short!! Well, anyway, please R&R!!