Greetings,
Here is the INTERLUDE!!! It took me a while to write this, but I thought that you all might like it. There is about 52 pages on microsoft. 52.... that's about 15,000 words just right here in one interlude!
But this is important. This is what happens in between the gap of the last chapter and the next chapter. I only go as high as Rei and Amariris and co. getting about three years old. Next chapter they will be five, so there is a bit of a jump, but all the more to surprise you with in future chapters.
These are all in the form of short stories. Each having their own little story of time jump. I thought it would be easier this way since there is a lot of time jumps, but the main thing is different stories focused on different things in chronological order. So the first story happened first and the second story happened second and so on.
I believe that is all I have to tell you other then I love your big long reviews and you all telling me what you specifically liked about the chapter. I made this one extra long for all of you so you can get to know the characters a bit better.
So without further ado...
From Konoha to Hana
Interlude
Chapter 8
Life
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or this would be where the story line would progress. I also do not own any catch phrases of the animaniacs
"It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process." -Henry James
While You were Gone
Tsunade laughed as Amariris nuzzled her chest, looking for milk. Her mommy had milk for her there, but Tsunade didn't. The small albino with jade eyes looked up in question.
"I am not mommy. You are getting bottle feed, deary," Tsunade said as she offered the bottle.
Amariris looked at curiously before testing it with her mouth. It squirted warm milk into her mouth, so she began to suck on it for more.
"Aw," Ino squealed as she looked at Amariris, "Sakura's babies are sooo cute. It makes me want some of my own."
"Then why don't you go hook yourself a man?" Tsunade asked as she rocked the child back and forth, "There are plenty of eligible bachelors here in this village. How about Sai or Alchemy?"
"Alchemy loves teaching, but I think Anko's been sizing him up. Sai is sweet, but I don't think I'd get anywhere with him. I've been trying." Ino said as she sighed, then thinking of a great idea, "There is always the Gashu clan. From what the ladies here tell me, they don't do incest, so I could always grab myself a four-mouthed god of bed from there."
Tsunade choked on the air as she snapped her head up to look at Ino, "WHAT?"
Ino smiled knowingly as she put her hands on the back of her head and looked haughty, "Sakura had to tell me about some of their exploits. Image being with a man who uses three mouths at the same time while having sex."
Tsunade just stared, really trying to imagine it.
"And from what the Tsuchikage said, Haitaka is just as good as his son. He's the perfect gentleman, he was apparently a great father from what the maids say, and his was- is- a faithful companion."
Tsunade blinked a couple times.
More points for Haitaka. A LOT more.
She, as a medic, might even have to research what Ino had just said and test the statement, several times if needed to be.
"Well, too bad he's too old for me," Ino sighed as she got up and left the room, leaving Tsunade to ponder what had been said by herself.
Ino walked into the kitchen, where the maids and Shizune were relaxing a bit, smiling a giant grin. The others looked at her suspecting.
"I'll give him three months," Ino said as she pulled out some money.
"Five months, un."
"Seven in a half, yeah."
"Seven, yeah."
"Four, aru."
"Nine, hm"
"Eight and a half, desu."
"Two."
"Two months?" Ino questioned as the raven-haired woman dished out the money.
"I know Tsunade like the back of my hand. Plus, she's been cut off from sake with the children around. She'll need a substitute soon. Two months and she'll be trying to jump his bones." With that, Shizune when back to reading her book, calm and nonchalant.
Everyone else just stared at her.
Sakura's Exploits
Sakura laughed happily as she persuaded Tsubasa to go faster. They had climbed the narrow mountain pass a while ago and it was still only early morning. She had been up since one, riding. Ino promised to henge as her and Yuugure as well as Shizune promised to watch her children.
It had been about a month and a half since she brought Kagerou home. He was mixing in well. In fact, when no one else was around, he was highly affectionate, but that was when he was alone with her.
But sometimes she just needed to escape and be away. She had been curious about the other villages around, so dressed like a gypsy she rode the elk through the pass, promising to meet an escort to fly her home around eleven. So she had promised not to go farther then the nearest village by the ocean side.
She let out a slight yelp of surprise when Tsubasa leaped off a bid ledge and the two of them went flying temporarily. She laughed as soon as they had safely landed.
"Tsubasa," Sakura laughed, "You are one daredevil elk, you looking for a death wish?"
The elk shook its head a bit, making the bells chime.
"Good," Sakura said, "then do that again!"
As long as Tsubasa knew what she was doing, Sakura wasn't afraid of her stunts.
The two of them traveled, until Tsubasa reared a bit to slow, stopping as soon as possible. Sakura looked confused as she stared ahead.
"Is there something in there?" Sakura asked, getting the elk nodding, bells jingling loudly.
"Let's go in then," Sakura said, "We should get rid of it since its too close to home."
Tsubasa was a little uneasy, but she continued on, at a slow pace.
The place was dark and creepy, exactly what a horror story would describe a forest with a scary killer who was of the undead as. Sakura, however was not afraid. She could defend herself.
Finally after some time, they came across an old building. Sakura swung her leg around and hopped off Tsubasa, who was jingling her bells in warning.
"I'll be careful," Sakura assured her as she entered.
From what she could tell, it use to be a lab of some sort, with screen monitors and huge computers and test tubes filled with Chakra conducting jell. Some were broken or shattered, but other then that, there wasn't anything too frightening.
Sakura continued walking till she saw one monitor was blinking. It had a message.
She used the computer keys swiftly and activated the message. There, on the screen was a professor looking man in panic as he quickly recorded the message.
"Something has gone wrong with the prototype! He is uncontrollable and hungry! I have created a humanoid like no other and but at the same time, he will not listen. He was named Zetsu by my fellow scientist. However, now, I am all that still lives, but I know he'll be back. I'm setting this recording to begin blinking after five years or so.
I was able to finish the designs for the true project. After much study and work I was able to stabilize the original chemicals and created the Ying and Yang. Their names are Ivy and Vine, please, take them and raise them to be good, like they were designed to be.
I can only hope they fall into the right hands."
The transmission ended and all of a sudden two of the status chambers that had not been broken, began to activate. Sakura stared wide eyed as two small children floated up to view. Both were female, and around the age of three, physically.
But one was completely black, except for her long green hair, and the other was completely white, except for her long green hair.
The status chambers moved again, opening up and dumping the two onto the floor in an unceremonious heap. It must have been a malfunction.
Both children opened their eyes and low and behold, the glowing yellow Zetsu had.
Sakura slowly approached the children, looking at them wide eyed for a minute before noticing they were naked.
"Here," Sakura said as she pulled off her extra layers and covered the two small children modestly.
"Who are you?" The black one said as she stared at her, "I do not recall seeing you during our development."
Sakura blinked. The child was intelligent.
"You know some awfully big words for small child," Sakura said as she finished tying on her shawl onto the black one.
"We had information downloaded into out brains before our creator put us in cold storage. We know all this computer system does," The white one answered as she clumsily tied a knot in the clothes she had been given.
"So you are as smart as an adult." Sakura said as she tried to figure this out.
"Technically, yes, but we lack experience and thus are still children. We just have better language skills and are book smart." The black one said.
"Computer smart if you want to be precise," the white one said.
Both of the girls grinned at each other, exposing their sharp teeth. Sakura pretended not to notice.
"What are your names? I know one is Ivy and the other is Vine, but who is who?"
"I am Ivy," the white skinned one said.
"I am Vine," the black skinned one said.
"We are project Ying and Yang." Both said together, "Built for recon and disposal."
"I am Sakura," Sakura said as she stood up to full height, "I live in a ninja village not far from here, would you two be interested in living there?"
"We have a objective, but as long as that does not hinder our objective, we will do just that." Vine said as she stared at Sakura.
"What is your objective?"
"To wipe out prototype Zetsu." Ivy said with a serious face.
Sakura grinned as she put her hands on her hips and looked down at the two, "Well then, we'll have no problems. He is my enemy too!"
These two held some definite promise.
Tsunade's exploits
Sakura was gone for the day. Ino and Shizune were busy watching the three runts. There was no sake and thus nothing to feed her addiction. It wasn't really like she had a problem with it. She just drank it because it was either that or doing something she had been saving for Dan- who died years ago.
She could stop at anytime, but she would need a replacement for her pastime. She smiled as she heard the footsteps of Haitaka.
'Helloooo substitute!' she thought as she watched him enter the room, looking around for something.
"Tsunade-san," Haitaka asked as he looked about the room curiously, "Do you have a spare hair tie? Mine are missing."
Tsunade just smiled as she dug into her pockets. She always carried a brush and hair tie since she was constantly fixing her hair. It wasn't easy keeping her hair in nice pigtails all the time.
"As a matter of fact I do." Tsunade said as she held one out.
"Thanks, hm. You're a life saver," Haitaka said as he crossed the room and tried to take the tie.
"Ah, ah, ah," Tsunade said as she closed her hand around it, "Let me fix your hair. You've been getting a bit sloppy and your hair keeps falling out."
"That's only because I got a kink from riding that elk, hm." Haitaka said with a pout, "Its been uncomfortable to lift my shoulder that high."
Tsunade had a gleam in her eye as she patted the spot right next to her, keeping a professional look to her face.
"That can't be a good thing. Sit down and let me see if I can't fix that."
"Really, hm?" Haitaka said with enthusiasm, "That would be great!"
"But, you'll have to let me fix your hair," Tsunade said as he sat down next to her.
"Yeah, sure, hm," He said as he waved a bit.
Tsunade check up on his back, running a quick scan with her diagnosis jutsu before beginning to right the problem.
She got up, pointing a the couch, "Lie down, I need to relieve a pinched nerve. I can't do it with you sitting."
Haitaka looked at her curiously, but listened to what she said. Tsunade slowly straddled him, making him tense, but pinned him down before he could dash.
"Relax, I need to be able to get to the nerve," Tsunade said before pulling up his shirt.
His back was smooth and his skin looked healthy instead of old and dry. She mentally cursed at him for having such a nice back. He was still tense as she began to poke around, genuinely looking for his source and pain. He let out a yelp as she ran over it with her thumb.
"Alright, let me fix that," Tsunade said as she laced her fingers with healing chakra and began to add pressure to the area.
Soon, there was a loud crack and Haitaka tried to bolt, but once again Tsunade was holding him down.
"Don't be such a baby, Taka-chan," She said as she began to massage the inflamed area with healing chakra trickling from her hands, "It's done now. Let me just check your back to make sure everything else is in order while I have you like this."
That part was a lie. She just wanted to play with him a bit longer. The problem was fixed and she should get paid a bit more then just playing with his hair for her services.
"I'm not being a baby, hm!" Haitaka said as he squirmed a bit, "I just don't like the idea of you playing around with my back, hm."
"Relax," Tsunade said as she began to knead his back with her thumbs, "you're too tense for someone your age. It's not good for your health."
He groaned a bit as she rubbed a large knot, no very happy with her as she caused him discomfort. He tried to vocalize his complaint, but Tsunade wouldn't have it.
"Just shut up and relax," Tsunade said as she began working on another knot, "I'm one of the greatest medics out there, listen to me, Taka-chan."
"I'm not a child." Haitaka complained, his voice getting a little thick as he quietly enjoyed it, "Stop acting like your older then me, hm."
Tsunade just rubbed the one knot harder, to make him shut up. Soon, she had worked almost all the knots. Some were bigger then others, so they would need a second treatment, not that she would complain. Haitaka tried to get up after that, but Tsunade decided to spoon him instead.
"What are you doing, hm," Haitaka yelped as he struggled to get free.
"I'm relaxing a bit," Tsunade said as she pressed against him further, Her hips against his and her ample chest pressed against his back, she moved her arms around his neck and hugged him a bit, "You're comfortable."
"Ts-ts-tsunade-s-san," Haitaka started but was cut off by a whimper coming from his throat as she began to blow on the back of his neck.
"Yes?" She purred as she continued what she was doing, feeling him squirm under her.
"S-s-s-stop, hm," he whimpered.
"No." Was all Tsunade said before she kissed the nape of his neck.
"What-"
"I've decided something," Tsunade said as she squeezed against him a bit more before getting up, but not yet unpinning him.
"And what is that, hm?" Haitaka said, still a little flustered.
She pulled his jaw up, so she could look him in the eyes, hers burning with desire as she kissed the shell of his ear.
"You are going to be my substitute for sake." She whispered into his ear, before letting go and walking out of the room calmly.
Haitaka just sat up, staring at the door a bit with a flustered look on his face. He blushed brightly as he figured out what she had meant. He was going to be the thing she would replace sake with. He knew from just living in the same house as her that she was addicted to the stuff.
"Oh wife in heaven, I don't think I have a choice in this one, hm." He said in a strangled voice.
That hair tie was long forgotten by him now.
Easy as ABC's, 1, 2, 3, Baby Can't Kill Me
Sakura raised a brow as she looked at the two children brought before her by the leader from Waterfall. Both were about three years old, matching Ivy and Vine's physical age.
"What did you say?" Sakura asked as she stared down at the two who seemed a little lost on what was going on.
"Waterfall are willing to give you these two children as a peace offering."
"But we can't offer anything in-"
Again, she was cut off.
"Actually," The leader of Waterfall said as he looked a little embarrassed, "We already tried to give them to Konoha. Hokage-sama told us to see you about it."
So they were trying to get rid of the two girls.
"What's wrong with them?" Sakura asked as she looked at the man's eyes, hardening them, "Is it something ridiculous like looks? Because that is no reason to get rid of them."
"Actually, its more like… We can't kill them."
"Can't? or won't?"
"Can't, as in physically not able to kill them. Believe me, Meikai has had several attempts at her life, but no matter where they pierce her, she lives."
Sakura looked down a the silver haired girl that hand her long hair in high pig tails. She sported an angry look as she held the base of her large single bladed scythe close to her. Her fuchsia colored eyes not looking up from the ground.
"And Voodoo… well… we can't figure her out, but people who try to kill her, die instead."
Voodoo was busy playing with her creepy doll that looked like she had sewn it herself. She had black hair that fell where it liked in a scraggly way and her eyes were interesting. They were green, but instead of the whites of her eyes being white, they were dark brown, a whole shade darker then her dark skin.
"What clan are they from?" Sakura asked as she leaned down and looked at the two.
"Meikai's mother was a prostitute, and Voodoo came from an old clan who use to thrive with us, they abandoned her when they left. They had no family other then each other."
Sakura sighed as she nodded, "Alright, let's draw up the papers."
"You mean you're keeping us?" Voodoo asked in a raspy voice.
"Yes. I don't care if you're strange, your still a child and you still need a home. Being different is nothing to be ashamed of."
Meikai mumbled something, but Sakura could only make out the words "Other kids."
"She said, 'are there other kids'," Voodoo said, speaking for the quiet girl.
"Yes, we have Asuma, Ivy, and Vine." Sakura said, "they are about your age. Then there is Rei and Amariris and Kagerou, but they're still little. You'll need to wait a while to play with them."
"Cool…" Meikai said as she began to move towards Sakura.
People needed to learn to value humans for what they were. Sakura decided that she would turn no child down who needed the love of a mother. Hopefully she could find a home for these two like she had with Vine and Ivy, who were happily living with Alchemy.
Maybe Anko would want to watch them. Apparently, they were hard to kill. She'd like that.
As Long as You Buy Me a New One
Tsunade smiled a bit when she saw Haitaka working at Sakura's desk. He was probably working on some paperwork for the rosette as she spent time with her children. His reading spectacles were on, looking very tempting on him. They gave him age that his normal features did not, he looked experienced in the ways of the world.
He didn't even see her sneak in. He might have been the leader of a clan, but she was the fifth Hokage, retired or not. She knew how to sneak around.
She shut the door with a small click, making sure to do it as he shuffled through some papers and slowly moving in.
He looked up only in time to see Tsunade leaning over the desk, with that glow in her eyes.
"Can I help you with something, hm?" He asked in the straightest tone he could.
She wouldn't try anything on him here…right?
Wrong.
Next thing he knew, she had her hand firmly gripping his jaw as she looked at him with his glasses on.
"You look rather adorable with those on," She said, crawling over the desk to hover over the chair, "Makes you seem… experienced."
"I'm fifty, Tsunade-san," Haitaka said as he managed to pull away, "I have experience, hm."
He didn't realize that could be taken in more ways then one.
He was seriously hoping she would go away, but of course, Tsunade was true to her word about him being her new addiction. Before he could notice, she had pulled his hair tie out and his hair fell everywhere.
"I never got to do your hair Taka-chan," Tsunade tsked as she pulled out her comb, "Plus, I want to check up on your back. I wasn't able to get all your knots out last time."
She rested her hands on his shoulders as he became nervous. This woman was really out to get him!
He tried to bolt, but instead of jumping over the desk and out the door, he was pinned the desktop with Tsunade pinning him down again with her legs straddling his waist. He let out a pained yelp as a wound from sparring that morning with Sakura flared up from the sudden contact with the desk.
"What was that Taka-chan?" Tsunade asked as she began to poke and prod at him, knowing that had been more then just a startled yelp.
"Nothing, hm," Haitaka managed to say without sounding in pain, "Just gave me a – ACK!"
She had poked at his hip, causing the pain to flare up again. He tried to pull away, he tried to escape, he even tried to shushin out of the area, but she had pinned him both physically and chakra-wise. He was stuck.
"Taka-chan, this wound is serious," Tsunade scolded flipped him, and began to check the area with a jutsu.
Haitaka just groaned as she was now straddling him on the waist while he was face up. That would cause problems. He just knew it.
"I'm fine, hm," he tried to convince her, but wasn't able to when he let out another sound of pain when she put pressure on his hip.
"It doesn't sound like you're fine," Tsunade said as she pulled her hand away, ending the jutsu, "It's severely cracked. How where you even able to walk around this morning after sustaining that?"
"Practice?"
"Well, I'm going to have to repair it. Now." Tsunade said as she began to unbuckle his belt.
"What are you doing?" Haitaka yelled as he tried to stop her from doing so.
"It works better if I don't have something in front of it." Tsunade said as she began to undo his shirt and even lifting it out of the way.
Well, taking it off actually.
"Why the shirt, hm?!"
"Because, it will only continue to get in the way," Tsunade said as she tugged his pants down to his thighs, noting that he wore boxers, and cleared everything out of the way of his hip.
"Relax," Tsunade said as she grabbed his hands with one hand, so he wouldn't try to even think of pulling his pants up, "This will only take a moment."
Haitaka groaned as he hit his head on the desk. Repeatedly.
Tsunade on the other hand, had lied about the shirt. She just wanted to see what he looked like and this, gave her the perfect opportunity. She healed his hip with ease, but decided that she wasn't done just yet.
Haitaka froze as she began to poke and prod at his mouth on his chest. He tried to jerk away, but it was to no avail.
"Relax," Tsunade said, she seemed to say that a lot to him, "I was just curious."
"Well become un-curious, hm." Haitaka growled before moaning.
Tsunade had kiss his pectoral mouth on the sensitive lips and now was moving her tongue left and right of its sides.
"Stop it," He growled the best he could, but he knew with his pants down like this, she already knew.
"So, that turns you on, huh?"
She was spooning him again, making sure she was pressing her chest against him as best she could, him squirming, trying to break free when the door opened, of all things. Both froze as they stared at the people in the doorframe.
Sakura, who was holding Rei, looked at the scene before her with Ino standing next to her with a smirk on her face. Haitaka knew what it looked like, but he needed to be saved.
"Please help," He whimpered as he looked at them with the puppy eyes.
"Kaa-chan," Sakura said as she looked at her mother figure spooning the man under her, with his pants down and shirt off as he had white knuckles from gripping the sides of her desk as he tried to pull away.
"Yes Sakura?" Tsunade asked calmly with a coy look on her face but obviously not happy that she had been caught.
"You will either burn that desk or keep it, I don't care what you do on it as long as you get me a new one. Until then, I will not sit there."
"But we didn't-" Haitaka tried to explain but was cut off by Tsunade.
"Alright, just close the door on your way out. Maybe lock it too." Tsunade said as she looked at the man who was trying to break free, "Right Taka-chan?"
Sakura just shut the door, ignoring the cries of help coming from Haitaka. Ino ran off, saying something about a pool- probably betting on how long until Tsunade jumped the man- and left her alone with Rei and his questions.
"Why Baa on Jiji?"
"Because she was giving him a medical exam," Sakura lied easily to her child, "A full body one."
"Ah. What dat?"
"Something that doctors do when people get hurt. She was making him feel better. Baa-chan is one of the best medics around."
"Ah. Why jiji no happy?"
"Feeling better doesn't always mean the person will be happy, but Baa-chan is working on that."
"Ah," Rei said as he nodded, "What dat?"
He pointed at some random item. Sakura just hoped no one would come investigate the cries and whimpers coming from the door down the hall. They would not get a pretty picture.
"Calm down, I'm just combing your hair!" Could be heard loudly as another cry of pain was heard.
"You're brushing my hair too hard, hm! It hurts!"
"Fine, then we'll go back to what I wanted to do."
"Brushing is good! Brushing is good, hm!"
"I thought so… Now where were we?"
More cries, more whimpering, and more random questions from the ever curious Rei who was just learning to talk.
She needed to find somewhere quiet to go.
Sasori's Heir
Kagerou was smart. Most people could tell by the way he seemed to understand things so much easier then others. The fact that he was just as far as Rei, who was slightly older then him, told Sakura that he was going to be a force to be reckon with.
But for one so smart and usually put out looking when people were surrounding him, he loved sitting alone with Sakura, pressing his hear to her chest and listening to her heart beat. He could hear her breath in and out and could feel her vibrate a bit when she spoke. He loved it.
He enjoyed the way things just moved perfectly in a everlasting pattern. Sometimes there were breaks in the pattern, but the body would adjust itself to fix it.
He was still too young to speak, too young to know why he loved listening to her heart beat, but his instincts told him that he enjoyed it. He wanted more of it.
"Are you hungry?" Sakura asked, breaking the silent moment.
Kagerou just nodded a bit, helping Sakura push down her shirt enough to get to her milk supply. He drank greedily. He loved this connection with another human being and he loved the way Sakura would stare at him with a smile, humming and rocking him as he ate. He just had a need to be loved and Sakura had given him more then he even knew what to do with, but he still wanted it.
Perhaps…
This was what his other was missing.
The other entity that he could sense, though he did not know why. He felt the pull since he was born and could still feel the link. The other had never noticed it, but he had.
"You are truly Sasori's Heir," Sakura whispered as she pecked his head, "Let's just hope you don't end up like him."
I Free You Of Me
He had just finished a mission. It was pouring outside and he was soaked to the bone. He shivered a bit as he forced his bird to land as close as he could get it to the gates.
"Haitaka-san," The guard said, recognizing his clan leader, "You've returned, un. Was the mission successful?"
Haitaka looked at him with weary eyes before nodding, "Yeah. I was able to get the scroll, hm. I'll be heading in now."
"Yes sir," the guard said as he watched the clan head go towards the Kage's household, the place where he had been given a small suite to live in.
Haitaka just walked, not really caring as the guard gawked a bit at his bird. It wasn't melting in the rain like most clay creations did. He walked into the house well around midnight, being quiet as he entered his quarters. He quickly stripped himself of his wet clothes and headed for bed, too tired to do anything else and fell asleep.
Morning came way too earlier for him.
Tsunade had just finished setting down her food when Haitaka appeared. His hair was in a messy braid and his eyes were droopy with rings under them. He was slow to sit down and only poked at his food as he sat there.
"Haitaka-san," Aozora scolded him, "Don't play around with your food like you were a child!"
He made a noise, telling her he heard her and took a couple bites. Then he just stared a little a bit before getting up and mumbling a 'not hungry'.
"That man has the appetite of a horse," Aozora said a little confused at his decrease in appetite, "I wonder if he's feeling well. Must still be tired from flying all week."
Tsunade looked at where Haitaka had just been before excusing herself from the table, going to go see if Haitaka was really alright. Her chest tightened with worry as she rounded the corner. Haitaka was still slowly making his way to the main door, wavering a bit as he walk. His hand as against the wall to keep balance.
Then, he fell forward. Tsunade was there in an instant, catching him before he crashed.
"What are you doing, hm?" Haitaka asked lowly as he looked a her rather confused.
Tsunade placed her hand on his forehead and almost yelled angrily at him.
"You're burning up, Taka. Come now, let's get you back in bed."
"'m fine…" He weakly argued as she pulled him back into his quarters, pushing him onto his unmade bed.
"If I believed every person that said that, I wouldn't of had half my ninjas alive. You are going stay there while I get something to cool you down," Tsunade said as pointed at him, "If you can, change into you sleepwear."
Haitaka didn't answer her since he had already passed out.
The land was familiar to Haitaka as he walked around. The trees were in bloom and he could hear someone humming. The song… was sickeningly familiar. He knew only one person knew that song and that was because she had written it.
"Aya!" Haitaka yelled as he saw her figure lounging under a sakura tree.
The woman looked up with her pale flawless face, her hair a dark black and her eyes were red with hints of bright orange. She smiled happily, stopping her song to look up at her loved one.
She was as she was before her ailment.
"My little sparrow," she said as she stood, running and embracing him, "My love, how have you been?"
She looked up at him and wrinkled her nose, "You have gray hair now. You really such an old man?"
"I'm not old," Haitaka defended with a huff, "Just experienced, hm."
Aya looked at him with a wiry smile, "You've thinned out a bit too. Oh, you use to have such a nice waist line. Remember all those sleepless nights with just you and me and our beautiful art we'd create together as one? I loved rubbing up and down that waist line of yours."
"I could never forget, hm," Haitaka said as he put his nose in her hair and inhaled her smell, "I missed you so much."
"I know," she said as she hugged him at bit longer before shoving him away.
"Wha-"
"You can't live in the past! You've been faithful to me for more years then you should! Stop!" Aya yelled angrily as she pounded him on his chest, "There is a woman who cares about you in the real world. She's worried about you. She likes you!"
"But Aya…"
"No buts! You like her too! I know you do! So… please… just be happy." Aya said as she began to stroke his face, "You've suffered enough, just be happy with her. I want you to be happy."
Aya looked around, sighing as she did, she hugged him one last time before ripping away, "Dan could only get this much time allowed. Go. Be happy and stop being a sourpuss! You're a great man, lover, and husband."
She pulled off her ring and handed it to him, "But I set you free."
"Aya…"
She began to fade, with that huge smile on her face. A man with white hair behind her looking at him with a nod.
"Take care of Tsunade. My Hime…She has had a rough life. Please… make her happy." He said before escorting Aya.
"Come on Dan. We've done all we can."
Both disappeared and the place began to fade.
"Ay…a…" Haitaka said in his sleep, murmuring it sadly as he shift a bit.
Tsunade hushed him as she wiped the sweat off his brow, dipping the cloth in cool water and wringing it out again so she could repeat the process. His eyes opened a sliver when she began to clean his face again.
"Hm?"
"You're awake," Tsunade said in relief.
"How long have I been out, hm?" He croaked, looking at her as he tried to sit up.
"Don't sit up, you're still too weak to move. You've been out for almost five days." Tsunade said as she gently helped him lie down again.
"Five days?"
"Yeah, now just relax, your fever hasn't exactly broken yet." Tsunade said before making a unhappy face, "What were you doing out there in the rain? You should have gone for cover or something."
"I hate the rain, hm. Just wanted to be home," Haitaka said as he repositioned himself, surprised to feel the buttons on his sleeves that his night shirt had.
"I got Nikkoo to change you into your nightwear." Tsunade said to his unasked question, "Are you uncomfortable?"
"I feel a little wet, hm," Haitaka said as shifted again, "I feel as if my entire shirt is soaked."
"Alright," Tsunade said as she got up quickly to get him a clean shirt and her stethoscope, "Let's change you into something dry. But before that, let's listen a bit to see what is going on."
She sat back down in the chair, pulling the covers off of him. She used her whole arm, making sure that Haitaka's head was where her elbow folded and her hand was supporting his back as she pulled him up and towards her. She placed his head to it rested on her shoulder. He was breathing a bit ragged as he leaned his body in, so she didn't have to keep supporting him. She slowly undid his shirt and removed the sopping wet shirt; taking the cloth she had been clean him and cleaned him up again.
He shivered when she dried him. She hushed him as she put the stethoscope on and put the end of the device on his bare back.
"Hmmmm," Haitaka whimpered at the cold touch of the metal.
"I'm sorry, it's cold, I know," Tsunade said as she moved it after a second of listening.
She moved it over his heart, which was on his right side, and listened a bit, then moved it down to listen to his breathing. She pulled it away after a bit and pulled it out of her ears.
"You're a bit congested but nothing too severe," She said as she began to put the new shirt on, "You hungry?"
"Not really, hm," He said as he helped her help him the best he could.
"Well, I'd like it if you'd try." Tsunade said as she finished buttoning him up and laying him back down and pulling up the covers, "I'll be right back with something easy to eat."
"Hm," Haitaka said before falling asleep again.
He was nudged a bit later and he woke with a start. Tsunade was there again, but this time with a bowl of soup.
"You need to eat something," She said as she propped him up a bit.
"Alright, alright," Haitaka said as he gave in.
Tsunade fed him slowly, going to his very lethargic pace. He would sometimes drip, but she was patient and wipe his mouth for him.
"Thank you, hm," Haitaka said once he was done.
"No problem, now you just rest. I'll check up on you in an hour." Tsunade began to get up but stopped when she heard Haitaka speak.
"Could you stay?"
"…Yes…" She sat back down.
"I am sorry I avoided you, hm."
"I'm sorry I made you scared with my teasing," Tsunade said with a smile, "But you're really funny to rile up."
"I just couldn't leave Aya… but… I saw her in my dreams… she told me to be free, to fall in love again, hm. Then she left with another man, he knew your name, hm."
"Did he?" Tsunade asked, very intrigued in what he was saying.
"I think Aya called him… Dan."
He glanced over to look at Tsunade. She had froze. Tears beginning to fall down her face as she looked at him. No one but a few people knew about Dan, let alone his name.
"He said to take care of you… his hime, hm." Haitaka went on, moving his hand up to view his wedding band, "Aya had given me back her ring in the dream…"
Both paused as they looked at his left ring finger. There were two rings. His…
And Aya's.
Playing Nurse
"Hm," Haitaka grunted as he pulled away.
"Come on, just take it, you big baby," Tsuande said as she pulled him back.
"I don't like it," he whined as he pulled his head away from the infernal object.
"It's medicine."
"It's disgusting, hm! Too strong!"
Tsunade had enough of his childish behavior. His fever had broken not even a day ago and he had been acting like a child since then. Sure, he probably was still not feeling well, but that didn't mean he was going to get away with it.
So she decided to pin him- spooning him really- with her weight. She pressed her chest against his, making him squirm, then she began to run her spare hand's fingers through his hair, making him squirm even more.
"What are you-" He was cut off when the spoon was inserted into his mouth and emptying its contents into his mouth before he could even react.
But what got him to swallow was the lips pressed against his, nibbling gentle on his lower lip. He had swallowed on impulse. He groaned as he did so, half because of the nasty taste, and half because of nibble.
"There we go," Tsunade said as she got off, "That wasn't so hard not was it?"
"What was that!"
"Me being the nurse and you being the patient in need of needed positive reinforcement. Now are you going to behave or do I have to give you more positive reinforcement?"
His grin threatened to split his face as he thought of something, "Do forgive me, but… Helllooooooo Nurse."
Tsunade laughed as she pecked him on the temple. "I'll give you points for that."
"Oh?" Haitaka said with a small smile, "I get points, hm? Where am I now?"
"On the scale of 'uninterested' to 'I'm ready to jump your bones'?" She left a short pause there before saying, "I'm way past trying to jump your bones. I've just been trying not to be labeled as a rapist."
"Oh…" Haitaka said as he leaned back a bit more, "You're not going to jump me now are you, hm?"
"No," Tsunade purred as she patted his face, "I'll make sure I have your pretty ring around my finger first… But that doesn't mean I stop harassing you."
All Haitaka could do was laugh nervously. What sort of relationship was he in now?
Aya had to be laughing at him pretty hard now.
Uzumaki Kushina
"Naruto, she's absolutely adorable!" Sakura said as she cuddled the little girl in her arms.
"Yeah, isn't she?" Naruto asked with a small laugh, "And you two, they are beautiful."
"And Kagerou, he might have not been born in my womb, but he's mine as well."
"Kagerou is handsome too." Naruto said as he played with the crawlers.
Sakura continued to play with the raven haired child with natural blond highlights randomly spread throughout her whole head of hair with the pretty blue eyes. Her name was Kushina, after Naruto's mother. She even had her father's whisker marks.
Rei, apparently didn't like his mother's attention being stolen from him. Amariris was happily playing with Naruto, raking her fingers through his hair and tugging. Kagerou was poking at the whisker marks.
"I'm sorry Hinata wasn't able to come. She's been doing a total reform of the Hyuuga clan and just hasn't been able to get away. 'Tebayo."
"It's fine. I'm just glad I get to meet 'Shina here." Sakura said as she petted the wiggly child's hair.
"Momma!"
Sakura looked down to see Rei pouting unhappily.
"Yes?" Sakura asked as she arched a brow.
"Mine." Rei stated as he clung to her, "No 'Shina's"
"That's right. I'm your mother." Sakura said, watching Rei smile before adding, "and Ammy's mother and Kagerou's mother. Shina's mother is Hinata. She'll be going home with Uncle Naruto eventually, so I want spend time with Shina."
That smile was long gone now as he glared up at her with the pout. Sakura picked him up and let him have a closer look at little Kushina. The little girl just studied Rei before laughing and pulling on his long hair, making Rei cry out as he tried to get it back.
"Aw, I think she likes you," Sakura said as she kissed Rei on the temple.
Rei just pouted.
I always get my Man
It had been a momentous day.
Sakura couldn't help but smile as Haitaka began to play with his clay nervously. He paced a bit, back and forth, back and forth, creating and destroying what he was making with his clay, not able to focus.
"Calm down Haitaka," Sakura said as she walked up to him, straightening his ceremonial garbs, making sure his sword was just so, his obi was on just right, and none of his hairs were out of place.
"I'm sorry… I'm just really-"
"Scared? Nervous?" Sakura interjected as she put a stray hair back in place, giggling slightly at the blonde's look.
He had dyed most of his hair back to its natural color, save a few streaks of gray, just because Tsunade like it that way.
"Yes," Haitaka said as he inhaled deeply, "I feel butterflies in my stomach, hm."
"You're getting married, of course you're scared. It's only taken you- what- six months after you two started to date to ask her to be your bride?"
"I wanted to be sure, hm," Haitaka said before leaning against a wall, holding his stomach that threatened to empty itself in nervousness.
"Why are you so scared?"
"Aya died and I'm just scared it will happen all over again. What if Tsunade dies, hm? Then I'll be alone again."
"You're not going to be alone because I'm not going to die," A voice said behind him.
Haitaka was about to turn around, but a hand around his waist and a hand on his jaw, keeping it looking forward, prevented him from doing so.
"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Tsunade said as she let go slowly. "I was just coming to make sure you were breathing still. You tend to tie yourself up in knots over things like this. I am not about to have you unable to enjoy our honeymoon because you let your stomach tie itself in knots again."
"I said I was sorry about what happened after I proposed, hm."
"Just hold still." Tsunade said as she let a glowing hand rest on his stomach and another on his forehead, "Relax. Stop being so stressed about things."
"Hmmm," Haitaka moaned in relief.
His complexion was no longer pale and he looked healthy again. Tsunade pulled away and winked at Sakura.
"Take care of him till I come down the aisle, I want him to be there to see me."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world Hime-chan," Haitaka said as he stared ahead.
"He'll be there." Sakura promised before the bride-to-be disappeared again, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
The ceremony began ten minutes after that. Haitaka was standing waiting for his bride to appear with butterflies once again invading his stomach.
Then, she appeared, making them all vanish. She was beautiful. Her honey brown eyes highlighted by her makeup, making them glow even more then they usually did. Her hair was up and twisted into an elegant style, twisting and curling. She had feathers in her hair. They had been bleached, but Haitaka could tell that they were Sparrow Hawk feathers. They pulled the whole look together with the small gems that clipped them in, sparkling.
Her kimono was white, embroidered with birds and feathers, the theme of her outfit. The obi was silver. She even had those white wings on her bare back, since her kimono opened up in the back to display the beautiful white paint that swirled and twisted in an elegant manner. Gems attached at the ends of the swirled paint on her back.
"Ready Taka-kun?" Tsunade whispered as she stood next to him.
"I've been ready for this moment for a long time."
"So have I… So have I."
Sakura cleared her throat as she looked out to the crowd, the two in front of her as she began the ceremony. Only a few from Konoha were there. Few people had been very close to Tsunade and even then she couldn't inform all her friends about her marriage unless she wanted Danzo and the council to hear about it. Naruto was there though, so it made it all worth it. She just wondered if Jiraiya knew…
"Dearly beloved, we are gather here today to-"
K'Oed
Tsunade should have known. She groaned into her husband's shoulder when she saw the white hair and heard the perverted giggle.
"What's wrong, hm?" Haitaka asked his new bride, hugging her to his frame, as they stopped in the middle of the street.
They were in Moon Country's tropical island, enjoying their honeymoon. They had decided to take a break from staying in their room for once and actually see what the island had for sights. They had gotten here six days ago.
Currently, Haitaka was wearing a yukata, a nice light shade of purple with blue dragons printed on it. The print of the dragons outlined with gold. Tsunade was wearing the kimono that she had met Haitaka in, since he said it was his favorite.
"Over there… the man with white hair, giggling." She said as she snuggled into his shoulder.
Haitaka looked and made a face. Was that man… peeking on the bathhouses?
"What about him? Other than he's a obvious pervert, hm."
"That's my old teammate… Jiraiya the Toad Sage." Tsunade said with a huff, "I haven't exactly told him about our marriage… He tends to leak things when he's drunk. Or seduced. Though he won't admit it."
"Ah. So you can't beat him up for peeking and that's bugging you, hm?"
"Yeah," Tsunade said, "Among other things."
Haitaka pulled his wife over to a tea shop, kissing her on the head.
"I'll go pull him over here. You can just say I'm your guard for now until its safe to tell him, hm."
Tsunade smiled as she took his hand and gently kiss the mouth there, "Thank you."
Haitaka nodded happily before approaching the pervert. His hair had been done in a nice upsweep. A clip holding his hair upwards while the excess fell back down over the clip. Several hair pins had been put in his hair since Tsunade wanted to walk around with him looking pretty. He had allowed that since he loved her.
Haitaka cleared his throat a bit, making the white haired man- Jiraiya- look up. He was about to say something when Jiraiya jumped the gun.
"Hello miss," Jiraiya said as he stood up, smiling happily as he held his notebook, "You are a rather beautiful subject. I am a writer of great literature and you are so lovely I would be happy to immortalize you in my books. For I am Jiraiya, the great and powerful Toad Sage!"
Haitaka just stared at him. He had mistaken him –HIM- for a girl! He was about to argue when Jiraiya once again began to talk.
"Say no more, say no more! I bet hundreds of men have asked for your hand and you have rejected them, but I ask not of your hand, just to spend some time with you and learn you so that I can write you into one of my books. Even though you are not as… gifted in some areas, your flawless face and gentle golden hair makes up for it tenfold! I would gladly take you to a hotel were we can be alone and lear-"
Jiraiya was interrupted when a fist slammed into his face, sending him skidding across the brick road a bit. Tsunade standing next to Haitaka looking ticked. Haitaka was just covering his face with his left hand, trying to calm down himself without losing it.
"Jiraiya!" Tsunade roared as she picked the man up by the collar, "What the hell do you think you're doing!"
"Tsunade!" Jiraiya looked freaked, "I was just asking this fine woman" –at that Haitaka cringed a bit- "if I could immortalize her in my books! I am looking for characters."
"First off," Tsunade said as she tightened her grip on his collar, "No one wants to be in your porn books! Secondly, I told you if I ever caught you peeking I would beat the snot out of you. Thirdly, I also told you that if I caught you asking woman to come back to your hotel room to learn them again, I'd castrate you. And finally, the most important, how DARE you ask my husband to go back with you! I know he's pretty, but he's mine!"
Jiraiya's mouth dropped as he looked at the blonde male, "WHAT!"
"So much for not telling him, hm," Haitaka said as he looked at his bride.
Tsunade growled angrily as she mentally kicked herself for telling the blabbermouth.
"When did you get married! Why wasn't I told?!"
"Because you have a big mouth!" Tsunade said before hitting him the face again, sending him flying with an instant KO.
"I love those hands of yours," Haitaka said as he approached his angry wife, "But please don't put me on the receiving end of that punch, okay, hm?"
"Yes beautiful. Now where to next?" Tsunade said as she kissed him gently, already over Jiraiya.
"Well I was thinking we haven't tried the osen yet, hm." Haitaka said as he smirked sexily.
"I like the way you think, pretty boy."
Something's Wrong with Tsunade
"Ah, momma," Rei said as he crawled onto Sakura's lap, disturbing her from her thoughts.
"Yes Rei?" Sakura asked, looking down at the two year old.
"Kagewou and Ammy are colowing. Wanted to be wi't momma instead." Rei said as he sat on her lap and looked at the paperwork, "Lots of wo'ds."
"Yes, well, this is the only thing that Kages really fear: Paperwork." Sakura said as she signed her name at the bottom.
"You' name," Rei said as he pointed at his mother's scrawled signature, "Not vewy pwetty."
"I don't have time to be elegant with my signature, Rei, I am trying to get it done."
"Ah," Rei said as he stared at her writing on the papers and moving them off the stack.
"Something bothering you Rei?"
"Why can't I wead the wo'ds?" Rei pouted, pointing a particularly hard word.
"They are little advanced for you, work on the books I've given you at home," Sakura said as she finished scanning another page, signing her name at the end.
"Can you teach me dat?" Rei said as he pointed at her cursive.
"You want to learn how to write in cursive?"
"Ya," Rei said as he nodded, "Yuu-chan taught me my lettews."
"Oh, really?" Sakura said with a grin, "Then sing the alphabet."
She was actually really surprised when he sang it perfectly. She petted him on the head while she continued working. That was about the time when Haitaka snuck in, making sure no one saw him enter the room other than the occupants.
"Hi Jiji!" Rei cheered as he waved enthusiastically.
"Shhhh," Haitaka whispered, putting his finger to his lips, "I don't want Baa to find me."
"Oh, do tell me, why are you hiding from your wife," Sakura asked, amused at the man's terrified face.
It was no secret in the village that Tsunade was interested in Haitaka. It just took her a year or so to make Haitaka see the benefit of loving her. He had married her not even three months before hand. She was happy and she made him happy, much to his surprise, since it didn't start out like a usual relationship- her breaking his hand and all because Deidara knocked up Sakura.
"She's gone mad, hm!" Haitaka whispered, "One minute she's happy, the next, I'm seeing stars because I was just punched through the wall! Something is going on with her."
Sakura nodded. Tsunade was about 50, so she would be starting menopause in the next couple of years of so. It was probably happening now.
"Don't worry too much about it, she's probably going through menopause." Sakura said dismissively.
"It's not menopause," Haitaka said, shaking his head, "Nikkoo-san had menopause and what Tsunade has is not menopause, hm. She's cranky, irritable, gets sick a lot, looks like she might have gained some weight- but I'm not about to mention it-"
Sakura's head shot up, "How long as she been acting strange?"
"Weeks! But it's gotten worse over the duration of the last two weeks! And sometimes she hums a lullaby and looks absolutely giddy. I don't get it, hm."
Haitaka was practically in tears.
"Well," Sakura said, putting together something in her head and smiling as well, "If my hunch is right, you should ask her to show you the test."
"Test? What test, hm?"
"Here," Sakura said as she grabbed onto Rei and began to walk towards the door, "Why don't we just come with you? I probably will need to make sure you don't die of a heart attack."
"Why dat?" Rei asked his mother as he stared at his Jiji.
"You'll have to be patient to find out." Sakura said as she kissed Rei's temple.
Haitaka nervously followed as they headed for Tsunade's and Haitaka's suite in the mansion.
"Look, I'm just a little nervous of going in there, hm. She's been more abusive then ever and won't take it if I fight back like I usually do, hm."
"I know," Sakura said as she opened the door to see Tsunade lounging on a loveseat, reading a medical book.
"Hand it over," Sakura said as she held out her hand, waiting for something to be placed in it.
"Why Sakura," Tsunade said with a teasing grin on her face, "Whatever are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that little plastic miracle that will help your poor husband understand what's going on." Sakura said as she too grinned.
Tsunade had a mischievous grin on her face, telling Sakura that her guess was right.
"So my husband went to you? Why didn't he just ask?"
"Because… I didn't think you'd know why you were acting all weird, hm!" Haitaka defended himself, still not having a clue.
Tsunade laughed lightly as she pulled something out of her pocket and tossed it to Sakura, "That what you looking for?"
Sakura looked at the small plastic item and nodded before handing it to Haitaka, "Do you know what this is?"
He stared at it for a minute before answering, "Yes, a pregnancy test. What does the blue dot mean, hm?"
"Positive," Tsunade said as she sat up and walked over to him, taking his hand and placing it on her pudgy belly, looking at him lovingly, "It means I'm pregnant with your child."
Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes when Haitaka passed out. She knew it was coming. Tsunade was laughing her head off as she pointed to the blonde saying things like 'I love this man and all his drama' and 'that made being pregnant all worth while'.
"Momma," Rei asked, moving a bit from his spot in her arms, "What does pwegnant mean? Why did dat make jiji fall on the gwound?"
"It means," Sakura said, smiling a bit as she rocked her son, "that you are going to have a little uncle running around here in a while." She paused for a minute to let Rei soak that up before adding, "Baa-chan is going to make a baby. Jiji fainted because he was very excited."
"Ah." Rei said before looking at his Jiji, "So how does Baa make baby?"
"I'll tell Amariris, Kagerou, and you that story for bed time, okay?"
"Ah."
Arisu & Ichigo
"So, let me get this straight," Sakura said as she held Amariris in her arms, Rei being given a bath in the upstairs bathtub by her maids.
Currently she was staring down Karin, who was holding her own set of twins.
"You want me to adopt your children?"
"Just the twins, Ichigo and Arisu." Karin said with a nod.
"Does Sasuke know about this?" Sakura asked as she looked at the two in question.
Arisu as shivering in her mother's hold, breathing heavily as if she had run a marathon and was sweating profusely. Her hair was cropped short and her eyes were staring off. She was no older then just turning two.
Ichigo was calm, quiet and held a straight face, neither excited or concerned. He just stared at her with an interested look. His hair was long and in a pony tail that hung off the back of his neck. He was the spitting image of Itachi, only smaller and cute.
"No. But I think it would be best that way." Karin said, "You see, Arisu isn't doing too well. A bunch of events played out and she was put in a life threatening situation where she activated her Sharingan, but then, not only her first level, but she had watched her best friend die. It had been a puppy, but she had loved that puppy like nothing else. She has been like this ever since."
Arisu muttered something that sounded like an equation, her mother looking at her worried, "Ichigo also activated his Sharingan, but not to the level that Arisu did. He could have stayed, but he refuses to leave his twin."
"How is that even possible? For them to even have enough chakra?"
"My kekkei genkai's fault," Karin said a little deflated, "Please take them, I can't keep them at home with Sasuke being as obsessive as he is about this. Ichigo can't even be in the same room as his father without being glared at."
"Alright," Sakura said as she set down Amariris, "I'll take them."
She took Arisu and cuddled the child quietly, hoping that would make the child relax. It did a little and Sakura could see Karin sigh in relief.
"Ichigo," Karin said as she stooped down low to talk to her son.
"Yes Kaa-chan?" He responded, still looking only interested in what was going on.
"I am going to leave you with Aunty Sakura. You do exactly as she says and you'll be fine. Take care of your sister." Karin said as she petted her youngest son's head.
"I will. We will not be seeing you again." That was a statement, not a question.
"No, Aunty Sakura's going to be your mom now, okay?"
"'Kay," Ichigo nodded before walking over to Sakura and grabbing her hand, not once looking back at his mother.
He already knew she was gone. Karin had a habit of doing that when something was hard. Plus it didn't hurt that he could feel her chakra vanish.
He looked over to the little girl, only a little older than he, to see her smiling.
"You're named Ichigo? I like Strawberries!" She had always been better with r's since her name had so many. "I'm Amariris. You can call me Ammy, though."
Ichigo looked at her a moment before nodding, "I like them too, but my Otou doesn't. That's why I was name Ichigo."
"Don't worry," Amariris said as she patted his head, "You'll like it here!"
Sakura smiled at her daughter's gentleness. She could tell that Ichigo was really terrified, though he was amazing in not showing it. He had calmed down in a matter a minutes as Ammy asked a thousand questions.
She just hoped that rivalry wasn't hereditary, or she was in for a looooooong ride.
Bath-time
When Sakura had days off, she would spend it with her children. That meant the five currently living with her and on occasions that she could break away from them, she would go buy Ivy, Vine, Meikai, and Voodoo some treats and watch them eat it.
But what all of them loved best was when she would bathe with them. She had started doing it every weekend on the last day- which she had off. She started it to relieve Rei of bath times with the maids. So he wasn't traumatized of baths, but he loved it and soon Amariris, Kagerou, Ivy, Vine, Meikai, and Voodoo had joined.
This was their first attempt with Arisu and Ichigo.
"Alright, alphabetical order. That means Amariris goes first, then Arisu, Ichigo, Ivy, Kagerou, Meikai, Rei, Vine, and Voodoo." Sakura said as she sat on a little stool.
They had two bathrooms. Once with a normal bath, but the other had a shallow heated pool of water that the children would play after getting washed by Sakura near a showered head.
Amariris skipped up to her mother, already naked as she smiled up happily at her, her jade eyes gleaming, "Okay, mommy! Ready!"
Sakura quickly scrubbed the girl gently, then began to lather up her hair, making sure to make it feel nice before taking the moveable shower head and spraying her off.
"Yay!" Amariris said as she lunged for the water.
"Next," Sakura said as she began to do them one by one, before getting in the water to soak herself.
She had washed way before letting the maids send them in. She enjoyed watching Ichigo lead Arisu around by the hand like a good brother, gently showing her the water was okay before she too got in. Arisu was still having problems, but she didn't mumble as much as before.
"Mommy?" Amariris said as she pulled herself into her mother's lap.
"Yes sweetie," Sakura asked gently as she kissed her daughter's forehead.
"What these?" She asked, grabbing onto Sakura's breasts and squeezing them a bit.
"Those are breast. You'll have some too when your older." Sakura answered, not afraid to tell her daughter the truth.
"Oh… Will Rei have them too?" She looked up in wonder.
"No. Rei won't have breasts."
"Then what his be called?" She obviously knew he would have to have something.
"Pectorals."
"Oh. Mommy?"
"Yes love."
"Why Rei's privates look dif- dif-" She struggled with the word.
"Different?" Sakura guessed, getting a happy nod, "Because Rei is a boy. You are a girl so your privates look different than his."
"Why?"
Meikai just groaned as they all got another lesson about the human anatomy again. Stupid Amarisis for asking her mom such questions. Why did the others look so interested in what she had to say! ARG! Freaking genius children.
The Art of Rivalry
Rei glared at Ichigo. Ichigo just looked indifferent as he stared back, rather bored looking.
"That's mine."
"Rei, I'm not an object you can own," Sakura warned the child as she brushed his hair for him, putting it in a nice pony tail, "Ichigo needs his hair done too you know."
Rei just clung to her like his life depended on it. "My momma!"
"Rei, I'm technically his mother too now." Sakura said as she pulled him up and sat him next to Ichigo, both still staring each other down.
"Now stop that. Rivalry is a special form of art that you are not doing correctly at all." Sakura said as she sat up, both boys in her arm.
"Art… of… Wivalwy?" Rei questioned, not sure what his mother was talking about.
He knew what rivals were. He had asked his aunty Ino before when he overheard her talking about it. She had told all of them what it meant.
"Yes. There has always been rivalry between your father and Ichigo's old family. But they did it wrong."
"Sasuke was wrong?" Ichigo questioned, surprised to hear his birth father was able to make mistakes.
"Yes. They did it with hatred in their hearts. They did it to show who was better, not caring if the other was harmed in the process. That is wrong. Rivalry is showing respect to your rival. To care for his struggles and to know his triumphs and be happy for him, not hate him. It should be fun to be rivals. To always have someone right next to you, striving to get stronger along side of you. That is the art of rivalry. Rivals should be best friends, they should care. Understand?"
"Yes momma," Rei said before looking at Ichigo.
"Wivals?"
"Okay…" Ichigo said with a slow nod.
"You're Two" "… Almost Three!"
Rei looked up at his mother, looking rather annoyed as he did.
"Arisu won't stop bothering me." His sentences were clear, of course, he was turning three soon.
He was an avid reader, loved to play with his hair and put it up in some amazing style by himself, he was also flamboyant for an almost three year old, wearing rather fancy kimonos. Sakura had to buy him some of his own when he refused to stop taking his twin sister's. Of course, he and his siblings had IQs over 200. Sakura still couldn't believe her luck.
"What is she doing that's bothering you."
"She tore the head off of yet another one of her dolls. She's always mistreated her toys. Do you know how that reflects on her psyche?"
Sakura blinked as she processed what he had just said.
"Have you been reading my psychology books?"
Rei nodded a bit, "Yeah, as well as your medical books, medical journals, and big book on poisons. I find them all highly interesting. Aunty Shizune has been helping me with my calligraphy, with Ichigo, Ammy-imouto, and Kagerou."
This was news to her.
"You shouldn't be able to understand my medical books. You shouldn't even know how to read words that big! I mean…You're two!"
"Almost three," Rei huffed a bit as he crawled up on her lap, "What's so wrong with that?"
Sakura sighed and she ran her hand through his loose hairs, "Most children your age are just learning how to put the square block into the square hole."
"That's silly. It only fits in the square hole."
"What else have you been doing? No better yet, have your siblings been doing the same thing?"
"Yes. Kagerou finds the human anatomy and respiration system amazing, but he also likes the puppet book that Uncle Gaara gave you. Ichigo likes your books on genjutsu, though we're still learning to walk up the walls. Ammy-imouto is constantly playing with those keys that Anko-san brought to you last year. A cute three-headed puppy comes out when she uses it. And Arisu is constantly writing big equations on the wall with crayons. Aunty Ino promised that we could see Baa-chan's baby on the ultra sound next week."
That was it. She was working from home from now on.
Leaving five children who's IQ were over 200 was not a good idea.
Why couldn't she get at least one like Shikamaru?
Synthetic Eyes
"She's not getting any better," Sakura said as she rocked Arisu back and forth.
Tsunade watched as the girl was having a relapse in her progress. She was clawing at her eyes as she was muttering out long equations.
"No," Tsunade agreed, "She isn't."
"What do you think is causing it?" Sakura asked as she held the girl tighter, stroking her hair.
"Her eyes," Ichigo's voice said.
The two looked at the little boy who had gone to bed hours ago with the others.
"It's her eyes. She started doing that when she obtained Sharingan. She's hasn't been able to stop the… She called it 'download' of information. That was when she was more… sane, now all she does is mutter things she's seeing."
"I see," Sakura said as she nodded, "Her eyes are causing this. Tsunade, do you think that if we perform an operation to replace her eyes that we could stop this constant flow of information?"
"It can't hurt her any worse then she is now…" Tsunade said as she rubbed her swollen belly, "But we'll need eyes to replace hers."
"I've been playing around with eyes, Kaa-chan. I think I could create some from scratch. It will take me a week, but I believe I can do it."
"We must do what must be done. Go. I'll watch her."
Sakura nodded, handing Arisu over to Tsunade, being careful of her belly.
"Ichigo-chan, go back to bed, alright?" Sakura said as she kissed his forehead before leaving for the hospital.
It took a week, but Sakura was happy that she had done it. Using her notes, she had created the eyes to replace Arisu's current ones. They were a pale blue color with no iris.
Ino was the one who brought Arisu in and put her under. The operation had taken the two all day. But when they were done, they wrapped up her eyes so they could heal, and destroyed her other eyes, so that no one could get their hands on such powerful eyes. If it ruined the mind of a three year old with constant downpour of information, what could it do to an adult.
Arisu woke the next morning. She was calm, no longer shaking or muttering, and she wasn't even trying to pull away the bandages.
"Arisu-chan," Sakura said as she sat down on the bed, "How are you feeling?"
"Better… Much… better… Arisu hasn't felt this good since Izumi died. Izumi died for Arisu, but Arisu wasn't able say goodbye to Izumi properly before leaving for Sakura-kaa-chan's house. Is Arisu healed now?"
Full sentences. Though she was talking in third person, it was a improvement. Perhaps her mind was really cured.
"I don't know. Are you still getting a constant download of information."
"No. The information has stopped coming to Arisu. Arisu can no longer hear, see, and feel the pain. The headache is gone. Arisu can hear Arisu's thoughts again. But Arisu still knows all the information still."
"That's wonderful. I am happy for you!" Sakura said as she kissed Arisu's temple.
"It is. Arisu still remembers how to do all those cool tricks! Arisu predicts Sakura-kaa-chan will meet him again!"
Sakura didn't know what she had meant, because Arisu didn't know who him was. But at least the girl was recovering.
Nawaki
Tsunade was certain that Haitaka was the best husband around. Throughout the long pregnancy, he had been patient, kind, loving, and took care of all her needs. But the man was prone to hover over her like a worrying mother. He didn't like her doing too much, usually finding a way to get her to sit back down and relax.
He would rub her feet when they became swollen, knead her back to comfort her, and give her constant kisses and affection. In return she would sometimes force him to 'sit the hell down and stop acting like you're the one with child' and rest his head on her belly so he could hear the heartbeats of both her and the child. She would also take his hand when the baby was kicking an place it over the spot, sharing a smile with him.
That usually ended up with him kissing her and doting on her even more. Not that she minded. She loved him spoiling her rotten.
But today was the day. She could feel it in that last contraction. Today, they would finally meet their child.
"Taka-kun," Tsunade gasped as she took her husbands hand and rested on her belly as another contraction hit, "I think it's time."
They had been resting in their living room, cuddled with Tsunade in front and Haitaka pinned in the back. He jumped a bit when he felt her contraction.
"Time!" He said as he began to panic a bit, "What do we do? Head to the hospital, hm? Wake Sakura? Ino? Nikkoo? What, hm?!"
"First," Tsunade said as she kissed his knuckles, "Calm the hell down or I will not wait for the delivery to break your hand."
He gulped a bit as he tried to calmed down.
"Next. I am going to get up, you are going to wake Sakura and come back with a wheelchair. You are not going to pick me up like you did her. You're back is still mending from your last spar with Sakura. Then, we are going to get me AS MUCH DRUGS AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THIS HURTS LIKE HELL!"
Haitaka was gone before she even got up.
Soon, Tsunade found herself in the same position Sakura had been in last time, with the rosette now preparing for the baby to come through the canal.
"Push Tsunade," Sakura said.
"I'm PUSHING!" Tsunade said, grabbing her husband's hand and crushing it.
He yelped as he held her hand, trying not to pass out as she broke his hand yet again. Tsunade was glaring at him, sweat covering her face as she gripped his hand harder.
"YOU did this to me!" Tsunade roared with tears in her eyes.
"Yes, hm," Haitaka whimpered as his knees weakened from the pain, "I'm sorry you're hurting so much! But think of the end result! A child, hm."
"There had better not be two in there for your sake! Or I'll make sure you never cause me pain again!"
"I get it, hm!"
"Tsunade," Sakura said from behind the drapes, "You know there is only one. Stop hurting your husband."
Tsunade finally let go of Haitaka's hand. Shizune moved a chair under him just in time before he passed out from shock from his hand begin broken yet again.
"Ino, revive Haitaka and make sure to mend that hand of his," Sakura ordered before saying, "Push!"
"I AM!"
Haitaka was revived just in time to hear the first cries of his newborn. He was the first to hold the child, Tsunade saying it was because she was sorry for breaking his hand, but he felt it an honor.
There was his brand new son. Deidara had always been wonderful, but a new son was more then Haitaka could ask for. He had lived without Deidara since he turned thirteen. He had endured that pain of losing him long ago, but now he had a new son to raise. And he knew just what to name him.
"Hime," Haitaka said as he placed his son in her arms, "Can I name him, hm?"
"Sure Taka-kun," Tsunade said as she cooed the child.
"Nawaki."
Tsunade snapped her head up at his direction with disbelief in her eyes.
"How did you-"
"A lot of prodding," Haitaka said with a embarrassed grin, "I had to make sure Jiraiya was absolutely drunk."
Tsunade sniffed, tears in her eyes, "That blabbermouth."
"Can we name him that?"
"Yeah, I'd like that. Thanks Taka-kun."
"No, hime, thank you for loving me, hm."
Sometimes life as we know it ends, but sometimes, that is the beginning of a whole new story.
And that's the end. Of this chapter anyways.
So tell me...Did you like all the stories? It took me a couple plots before I decided that add in the whole Haitaka and Tsuande thing. It was actually when I started writing the 'Something wrong with Tsunade' that I decided to tell how they became married and who did most of the... persuading. Tsunade wasn't being horny, she was just doing what Deidara usually does and tries to get a rise out of Haitaka. She likes flustering him. Plus, she was ban from sake, she needed something else to do.
Yes, I added more OCs, but Rei and Amariris need friends and eventually Sakura will need people who can match or defeat Akatsuki members. But that won't be for a while. Arisu will explain later why when the downpour of information stopped, why she became relatively sane. But for now, I guess I'll just say she got bored of being insane and decided being at least somewhat sane would be better. Her eyes, like all Mangekyo Sharingan, caused her to have her own special ability. Hers was information downpour. She knows how to do things that even Madara doesn't understand, but she treats them like games.
But that is for next chapter.
Alright, send me a review! Tell me what you think? Did I misspell anything? How about grammar wise?
Did you have a favorite story?
Anything that looks like it will be coming back?
Just wanted to know.
So, until next update!
Unknown Artist of Hanagakure
-signing out-