Birthright
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. This chapter jumps forward two years. So for anyone who wants to keep track easier, here are the current ages: Aiya and Arashi are 10, triplets are 7, Kenji is 6, Hoshi and Shisui are 4. Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter Notation: I doubt Valentine's Day is celebrated in the Leaf, but it was funny. The reason why Arashi got more gifts will be explained next chapter. I also gave the Academy Kids more thorough Report Cards. This is not to say one child is stronger than the others, but to give you a general idea of their abilities. Please do try to remember, they're only children…so certain scores may go up or down later. I did try to keep them all relatively on par though.
Chapter 16
Itachi chuckles as he watches poor Arashi and the rest of his siblings carry what seemed to be mountains of chocolate, flowers, stuffed animals, and cards back to the District. Well perhaps, he was exaggerating. Though Itachi would say there were about a dozen boxes of chocolate, twice that many cards, about six animals, and God only knows how many flowers. It was Valentine's Day.
"I suppose a paternity test wasn't really needed in Arashi's case." He gives Sasuke a sly look.
Sasuke's response made Itachi chuckle, but that was hardly surprising. The Uchiha Patriarch called him his foolish little brother for a reason. And the fact that a man his age would resort to flipping him off, well that was just one of them.
The younger Uchiha Brother then rolls his eyes. "Screw you, Itachi." Thankfully, the children were far enough away that they didn't hear that yet.
Hinata did though. "Mmm well that's more my job than yours." She giggles and kisses both of their cheeks. "I think it's sweet really, like father, like son."
Sasuke shoots her an incredulous look. Itachi couldn't stop chuckling at his dismay. It had only vaguely started before the Massacre, but the elder brother had seen the signs. The Academy Girls were going to drive his foolish little brother insane and according to Naruto, Itachi's prediction had been entirely accurate.
"Touché, My Queen." Itachi smirks at Hinata's comeback.
The raven haired ninja sighs and looks at Hinata. "Whose side are you on?" Hinata just giggles and cuddles to him.
Itachi turns his attention back to their children and smiles. It seemed like only yesterday, they had found out the paternity results. Though it had been two years ago.
Tsunade blinked at them. "Are you sure that the three of you want to do this?" Her skepticism was understandable, considering five of their children were already Academy Age and they hadn't asked before.
Hinata, Sasuke, and Itachi nodded though. It was better to know now. Preferably, before the twins or even the triplets started asking questions!
"We're sure." Hinata smiled at her serenely. "We're almost positive that we know the results for the last three and it's not really fair to know for only some of them."
The former Hokage nodded and set about performing the test. Waiting for the results had been absolute agony on all of them. Itachi didn't really know why, but it was.
It shouldn't have mattered. The twins were eight. They had been living with this uncertainty for almost a decade and it had never really interfered with their happiness.
Their family was gloriously happy. This shouldn't matter. All of their children were at a minimum his nieces and nephews, but for some reason he just couldn't quiet his nerves. It made no sense, but it was true.
"Alright. Is there any particular order that you wish to hear the results?" Tsunade looked at them expectantly.
Sasuke shook his head. "Not particularly." He pauses. "Well I guess it would make more sense to start with the eldest and end with the youngest."
Hinata nodded in agreement. So did Itachi. He couldn't exactly fault that logic. It made sense.
"Alright. Well as for Arashi and Aiya, they were fathered by Sasuke." Tsunade glanced down at the list. "Yes, the twins were definitely fathered by Sasuke."
Itachi chuckled as his foolish little brother looked so smug as he kissed Hinata's cheek. "Well it was a fifty-fifty shot." The twins did look a little ambiguous to put it mildly.
He was fine with them being Sasuke's though. It didn't make him love them any less and after he had taken away most of Sasuke's first family, well it seemed fitting in a way that he had fathered the firsts of the next generation.
Hinata blushed and nodded. This had to be awkward for their wife though. She had always tried to treat them both equally, but biology didn't care about that. It was just a matter of timing.
"Of course." Sasuke still smiled smugly, nonetheless.
Tsunade shook her head and continued. "Itachi is the father of the triplets. All three of them. Amaya, Miya, and Nara are all Itachi's biological daughters." That took the wind out of Sasuke's sails.
Itachi smiled. Three little Uchiha Princesses were fathered by him. Though he supposed that made sense. Other than the firecracker, Miya, the triplets were more mellow than the twins.
"As you were saying, Sasuke?" He cast a glance back at his brother.
Sasuke snorted. "Well you had three, but I was first. And all of yours were girls!" Childish, truly.
Hinata sighed. Oh boy. The poor woman must feel rather frustrated with them at the moment, but there was nothing wrong with a little fatherly pride and healthy competition.
The bluenette shook her head. "And what's wrong with girls?!" She gave Sasuke a dirty look.
"Nothing, our little princesses are beautiful just like their mother." He kissed her cheek. "It's just that we had both together and Itachi only had one. So we had the more diverse limb on the family tree." Sasuke smiled smugly.
Tsunade laughed. "Well, not that this one will be a surprise but, Kenji was also Sasuke's." Itachi was tempted to poke his foolish little brother's forehead because he just looked that damn pleased with himself.
Hinata laughed. "Well I would have been rather shocked, if Kenji was Itachi's." She paused for a moment as if she was debating whether that sounded like an insult or not. "He just looks so much like Sasuke."
Itachi shrugged. He couldn't argue with that either. Kenji was essentially a mini Sasuke. Well at least in looks.
"I believe we still have a final set of twins?" He smiled encouragingly at Tsunade.
Tsunade nodded. "Hoshi is also Sasuke's." Again, that was expected. Hoshi had Crystal Chakra. That was a bloodline that Itachi simply didn't have.
Sasuke smirked and kissed Hinata's cheek again. "So far three handsome boys and one Uchiha Princess." He then looked at Itachi. "And three princesses for Itachi."
The busty blonde shook her head again. "And Shisui was Itachi's. So that's three princesses and one prince for him. Sasuke had three princes and one princess." She laughed. "And obviously, Hinata had all eight."
Hinata smiled. "So really, I won this silly competition." Both men laughed at that and cuddled up to their wife in response.
Hinata laughs. "Mmm. I'm on both of your sides." She snuggles up to Sasuke as if to prove her point.
"Well it does seem that Arashi is rather popular." Itachi chuckles as he watches the grand procession.
It didn't take long for all the children to get inside. Thank goodness, they had a large house. None of them were quite ready to get their own houses in the Uchiha District and wouldn't be for several years! So the fact that their family home was a large one, well that was a relief.
"Mother, fathers, we've got lots of chocolate!" Hoshi smiles as he darts over to his parents and hugs them.
Shisui nods in agreement as he gestures to all the boxes. Sasuke shakes his head and looks at Arashi apologetically. The poor boy didn't have a ny idea w hat he was in for.
Sasuke sighs. "I don't really care for sweets, but it looks like everyone else will be able to have at least one box." He gives them a stern look. "But don't eat them all at once."
They could get sick from that. Very quickly. The last thing that any of them needed was to have a house full of sick children who had simply eaten too much chocolate, too quickly.
Sadly, he knew that was a real danger. Like most kids, they had sweettooths. If he had let them, they probably would have bought out every Sweets Shop in the village!
"I think they're trying to make me fat for some reason." Arashi shrugs.
No. They weren't trying to make him fat, but it was funny that his son thought that. Well one of his son's Sasuke had three, he thinks to himself rather proudly.
Aiya rolls her eyes. "Arashi, they like you." She gestures to all the gifts. "A lot. They want to make Kissy Kissy with you, as you call it."
Hinata just bursts out laughing at that as she hugs all her children. Sasuke couldn't lie, he was trying very hard not to do the same exact thing. Aiya's bluntness was a thing of beauty sometimes.
"Gross!" Miya apparently shared that trait. "Kissy Faces?" She rolls her eyes. "With our brother?" She boops Arashi. "Don't even think about it!"
Arashi twitches. "Hey!" He obviously felt like he was being ganged up on and it wasn't hard to see why. "I'm not making Kissy Faces with anyone!"
Sasuke could see the amusement dancing in Itachi's eyes and he decides to save Arashi from further embarrassment. The poor boy really was getting ganged up on.
"Did anyone else get chocolates or something like that?" Sasuke sighs.
Nara smiles. "Well we got the standard things, but Arashi got the most." Clearly, she figured that overdoing it was just something the older kids did. Good.
Though it was frankly a relief that Aiya hadn't gotten "assaulted" by chocolates in the same way that Arashi had. A boy being chased by admirers was one thing, but God help the idiot who tried it with Sasuke's only biological daughter or any of the triplets!
"Did you get your Summary Reports?" Sasuke smiles at them.
He knew that Hiashi likely had already "asked" Iruka for them. Though he, Itachi, and Hinata, generally waited. There was no need to traumatize that man further.
The eldest children nod. Only Hoshi and Shisui weren't old enough to attend the Academy yet. So six cards were presented to Sasuke.
Meanwhile Sagara watches the Hyuga Estate from afar. It had finally happened. Kira and Kaiden had died, but none of their family members were aware of this.
"The world won't miss them." He smirks to himself.
After all, they had essentially hired him to terrorize their kin out of learning the Hyuga Fighting Style. His contract had stipulated that he would ensure that happened, after their deaths.
The fools had been plotting for a decade or perhaps even longer. All their plotting had come to naught so far. He knew that he would still get paid as long as they didn't learn the techniques.
The red head smirks. "And the best way to do that, is to either kill them or put the Seal on them." Kaiden and Kira had been armament that they didn't want the little demons dead, but it had been implied that it was left up to his discretion.
Sagara might have his faults, but he preferred not to kill children. Well at least when it was avoidable. If it was unavoidable, he wouldn't hesitate though.
"A little poison in their tea went a long way." He scoffs in disgust as he stares from a tree that was overlooking their bedroom.
He had poisoned their tea. If he was going to do this to the Uchiha Children, he wasn't going to leave a trail. Leaving Kira and Kaiden alive, would have done that.
Sagara was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. Nor was he particularly suicidal. If the Uchiha Parents found out that he had been the one to Seal or kill their children, well he was a dead man and he knew it.
As skilled as his Genjutsu was, Itachi's was likely better. And if it wasn't, he would still have to deal with Sasuke and even Hinata. Hinata might be less of a threat than her husbands, but he knew that a mother's instincts were a powerful thing. They could turn even the sweetest wallflower into a Venus Flytrap.
"Well I've been watching them for two years." He glances down at the scrolls with the promise not to learn the Hyuga Techniques and smirks.
Such a contract needed to be sealed in blood. Only a fingerprint's worth though. Much like a Summoning Contract.
The Contract would be complete whether they were dead or alive. Once all their prints were on it, a key would appear and that would open the vault of that the two of them had promised him.
"And then I can retire and still live in the lap of luxury." He smirks.
He could live ten lifetimes and still probably not spend everything that the Hyugas had promised him. The pair of vipers must have been rather desperate to have promised him their entire life savings.
Sagara could see why though. After all, they were elderly. Elderly enough that even their children were dead and their grandchildren were well, apparently Kira and Kaiden didn't care for them much. So they had been willing to give him everything.
Sagara chuckles darkly. "And I would be rather foolish not to take what they've so kindly offered." Now, he just needed to put his plans in motion.
This was likely going to take awhile. He couldn't do it while there were any witnesses and the eight children were seldom alone.
"I'll figure something out." He smirks. "I always do."
Back at the Uchiha District, Hinata smiles. She knew exactly what Sasuke was up to. He had wanted to distract everyone from teasing Arashi and well, she couldn't argue with the results.
He shares the results with Itachi and Hinata. Hinata smiles at them. They were rather good to put it mildly. Not that she had expected any less.
She knew that the Academy had changed from her day. Now, they generally did chakra affinity testing as soon as the child entered the Academy and the following areas on a 1-10 range: Genjutsu (whether practical or theory), Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and written/oral exams. There were also usually some notes about personality included as well.
Aiya Uchiha: Age ten. Water Chakra Nature. Written/Oral Test Scores 9/10. Genjutsu 9/10. Taijutsu 8/10. Ninjutsu 10/10. A natural leader who is generally rather respectful towards authority. Towards her own peers, she can sometimes been rather sassy and she's very attached to her twin.
Hinata sighs and nods. Sadly, she also had concerns about the twins and the triplets. Being separated from each other would prove very difficult for them, if they ended up on different teams.
Sasuke smiles. "You're doing very well, Aiya." He smiles and kisses her cheek as Itachi nods approvingly.
Arashi Uchiha: Age ten. Fire Chakra Nature. Written/Oral Test Scores 8/10. Genjutsu 7/10. Taijutsu 10/10. Ninjutsu 10/10. Arashi is a very social boy with a strong attachment to his twin sister. His written test scores likely suffer slightly from his inability to sit still for long and while he is above average in Genjutsu, that appears to be a bit of a weak spot for him.
Hinata smiles at Arashi. "You also did very well." She kisses his cheek and his fathers nod proudly at him.
Amaya Uchiha: Age 7. Lightning Chakra Nature. Written/Oral Test Scores 10/10. Genjutsu 10/10. Ninjutsu 7/10. Taijutsu 7/10. Amaya is an astonishingly bright child and very articulate who shows signs of becoming a Genjutsu Mistress. Her Taijutsu and Ninjutsu while considered above average lag behind her Genjutsu skills. She tends to defer to her fellow Uchiha Triplets when making decisions though.
Itachi nods proudly at Amaya. " You're doing well. We'll just have to work on your other skills. I favor Genjutsu myself, but it's important not to neglect other Ninja Arts too much." He smiles and pokes her forehead as the other Uchiha Parents nod proudly.
Miya Uchiha: Age 7. Scorch Chakra Nature (Fire & Wind combined). Writen/Oral Tests 8/10. Genjutsu 6/10. Ninjutsu 10/10. Taijutsu 10/10. Miya is an extremely competitive child, who loves being around her siblings. She's rather aggressive and her Taijutsu Level is almost unparalleled for her age. We believe her moderate proficiency with Genjutsu is due to the fact she has a more direct nature and the subtleties of that art elude her.
Hinata giggles. Well that was true. Still these were all very good or at least decent scores. "You're doing very well, Miya." Still, they probably should work on her Genjutsu a bit.
Nara Uchiha: Age 7. Earth Chakra. Written/Oral Tests 10/10. Genjutsu 7/10. Ninjutsu 10/10. Taijutsu 7/10. Nara is a genius academically and her Earth Style is exceptional, but Genjutsu and Taijutsu appear to be slight weak spots. Though the girl is perhaps the most even tempered child that I have ever seen.
Sasuke chuckles. "Yes, that's certainly Nara for you." He had named her well. She really did remind him of the Nara Clan.
Kenji Uchiha: Age 6. Lightning Chakra. Written/Oral Tests 8/10. Ninjutsu 10/10. Taijutsu 9/10. Genjutsu 8/10. Kenji has perhaps the strongest lightning affinity that I have ever seen. He is only six and already able to manifest a perfectly formed Chidori and several more crude versions. The boy is playful and determined. Perhaps, the most independent of his siblings to date. He seems to have a thirst to prove himself, which sometimes gets him into trouble.
Itachi laughs. "Oh yes. Kenji is most assuredly Sasuke's." That sounded exactly like his foolish little brother.
"Our turn!" Hoshi and Shisui grin.
Arashi shakes his head. He could see where this was going and it wasn't anywhere good. The other set of twins obviously would want to compare themselves, but they couldn't. They were only four.
They hadn't even started the Academy yet. So how could they possibly be ranked? Though he doubted that answer would pacify either of htem.
"It will be your turn in another year or so." Hinata smiles as she gestures towards the fridge. "For now, let's get some ice cream!"
Ice cream?! Did she say ice cream?! Yeah! That sounded good. He could forget about those silly giggling girls and that would definitely distract Hoshi and Shisui from throwing tantrums!
Back at the Hyuga Estate, Hiashi frowns. Something strange was going on. Neither Kira, nor Kaiden had come down for dinner.
That was unlike them. Those two always tried to show that they were healthy, despite their years. That meant they attended every family meal that they could. For them not to show up, well that was troubling.
"Kira!" He knocks on their door. "Kaiden!" The Hyuga Patriarch knocks again.
Upon hearing no response, his sense of alarm only grew. At that point, Hiashi had no other choice. He broke down the door.
What he saw when he did so, made him gasp. Kira and Kaiden were laying on the floor. Immediately, he rushes over and checks their pulse.
Nothing. "They're dead." He blinks in disbelief.
Of course, this had always been a possibility. No one was immortal, but this seemed so sudden. Then again, they were elderly. It was only to be expected.
"Damn it." He had reviled them, but they were family. "The entire Clan is going to be in chaos over this." That meant he had a duty to protect them.
Though not even he, could stop Father Time. No. Father Time was quite the cruel taskmaster. He truly cared for little.
Now, he would have to inform the rest of the Hyuga Clan about the passing of two of their elders. Not only that, but the Uchiha Clan as well. After all, Hinata was his daughter. She deserved to know.
"Konohamaru and Hanabi are still so young." While they were officially the Clan Heads now, they were still learning. "I'm not going to force them to deliver this news." That would just be cruel.
That was a match that he had seen coming years ago. "Best get this over with." Though that didn't make it any less unlikely.
His daughter and the man who was the grandson of the Third Hokage. Hiashi had a very hard time letting his baby "go." Hinata he had expected because she was the eldest, but Hanabi had been even harder in some ways.
Now, she was a grown woman and even had a one year old child. Unlike Hinata's children though. This child would grow up with the last name Hyuga.
They would also learn the Gentle Fist. "I suppose time shall see how he gets along with his cousins." Hiashi sighs.
He brushes that thought to the side though. Now, was not the time to be pondering such things. Now, was supposedly a time of tragedy.
Was it wrong that in a way, he was relieved? So relieved, that he didn't even notice the slight swoosh of a branch as someone jumped off it and disappeared?
"I hope the ancestors forgive me." Hiashi sighs once again as he continues on his way. "But I'm happy that they're gone in a way."
That was a horrible thought. Unfortunately, it didn't make it any less true. Those two had been a constant thorn in his side.
It was a good thing for Hanabi and Konohamaru that they were gone. They could now begin their rule in relative peace. That didn't mean that there weren't still a lot of unanswered questions to resolve though.
Hiashi sighs as he calls for an emergency Clan Meeting. "I'm afraid that I have terrible news." Like how were the Uchihas and Hyugas going to get along, now that the next generation had officially formed on both sides of the family tree? Each branch being descended from the Main House.
"Father, what is it?" Hanabi looks up at him in confusion.
He braces himself and decides that being blunt was the kinder option in this case. "I went to check on Kira and Kaiden." Hiashi pauses. "I found them both dead. I don't suspect foul play due to their advanced age."
There were gasps heard throughout the Hyuga Estate on that night. No one could really believe it. Kira and Kaiden were really gone.