Birthright
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter. And for anyone keeping track: Arashi and Aiya are 12, triplets are 9, Kenji is 8, and Hoshi & Shisui are 6.
Chapter 21
Three weeks later and Sagara sighs in relief. This had taken far too long in his opinion, but the time to strike was now. It had been a difficult journey to say the least, but he was confident that everything was in place.
"Good!" He smirks as he reads the scroll.
Dear Blood Moon,
We're in position and awaiting the signal.
Sincerely, Treasure Seekers.
Sadly, the twins hadn't been put on the same team. That made things difficult for him. He could have cloned himself and gone after Team Seven or Team Eight that way, but clones were so ridiculously fragile.
Not to mention, each team was lead by an experienced Jonin. While Tenten and Shikamaru might not be as formidable as the Uchiha Parents, they were still powerful ninjas in their own right.
He quickly pens his response and sends the Messenger Hawk out. " And not to be taken lightly." That was very much true.
Tenten was a Weapon's Mistress. The woman could launch a flurry of every sharp and pointy object known to man almost as fast as one could blink. He'd never really seen her use other styles of fighting though. Then again, her original team had been a specialist team, so perhaps that wasn't unexpected.
"And Shikamaru, if anything, is worse." He sighs as he watches the hawk fly off.
The man was a genius and that was part of the reason why the war had been done. He was also capable of using the Shadow Possession Jutsu. He might have lacked the dramatic flare of some of the other members of the Rookie Nine, but he wasn't someone that Sagara felt inclined to challenge directly.
Unfortunately, there really was no way to get around it. It had to be done. That was why, he had hired some thugs.
The thugs would attack Team Seven and he would take care of Team Eight. Sagara had given them very specific instructions and promised to pay them handsomely for their efforts.
He smirks at the thought. "The only payment they'll receive is an early grave though." Sagara had no intention of splitting the payment.
Honestly, they did deserve to die. How they could ever be naïve enough to think that they would be equal partners with someone of his stature was beyond him.
With that thought in mind, Sagara prepares to head off. This moment had been years in the making. It was rare that he was actually excited about something, but today he was. Today, he was going to catch himself not one, but two Uchihas!
Later that day, Hiashi mentally groans and he knew that his son-in-laws were doing the same. Well at least internally. They were too smart to do so in front of their wives.
They weren't alone though. Kakashi and Guy were with them. The Hyuga man was sure that was some sort of attempt on the part of his meddling daughters to keep things from getting out of control. Ha. Hanabi and Hinata could be ridiculously naïve sometimes.
"Two Queens!" Konohamaru grins.
Tears stream down Guy's face. "The Power of Youth lost, but how?!" Apparently, the spandex lover had lost the card game.
Hiashi knew that it was such a trivial thing, but he really wished the Taijutsu User wasn't so fond of spandex. A man his age simply should not be wearing that. Honestly!
"That's just the luck of the draw." Kakashi smiles serenely underneath his mask. "I happen to have three Queens myself." Oh boy.
They'd likely all never hear the end of this. Kakashi and Guy were the best of friends, but they were also rivals. They had some sort of major competition going. Whoever won the majority of a hundred contests, won the big one.
Hiashi didn't know what the prize was for managing such a feat. He assumed that it was simply a matter of pride though. He'd doubted that he'd fully understand Guy and Kakashi!
"Three Aces." Sasuke smiles smugly.
That smile didn't last for long though. "Four Queens." Itachi smiles happily.
"You've all done rather well, but I have five Kings." Hiashi smirks.
Sasuke rolls his eyes. "You cheated and used your Byakugan. You must have." Damn him.
Well Hiashi figured that he was more than justified in doing such a thing. Hmpf, especially after what happened on that vacation!
"I won't deny that, but I figure I'm well within my rights." He glares at Sasuke. "Soundproofing Jutsu!"
Itachi and Sasuke just smirk and that made Hiashi want to throttle them. It was one thing to know that the two men had married his daughter and that collectively the Uchihas had eight children together, it was quite another to hear how they had gone about conceiving them!
"Now, now!" Kakashi was apparently foolish enough to try to break up the fight. "There's no need for any of that."
Konohmaru was smart enough to be nervous. Bless that boy. He was suitably afraid of him!
He laughs anxiously. "So I hear that the twins got put on their own Genin Teams?" Smart man. He was trying to change the subject.
"That's right. Aiya will be instructed by Tenten and Arashi by Shikamaru." Itachi nods proudly.
Well that was one thing that Hiashi could relate to them on. Fatherly pride. Some things truly were universal.
Sasuke snorts in amusement. "Arashi should be fine then. It would be too much of a drag for him to take them on a dangerous mission." Itachi rolls his eyes good-naturedly at that.
"Foolish little brother, aren't you worried about them?" He pokes his forehead.
The gesture reminded Hiashi of his own brother. The Uchihas were fortunate in a way. They didn't have the Branch-Main House System. His own brother might still be alive today, if it wasn't for that.
Still, Hiashi knew the system was important. It had preserved the bloodline for far longer than he had been alive. While it wasn't always pleasant, he wasn't going to change the very foundation upon which its Clan had built itself. Though he had fears that Konohamaru and Hanabi might.
Sasuke sighs. "I'd be lying, if I said I wasn't." He shakes his head. "The first few series of missions though should be easy. Chasing cats and small stuff like that."
Konohamaru winces at that. It was obvious that he had had his own run in with some vicious felines. Hiashi chuckles at that thought.
"Chasing cats can be rather difficult." Itachi laughs. "But you're right. They should be fine. At least for now. I doubt Tenten or Shikamaru are foolish enough to give them a mission that they aren't ready for." The eldest Uchiha smiles.
That's when Sasuke gives Kakashi a dirty look and the former Hokage tries his best to look innocent. Hmm. Well that was interesting. Hiashi couldn't help, but feel that he had missed something.
Kakashi chuckles nervously. "Oh don't give me that look, Sasuke." He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "The three of you begged for a real mission. How was I supposed to know that we would wind up facing Zabuza and Haku?"
Sasuke glares at him. "And that I would end up getting turned into a human pincushion and nearly dying." He rolls his eyes. "Though I guess you're right. Naruto never would have let you have a moment's peace until we got a real mission."
Elsewhere Aiya and her team were settling down for the night in a cave. She stretches as she had just sent off a messenger hawk informing her family that she wouldn't be back until the next day. Hopefully, her parents wouldn't panic too much.
"Don't worry about this, Aiya!" Akio flashes her a shy smile. "I'll take the first watch."
Tenten laughs and shakes her head in amusement. "Boys are always so eager to prove themselves." Aiya could only nod at this.
She had Arashi, Hoshi, Kenji, and Shisui for her brothers. Boys were really competitive and loved to prove themselves. The triplets for the most part were more laidback. Well with the exception of Miya.
"That sounds good. I'll take the second one and Kami can take the third. He's such an early riser." And that was the truth.
She had no idea how anyone could be functional at the crack of dawn naturally, but Aiya knew the truth. Eventually, she'd have to do the same. Definitely not one of the more glamorous aspects of being a ninja though!
Kami nods. "Sounds good." And with that, they all settle in for the night.
Tenten Sensei had wanted to do some Survivalist Training. Essentially, that meant roughing it in the woods. Aiya wasn't too worried though. This was just standard ninja stuff. She was sure that they'd be fine.
That was the last thought on her mind, before she settles in for some sleep. It had been a long day. Between overprotective parents, well-intentioned meddling brothers and sisters, and Kami, well she was exhausted. So she cuddles into Mr. Bear and falls asleep.
Elsewhere Hinata smiles as she watches her husbands get ready for bed. They had just gotten back from a Guys' Day Out. A day that she had basically mandated.
"How did it go?" The bluenette looks at her husbands curiously.
It had been absolutely necessary. There was just no way around that. At best, her husbands and father tolerated each other. She really wished that they could forge a deeper bond.
Sasuke scowls at the thought. "Your father cheats at cards." Wait. What?!
"He used his Byakugan to win, but that's fine." Itachi chuckles and shrugs. "I suppose that we did have that coming." He smiles slyly. "After all, we did traumatize the poor man with the sounds of our lovemaking."
Hinata feels her face go beat red at that. She still couldn't believe that they had gotten so caught up in the moment. As if that wasn't bad enough, it had to be her father who was the one to overhear! She'd never live that down!
"I s-see." Damn it. She was stuttering. "Well I'm glad that you've come to an understanding of sorts." Women who had eight children shouldn't stutter!
Sasuke shakes his head. "If by understanding, you mean that we didn't kill each other…then yes." He smiles at her and gestures for the blunette to come towards the bed. "For now, let's get some rest.
Itachi smirks at that thought. "Or we could do other enjoyable activities in the bed." Hinata blushes more and laughs. That was such an Itachi Thing to say!
At that same moment, Arashi watches as his Sensei yawns. He did that a lot. Enough so that the eldest Uchiha boy was starting to wonder if the man was getting enough sleep.
"The Academy is encouraging the first mission for Genin Squads to be Survivalist Training." He gestures towards the woods that surrounded them. "So we're making camp here for the night. You can choose who will stand watch over which shift."
Oh. Survivalist Training. Well that should be easy enough. All they really needed to do was not get killed!
"Alright." He smiles. "I'll take the third watch!" After all, dawn was when attacks more most likely!
Shikamaru nods and settles down inside his tent for a nap. He seemed fine with letting his team sort out who was going to watch for what shift.
"I'll take second watch then." Safa smiles.
Kitzu nods. "That's fine with me." Arashi smiles at that response.
Well at least his team got along well. So that was good. It was just a matter of time before they were all really strong ninjas, just like his parents! This was going to be awesome!
Back at the Uchiha District, Sasuke blinks. "Itachi, is that a hawk by our window?" That definitely looked like a messenger hawk.
"That does indeed appear to be the case." The elder Uchiha chuckles as he makes his way over to the window and reads the scroll attached to its leg.
Sasuke smiles as Hinata snuggles against him and he watches his brother read the scroll. Judging by the look on his face, it wasn't anything too traumatic. He seemed mildly disappointed though.
Hinata looks up at Itachi. "What's it say?" Yes, that's exactly what Sasuke was wondering himself.
After so many years of marriage, Hinata could practically read their minds at times. Though that ability was thankfully very mutual. Well most of the time, anyway. He just really hoped that she would never find out what happened to the Daimyo.
"Oh. It's from Aiya's Team." Itachi smiles as he reads it out loud.
Dear Mother and Fathers,
Tenten Sensei wants us to do some Survivalist Training. So we'll be camping out tonight. I'll see you in the morning.
Oh and apparently, this is a thing. So it's likely that Arashi's team will be doing the same. I imagine, he'll probably send you another scroll like this one.
Love, Aiya.
PS: Don't worry about me. I'm not afraid of squirrels and deer.
Sasuke laughs. "Well that does so und like Aiya." He smiles as Itachi soon joins them in bed and the two of them proceed to cuddle Hinata more thoroughly.
"Yes, it does." Hinata giggles at the news. "Well I suppose there's nothing to worry about."
Sasuke nods. Tenten and Shikamaru knew them well. Neither of them was stupid enough to let anything happen to their children!
Meanwhile Team Seven was sound asleep. Well save for Aiko. He was standing watch and doing some drawing. That was until he saw something in the distance.
"Get them!" He didn't have any time to react before several explosives were launched at them.
Well maybe, explosives were the wrong word. Nothing blew up. Just gas was released.
That's when he realizes what was going on. "EVERYONE WAKE UP! SLEEPING GAS! IT'S SLEEPING GAS!" He tries to warn his team before covering his mouth with one hand.
He would have to draw some defense with one hand. Aiko wasn't as skilled at this technique as his father was, but he had to do it! He had to protect his team!
That's when Tenten wakes up and she narrows her eyes. "Everyone stay back!" And with that, she darts out to face her opponents.
He glances around warily. Aiko could see that that Aiya and Kami were now fully awake. Both of them were smart enough to cover their mouths. Good. Maybe, they'd get through this.
"Brat's got good eyes, but that won't save you!" One of their attackers snarls at them.
He was wearing a mask. Probably to protect himself from the gas. This wasn't good. This was a planned attack!
Aiya and Kami charge outside to help their Sensei. That wasn't good. They were outnumbered and their Sensei had said to stay back. The most logical thing to do in a situation like this was to retreat for backup.
"Don't make this too hard on yourselves!" An enemy punches Tenten in the gut, forcing her to inhale some of the gas. "We aren't here to kill you."
There were simply too many off them. Not to mention, it was hard to fight opponents when you couldn't breath.
Aiya and Kami were fighting back to back. Fortunately, Aiya could create water with her hands and not just with her mouth. Likewise, Kami was hurling fire and Tenten had recovered enough to throw weapons.
They just kept coming though. "Don't worry guys!" He quickly draws some animals out of ink to help defend them or at least distract their opponents.
They kept coming though. It was obvious that their intention was only to knock them out, but Akio didn't know why. Something was up.
"I gotta get help!" He Flickers off to do exactly that, but just as he was leaving he noticed something disturbing.
Their Sensei had fallen to the ground and was now unconscious! Damn it! He had to hurry, but he was in mid Flicker and couldn't stop!
"Damn. We missed one." A thug glares as he looks around, noting hter should be one more brat around.
"Doesn't matter." Another sighs. "He wants the Uchiha Girl. The others are just bystanders and we'll be long gone before the brat can get help." And with that, the team take off with an unconscious Tenten, Aiya, and Kami in tow.
Back in his bedroom, Itachi smiles as he watches Sasuke and Hinata fall asleep. They looked so peaceful. He still couldn't believe that he actually had this.
He had a family. A happy one. One that included eight beautiful children and a gorgeous wife. (Well four biological children, a nice, and three nephews, but why quibble).
"How did I get so lucky?" He smiles as he runs his fingers through his wife's long dark hair.
It was not nearly as dark as his own or Sasuke's, but it was stunning. It reminded him of a waterfall and looked particularly speculator when it was splayed around her like a silken waterfall during the heat of passion.
He chuckles at that thought. "Though we'll have to be more careful about that." The Uchiha Patriarch didn't actually want to give Hiashi Hyuga a heart attack.
It was both amusing and humiliating. Itachi couldn't believe that Hiashi had overheard that. Oh well.
"What's done is done." One couldn't change the past.
Thankfully, the future looked very bright for his Clan. Aiya and Arashi were on their first "missions" and the rest of their children were thriving at the Academy. Yes, everything seemed to be going perfectly.
Arashi was still sleeping in the forest, when all Hell broke loose. He could hear Kitzu barreling around anxiously and screaming his head off. Yeah. That wasn't a good sign.
"What the?!" The eldest Uchiha boy quickly rises to his feet, ready to kick some butt!
"Stay back, Arashi and Safa!" Shikamaru was also likewise up and jumping into the fray.
Naturally, Arashi didn't listen. Neither did Safa. Who did Shikamaru think he was dealing with, really? They were fully fledged Ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village and Leaf Ninjas didn't hide behind their Senseis!
Safa blinks as she stares at Kitzu rolling around at what appeared to be nothing. "What's he freaking out about?" That's exactly what Arashi was thinking.
Suddenly, their professor was hurling shadows at nothing! It didn't make any sense! Unless…they were seeing something that he and Safa weren't.
"Get back!" It had to be a Genjutsu! "Don't make eye contact with anything. It's a Genjutsu!" His eyes immediately activate as he looks around for their opponent furiously.
He hears a dark chuckle and whirls around to come face to face with a pair of golden eyes and blood red hair. "That's actually quite clever." He smirks as he makes eye contact with him. "You figured out that it was a Genjutsu, but well it's a little too late for that to matter." He knocks out Safa and captures Arashi in a Genjutsu.
He wasn't aware of it of course, but Sagara had just thrown him over his shoulder and was now carrying him off. He'd also made some clones to handle the others.
"Honestly, I wish this was less messy." Sagara rolls his eyes at he thought.
He'd rather have gotten all the Uchiha Children at once and he certainly didn't like going after their entire teams. .The more hostages one took, the more likely there was a chance they might figure out a way to escape. No matter though.
He smirks at the thought. "I'll get them to sign the contract quickly and drop them off somewhere." The red head would be gone, long before the Leaf ever really figured out what had happened.
It was a pleasant thought. Sagara couldn't help, but feel a surge of satisfaction as he carried the boy off. He had finally done it.
Years. It had taken years, but Blood Moon had managed it. He had captured himself two Uchiha Children and the rest would likely follow in short order.
"I'm going to be a very rich man soon." He smirks again at the thought. "And it's all thanks to a couple of old, dead fools."
Kira and Kaiden had been willing to waste their entire lives' fortunes on pretending their kin from learning the Hyuga Clan's trademark techniques. He might as well take advantage of that fact.
After all, if he didn't…someone else would have. So why shouldn't he be allowed to live in the lap of luxury for the rest of his life. He probably wouldn't have to even kill the kids to do it and if he did, well he'd make not to leave behind any evidence. He did not want to face the wrath of the Uchiha Parents.