Disclaimer I do not own Sakura, Hinata, Ino or any of the other Naruto charaters.
Chapter 3
Dressing the children
Sakura emerged from her bathroom looking refreshed. Her pink hair, newly washed, was tied back with her Konoha headband and she was wearing her typical Hanuro dress, the maternity version of it. She almost looked like the fresh face younger version of herself in the picture on her mantle; the one taken just before she'd begun her repopulation endeavor.
"I have to go the other way now," she smiled at the camera. "The older kids have to get ready for ninja school or to go on their missions. As I said before, I don't have to worry about my 15 year olds. Kakura is already a jounin and lives with her father. I haven't seen Jirakura in about 3 years. I hear she's due back in Konoha soon; I can't wait to see her again.
"Kibura is a chuunin and probably out with her dad by now. Once in a while I can get her to babysit for me, but not often anymore. The Rokudaime keeps the chuunins pretty busy patrolling. We're still not up to our prime yet, even though it's been 17 years since Pain's attack."
Sakura walked up to one of the bedroom doors and began pounding on it as loudly as she could, with a broom handle, conveniently located by the door. Her face became a mask of fury as the pounding and shouting went on. Several of the cameramen shook their heads in embarrassment for the konouchi.
Finally a dual lazy "What?" proceeded from the room.
"Get up or you'll be late!" screeched Sakura.
"It's too troublesome," said Shikura or was it Sakamara?
"We'll be there soon," said Sakamara unless it was Shikura.
Satisfied Sakura turned back to the camera, her face sweet once again. "I have to start getting them up now or they'll never make their patrol. They are 13 and both of them made chuunin last year." Pride sparkled in her eyes.
"However, they are just like their dads, uhm, I mean dad, Shikaku. He's kind of slow moving and, uhm, and so is his oldest son, Shikamaru. Not that I would know from experience of course. I could never have done that to my good friend Shikamaru."
BOOOM!
"What was that?" yelped a cameraman.
"Oh that was just Deidura. She likes to annoy Inokura. Deidura found out a couple years ago that she wasn't Inoichi's daughter and ever since has delighted in setting off explosions to wake her sister."
"Sakura! I'm here."
"Oh, Hinata could you calm down Inokura? I'm sure Deidura upset her again this morning. I'm going to get the clothes for the sextuplets and see if they are done eating."
"Al-alright, Sakura." Sakura headed off to the laundry room with a camera in tow and Hinata headed to the room which Inokura and Deidura shared. Inokura was yelling at her sister.
"Why must you always blow up my pillow!" screamed Inokura.
"It's art!" replied Deidura hotly.
"Just because YOU got expelled from ninja school doesn't mean that you have to pick on me!"
"Uhm, girls. Please stop arguing. Inokura, you're going to be late if you don't start getting ready."
"But Hinata-san! Did you see what Deidura did to my pillow?"
"Ino- Inokura, she always blows up your pillow. I'll help you restuff it again when you get home from school." Hinata touched her index fingers together shyly.
"Fine," huffed Inokura. "I'll see you after your community service, artless." The girl sped out of the room before Deidura could react.
Hinata stepped in front of the pink hair girl, "Let me help you put your pony tail up."
Deidura grumbled a bit under her breath, but let the older woman comb and tie her her hair.
"You know," said the girl calmer, "The community service isn't so bad. The Rokudaime lets me clear rubble with my art. It's pretty fun sometimes."
"The Rokudaime is a wise man," said Hinata quietly.
"I suppose. I wonder what it would be like to be his daughter though. Kakura is so lucky. She doesn't have to share a room with anyone and her dad is actually interested in her."
"Sweetie, you know that your dad died a long time ago."
"But why won't Inokura's dad accept me too? I look just like Inokura!" The girl began to cry. "I'm just a mistake!"
"That's not true, honey. Your mom wanted you."
"Mom didn't want me! She wanted Sasuke's baby!"
"How did you find that out?" The Hyuga was shocked.
"Come on look at all my little sisters. Everyone of them is some weird ninja's or another's baby, most of them are dead. Where do you think they came from?"
"I hadn't really thought about it," Hinata said quietly.
"I followed Mom before Kidura was born. I saw her meet with that Sasuke guy. I also saw how she cried and cried when Kidura was born."
"Hush, you better go get your breakfast before you report to the clean-up detail. Your hair is just the way you like it."
"Thanks Hinata. I can never talk to mom about stuff like this. She's too busy popping out another kid all the time." Deidura jumped up and ran out of the room.
Meanwhile Sakura found herself in laundry room laying out the clothes for her younger children. Most of the children had separate baskets for each of them but the sextuplets clothes were arranged differently.
"The sextuplets always have to wear matching clothes," confided Sakura to the camera. "So rather than give each child a basket, I organize them into 6 different baskets with matching outfit for each of them."
Sakura went to the sextuplets room and pushed in with her arm full of clothes. Yahikura was the mouth piece for her sisters and the girls were getting more and more secretive as they got older. The girls were arranged in a circle on the floor with Nagatura part of their number.
"I just brought your clothes in for you. You six better hurry up and get ready or you'll be late for ninja academy."
Yahikura rose and took their clothes from her mom and began pushing Sakura towards the door.
"I'll make sure they get ready, Mom. You need to go take carry of littler kids. Just leave Nagatura's clothes outside the door. I'll get her ready too."
Speechless Sakura allowed herself to be pushed away. The door closed firmly behind her. She looked straight into the camera.
"I don't know what I am going to do with those girls. I can't get 5 of them to talk to me, but Yahikura claims they speak to her. I've talked to the pediatrician about them, but she doesn't seem worried at all. Now they are sucking Nagatura into their group. It's almost scary."
Sakura shook herself and returned to the laundry room. It was time to get Tobura's, Nagatura's and Kisura's clothes ready. They went to a pre-ninja academy class.
Tobura streaked past the laundry room, her hands in the air and giggling wildly. Sakura swore under her breath and grabbed a random set of clothes from the basket for Tobura and took off after her.
"Tobura! Get dressed young lady!"
The cameraman valiantly tried to keep up with the mother and daughter. He lost them. The front door slammed loudly.
"Tobura you can't go out like that!" called Sakura desperately.
The front door opened again just as the cameraman reached it. A blonde woman had pushed the door open. She had Tobura by the shoulder.
"Aw, Ino-san," whined the girl.
"Well billboard head, I see you still have trouble keeping Tobura in the house." said the blonde.
"Ino-Pig, nice timing as usual. Thanks for catching her. Could you go wake up the twins? I can't let Tobura out of my sight until she's dressed."
The blonde konouchi laughed. "I'll try. The are very like the Nara family, you know."
Sakura now had the 6 year old's shoulder and was handing the clothes to her.
"Aw, mom, these don't match my mask!" whined the girl.
Sakura ignored the girl. "How's Shikamaru don't these days. I haven't seen to much of him."
"He's been on patrol a lot. There is something going on but the Rokudaime hasn't shared what he suspects with the rest of his jounins."
"Well, tell him I said hi when you see him tonight."
"I will billboard head," the blonde laughed again and went down the hall to the twins' room.
Sakura hustled the captured Tobura to the laundry room and shut the door between her and the camera.
"A moment please while I get Tobura dressed," said Sakura through the door.
From down the hall came the sound of pounding on the closed bedroom door of the twins. Ino's voice filled the hall.
"Get up! Get up NOW! If you don't get out of those beds this minute, I'm coming in after you!"
After 5 minutes of pounding and screaming, a faint "how troublesome" was heard. Ino came back down the hall satisfied.
"They'll get up now," she said confidently. "Sakura, let me in. Is Tobura ready for school?"
The door opened and Tobura zoomed out between the waiting konouchi and the camera. She was down the hall almost before the cameraman could turn his camera to follow her.
"Thank goodness," sighed Sakura. "She'll get to school eventually. She's usually late because something distracts her. I'll send Kisura after her in a few moments."
"I'll go get Kisura ready, Sakura. She's already eaten?"
"Yes, she's had her breakfast, but I still would keep an eye on her," warned Sakura.
"I know," replied the blonde, "she still bites. Don't you think she should know better by now?"
"You'd think. But I think something in her genetics makes it hard for her to keep things out of her mouth. Maybe that whole shark thing she has going on." Sakura laughed bitterly as handed Kisura's outfit , a pretty black sun-dress with red clouds on it, to Ino.
"What's this?" asked Ino.
"I know, but Kisura saw a picture of the Akatsuki cloaks and asked my mom for a dress just like it."
"Okay. You know I'm worried about some of your kids. What are you going to do to Sasuke when you find him again?"
"Don't ask. I have plans." Sakura said darkly.
Ino merely nodded and went in search of the blue skinned 6 year old. Sakura gathered up both Nagatura's clothes and Gaakura and Sakuzu's clothes and left the laundry room again.
She hung the clothes on the sextuplets's door knob and knocked politely.
"Yahikura, here are her clothes. Please hurry you are going to be late."
Sakura moved on in search of her 4 year olds. Already the freshness from the shower was wearing off. She found them in the playroom. Gaakura was happily sand coffining toys and Sakazu sat by her side. The little masked girl looked up at her mom and held out the teddy bear that was in her hands.
"I fixin' it, Mommy," said the little girl sweetly.
"I see that. It's time to get dressed now."
"Okay, Mommy," The two girls spoke in unison. The both stood silently in front of their mother as she helped them undress and redress in clean clothes. As soon as she was done, the twins wandered away to continue their activities.
"At least it keeps them amused," sighed Sakura.
She left the playroom and returned once more to the laundry room. Hinata was already waiting for Sakura there.
"Deidura has left. I think both she and Inokura had a pop tart before they left," said Hinata quietly.
"Great, thanks Hinata. Have you seen Shikura and Sakamara?" sighed Sakura wearily.
"No, not yet."
"Could you go wake them? They are really going to be late now. I need to find where Kidura has scuttled off to this morning. Yesterday I found her under the couch." Sakura shuddered slightly.
"Of course," replied Hinata.
Hinata went back down the hallway to the closed door of the twins. She knocked gingerly on the door. The sound barely carried beyond the door.
"Uhm, girls, you need to get up," said Hinata at volume barely over a whisper.
The door opened and the twins emerged sleepily.
"Okay, Aunt Hinata," said one of the girls but Hinata wasn't sure which girl it was.
Meanwhile Sakura roamed the house looking under beds and furniture.
"I just don't get that little girl. She seems to enjoy dark places."
Finally Sakura managed to locate her in the back of a closet on the shelf. Sakura picked up the little girl but couldn't suppress a shudder as Kidura wrapped her six arms around her.
They were in Inokura and Deidura's room. Sakura put the little girl up the bed and helped her into her specially made top and coveralls.
"My mom made the clothes for Kidura. Obviously, nothing normal fits her. Okay, you can go play Kidura." Kidura burbled happily. "Now to clean up the mess from breakfast and gather the laundry and," Sakura sighed heavily. "At least all the older kids are at school. It makes it so much easier."