Chapter 4: The Three Kages
Usagi hated the kimono. It was a terribly soft pink color that everyone said went well with her hair, but she did not like at all. It was tight around her legs and restricted her movements, and worst of all, she had to walk slowly down the dirt streets so as not to get the cursed thing dirty or tear it. Still, she thought as she held onto her mother's hand to keep from falling in the impossible shoes, she had to remember that once she got to the crowd gathered at the gate to the village her whole family would be there, the arrival of the last few members being the cause of all the commotion. The thought of all her aunts and uncles, every last one, all smiling and happy, was almost enough to make up for the stupid kimono.
When Hinata and Usagi reached the congregation the crowd parted to admit them, leaving a path to where the First Golden Hokage stood. Naruto was fidgeting uncomfortably, as though the Hokage robes and hat were nothing short of painful, but anyone that knew him well knew that what was really bothering him was the swarm of ANBU clustered around him. Naruto was not one for the implication that he could not take care of himself, and though he knew the guard was there just to be sure, he still had to fight the urge to snap every time one glanced around at a small noise. He cursed himself silently; they were just doing their jobs, after all. His four-year-old son, Mizu, was doing a better job of keeping still, standing patiently at his father's feet, his small, pale eyes focused straight ahead.
When she reached him Hinata wrapped her arms around one of her husband's, and leaning in she whispered something inaudible in his ear. She placed a small kiss on his cheek, and he turned to her, returning her gentle smile with a dazzling one of his own. He stilled, comforted by her casual and familiar presence.
His eyes slid downward onto his two children. Usagi was fidgeting worse than him, no doubt agitated by the constricting and overly feminine kimono. Mizu's eyes had switched from the gate to his sister, watching as she stuck out her bottom lip and exhaled, blowing her hair out of her face. Naruto chuckled. It was good to be reminded that there was someone who hated all this fuss and ritual almost as much as he did, and handled it just as poorly. Admittedly he had never thought of his behavior as poor, but he knew that very few of his old teachers would have approved of the fact that his approach to such ceremonies had not changed with age. Most of them had thought he would one day grow out of his childishness, and Naruto took great pride in the fact that he never had. It was, he maintained, what made him such a good Hokage.
The opening of the heavy gates took far too long. They creaked and groaned as though reluctant to let anyone through, but at last they stood open, framing two almost identical honor guards of the two Kages standing just outside the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
The first to step inside the Leaf Village's walls was The Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand, Gaara. As usual his face was quite expressionless as his eyes swept the crowd. The Kage uniform he wore had not managed to deny him the large gourd of sand on his back, a comforting reminder that this was indeed Gaara, despite the fact that his telltale mop of violently red hair was completely hidden. On either side of Gaara stood his brother and sister, Kankuro and Temari. Kankuro's eyes swept over the crowd in an appraising manner. Temari, however, glanced almost anxiously about herself in a search for something besides a threat. Temari, of course, was far more comfortable in the Leaf Village than her brothers, after all she had only gone to Suna to see them and escort Gaara back with her to the village that had been her home since she'd gotten married. The one unusual thing about the Kazekage's honor guard was that it included a small child, a boy with dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, held casually in Temari's arms.
Usagi squirmed. She hated all this pomp and ceremony, it stopped her from running up to one of her favorite uncles and giving him a hug like she really should have. Gaara's eyes at last came to settle on Naruto and his family. His lips twitched into his small smile at the sight of his friend's face, and then his eyes shifted to Usagi. His smile widened ever so slightly, and he winked.
Then the second Kage stepped forward, his honor guard close in tow. This time it was Naruto's turn to smile at the sight of an old friend. It was all he could do to stop from running up to him, hand held high in an excited wave, calling out "Hey, Sasuke!"
Sasuke Uchiha, the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Sound, met his friend's excited smile with a calmer one of his own. He scanned the sea of faces lining the walk to where the other two Kages stood, smiling and nodding as he met each one he remembered from his childhood in this very village. At last he stood with the others, the three of them forming as small triangle, their family, friends and guards fanning out behind each one. To an onlooker who did not know these men personally they looked imposingly impressive; three great men standing on even footing, each leading an army as though they were a convergence of great mystical energies. The three Kages.
"Usagi," whispered a voice from somewhere behind her. She glanced back to see Shikamaru, kneeling behind her, holding her glider out to her. Her eyes lit up as she took it from him, but he pressed a finger to his lips to keep her silent. She cocked her head in question and he grinned, ducking around behind Naruto to make his way to the line of people rimming the open space where the Kages and their guards stood.
"Temari Nara," he said, stepping forward as the crowd parted for him to stand across the way from Temari, "you have something that belongs to me."
Temari's eyes lit up at the sound of Shikamaru's voice, but when she turned to him it was with a sly look. "And what would that be?" she asked, her tone light and teasing, a laugh dancing in her eyes.
Shikamaru grinned like a mad man. "Why, a kiss, of course," he almost laughed. Temari did laugh, holding her son in one arm, the other hand pressed against her mouth to smother her giggles. Kankuro rolled his eyes and Gaara snorted, though neither of them could disguise a small smile. They were happy that their sister was happy.
Temari's eyes danced playfully. "I have something else for you first, Shika-kun," she grinned. Kneeling down, she set the boy in her arms on the ground. "Show daddy what you learned when you went to Suna with mommy," she whispered into the boy's ear.
Shikamaru's eyes widened, the grin slipping from his face as he fell to his knees, arms stretched out to his son. The boy reached for his father, a happy smile on his tiny face, and took a few unstable steps forward. Temari looked down at her son anxiously, watching as he walked, slowly but surely, towards his father. Shikamaru looked at his child, not two years old, walking towards him. He swallowed convulsively, his mouth seeming to have suddenly gone dry as step by step the boy edged closer to him. A few paces in front of his father the child tripped, falling forward. Shikamaru, however, lunged to scoop his son into his loving embrace. Temari ran forward as Shikamaru stood and threw her arms around his neck as everyone in the crowd cheered. Maneuvering the dark haired boy so he was balanced on one hip, Shikamaru wrapped an arm around Temari's shoulders, pulling her into his passionate kiss. Another cheer went up from the crowd as the long separated couple welcomed each other, their child cooing happily between them.
"Temari, stop making a spectacle of yourself," said Kankuro half heartedly.
Temari took her tongue out of Shikamaru's mouth long enough to stick it out at her oldest brother. "Oh shut up, Kankuro."
Naruto and Sasuke both laughed. Sasuke's smile was easy as he surveyed his friends, the people he had known since he was a child. His eyes swept the crowd, looking for one face in particular. He frowned. "Where's Sakura?" he asked Naruto mildly, still looking around for her.
Lee stepped forward. "She said she was sorry she could not be here to meet you," he said, nodding slightly to Sasuke, "she is not feeling well this morning and decided to stay in bed until she felt better." He looked up, smiling at the younger shinobi, and to the casual observer his smile seemed genuine. However, someone who knew Lee well could see that the kind look he wore did not entirely reach his eyes, and there was tension there, just under the surface. Sasuke returned Lee's smile and nod, however the same tension was also returned.
Sasuke turned to smile, truly this time, at Usagi. "I hope you have not been causing too much trouble, little one."
It was not a question. Usagi answered anyway, "Oh no, Uncle Sasuke, I've been on my best behavior."
The skeptical grin he gave her only made the blond girl laugh.
Gaara, as though to distract himself from his sister's continued antics, turned towards Hinata and bent his head to her. "A pleasure, as always Hinata," he said quietly.
Hinata bent her head shyly in response. Gaara then turned his attention to Mizu. The Kazekage bowed his head rather lower than was necessary to greet the child, and Mizu did the same. Something unspoken seemed to flash between them, but it lasted only for a second, and then Gaara returned his gaze to Naruto. "It's been a while, my friend," he said simply.
Naruto rolled his eyes, slouching like a petulant child. "Too long if you ask me," he almost whined, "I haven't seen you guys in ages!"
-Later-
Lee entered the bedroom to find Sakura laying on the bed, still pale and looking thoroughly exhausted. She looked up and smiled weakly when he entered. "So," she asked, sitting up, "how did it go?"
"No better than could have been expected," he sighed, coming to sit on the bed next to her. He cupped her cheek fondly, then his hand traced down her neck, over her shoulder, along her arm, to rest on her abdomen.
"Sasuke wanted to know where you were," he told her quietly.
Sakura looked away. She did not want to look at her husband. She did not want to think about it, about what he was trying to get her to discuss. She knew the problem facing them. They had faced it before, together, but the circumstances were different now. The stakes were even higher.
Lee stretched out his other hand to grasp her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Sakura-chan," he whispered, his eyes full of a strange mixture of sadness and longing, "every morning this grows worse. Every morning you find yourself too ill to rise. How long can we keep this a secret?"
Sakura looked back at her husband, trying to find the words. She placed her hand over the one he had placed on her stomach. "At least until he leaves," she said quietly, "at least until then, we have to."
Lee's eyes narrowed, looking at her in a mixture of confusion and concern. "You don't really think. . ." he let the thought trail off to hang in the air between them.
Sakura looked down at the sheets. "I don't know, Lee," she whispered, sounding as though she were fighting tears, "I don't know, but I don't wanna risk it."
