A/N: I'll keep it short since its been a forever since I've updated, and I'm just going to say thanks to the amazingly annoying pestering of my best friend who started reading this story and since she knew me, happily she consistently annoyed me until she sat me down and harassed me to begin throughout this entire chapter. I'm back and thanks to her, you can enjoy my story again. You can thank her. Aniecä's back with vengeance!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters, except my own and the story line. It's totally mine also. Smiles J I only wish I owned Naruto.
TO THE STORY--YEAH FOR YOU GUYS!
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48: Baby-Sitting Is Not Fun
It was only March and the house was quite, which was truly unusual seeing as there were 4 infants in the house, 2 of which were hardly 2 months old at the time. Neji had just awoken and checked on his son, Owen before proceeding to go down the stairs to the living room and watch television.
He had left his wife sleeping because he knew how precious hours such as this one where she could actually sleep were, though he knew it was a matter of moments before she's wake herself up, noticing he was awake.
Before he could even realize it, Tenten was at his side. "Morning Neji." She said in a quite, yet truly cheerful voice, careful not to wake the infants in the house.
"Morning Ten. You should have slept in. I didn't intend on waking you up." He said turning to her, kissing her cheek and getting up to go into the kitchen, intending on making her breakfast. He, however, did not make it that far before a kunai whizzed by his face.
"Nuh uh." Tenten said shaking her head with a smile, grabbing Neji's arm. "I'm cooking breakfast, you relax." He sighed, there was no use arguing with Tenten. If she wanted to do something, you couldn't do anything to change her mind.
"If you want me to…" He suggested to her that he help.
"Sit." She said, laughing to herself. The command was sharp and forceful. Normally if someone told you to sit, you'd start arguing that you aren't a dog. However, Neji was smarter than a normal person was and understood her purpose in saying that. He was almost as stubborn as she was and she just wanted him to relax.
He did as she said and took a seat and the kitchen table, or counter. They didn't eat there but you could sit and talk while someone was cooking, if you pleased. "You really shouldn't Tenten,…" Neji commented, though he knew that she'd blow off his words with a response.
"Owen's a year old Neji. I'm training and doing everything…" He cut her off before she could begin about how it was ridiculous that she couldn't go on with her normal activities, even if it was months after she had Owen. Though her mind was in a blur, everyone would expect HER of all people to be on her feet after at least 3 months, probably a lot less. A year and it'd be like she was never pregnant, her strength and physical shape as perfect as before.
"Ten. I know. I'm just saying you've been working 24-7 lately. You've barely been sleeping. Relax will YOU." He said.
"I'm fine really Neji. I've managed more than this before. I can handle more." He looked doubtful at her. He could tell that things were quite the contrary. He knew that she was wearing down with all the crying kids around, and with Ino and Sakura still in recovering health and her acting as doctor for the newborn 2 and their mothers along with all of her other tasks and no sleep. She couldn't go on much longer.
"Tenten. Take a break today. You've done so much for everyone already; I'll take care of everything today. Go back to sleep or shop or something, just relax." You couldn't out argue Tenten, no one could, but he could her to see reasons, that and she listened to him.
"Neji…" He just looked at her. "Can I finish cooking breakfast?"
'I guess. Everyone will eat and then you'll go enjoy yourself. Write down everything you'll want done today. I can manage it too, just as easily."
"I don't have anything really to do. Everything's pretty much done. Just check on Ino and Sakura, their kids, and watching Owen. Make Lunch and Dinner and usually exercise with you. Possibly clean up the house if it needs it, this one or the room at the complex."
"Why don't you go there and take a nap. Just relax. You need sleep." Neji said. She sighed; it was obnoxious to not be doing anything. She felt useless and weak.
Tenten finished making breakfast, and then she sat down. Neji went upstairs into Owen's bedroom and carried his son down to the table to eat. Owen was one now and he was beginning to walk around more independently. They had to put up many baby gates so he wouldn't fall down the stairs. He got down a few words and he would cause trouble moving things around and getting into trouble by taking things.
After everyone ate, Neji sent Tenten to relax at the complex and sat down on the couch with Owen. When she left Owen cried. "Hi Owen, Mom will be back. Let's walk around."
Owen was 13 months old and he could do quite well on his own as far as walking went. He was curious, though he caused a lot of problems for Tenten and Neji as far as finding things that they didn't want him to find, mainly Tenten's assortment of weapons. He hadn't gotten into any of them yet, but Neji figured at his rate he'd be smart enough to figure out the simple jutsus that Tenten used. She knew a lot of more complex ones but she didn't figure for the moment that Owen would figure how to break them.
Sakura was barely capable at the current moment to move around much. Not that Sasuke would even let her, had she been able. It had been almost 2 weeks since Yoshi; Sakura's first child was born.
Sasuke was off on a mission and trusted Tenten to care for every single one of Sakura's needs though it was pretty much up to Neji today to watch her. Not that Neji believed that Sakura needed anything, though he understood Sasuke's concerns. It was their first kid and he didn't want anything to happen to either of them.
Normally Neji and Tenten were and the complex but since Ino had her kid Tenten had been there 90 of the time watching out for them. Hinata was usually there, as she'd be today Neji figured since Tenten knew Neji wasn't a med-nin, that much is obvious.
Neji was sitting down on the couch. When he heard Sakura's door open. He turned around to see Sakura standing their with her baby boy in arms. "I was just…" She tried to give an excuse.
"You're 18. I think you can make the decision when you're ready to get up on your own." Neji answered her. "Do you need anything?"
"Where's Tenten?" Sakura asked looking around.
"I made her take a day off. No helping, no sparing, nothing." Neji said. "She's resting at the complex, well hopefully."
Sakura nodded and came down the stairs and sat on the couch curling her knees toward her chest though holding Yoshi close to her, letting him rest against her. Sakura simply watched as Neji and Tenten's son played with toys on the ground. Owen was independent of Neji though he was hardly 13 months old.
Sakura sat their watching Owen as Neji continued just simply watching television. It would seem as if he was annoying his son though Sakura knew Neji was just letting him play and she knew he could watch Owen's every move, hers and TV at the same time without a single thing getting past him.
It was awkward being there, Neji without Tenten and her without Sasuke. It almost made her fear Neji because he was so much stronger than her, not that she suspected he'd do anything, especially to her but she was insecure.
Neji could feel her worries; the silence was unnerving her. She didn't like it. He got up, gently taking Owen into his arms and he went up into his room, grabbing all Owen's things as well. Sakura simply watched out of the side of her eyes.
Sakura sighed as she rested her head against the back of the couch. It was too quiet. She retired back to her room, figuring that Neji was saving her the stress of just sitting there.
Sakura sat down on her bed looking at Yoshi. "Hey Yoshi. I'm your mom, you know." She said gently rocking to him. Sakura wanted to scream though that'd upset the baby. For one thing, she couldn't stand the house being so quiet and empty. Two, without Sasuke there she was frightened and alone. Three, she wanted to go out and do things.
"Hey Yoshi, lets go out and visit people." Sakura whispered to her son as she tried to sneak out of her bedroom and down the stairs. However, Neji stepped out of his room, Byakugan activated. She froze.
"Watch your step." He said.
"Neji, I want to go out." Sakura whined holding Yoshi close to her.
"It's not my place to tell you yes or no but I don't think, if Sasuke was here, he'd let you." Neji said crossing his arms, deactivating his Byakugan and leaning against the wall.
"I need to get out." She said. "I've been inside for weeks. It's too quiet."
"It's not my decision to make but you know you wouldn't be sneaking out if you didn't know better than to leave." He said, shaking his head. Owen walked out and tried to climb on the banister. Neji bent down and picked up Owen.
She sighed. "Where is Sasuke? When's he going to be back?" She asked Neji figuring that he'd know.
The fact remained, he didn't. "No idea. I'm just supposed to keep and eye on everyone here, cook and clean. I'm pretty much covering for Tenten, giving her a day off." He thought for a second. "Would Tenten let you go out, had she been here?"
"Probably, that and she'd go with me." Sakura answered, Neji could tell her sincerity.
"Me too!" Ino said sitting on her banister with her kid Shika in her arms. She hopped down and landed without Shika making a sound.
"Ino, that really isn't safe." Neji said sighing.
"I know. Shikamaru says the same things but I wouldn't drop my child. I'm not clumsy like Forehead-girl there." Neji rolled his eyes picking up Owen and sighing as they left the house.
"So where is Shikamaru?" Sakura asked.
"I don't know." She said sighing depressingly. "Now he disappears a lot. I bet he's just doing missions but the fact he isn't saying anything is upsetting."
"Or he thinks it's troublesome." Neji suggested.
Ino laughed. "Then again, you're probably right. So where's Ten?" Ino had picked up Neji's little nickname for Tenten, not that Ino'd ever call her that to her face.
Sakura smiled. "Neji made Tenten relax for a day; hopefully she's doing just that."
"One can only hope." Neji added.
"If I was her I would go do something relaxing…"
"Like watching clouds." Sakura said. She and Ino laughed while Neji looked at the clouds and sighed; cloud watching never did make sense to him.
"Neji!" Tenten yelled. He looked straightforward to see Tenten carrying bags of groceries walking toward him.
"Tenten." Neji said setting Owen down so he could take the groceries from her.
"I told you to take care of Ino and Sakura." She said sighing. "Sasuke and Shikamaru aren't going to be happy with you." When Tenten watched someone, she would take care of you 200 not to mention that sometimes they didn't need help. There were no mistakes if you were helping.
"They're 18. I figure they're old enough to decide what they want to do." Neji commented. "Plus, it's not as though Sasuke and Shikamaru would blame me."
"Yeah but they'd blame me and I trusted you." Tenten said upset. It was hard to babysit, and some you wouldn't guess. Tenten was emotional and easily upset.
"Neji's right, Tenten." Sakura said. "Plus if we're going to recover and get better we have to get up and get moving."
"I leave all the time when Shika's not there. Shikamaru, not Shika." Ino corrected herself. One could definitely agree it wasn't her best choice in names.
Neji smiled. "How about you three hang out and I watch them, take the groceries too."
"I'd rather not have Yoshi leave me right now Neji." Sakura said. "He's only a few weeks old." Neji nodded understanding.
"You could probably just put Shika to bed. He won't do anything anyway, he never does. He just sleeps and eats." Ino said handing Neji gently her baby boy. Neji packed the food into a scroll and while carrying Shika he went back to the house to watch Shika and Owen.
Neji walked into the house to see Hinata sitting on the couch, Hiroka on her lap. "Neji, have you seen Tenten? She promised to watch Hiroka while I'm having meetings with Naruto."
"I'll watch her." Neji said.
"Are you sure?" Hinata asked.
"I'm making sure Tenten has time to relax. I'm covering all her responsibilities. I can handle her Hinata." Hinata smiled setting Hiroka down gently on the ground on her feet. Hiroka was a few months younger than Owen, about 9 months old. She could walk a little, brought on by the fact that she watched Owen tried and she could. She was young but she walked considerably well. Not independently but she could walk quite steps by herself.
"I trust you Neji-nii-san. I just don't want you to over work yourself." She smiled. "Thanks." She kissed Hiroka on the head and quickly left when she knew Hiroka wasn't watching.
--
Tenten walked down the street. "So Tenten what have you done all day?"
"Nothing much. Neji keeps everything clean so there's no mess to pick up. Owen, even for a baby, he doesn't make a mess either, sits and plays. I guess I'm not used to relaxing, it's not normal." She said sighing.
"Tenten, you're acting like he's punishing you." Ino said. "He loves you and wants you to relax and enjoy yourself. Play around, have fun."
"Neji for one should know that's not who I am. It's never who I've ever been."
"I agree with Neji, Tenten." Sakura said. "You're always taking care of everyone else. You haven't left my side in days. If it's not me then its Ino, or Owen. Take time to enjoy life Tenten. Breathe."
"Sakura, I didn't have anyone growing up this is all I have and my life. I was focused on school, and training to become a ninja. Then I found Neji, and now I'm got my family. I can't just go run off and have fun."
"Sure you can. Don't you have fun with Neji? Play around just enjoy yourselves?" Ino asked.
Tenten sat down on a bench. "Not lately. I've been busy. Cooking, cleaning, helping, working."
"None of that's your responsibility Tenten. You don't work for anyone. There are maids and cooks that cook and clean. You have Owen and Neji, that's all you're responsible. Enjoy the life you live now." Sakura said.
"Now let's party." Ino said. Yoshi woke up and started crying. "Sorry Sakura."
"Sh. Mommy'll take care of you." Sakura whispered to him rocking him quietly.
--
Meanwhile Neji was at the house. Owen and Hiroka were on the ground quietly playing with each other, and the toys that he had placed in front of them. Hiroka who was about 9 months was simply playing with balls, different shapes, blocks, and a little toy telephone which Tenten had brought out. Most of Owen's toys stayed at the complex and Tenten brought them with her.
Owen was creative and enjoyed climbing around on things at the playground, he liked to color but he'd do things that Hiroka liked too, like playing with blocks and toys that had to be pushed or pulled.
"Block." Owen said to Neji holding it up. Neji smiled.
"That's a block, yes. Good job Owen."
"Tummy." Owen said holding his tummy.
"Alright, come on Owen." Neji said picking up Hiroka and setting her in her high chair. Then put Owen in his. Owen could successfully followed Neji to the kitchen. Neji went up stairs where Shika started crying.
"Shh." Neji said holding Shika. She continued to cry. Neji had already forgotten what Tenten would do when Neji was little and cried. Neji sighed and set Shika back in her bed. Shika stopped crying and Neji was surprised to see Shika fall asleep.
Neji sighed and went downstairs. He handed Owen a bowl of his favorite food, with a fork. Tenten assured him that its safe enough to let him have one though Neji wasn't sure. He then sat by Hiroka and began to feed her. Then food began flying as Owen played with it.
"Owen." Owen stopped and looked sad.
Meanwhile Tenten walked in the door. "Hey you." She said as she walked in the house to see Neji covered in food. She laughed.
"Owen, did you throw food?" Tenten asked smiling. Owen simply laughed. Tenten picked up Owen and rocked him back and forth. "I figured you'd need help. Plus, you can't keep me away very long."
"I don't remember everything to do." Neji said. Tenten kissed him while holding Owen. "So what now?"
"Put Hiroka in her crib. She's a good girl; she'll lie down. Read her good-night moon." Neji picked up Hiroka and went to her room. He put her in her crib and sat in a rocker that Hinata would stay in as she watched Hiroka.
After a while and Hiroka had fallen asleep Neji turned around to look as Tenten held a sleeping Owen in her arms. "Owen loves it when you read to him."
"You always do." Neji said.
"I always do everything. Sakura's right. I need to just enjoy myself. That's why I came here, to enjoy myself." She said as they walked back to their wing of the house.
She laid Owen carefully in his crib and let him fall to sleep. They closed the door as they left the room and went downstairs. "It seems like it's been a long time since Owen was Yoshi and Shika's age, doesn't it?" Neji asked as Tenten leaned against him resting her head.
"I don't know. They're only like a year apart. They'll probably go to school together, be friends and stuff. I guess when they're little time makes a huge difference, but once your older months aren't that long." Tenten said smiling. "Do you miss me?"
"You're always there. You just need to slow down."
Tenten nodded. "Remember when we first thought Owen was really sick."
Ж (Flashback) Ж
Neji was sleeping in the bed and Owen was a few months old. Tenten had woken up to check on Owen when she realized that he had a fever. She ran back into their room. She jumped on the bed. "Neji." She yelled. He sat up surprised, grabbing a kunai from the side table.
"What?" He asked when he noticed her panicked expression.
"Something's wrong with Owen." She said. "Come on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him, not stopping into Owen's room next door.
Neji looked at Owen who was fast asleep, then at his terrified wife. Who was holding tightly to his arm for life; she was scared to death. "Tenten. He's fine."
"He has a fever." She argued, letting go of him. Neji sighed looking skeptically at her as he gently placed his hand on Owen's head. "He does, see." Neji nodded.
Neji wrapped Owen in a blanket and handed him carefully to Tenten. He then guided her back to their bedroom. "He'll be okay, Tenten. He's not going to die. He's just sick. It's a cold. Keep him warm and he'll get better. Don't worry… if he doesn't we can find a doctor in seconds."
He held her against him as she held Owen. He had his arms wrapped around her waist gently as she just watched him. "I'm scared Neji. I hate being scared." She said.
"Then don't be." Tenten didn't want anything to happen to Owen but she had a history of over-reacting. Owen and Neji meant the world to her and the little chance that they could be lost to her was reason enough for her fear.
Ж (Flashback Over) Ж
"See. Everything was okay. You need to relax and appreciate what you have." Neji said. "I didn't have much either so I learned to appreciate the small things. This is not a small thing. But appreciate it more than any small thing."
Then Shika started crying again. Neji sighed as he walked to Shika's room. He picked up Shika and held her. Tenten walked in and took Shika from Neji, she rocked Shika carefully and began singing.
When Owen was a newborn he hardly ever cried, not that Tenten would ever leave his side. Neji had to carry Tenten out of the room at night to get her to sleep. She still argued and made a fuss about it. She never wanted to leave Owen's side though it wasn't healthy for him to never be alone.
"Where'd you learn it?"
"The maid that took care of me for years before I met you, she must have sung that to me when I was baby because that's the song I remember from when I was a baby." Tenten said. "Neji, do you remember anything from when you were a baby?"
"No, I don't." Neji said quietly.
"What's the farthest memory back that you remember?"
"Training. A lot of training." Neji said. "Not pleasant training I might add. People always hated me because I was better than that, stronger than them."
"Don't think about it Neji. They're just jealous. They probably still are. They should be." Tenten said as she went to check on Hiroka. When she stepped in there. "She's not here."
"What." Neji yelled. He went into the room and there was no sign that Hiroka had ever been in her room, it was like a room prepared for her, but she wouldn't have been there. "Check the upstairs rooms. Empty ones are locked, she can't get in. Check the master bedrooms, and the kids' rooms. Living room. Kitchen."
Tenten used her chakra to quickly dash up and down the stairwells and through the room, tearing up the rooms. "Use the Byakugan."
"Rooms are protected from that."
"That stops you too?" She asked.
"Yes, of course it does." He answered.
"Right." She said exhausted and laughing. "Owen's missing too, and Hiroka."
"Where are you?" Neji called. "Owen! Hiroka!"
After quite a while Neji and Tenten were exhausted. Tenten fell back on her bed. "Ekk." A high pitched squeeling sound equal to the small female voice of a little Uzumaki. Tenten closed her eyes and looked under her bed. Hiroka was scared to death and hiding under the bed.
Hiroka crawled out from under the bed and into Tenten's arms. She was crying. "I found her. She was under our bed, scared and she came to find us. Probably wanted her parents." Tenten told Neji.
"So where's Owen?"
Neji looked downstairs to see Owen playing with blocks. They had been so focused on searching through all the rooms they forgot the obvious. Owen could use stairs, if he used the rail and he just wanted to play.
Tenten handed Hiroka to Owen and jumped down there. She roughly pulled Owen into her arms. "I was so scared. Don't run off again." She was crying.
"Sad." He said frowning. She laughed but cried all the same holding him.
"I love you so much. Don't scare me." Tenten said to Owen. She held him against her chest gently rocking him.
Neji just watched as his wife cried as she found her son who she thought she had lost. "Ten, bring him up here, we'll watch them all in our room." Neji looked at Hiroka. "Nothing'll hurt you. Your mom and dad'll be back soon."
He sat down on the bed and set her down on the covers. Tenten laid back against the sheets, not letting go of Owen. Tenten, Owen and Hiroka quickly fell asleep though Hiroka wouldn't go asleep until Neji held her too. Neji just sat there and watched Tenten as she slept, though he'd never guess what she was dreaming of.
Eventually Ino and Sakura came home. "Hello? Anyone home?" Ino yelled.
"Keep it down." Neji said. Naruto and Hinata walked into the room.
"Mama. Daddy." Hiroka said from Owen's arms. Neji jumped over the ledge carefully with Hiroka. He handed her to Hinata. Hinata smiled as she hugged Hiroka. Naruto smiled widely as he watched Hinata.
"What happened today? Where's Shika?" Ino asked.
"She's still sleeping. Hasn't wanted to do anything but sleep." Neji said.
"Yep. That's normal. She only bothers Shikamaru for anything. He'll be soon. Tell Shikamaru to bring food when he gets home." Neji nodded as Ino went upstairs to be with Shika.
"So did Tenten relax today?" Sakura asked sitting down on the couch.
"I don't know. She's sleeping now though it hasn't been a relaxing day. Though, she's had a great day. Whatever she wants I guess." He said. "Whatever makes her happy,"
"Exactly." Sakura said. "That's all that matters. Unless she can't take care of herself, or Owen. Though she's managing just fine."
"Neji. What's up with Hiroka?" Hinata said as Hiroka sat on the floor close to her mom, not doing anything.
"I don't know. Tenten and I were talking. Then she decided she'd leave her room and hide under my bed. Tenten found her though I suppose a nightmare scared her and she went to find you. Without you she went to find us, we weren't there so she hid." He guessed.
"I wonder what it was about." Naruto asked.
"Don't ask." Everyone said.
"Do you know?" He asked.
"We don't want her to remember that." Hinata said quietly. "Just let her get over it in her own way."
Naruto picked her up smiling. "Everything's alright Hiroka. Nothing can hurt you. I promise." He said smiling as he tossed her into the air. She giggled as he kept smiling. Hinata simply smiled though the rest of us were worried he'd drop her.
"So how was babysitting?" Sakura asked.
"You or the kids?" He asked.
"Either works." She answered him. "Though I don't think I'm a baby."
"Of course not." He rolled his eyes. "Well besides the fact that I had no idea what to do. I didn't remember what I should have done. You guys tried to get on my nerves. Hiroka and Owen disappeared. Tenten kept arguing. You guys wanted to go out. Shika kept crying. Tenten's exhausted. It was horrible." Everyone laughed.
"Babysitting any kid besides your own is more than the hassle it's worth." Sasuke said sighing as he sat down beside Sakura.
"Definitely." Neji agreed.
"Why would you volunteer to do such a troublesome thing anyway?" Shikamaru asked as he walked in, hearing the conversation.
"Ino wants you upstairs, and to bring Shika's food." Neji told him, ignoring his question completely.
"My kid is troublesome enough. I don't want to think about watching anyone elses'." Shikamaru answered getting Shika's food and going upstairs.
Neji stood up and went up the stairs into his bedroom. He took Owen carefully from her arms, kissing her forehead and put Owen in his crib, careful not to wake either up. However Tenten was very sensitive to things, especially Owen leaving her arms. She opened her eyes to see 1. Owen gone. 2. Neji missing.
"Neji!" She called, as she climbed out of the bed and went into Owen's room.
"Quiet Tenten, you'll wake him." He said as he stood over Owen's crib watching his son sleep quietly. He sat down on the bed that was in the room, since Tenten always managed to fall asleep in there when Owen was little.
Neji took a hold of Tenten's arms and pulled her to a sitting position next to him as they watched Owen. Neji rested his back against the wall as Tenten leaned against him, resting her head on his chest and going to sleep.
"Sleep Tenten." He said as he gently lifted her into his arms and carried her back into their room. He laid her down in the bed and covered her with a blanket. He sat up in the bed, grabbing a book he kept on the bedside table and began to read. Tenten laid her head on his lap and smiled as she went back to sleep.
--
The Reasons Why… Babysitting's Not Fun!
Tenten would rather do it than Neji.She argues that she won't relax.He doesn't know what he's doing.He used to letting her do everything.If he messed up they'd blame her (Tenten).She's perfect at it.It wasn't an easy job.Ino and Sakura got on his nerves.Hiroka and Owen disappeared.Shika kept crying.Tenten's exhausted.It was horrible.Sakura and Ino wanted to explore and get out.Neji hates it.--
