UPDATE. Almost forgot this A/N… xD
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! MASASHI KISHIMOTO DOES! I also do not own any of the OCs introduced within this fan fiction, except the following:
Tsukuyomi Clan
Ikiteiru Kage
Uzumaki Kaede
Mushishokan Gatsuki
Nero
Roku
A/N: THIRD POV~
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Chapter Forty-Five: As The Sun Glows… Reviving the Clan!
"Shit," Ayaka cursed loudly, swinging her foot around to kick an enemy in the face before ducking an attack at the side, "They're not backing down. You'd think that their leader was already dead!"
"Hang in there a bit longer, Ayaka," Mayu warned as she slammed a kunai into an enemy's face, her eyes avoiding the event, "The flow is stopping. This means that they're army is just about finished."
"If they're smart, they'll back down shortly." Ryuuko said as he used a water jutsu to tear apart several enemies while dousing a fire at the same time.
"Sensei and Ryuuko are right," Honoka agreed as she sent a flash of earth exploding through the ground, knocking several shinobi into pieces.
"Mayu-sensei," Mayu jerked her head up as Kazuya landed on the ground nearby, "I have orders from your Hokage to have you abandon this post."
"What? But there's still a good amount of shinobi…" Her voice trailed as Kazuya smiled warmly, giving his head a small tilt.
"It's fine, Mayu-sensei. I've been watching you fight for almost two hours. You're growing tired and your chakra is low. The Hokage wishes to have you report to the hospital… There's a bit of infiltration there, but medical supplies you can use to heal yourself with." He advised.
"You were standing there how long and you didn't bother to jump in?" Ayaka demanded, putting a hand on her hip seeing as she was joined to Honoka from the other. Honoka just sighed as Kazuya beamed.
"If I jumped in, it'd be a waste of time. Your skills were enough to get rid of the strongest of Kotaro's army. There are only the small ones left, which I will gladly take care of, giving you a rest." He replied.
"Let's not complain," Ryuuko said, glancing at his sensei, who blinked, "I'm not going to lie. My chakra is steadily lowering from the amount of jutsu I've used. I also have a senbon stuck deep in my ribcage."
"Damn it." Ayaka cursed, averting her eyes, wiping sweat from her face. Honoka nodded.
"I agree… Ayaka knows as well as I do that our physical states are becoming exhausted." She said, glancing at Ayaka, who shrugged lightly. Mayu sighed, standing up straight.
"All right… Good luck, Kazuya-sensei. Be careful." She added, giving him a pat before she nodded to her team. They shot off over the ruined buildings, a few of the other shinobi that were assisting them also taking off. Kazuya faced the gaping hole in the wall of Konohagakure. His eyes appeared sad.
"It's too bad," He murmured, seeing a few enemy shinobi crawling like spiders over the ruined wall, "The wall around this village was one of the few sights of this village that I really enjoyed…" He looked down as a group of shinobi approached.
"One Jounin?" One demanded.
"Is the Hokage drunk?"
"Move, man, unless you wish to die mercilessly." The leader ordered angrily, thrusting a finger in Kazuya's face. Kazuya blinked, then smiled.
"I was going to say that same thing…" He moved fast and bit down on the man's finger, hard and tearing it off. The man howled and stumbled back against his group.
"What the hell was that?"
"Did he just…?"
Kazuya spat the meat out, wiping the blood from his mouth with a frown, glancing up and smiling again as if nothing had happened.
"If you had been up against my brother or sister, they'd of quickly eaten that, but I happen to be a vegetarian, so I won't eat you… But I'll tear you to pieces for running the tranquility of such a peaceful village." He stated and his smile dropped as he made a hand sign with one hand, a different with his other hand. He swung his hands out toward them.
"Good bye." Water shot from his right palm in a corkscrew fashion, blasting the right half of the group away in a shower of blood. The left released a cool blast of wind that whipped around, shredding anything in its path, which happened to be the left side of the group, leaving only the middle to stand, yelling.
Kazuya swung both his hands together so his wrists touched and he smiled, closing his eyes.
"Kotaro has bad choice in subordinates…" He kept his eyes closed, his smile on as both palms shot out wind and water in a lashing array. The center of the group all slammed into the ground, bleeding heavily while some were missing limbs. Kazuya lowered his arms, opening his eyes.
"I really shouldn't be a shinobi." He sighed miserably.
"Why would you say that?" Kazuya yelped as someone smacked him in the back, making him whip around. Guy was chuckling at him, a few Jounin and Chuunin behind him.
"You took them all out yourself! Mayu-sensei warned us to come help you, but it seems you don't need our assistance!" Guy laughed, putting his hands on his hips and winking. Kazuya sweat dropped and smiled a bit.
"Ah, the problem is killing them." He put in, then beamed when he saw Akira hop out of the group, smirking.
"Of course. Kazuya's not much for killing anyone, even enemies." Akira replied. Kazuya sighed, averting his eyes, then looking back.
"Is everything over?" He asked. Akira frowned.
"Most of the way. Mayu-sensei reached the hospital within seconds of leaving here. She and her team managed to kill them all, in the same amount of time you did. We're impressed… The Hokage is summoning a meeting for all the Jounin… Kazuya, look out!" Akira barked. Kazuya ducked just in time to avoid a kunai attack. Akira glared in the direction of the weapon, seeing a couple of the enemy shinobi hopping out of hiding spots, bolting for the hole in the wall to retreat.
"Oh, hell no." He stated and made a few hand signs, gritting his teeth and holding his hands together outwards, parting them slowly to release glowing blue threads that swung outwards, poking holes right through the shinobi and their vital places, killing them instantly.
"Ugh." Akira stumbled lightly in pain, dropping his arms to his sides. Kazuya caught him under the arms, sighing.
"You over did it. We're going to the hospital where you can rest."
"Can't rest now. We have a huge pile of injured shinobi… And a lot of casualties." Akira managed to say, squeezing his eyes shut. Kazuya frowned and looked up. Guy sighed, frowning and looking away.
"He's right… We've lost many brave shinobi in this battle… But we've won." He added, looking at everyone. Kazuya and Akira shared looks, then looked back.
"You mean…?"
"Yes. Kotaro is dead."
Some Hours Later…
Konohagakure was quiet now, save for a few buildings that creaked under pressure after so long and collapsed. Roku felt uneasy as he sat with his back to the metal wall of the protective building, others in the room murmuring amongst themselves. Ecchio had fallen asleep, leaning on his shoulder, cuddled up and not making a sound. It was almost hard to hear him breathe.
So many explosions, Roku thought with a cringe. They were loud and shook everything around them. Not to mention, his nose had been burning with Kotaro's powerful chakra scent seeping through the window in the room. However, now it was completely gone, only a soft after scent lingering through the air. He could smell other chakras burning out and it made him hug himself tighter. He could still pick out Ruriko's scent and he recognized Itachi's moving with hers, which provided some comfort.
Within moments, the door to the shelter opened slowly to reveal a sad and grim faced Hokage, her arms folded.
"It's over…" She said softly, "However, many of your homes were destroyed. I apologize for this… Our shinobi are taking it upon themselves to rebuild everything as quickly as possible. Neighboring nations are also coming to assist, so do not be alarmed if you see shinobi from Kirigakure or Sunagakure. Please file from the room slowly and carefully."
Roku was on his feet, jerking Ecchio awake.
"Ow… Is it over?" Ecchio asked sleepily, rubbing his eye. Roku nodded as they walked out behind several other adults. Upon filing out, Roku was surprised to see Kasumi waiting for them outside. Her arm was in a sling and a bandage was against her cheek.
"Roku, Ecchio." She called, waving her good arm. Roku ran over immediately and grabbed onto her leg, looking up at her. Kasumi smiled faintly, patting him.
"Good thing you're awake… This place was worse than it looks now." She said quietly when Roku buried his face against her. Ecchio even looked a bit unnerved, holding onto Roku's arm.
"What now?" He asked. Kasumi glanced around, then smiled at them.
"Roku… There's someone waiting at the hospital to see you." She said. Roku blinked curiously and could only follow as Kasumi led them toward the hospital. Walking down the streets that weren't ruined took some time. Buildings were ruined, bodies piled and covered by heavy tarps to hide both the thick amount of blood and the reeking stench. Many shinobi were already working on putting the village back together, like Humpty Dumpty. Using jutsu and using just plain normal methods, shinobi from many different villages were helping. Roku frowned and held onto Kasumi tighter as they walked. The sight of the hospital was horrendous and Roku was almost afraid Kasumi was going to show him dead people, but the sudden feeling of tranquility settled as they stepped through the busted glass doors. Doctors and nurses, medical shinobi, were rushing everywhere with people in stretchers, some carrying supplies. Kasumi managed to get down a hallway, heading toward a room. Roku prepared himself for the worse, despite the calm feeling of safety. Kasumi pushed open a tarp that was hanging over in place of a door, revealing a familiar someone lying on a bed, complaining.
"This is ridiculous. I'm perfectly fine! Why am I even here?" Ruriko whined, ignoring Itachi's exasperated sighs from a seat beside her bed. Roku's eyes widened.
"Ruriko!" He cried. Ruriko jerked her head up, stopping immediately.
"Roku?" She exclaimed and made a move to escape the bed, but Itachi caught her elbow so she could only sit on the edge. Roku ran over to her and cared not for the bandages or IV bag, jumping into her arms, crying uncontrollably. Ruriko held him close, hugging him tightly.
"Oh, Roku. I'm so glad you're okay." She murmured, kissing him on the head. Roku snuggled close, intent on staying in Ruriko's arms for the rest of the day. Kasumi smiled.
"I thought this would make him happy."
"Thank you, Kasumi! You have no idea!" Ruriko beamed and held onto Roku tighter as he sniffled and hiccupped past his tears. Ecchio smiled shyly, but stayed at Kasumi's side to watch from afar. He knew Roku wasn't sad, but just really, really happy.
"Looks like I should go," Kasumi sighed after a while, glancing at the clock, "Akira wants me to visit him too, although, he'd probably rather be healing everyone. See ya later!"
"Bye." She shut the door, taking Ecchio with her as she went down the hallway. In the room, Ruriko finally leaned back to hold Roku in her lap as he cuddled closer.
"He really missed you." Itachi commented quietly, smiling lightly. Ruriko smiled.
"Yea. I missed him too." She murmured. Roku beamed up at her.
"I missed you both, a lot." He said. Ruriko blinked.
"You…!"
"Nero." Roku replied to Ruriko's completely surprise. Ruriko grinned.
"Remind me to thank him for teaching you some things." She replied. Roku smiled back, then stayed close to Ruriko in her arms, drifting off to sleep. Itachi smiled faintly.
"I'm glad he's learning… Anyway, I should probably go." He was getting to his feet. Ruriko looked up, frowning.
"Where are you going?" She asked. Itachi paused, shrugging lightly.
"I don't know. Maybe to go find Sasuke. Maybe put the sign back by that room… Maybe out of the village." He answered. Ruriko bit into her lip, tightening her grip on Roku.
"Itachi, stay here… You don't have to leave. Even if they recognized you and wanted to arrest you, they wouldn't have any way to. Your criminal status was destroyed from their Bingo Book. Not to mention, you just helped save the village. The least they can do is allow you to live here." She insisted. Itachi blinked and looked at her.
"Live here?" He asked. Ruriko nodded.
"Yea. I mean… Why not? The village needs help rebuilding. It needs more people."
"…" Itachi averted his eyes out the window thoughtfully before he smiled lightly, closing his eyes.
"I've never once had a thought of living in Konohagakure once again." He murmured and took a seat again. Ruriko smiled.
"It'll be fun. I'm even staying… I may not be from Konoha, but it's like I said. They need more people, more help. I'll gladly stay in Konohagakure." She replied, holding Roku closer as he shifted in her arms.
"Besides… I still have to rematch Osamu." She stated confidently. Itachi raised an eyebrow.
"That boy who came in earlier?"
"Yup. He's the jackass I swore to rematch one day and I'm gonna do it. Even more now that he's saved my life."
"Is that how they thank people nowadays?" Itachi asked himself, shrugging. Ruriko laughed, then looked up as she heard footsteps moving toward the dark, a shadow standing. Roku immediately woke up and made a face.
"Icky." He said. Ruriko looked at him, then at the tarp as Sasuke walked in, all covered in blood, but no more wounds than he had when Ruriko last saw him. Blood was leaking from his eyes, though, at a dangerous rate.
"Sasuke." She managed. Itachi frowned and was on his feet.
"Where were you?" He asked. Sasuke looked at him tiredly.
"Thinking," He murmured, his voice no longer rude and sharp, "I had to think… Sorry I didn't show up until now. It was hard to get out of where I was."
"Which was?" Itachi asked. Sasuke huffed lightly, taking a few slow steps over to the end of the bed.
"Underground… Somewhere just outside of Konohagakure… Someone, uh, chased me out there… It's no big deal, brother." He replied calmly. Itachi blinked, probably more surprised at being called 'brother' than hearing that someone 'chased' Sasuke anywhere.
"Did you…?" Ruriko's voice trailed as she looked at Sasuke, who locked his eyes on hers.
"Possibly," He answered flatly, then frowned at the sight of Roku, who glared at him in return, "Him again. So he really is alive." Roku stuck out his tongue and Sasuke rolled his eyes. Ruriko smirked and covered Roku's mouth, kissing him on the head before looking up.
"Then go get a doctor. You look like you were just run down by a stampede of elephants." Ruriko commanded. Sasuke gave her an almost comical deadpan expression.
"That's for the comparison, but I still have one thing left to do. I came to get Itachi for it." He said. Itachi frowned. Ruriko did too, tensing up.
"For?" She asked.
"Don't get overprotective," Sasuke snapped, then calmed down immediately, "It's not what you're thinking. Far from it… I was going to ask if we could visit a special place."
Itachi's expression grew calm and almost sad as he nodded his head, glancing at Ruriko.
"I promise to come back…" He told her before leaving the room with Sasuke. Ruriko frowned after them. Roku whined and pulled on Ruriko's loose hair.
"Where Sasuke go…? With Itachi?" He asked, confused. Ruriko sighed, brushing the hair from his face, wiping dirt smudges from it.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it… Itachi promised, so he'll be back. How've you been without me, Roku?"
Meanwhile…
"Sorry if this unnerves you." Sasuke muttered as they stepped into the cemetery, which was one of the few spared places. Headstones stuck up from the green grass, reflecting the sunlight, which hovered over the village past the gray clouds that were remaining from the darkness. Itachi said nothing, following his brother through the stone paths that led through the sanctuary of the dead. His eyes floated over a few graves, many of which he recognized from long ago before he looked away to watch Sasuke.
The younger Uchiha's eyes were tired and almost sad, his body still bloodied. The dried blood leaking from his eyes was falling away slowly every time he blinked, his eyes scanning the headstones. They went through an arch way into another area of the cemetery.
They stopped before a pair of headstones, saying nothing. Itachi looked at the names engraved on the stone before glancing at Sasuke out the corner of his eye. No sadness was on his face now, but nostalgia definitely was.
"My feet hurt." Sasuke said at last. Itachi looked the other way.
"Sit." He replied and took a seat right where he stood. Sasuke eventually followed, leaning back on his hands. They sat in a long silence, neither speaking. Sasuke's eyes seemed to be reading and rereading the headstones. Itachi didn't feel like staring at the two headstones and instead let his eyes lift to stare at the many that sat just beyond it, reading the names on all the others, but he didn't read them all. They were almost all the same.
Uchiha. Uchiha. Uchiha. Uchiha.
"So," Sasuke murmured at last, making Itachi glance at him for a split second before looking back with tired eyes, "It's just you, Koyuki, and I."
"… And the child that Sakura is carrying." Itachi replied softly. Sasuke looked up at him, staring.
"She's really pregnant?" He asked. Itachi nodded.
"I saw her before you came. She entered the room to talk to Ruriko… She's nice."
"… Yea… I guess…"
"She didn't seem scared, about carrying your child."
"I guess not…"
"Seems the clan is going to revive again." Itachi seemed to a bit disappointed. Sasuke glanced at him, then back and snorted.
"The clan… Yes, it's coming back, but this generation won't be like ours… My kid isn't going to be trained in the art of killing. He's going to be a shinobi. A Konoha shinobi and he's going to defend, not attack mindlessly." He answered. Itachi looked at him and smiled faintly.
"Hiding the Uchiha secret?"
"Hiding… I'm burying it."
"Good… I'm happy."
"Me too… And hungry." Sasuke added with a sigh, tilting his head as he stared at the headstones. Itachi laughed quietly, leaning back on his hands. He tilted his head as well, staring in the same direction Sasuke was.
"… How about some tomato sandwiches when we get back?" He asked, glancing at him. Sasuke looked up at him. His eyes seemed to glow before he smiled. Not a tired smile, not a sad smile, not an angry smile.
A real smile crossed the face of Uchiha Sasuke as he looked back at the headstones.
"Yea. That sounds great."
Konohagakure Hospital…
"This hospital is so small," Akira sighed, frowning as he scanned his room over before looking back at Kasumi, who rolled her eyes, smirking, "As soon as I'm back, I'm going to help make this hospital bigger… And I'm going to stay here." Kasumi looked at him, her expression perplexed.
"Akira…" She murmured. Akira smiled at her.
"I want to stay and help. I want to help educate the next generation and I want to help them grow strong, strong so that this same thing won't happen again. Wanna help?" He asked. Kasumi smiled slowly, leaning on her elbows on the bed.
"Yes." She replied. Akira leaned in, putting an arm around her and kissing her warmly on the forehead before kissing her on the lips. He was pleased to find that he wasn't smacked for it either.
"Excellent." He said against her lips, smiling. Kasumi smirked, then looked up as Kazuya walked in with a smile.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?" He asked. Kasumi blushed red and Akira looked up, laughing.
"Hey, Kazuya. Was just talking here… About staying in Konohagakure." He added, waiting for Kazuya's reaction. Kazuya blinked, then chuckled.
"Is that so? Ruriko said the same thing…"
"Really?" Akira and Kasumi asked in unison, staring at him in surprise. Kazuya nodded and sat at the edge of the bed, folding his arms over his chest.
"I think it's great. I'm proud. Of you, Ruriko, you as well Kasumi. I've met a lot of shinobi here and they're all very powerful, very willing to protect their village. I'm proud that there are people out there like that. Show our next generation what a real shinobi is…."
Days Later…
"Show our next generation what a real shinobi is," Tsunade announced, spreading her arms, "You skills revealed in the previous battle were outstanding and I have made many promotions! I am proud to be called the Fifth Hokage! I am proud to have voted for the next candidate for Sixth Hokage! You've all fought well and you will all have stories to tell your children, your grandchildren, and years to come! Because you are Konohagakure shinobi and you have the will of fire!"
Civilians and younger shinobi cheered as Tsunade looked over them, slamming her hands on the railing that separate her from falling over on her face from the roof of her building. Shizune beamed, clapping her hands as TonTon oinked, running around her ankles happily.
"Who did she vote for Sixth Hokage?" Naruto cried, flailing as he stood on the roof of a newly built building. Sasuke, who was standing beside him, rolled his eyes.
"You dumbass, she's talking about you!" He snapped, smacking him over the head. Naruto yelped, then stared.
"S-S-Seriously…? NO WAY!" He yelled, a confident grin spreading across his face and tears welling happily in his eyes. Sakura, who stood at Sasuke's side, holding her arms in front of her, smiled a bit.
"It's your dream, Naruto. You finally reached it, proving everyone wrong." She said, elbowing Sasuke in the process. Sasuke huffed, folding his arms over his chest.
"Yea, but don't get cocky- NARUTO!" He snapped as Naruto leapt into the air, punching it with a fist.
"YES! HA! BEAT THAT! I'M GOING TO BECOME THE SIXTH HOKAGE! IN YOUR FACE, SASUKE! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!" Naruto whooped at the top of his lungs, making the crowd below turn to stare at him. Tsunade chuckled, leaning back as she put her hands on her hips.
"Heheh…"
"He's sure happy." Shizune giggled, beaming.
"My gods," Ruriko muttered as she leaned out the hospital window on her elbow nearby, cocking a brow, "I can hear that kid from here… No wonder his voice is getting raspy."
Behind her, Itachi leaned on the edge of the hospital bed, the blood cleaned up and a green flak jacket adoring his uniform.
"He's happy… Don't worry. I'm sure he'll just start running around to spread the news." He answered, standing up. Ruriko leaned back in through the window, glancing at him with a smirk.
"Good news? I think I've forgotten already." She sighed, shrugging with a smirk. Itachi shook his head. Peeking out the window, Roku beamed, giggling at Naruto's reaction to the Hokage's speech.
"Naruto's funny… He would be a good Hokage." He said, glancing up at Ruriko, who huffed.
"Oh, we'll just see about that… He's such a knucklehead. It's any wonder he's not dead." She replied, folding her arms over her chest.
In the crowd below, Kakashi glanced up at Naruto, chuckling. For once, there was no book in his hand and his headband didn't cover his Sharingan eye. Kurenai, holding her round belly, was laughing as Asuma held her head, smoking his cigarette and chuckling.
"Way to go, Naruto!" Guy and Lee yelled at once, flashing the whooping blonde thumbs up. Iruka was smiling widely and proudly, his arms folded over his chest.
"I knew he'd make it…" He said. Kakashi glanced at him.
"You were right in thinking so. Although, I had always had this sliver of doubt, your judgment is flawless, Iruka." He sighed. Iruka beamed. Neji and TenTen shared looks, but they were smirking. Who wouldn't be laughing at such a fool who leapt up and shouted out that he was voted for Sixth Hokage?
"I'll vote for you too, Naruto!" Kiba yelled from the crowd, Akamaru barking and letting it echo through the village.
"Same here! Go Naruto!" Choji shouted, smirking as he flicked the last of his chips into his mouth.
"I can't believe it." Ino stated, but she was laughing anyway. Hinata beamed up at Naruto, a deep blush warming her face in pride. Shino stood beside her, chuckling softly.
"What a knucklehead." He said quietly. Shikamaru glanced up past the sun, holding a hand over his eyes to block the sun.
"Is that the sun or is that just him?" He asked sarcastically, smirking.
"I'm definitely voting for Naruto!" Daisuke agreed, laughing.
"Looks like he'll be Sixth Hokage no matter what." Sora said with a smile. Mai looked up.
"I suppose so." She murmured in agreement, smiling faintly.
"He's so obnoxious… And lucky." Ayaka commented, putting her hands on her hips. Honoka laughed quietly.
"He'll make a good Hokage." She replied, tilting her head. Ryuuko nodded.
"Agreed." He said. Mayu laughed.
"He'll be as great as his father." She agreed with a smile.
"Sixth Hokage, huh?" Kin mused, taking the senbon from past his lips, cocking his head to get a better view of Naruto jumping up and down, screaming it at the top of his lungs, while his teammates rolled their eyes.
"And to think he was a Genin only a short time ago." Genma murmured, smirking.
"It's about time someone made his dream come true." Kasumi smiled as Akira nodded beside her, his arms folded. Kai sighed.
"And his ego's going to get so high, he'll reach the gods." He mused. Koyuki chuckled, her hands on her hips.
"As it should." She proclaimed. The crowd below cheered louder, joining in Kiba, Choji, and Daisuke.
"Way to go, Naruto!"
"Sixth Hokage! BELIEVE IT!" Some people yelled jokingly. Naruto did a little dance on the rooftop, thrusting his fingers in the air.
"I did it! I did it! HA! In your damn face, Uchiha! IN YOUR DAMN FACE!" He yelled. Sasuke's eye twitched.
"If you don't stop…" He started, but Sakura laid a hand on his shoulder, smiling weakly.
"As obnoxious as it may be, just let him continue." She said softly. Sasuke sighed, but could only glare with a slight smirk as Naruto jumped around.
"SIXTH HOKAGE, DAD! YOU HEAR THAT? I'M THE SIXTH HOKAGE! MOM, CAN YOU SEE ME? SIXTH HOKAGE!"
Months Later…
The sun cast a warming glow upon Konohagakure, like the warm touch of a true heaven as down below, civilians moved about their daily lives. Shinobi dotted the village, some leaving on missions, others still working on homes or buildings, still ruined from the war several months previous.
The hospital was especially in attention that warm, lovely May 6th. Brilliant rays of light shown through a particular window, where a baby's cry could be heard. Haruno Sakura lay in the hospital bed, sweat dotting her face as she held a small bundle of blue blankets and a weeping newborn.
"He's beautiful…" Sakura murmured, smiling warmly down at the crying baby. She stroked his soft little cheek slowly, the baby's cries subsiding slowly. Beside her, Sasuke was peering down, a bit more curiously than anything.
"He's small…" He commented. Sakura laughed.
"He's a baby."
"I know that!"
"Ssh, here, hold him."
"What?" Sasuke looked a bit horrified at being asked to hold the newborn, making the few people in the room laugh quietly amongst themselves. In the room, Itachi stood near the door, leaning against the wall as he watched from afar. Ruriko stood beside him, her arms folded behind her as she snickered at Sasuke's reaction. Naruto was trying not to burst out laughing as Kakashi patted him on the back to calm him down. Koyuki smirked, tilting her head.
"That isn't like you to be scared, especially of a baby, Sasuke." She dared to tease, earning a frustrated scowl from her cousin before he took the baby in his arms, looking at it a bit confused.
"I think I just broke it." He stated, noticing how it went silent to stare at him with wide blue eyes.
"It's not broken, dummy. It's not a toy." Ruriko retorted, folding her arms over her chest.
"She's right, Sasuke," Kakashi pointed out, "He probably just likes you."
"What's his name?" Naruto asked eagerly, peeking around the bed to get a view of the child, a grin on his face. Sasuke looked at the baby quietly with his eyelids half shut in thought. Sakura smiled, looking at Sasuke expectantly. Sasuke closed his eyes and nodded, looking up.
"His name is Shisui." He stated, his eyes glancing toward Koyuki, who blinked in surprise, then toward Itachi, who smiled at him approvingly. Sakura beamed.
"That's perfect." She agreed, taking the baby as Sasuke handed it back.
"Good choice." Kakashi commented, closing his eye in a smile as he recognized the name immediately. Ruriko smiled, but said nothing before turning to Itachi as people starting conversing.
"He's a cute baby, right?" She asked. Itachi nodded.
"Yes."
"You're an uncle now, how does that feel?"
"Good… Fine… We should go and let her have some space. She's exhausted." Itachi pointed out, making Ruriko nod. They gave the new parents a congratulations and farewell before walking out of the room of the hospital, heading for the exit.
"What now? Bad guy's dead, we're happy in Konohagakure, your clan seems to be upping up some notches. Any plans?" Ruriko asked. Itachi's eyes seemed to follow the hallway.
"I'm not sure. I may have been made a Jounin, but the Hokage doesn't trust me. There's little I can do right now, but stay in the village and try to remain neutral." He replied, his shoes scuffing on the hall floors. Ruriko's boots clomped as she sighed, averting her eyes.
"I see."
"Have you been looking for an apartment yet?" Itachi asked. Ruriko looked away, touching her fingertips to her lower lip as she blushed.
"Uh, not quite… Well, I mean, yes, but no. Most of the apartments just don't seem to please me. They're either too small or too big."
"I see. Are you taking Roku with you?"
"Hm? Oh, no. Actually, I let Roku stick with Akira and Kasumi for a little while. He's a bit upset about it, but he'll get over it. He knows I don't have any money or place for him…" Ruriko sighed, running a hand through her loose hair. Itachi glanced at her, then back up ahead as they walked down the large staircase that led toward the bottom floor.
"I see… So that means you're not busy tonight then?" He asked. Ruriko blinked and looked up.
"Ah, no, not really. I was probably just gonna go out and window-shop… What did you have in mind?"
"Your brother, Akira, mentioned that you liked sushi. They have a new shop down the road from here and I figured you'd want to go."
"Really? Wait, when did you talk to Akira?" Ruriko asked, perplexed. Itachi averted his eyes.
"I bumped into him in town this morning… He sort of went into a babble, mentioning something about how you enjoy sushi."
"That's weird… But yes, I'd love to come." Ruriko smiled. Itachi nodded, glancing up at the clock that had been recently built into the front of the hospital.
"I'll meet you here at eight…" He said. Ruriko nodded.
"All right. See ya then!" She waved as Itachi nodded, turning and heading off toward the Uchiha Complex area. Ruriko turned the other way, sighing as her boots kicking up some loose stones.
"I could so go for some sushi…" She muttered, looking up in time to see Osamu walking down the street with Kin and Daisuke. They were going on about something that had happened at the north gates.
"Hey, kids," She greeted, ignoring Osamu scowl and Kin's exasperated sigh, "Whatchya talking about?" Osamu huffed, folding his arms over his chest, but frowned.
"You didn't hear? Hn, I take it you were with the rest of 'em and the new baby… Someone broke into the information building, the one that used to be the police station for the Uchiha Clan." He informed. Ruriko blinked, stiffening.
"You're kidding me." She stated. Kin shook his head and tilted it to the side.
"Nope. The only way they know is because everything was torn apart and knocked all over the place, the front doors blown off the hinges. No fingerprints or anything." He replied.
"Which sucks," Daisuke muttered, "Without fingerprints or any other evidence behind, the Hokage dismissed it and sent some shinobi over to Sunagakure to pick up some of their files." Ruriko's eyes shot wide open.
"What?" She demanded.
"What's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost." Osamu commented, cocking a brow. Ruriko clenched her fists, frowning.
"I did. The building is in the same area as before right?" She asked.
"Well, yea-"
"How long ago did Tsunade send the shinobi for the information? Who did she send? When will they be back?" Ruriko demanded. The boys stared at her.
"What's with the third degree? We didn't do anything." Daisuke protested.
"Yea, really." Kin agreed with a huff. Osamu rolled his eyes.
"She sent them out a couple hours ago. I think she sent Guy and his squad. It takes two days for THAT team to reach Suna, two days to come back. They'll probably be back in about four days. Why?" He asked. Ruriko frowned thoughtfully.
Shit, shit, shit! Sunagakure's files are no different from Konohagakure's old files. If they bring back Sunagakure's files, they'll have the right to arrest Itachi as he's listed as an S-ranked criminal. The same goes for Sasuke. She thought with a flinch.
"Ruriko~ Hello, is anyone home?" Osamu called and tapped his knuckles on the side of her head. Ruriko blinked, then laughed a little.
"Ah, sorry, guys. I just got distracted… That's really creepy. No traces at all?" She asked to be sure. Daisuke nodded, folding his arms over his chest with a dramatic sigh.
"The interrogation squad was sent to check things out a little bit, but we couldn't find anything. They wanted to call in Sasuke and Itachi, but, of course…" His voice drifted as he averted his eyes. Ruriko rolled hers, huffing.
"That's ridiculous. Sasuke and Itachi aren't criminals. Tsunade is being completely unfair as well as some of the other shinobi, who need to understand that." She responded in annoyance.
"They may have helped the village during the war, but it's just not enough for some people… And some people are demanding why their files say they're not criminals." Daisuke added, then averted his eyes quickly when Ruriko glared at him.
"What?" She demanded. Kin looked upwards to avoid her glare and Osamu looked the other way, frowning.
"Oh, please. Why would I waste my time with criminals?" She demanded.
"Good question." Osamu mused, referring to the events prior to the war. Ruriko flinched, then scowled.
"It wasn't my fault… I was forced to help Sasuke because of a deal I made with him to escape Orochimaru. Don't assume I'd involve myself with criminals. They're just a bunch of no good dirty rotten parasites." She retorted, putting her hands on her hips.
"Harsh." Osamu stated. Kin smirked lightly, then looked at Ruriko."Didn't they say something about you hanging around that place during the war, though? Tsunade mentioned something like that… But I'm not sure." He added, averting his eyes and sticking his senbon back in his mouth. Daisuke laughed a bit nervously.
"Yeaaaa… She said that just seconds before the war started, you were in the building, looking for a file on Kotaro." He mused. Ruriko's eyes glowed.
"If someone is suggesting that I had something to do with it, you're wrong. For your information, I wasn't the only one in there. I was attacked by one of… Kotaro's… Subordinates…" Her voice trailed, her eyes widening. Her mind flickered back quickly to when Kage had attacked her in the library, then back when Osamu had fought him.
No way… He couldn't have survived… Osamu's jutsu was way too bright, way too strong… It should have caused him to disperse, into pieces, gone, forever… Or did he have some ace up his sleeve? Something's not right… She thought.
"… Fine, all right? Don't worry about it. Obviously it's some loser- Ruriko!" Osamu protested, but he was shoved to the side as Ruriko bolted past them.
"Where the hell is she going?" Osamu demanded, putting a hand on his hip.
"Something about the library?" Daisuke asked, shrugging.
"She looked freaked out." Kim commented. Meanwhile, Ruriko ran down the street, pushing up off the ground before she hopped over the rooftops toward the Uchiha police building. She landed just outside the busted doors to see police tape covering the front of the building. She frowned and stepped forward, ducking under the yellow tape and stepping inside. The light bulbs were all busted. The brand new desks at the front were smashed to splinters, the floor dented inwards and cracked.
Ruriko walked forward, her eyes scanning the doors that were all blown off their hinges before she came to the end, the door to the library, which was smashed to bits. She stepped over the police tape there and walked in. The shelves were all blown over and knocked about. Files and papers, books and scrolls were scattered all about like a tornado had come through. Ruriko reached out to turn on the lights, but the light switch was smashed into the wall and the light bulbs busted.
It's just getting more suspiciously like Kage… She thought, frowning. She made a few hand signs, forming an orb of steady electricity in the palm of her hand. She looked around, careful to step over objects and papers. She nudged things aside to make space before stopping in a certain aisle. She frowned and bent down, digging through the papers.
K… The Kuromura's family file is gone. Kotaro's, Kotori's… It should've been in this area… Maybe they're somewhere around here… She wandered, standing back up and walking down the aisle. She raised the orb, her eyes scanning the room. A few standing shelves still had files sticking out of them. She walked toward them and stopped just in front of the U aisle. She took her time looking around to find that the boys had been right.
In fact…
All the Uchiha files were missing on every single member as well as the Uzumaki files.
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A/N: Okay, the war with Kotaro is over. I was going to make it longer, but it seemed okay from what I could see. I thought it was good to end it with the Naruto thing. :) And I'm sticking in a quick short bit after the war as you can read, but it's not that long. Only a couple chapters. Afterwards, I will put the credits and begin Part III! Well, thank you so very much for reading, hope the characters are in character, and your reviews are greatly appreciated!