Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto
Note: Edited Ran into the story, and made Madara more concerned about the shuriken.
"Ah!" Hikari picked up the dried red leaf from the veranda of her family's house. "Kyaa!" she giggled when the leaf crackled under her touch. Babbling cutely, she proceeded to crunch the leaf in her tiny hands, amazed at the sound it was making.
"Whatcha doing?" Katsuro walked up to his baby sister and squatted down besides her. "Neh, Hikari-chan?"
"Goo!" Hikari held up the leaf, now crumbled and broken looking, by it's stem. "Goo! Goo!" she thrust it towards Katsuro's face, utterly proud of her accomplishment.
"You found a leaf?" Katsuro arched his brow in puzzlement.
"Eef?" Hikari looked at the broken leaf before trying to stick into her mouth.
"No! Don't eat that Hikari!" Katsuro snatched the leaf away from Hikari, glaring at her. "You can't eat leaves, baka!"
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Eef! Eef!" Hikari cried, reaching for the leaf in her brother's hand, but when Katsuro tossed it onto the ground, Hikari's eyes grew wide and to her small mind, her world seem to crumble away.
"There! I'm a good big brother," Katsuro grinned, "I stopped you from eating that leaf!" Katsuro ruffled Hikari's hair. The little girl frowned. Her lower lip jutted out cutely and began to tremble as tears welled up in her black eyes and her small round face began to get red, she clenched her tiny fists, opened her mouth and let out a shrieking wail, kicking her legs in her tantrum.
"Hikari!" Yuzuki came running to her daughter upon hearing her scream. "Katsuro, what did you do?" Yuzuki glowered at her eldest son, as she knelt to scoop up her daughter. Katsuro gifted his mother an affronted look.
"I didn't do anything," he pouted, glancing away.
"Clearly, you must've done something for Hikari to scream like this," Yuzuki told her son before turning her attention back onto Hikari. "Shh, shh, it's okay my little light. Everything is going to be okay. Mama's here now," Yuzuki cooed, bouncing her daughter and rubbing the little girl's back. "Everything will be okay. Mama will make everything better."
"Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama," Hikari wiped her tears away with a little fist, happy to be in her mother's arms, "Eef! Eef! Eef!" Hikari pointed to the leaves on the tree. "Eef!"
"You want a leaf?" Yuzuki asked.
"Uh-huh," Hikari nodded her head vigorously. "Eef!"
"Leaf," Yuzuki stood and plucked a golden leaf from the tree. "Leaf," she tapped it against her daughter's face, causing her to giggle in delight. Hikari reached for the leaf but Yuzuki held it out of reach. "Is this what you were making such a fuss about it?" Yuzuki nuzzled her daughter.
"Eef!" Hikari giggled, as Yuzuki handed it to her. Immediately, Hikari tried to put it into her mouth.
"No, no Hikari," Yuzuki chided pulled her daughter's wrist down. "We don't eat leaves."
"Uh?" Hikari blinked.
"That's right, we don't eat leaves," Yuzuki nuzzled her daughter. Hikari giggled, dropping the leaf and grabbed her mother's necklace.
"Goo," she cooed happily, enthralled with the shiny rings of the necklace. "Mama," she looked up at her mother.
"Yes," Yuzuki brushed Hikari's bangs out of her face, "your father gave that to me."
"Gaah!" Hikari giggled.
Katsuro stared at his mother and sister, with an annoyed pout on his lips. He didn't like having to share his mother with his aggravating little sister. He rather share his mother with his brother Ran, like it was before Hikari was born. He didn't care much for Hikari either, since she was always pulling on his hair and screaming when he held her and messing up his things, not like Ran who he could play and wrestle with; but his father told him he had to be a good big brother, just like he was with Ran.
Katsuro perked up when he heard a soft whizzing sound coming towards them. "Mama!" Katsuro tugged on his mother, who stumbled towards him.
"What's the matter Katsuro?" Yuzuki asked only to feel her blood run cold when she heard a loud thunk. Turning, she saw the gleaming shuriken embedded into the wood near the door frame. It took her a moment to realize that the weapon would've killed her or Hikari if she hadn't moved.
"Mama?" Ran had come out from his hiding spot in the shadows of the room, drain to the commotion. "Nii-san?" he turned his big black eyes to his brother who was smirking proudly.
"Oh, my little hero!" Yuzuki knelt and set Hikari down before wrapping her arms around Katsuro. "You saved me."
"Yep!" Katsuro beamed, glad to have his mother's attention again. "I heard a whizzing sound! It was coming towards us!"
"My, my," Yuzuki smoothed her son's hair, "you are already showing such talent in being a ninja I'm sure your father will be really happy to hear this."
"Can we go tell him?" Katsuro asked, getting excited about bragging to his father.
"Me too!" Ran didn't really understand what was going on but he wanted to go with Katsuro.
"Hm," Yuzuki tapped her lip in thought, "I think he's busy sparring with your uncle right now?"
"Really?" Katsuro and Ran's eyes grew wide, "Can I go watch? Please, Mama, please!"
"Me too! Me too!"
"Have you cleaned your room yet?"
Katsuro and Ran grimaced. Both of them looked away. "Not yet," Katsuro muttered speaking for the both him and his brother, "but... I promise I'll clean my room as soon as Daddy and Uncle get done sparring! Please, can I go watch?"
"I'll help Nii-san!" Ran clung to his big brother, a bright smile on his face.
"You promise?" Yuzuki eyed her sons.
"Yep!"
"I won't find your toys laying about when I come and check after you're finished?"
"Yes, I promise! I'll clean my room! Can we go now!"
"I suppose," Yuzuki sighed, picking up her daughter, smiling at her sons.
"Thank you!" Katsuro and Ran chimed before runing into the house to grab their shoes before heading to the training grounds.
"Daddy!" Katsuro shouted, running up to where his father and uncle were sparring, Ran right behind him. Both Madara and Izuna were breathing hard, sweat glistening on their brows as they moved in a seemingly fluid dance. Kicking and punching, blocking and back stepping to evade, their Sharingan spinning. Madara threw a punch which Izuna blocked, Izuna followed through on it with a kick aimed for Madara's chest. The Uchiha leader spun to the side, his elbow aiming for Izuna's solar perplex, but Izuna dropped and aimed a sweep kick for Madara's legs, forcing the elder Uchiha male to jump back out of range.
"Daddy, that was so cool!" Katsuro squealed, dancing in place as he watched his father. Ran nodded eagerly as he clung to his brother.
"Katsuro, Ran, what are you doing here?" Madara asked, eyes never leaving Izuna, waiting for his brother to make is next move.
"We came to watch you, Daddy. Wow, that was a cool move! Can you teach me that?" Katsuro asked, amazed at his father's seemingly fluid movements.
"Me too!" Ran asked, hopeful.
"Did you two clean your room?" Madara asked, ducking a high round house kick from Izuna only to aim a low kick at Izuna's knee. Katsuro didn't answer right away. He looked away, hands behind his back as he rocked on the balls of his feet. Ran bit his lip and hide his face in his brother's back, not daring to look at his father.
"Not yet," Katsuro mumbled. Ran shook his head, his forehead rubbing against Katsuro's shirt.
"Go clean your room."
"But Mama said—"
"I don't care what your mother said. I will not allow you to have your room looking like a pig's sty! Go clean your room now, Katsuro. You too Ran."
"Fine," Katsuro pouted, "but can I tell you something first?"
Madara gave a weary sigh as he caught Izuna's punch, and pushed his brother away. Izuna nodded heading towards the buckets in the shade. Gratefully, the younger Uchiha scooped up some water with a ladle and drank the cool liquid greedily. Madara turned his attention to his child. "What is it Katsuro?" Madara asked.
"Okay, okay, so," Katsuro began to dance with his excitement. "I heard a shuriken whizzing through the air and I pulled Mama outta the way!"
Madara's eyes widen briefly in surprise before he smirked, "That's my boy." The Uchiha leader rubbed his son's head affectionately, messing up the child's dark locks. Katsuro grinned. Ran flicked his eyes up at his father. "I'm sure you helped your onii-san too, didn't you Ran?" Madara grinned, "That's my boy." He ruffled his younger son's hair as well.
"Can you teach me how to throw shuriken?"
"Me too!"
"After you clean your room," Madara replied. "Ran, you can watch. You are a little young to be learning to throw shuriken juts yet."
"Please!"
"Katsuro." Madara's voice was stern, he slid one eye to glower at his son. Katsuro pouted and Ran gave a small soundless gasp before taking shelter behind his brother.
"Yes, Daddy," Katsuro hung his head. "C'mon Ran," he grabbed his brother's wrist before he ran back towards the house.
"We could've taken a break," Izuna said, sliding into a stance as his Sharingan bled into his eyes. "Besides what about that shuriken?"
"Tch," Madara smirked, "that's what you want because you know I'm winning. And as for the shuriken you are to get on that right after this."
"There," Yuzuki smiled as she tugged her Ran's nightshirt over his head. "All ready for bed," Yuzuki smiled. Ran returned his mother's tiny smile with his own.
"Daddy didn't teach me how to throw shuriken," Katsuro pouted, tugging on his own nightshirt.
"Katsuro, you know your father is really busy right now. With the wars drawing to a close and winter coming, he has a lot of things to do right now." Yuzuki chided her son.
"So? Why can't he play with me! I cleaned my room like he asked!" Katsuro pouted. Ran nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I'll make sure he'll play with you two tomorrow, but now it's bed time," Yuzuki smiled before picking up Hikari. "Oh look at you," Yuzuki giggled, "wormed out of your shirt again didn't you, Hikari-chan?" Yuzuki blew a raspberry on her daughter's stomach, causing the little girl to giggle.
"Oh, cool!" Katsuro grinned, poking his sister in her bellybutton, "Hikari as a bellybutton!"
"Everyone has a bellybutton Katsuro," Yuzuki giggled.
"You have a bellybutton?" Katsuro asked, tugging open his mother's sleeping robe to see her bellybutton. "Wow!" he grinned, before looking at his own bellybutton. He turned to his brother and yanked up his nightshirt. "Ran has a bellybutton too!" Katsuro grinned only to giggle when the younger boy grabbed the garment from his sibling and yanked it down over his tummy. An embarrassed pout and blush on his face as he glared at Katsuro. "I'm gonna go see if Daddy has one too!" the boy grinned before running off. Yuzuki smiled, shaking her head with a sigh.
Madara gave a content sigh as he dried his unruly hair. His night shirt hung open, to reveal creamy skin and rippling muscles beneath it. Today has been a long and tiring day yet the Uchiha leader couldn't help but feel like he forgot something important, yet no matter how many times he went over his mental to-do list, he couldn't remember what it was he had forgotten. "Daddy!"
Madara froze, his eyes growing when he suddenly remembered his promise to his sons. "Damn," he grumbled before turning around to face his son. "Katsuro, it's bed time. Why aren't you in bed?" Madara asked, his voice stern.
The child didn't flinch but ran right up to his father, a wide grin on his face. "You have one too!"
"I have one what— Hey, Katsuro what are you doing!" Madara took a step back, a look of confusion on his face as his son stood on tiptoe and jammed his finger into Madara's bellybutton.
"Heehee! You have a bellybutton too, Daddy!" Katsuro grinned, poking it with a fascination that only a small child is capable of. Katsuro looked up at his father and continued poking Madara in the stomach. "Poke, poke, poke," Katsuro muttered cutely.
"That's enough Katsuro," Madara pulled his son away, closed the nightshirt and tied it with the sash. "Bedtime," Madara picked Katsuro up and headed towards the child's bedroom.
Katsuro rested his head on Madara's shoulder, "Hey Daddy?"
"Hn?"
"Can you show me how to throw shuriken tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Yay," Katsuro mumbled as he fell asleep in his father's arms. Madara couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at his lips.
"Finally," Yuzuki sighed, crawling into bed next to Madara, who was laying awake, staring at the ceiling. "I can go to bed." The noblewoman snuggled against Madara's side. "Hikari didn't want to go to sleep and she woke up Katsuro, so I had to get them both to settle down." Yuzuki yawned before she nuzzled Madara's neck. "Ran was a good boy and didn't wake up. As long as he has his onii-chan next to him, he sleeps like a baby. If you didn't know any better you could mistake Ran and Katsuro for twins."
"Hn."
"I enjoy these little moments when we just enjoy each other's company."
Madara rolled onto his side, propping his head up with one hand, his other resting on Yuzuki's stomach. He smirked when his fingers found her bellybutton. He poked it. "Yuzuki-chan, you have a bellybutton."
Uchiha Ran is Madara and Yuzuki's second son and middle child. He's quiet, polite, a mix of Sasuke and Itachi if you will. He's the insensitive one of the family, (Katsuro being the sensitive one and Hikari being the spitfire). Ran is a year younger than Katsuro. (Ran was conceived shortly after Katsuro's first birthday.) Stay tuned for Sacrament of the Moon. ^^