Here is Chapter 2! :]
XXX
Chapter 2
Naruto stared at the sight that greeted her. Her cerulean eyes were open wide as she ogled. The main compound of the Uchiha Manor was of colossal size, with a fancy roof that towered over all the other buildings in sight. Hell, this building dwarfed the other houses in comparison. It was a monstrosity.
All her life, Naruto knew Sasuke was rich… But this rich?
No wonder he was such a stuck up, conceited, selfish piece of shit.
Naruto quickly shook her head. "No!" the blonde muttered. She was not going to think about him. Living in his house was bad enough, but thinking about the asshole every time something in his house reminded her of him was a path she was not going to fucking take, thank you very much. Naruto took out the keys that Tsunade had given her and unlocked the front gates. Her shock at the size of the Uchiha mansion had still yet to be alleviated, and truth be told, she was quite intimidated.
"And to think there are two more buildings behind this one…" Naruto muttered spitefully. "All the people starving in our village, and here we have these two Uchiha men who possess everything anyone could want and more."
Naruto stepped into the courtyard. There was a pretty cherry tree in the center of the garden, and seeing the beautiful sakura petals scattered all over the ground uplifted the blonde's mood. She had spent the last three days recuperating at the hospital, and the sickly smell of the infirmary had nearly suffocated Naruto in her short stay. Now that she was finally out, it came as a welcomed relief. It had felt so good to be alive as Naruto walked down the streets of Konoha, inhaling the nice scent late-blooming flowers gave off, seeing the colors of tree leaves slowly begin to turn orange as autumn started to set in.
But the fact that she had to live in the Uchiha Manor of all places…
Even though she had told Kyuubi that any iota of fondness or cordiality towards Uchiha Sasuke was gone, Naruto couldn't help but feel a pang as she realized that this was where Sasuke had spent his best childhood memories.
As well as his worst.
Naruto chewed at her lip, scowling angrily as she tried her utmost best to control the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
Somebody suddenly spoke, breaking Naruto out of her reverie.
"Are you the new babysitter?"
The nasally voice came from a black-haired woman who had appeared in the doorway of the Uchiha compound. Naruto stared. The babysitter was of a young age, somewhere around her late teens and early twenties. Her arms were tattooed profusely, and her skimpy clothes revealed a tad bit more skin than was deemed modest. She had at least five piercings on her ears and a shiny stud was noticeable on her tongue as she talked.
Naruto was appalled.
This person was the babysitter? She looked like a pothead!
Quickly gathering her thoughts together, Naruto cleared her throat. "Yes, I am. Uzumaki Naruto, pleased to meet you." The blonde flashed the young woman a warm smile and held her hand out towards the babysitter, offering a friendly handshake.
The babysitter shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring the blonde's outstretched hand. "Tanubi." Tanubi looked at Naruto up and down. "Are you that Uchiha's mistress?"
Naruto reddened. "Excuse me?"
Tanubi stared. "None of us know who his bitch is." The babysitter crossed her tattooed arms. "If you are her, don't be ashamed to admit it. I don't judge."
"No, I am not," Naruto answered frostily. She was, needless to say, disgusted by Tanubi's temerity. "I think your employment is over, Tanubi-san."
Tanubi shrugged yet again, unaffected by Naruto's coldness. "All right then. No need to get your panties all in a twist. Tell Itachi that I just took the cash lying around on the table." The babysitter then scoffed, a sneering, contemptuous look on her face. "By the way, you'd better thank me. The baby's finally asleep. It took me forever to get that stupid brat to stop crying. Good luck, uh… I forgot your name." And with those parting words, Tanubi was gone.
There was a moment as Naruto struggled to get over her shock.
"What the fuck."
The blonde felt her blood boiling, and it took all the restraint she possessed to not turn around and stick a kunai into Tanubi's heart. She whipped around to glare daggers at the Uchiha symbol that was painted on the walls of the Uchiha compound.
"What kind of fucking parents are you?" she snarled in disgust. "Letting such an abomination babysit your kids… Just what the fuck is wrong with you?" Shaking with rage and seeing red, Naruto felt a surge of Kyuubi's sinister demonic chakra flow through her veins. The blonde knew she had to calm herself down before her anger blew things out of proportion, so she closed her eyes and cleared her mind, trying her best to not think about all the murderous things she wanted to do to Tanubi. Sure enough, Naruto slowly felt Kyuubi's chakra recede from her body, and when she could breathe normally again, the blonde opened her eyes. Thankfully, the world was no longer bathed in red.
Taking another long glance at the Uchiha symbol, Naruto frowned worriedly. Sure, she wasn't going to be worse than the babysitter…
But just what kind of kids was she going to be dealing with?
Naruto sighed. She bent down to pick up a sakura petal and saw how quickly its beauty was withering away.
Life was so short.
"Kiba… I miss you."
XXX
As soon as Naruto walked into the household, she knew her assumptions of Tanubi being a shitty babysitter was right. The place looked like it hasn't been dusted in ages, dishes were stacked miles high in the sink, and most of all, as Naruto saw with a pang in her heart, opened beer bottles were lying in every corner of the house.
"Oh fuck," Naruto muttered under her breath. She had vowed to not cuss when she entered into the house, for that would've been very bad influence to the kids, but the sight of empty beer bottles tore at Naruto's chest. "Oh my god…"
The blonde felt tears start to form in her eyes, and she wondered just how much shit the three Uchiha kids had had to go through. Where was Itachi in all of this? Naruto understood why the cold-blooded Sasuke and broken-hearted Sakura might've not stopped this disaster from happening, but Itachi… Wasn't he innocent? Wasn't he the faithful Konoha shinobi all along? So what was his part in this tragedy? Where was he during all of this?
Naruto shook her head slowly. There was no point in crying over things that had already happened. Work obviously needed to be done.
Forming a few hand signs and muttering a quick "kai," Naruto disappeared behind a puff of smoke. Suddenly there were five shadow doppelgangers present in the filthy room. Naruto nodded tiredly at the inquisitive blondes. "We'll split up and clean different rooms. C'mon, let's get to it. This mansion is gigantic. The faster we start, the faster we'll finish."
"Gotcha!" five voices answered.
XXX
Naruto wearily sat on the couch, eying her work with pride. It had taken her the whole morning and even part of the afternoon, but she did a damn good job cleaning out the filth of the huge Uchiha Mansion. Not a single book out of place, not a single dish unwashed, not a single corner of the house undusted. The blond woman chuckled complacently to herself.
"Well. Not bad, Naruto. Guess being the Tsuchikage's maid did pay off in its own ways." The blonde then groaned as her thigh muscle cramped. Every part of her body throbbed. "I hope I don't have to do that again in a long, long while." She sighed. Her head was beginning to hurt again, and she couldn't stop herself as her mind began to wonder, drifting back a few years, back to…
Naruto closed her eyes. The dream she had last night was still fresh in her memory.
XXX
"Kiba… Kiba, where are you?" Twenty one year old Naruto had just arrived at the secret meadow. The field was filled with blooming, colorful flowers and tall, green and grassy plants. It was spring time in Earth country, and the blonde had woken up earlier that day with a flower – which she recognized to come from this field – placed next to her bed. A note, written with a scrawl that could've only been Kiba's, had been wrapped delicately around the flower's stem.
And so, Naruto had waited impatiently for the clock to strike four before she bowed respectfully to the Tsuchikage and asked to be excused. Four o'clock, common in Earth country culture, was a period of rest. All shops in the village closed exactly at this time, and subsequently the villagers all went back to their respective houses to take a quick afternoon nap or have some relaxing afternoon tea. Even the shinobi were given a two-hour repose. The Konoha ninjas, who had already been drafted into the Tsuchikage's secret shinobi squad by then, often took this time to meet and catch up with one another's affairs.
But sometimes, when there was nothing serious to report, Kiba would – who knows how he managed to sneak into her compound, for it was strictly a female only residence – leave notes by Naruto's bedside, telling her at which secret place they would meet up.
Today, the note had said "Fox," which Naruto took to mean as the code word for "field." Even if she couldn't figure that one out, the flower that the note was wrapped around had been a clear indication.
But upon arriving at the field today, Naruto had noticed with some exasperation that the stupid man must've been playing games with her for he was nowhere in sight, and much to Naruto's annoyance, she couldn't sense his chakra signature at all.
Damn, his shinobi skills were getting better.
"Kiba…" the blonde snapped. "I'm going to leave in ten seconds if you don't show your sorry butt soon!"
No response.
"All right then. One…"
"Two…"
"Three…"
"Four…"
"Fivesixseveneightnin – "
Naruto squealed as she suddenly felt someone from behind securely wrap his arms around her waist. The blonde could feel his breath on her neck, and she involuntarily shivered.
"I believe that was less than ten seconds, Naruto," Kiba growled teasingly into the woman's ear. "I never knew you were a cheater."
The blonde struggled vainly to break Kiba's hold. "Let me go, you jerk! What kind of person are you, letting me stand here like a dork while you laugh at me? Let me go!"
Kiba was amused. "I wasn't laughing at you."
"Yes you were! I can sense it!"
"Since when did you become a psychic, tiger?" the man asked, smiling at the riled Naruto.
"Since when was it okay to hold a girl down against her consent?" Naruto snapped back. "Let me go!"
Kiba raised his eyebrows. "But it's not against your consent, so I don't understand your argument, Naru-chan."
Naruto's eyes widened, and the next thing she knew, her back was on the ground with Kiba pressed firmly on top of her. The man had a huge grin on his face, and Naruto couldn't help but to smile back at him, her anger quickly dissipating.
"You jerk."
"You know you love me," was Kiba's flippant reply. He paused, and then looked at Naruto with soft, liquid brown eyes. "Can I, sweetheart?"
"And since when have you cared for my consent, you uncouth man?"
Kiba smiled wryly, and in one swift motion, he took Naruto's mouth in his.
Naruto immediately felt a warmth erupt from the center of her being, and she shivered yet again, this time in want. Her arms wrapped around Kiba's neck to pull him closer, and he eagerly obeyed.
They kissed passionately and fiercely like there was no tomorrow. Their lips moved in sync with each other's, and only when the need to breathe became inevitable did they part. Kiba stared lovingly down at the flushed Naruto, who was gazing back at him with two big cerulean eyes.
"I love you, Naruto."
Kiba took Naruto's lower lip and gently nibbled at it. The whispery sigh that came out of her made him go hard. He wanted more, needed more. Kiba licked Naruto's lips, begging entrance. Naruto quickly granted him his wish and soon they were having a battle of dominance with their tongues. Unable to stop himself, Kiba brought a hand up and cupped one of Naruto's breasts, and the blonde groaned. She instinctively shifted so the man could have better access, and Kiba chuckled.
"Isn't it kind of hot here, love?" the man whispered, making teasing circles around her breasts with his palm. He saw how Naruto's cheeks were flushed with red, how her eyes were rolled towards the back of her head, how her hands clutched desperately at the grass on the ground. God she was so beautiful… Kiba dipped his head and licked Naruto's ear, smiling at her meow of pleasure. "Well?"
"Yes… yes…" she whispered. "Please, Kiba, please…"
Hearing her begging plea made Kiba's want become even harder still, and he wasted no time. Bending his head so he could kiss Naruto's throat while he worked with her clothes, Kiba quickly unzipped Naruto's jacket, revealing a thin shirt. Two hard nipple impressions were apparent against the t-shirt's gossamer front, and Kiba's eyes misted over with desire.
"You didn't wear a bra today?"
Naruto, drowning as she was in lust, still heard the amused inflection in Kiba's voice, and the blonde replied back as sassily as she could in that state of mind, "Well so what if I didn't feel like wearing one this morning?"
Kiba grinned. "You liar. You hoped that we'd be doing this kind of stuff today, didn't you?" Not bothering to hear Naruto's response, Kiba promptly took the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up, revealing two luscious breasts that were hard with yearning. He groaned. "Oh Naruto… you're so beautiful…"
Naruto whimpered as she felt Kiba envelop one of her nipples with his lips. She tore at the grass and twisted in pleasure. The blonde now felt a searing hot flame burning away in between her legs, and she moaned. "Kiba… Kiba…"
Kiba sucked at her nipple, loving the way she said his name. He brought one hand up to the other neglected bud and toyed with it, a fierce joy rippling through his body as he felt Naruto squirm with pleasure. He then took her nipple out of his mouth and sat up, straddling the blonde. Naruto involuntarily let out a short cry as she felt Kiba's hard need press against her want, and she panted.
"K-Kiba…" Naruto whispered. Her cerulean eyes, which had been closed the whole time, snapped open, and a maelstrom of emotions swirled in their ocean depths. "Please, Kiba…"
He laughed at her lust. "Someone's a little horny today." Kiba played with the waistband of Naruto's pants. "Is this what you want me… to… take… off…" The man emphasized the last four words by sweetly kissing Naruto's breasts between each word.
"Yes… yes…"
Kiba didn't wait for another invitation. He slipped his hands inside of her pants, and he smugly smiled as he felt how wet her undergarments were. The man gently brushed two fingers against Naruto's womanhood before sticking the two digits inside, and the blonde cried sharply, writhing.
"Kiba!"
He grinned, and in one movement, pulled off Naruto's pants. She shivered, both from the loss of heat and from the hungry look she saw in Kiba's eyes.
Kiba then smiled wryly, his liquid brown eyes gazing with adoration and lust at his blond lover. "Now, gorgeous, try to keep the volume down… I don't want all of Earth Country to be awakened from their afternoon nap when I'm making love to my little tiger here…"
XXX
Suddenly the sounds of the front door being slid open carried over.
Naruto's eyes immediately snapped to attention – since when did she fall asleep? – and she blushed as she remembered the dream. Shaking her head to clear it of the fresh images, the blonde subsequently stood up. Naruto winced, her muscles still sore, but luckily for the most part Kyuubi's chakras had healed her exhaustion.
Then remembering why she had woken up, Naruto bit her lip in anticipation. The moment she was waiting for had arrived. The kids were finally home. Naruto was wary. She had seen Momo earlier, taking care to not wake the baby girl when she cleaned Momo's room. But Momo had been sleeping, and of course, she was only two years old. On the other hand, Naruto didn't know what to expect of the other two.
Hell, what happens if they turn out to be crazy serial killers like their dads?
Footsteps were heard and Naruto tensed. The door to the living room bursted open, and Naruto came face to face with Uchiha Kaira and Uchiha Ryūshiro. She took a quick second each to assess the two Uchihas.
Uchiha Kaira was a petite, skinny girl of about twelve. With a jolt, Naruto realized that Kaira was around the age of a Genin, and needless to say, a shinobi headband – its shiny luster indicated that it was rather new – wrapped around the girl's forehead. But upon further scrutiny, Naruto saw that Jiraiya's warning about Kaira being aloof and distant had indeed been the truth. Kaira's eyes were two hard black gems, cold and merciless. Her long black hair covered more than half of her face, giving the young girl a very menacing appearance. Even her lips, bitter and thin, was a resentful line across her pallid face. She had the image of a very sour and aggrieved child, not unlike how Sasuke had been when he was a Genin. Naruto's heart immediately went out to her, and the blonde was unable to help herself as she thought back to the old Team 7 days.
Naruto then directed her attention on the small boy timidly standing next to Kaira.
Uchiha Ryūshiro, Naruto noticed with contained surprise, was the exact opposite of his cousin. The boy had a face of an angel – complete with the pink chubby cheeks and big, innocent eyes – and he could've fooled anyone into thinking that he was a baby Cupid. Ryūshiro was supposed to be almost five years old, but if Naruto didn't know any better, she would've assumed that the tiny boy could've been no older than three. But as cute as he was, Ryūshiro's big, black eyes were haunted with only one emotion - fear. Raw terror reflected in the onyx orbs as the little boy stared at Naruto.
The blonde wanted to cry. But the years of living under the Tsuchikage's rule had given her the skill to mask her emotions, and for once she was thankful for the control. She allowed only a calculated amount of warmth and cordiality show on her face.
"Who are you," Kaira asked coldly. "Have you come to take us away?"
"No," Naruto said softly. "I'm your new babysitter."
"Another one?" It was clear from the tone of Kaira's voice that the young girl didn't have a particular fondness towards babysitters. "When will they realize that we can perfectly take care of ourselves?" She turned to leave, her hair whipping angrily behind her.
"Wait."
Kaira glared spitefully back at Naruto. "What do you want?"
Naruto gracefully raised one eyebrow. "I think we should introduce ourselves first."
"Why." Kaira said the word as more of a statement – an order – than as a question.
"I'm going to be living here for at least a month or two, Kaira," the blonde replied back evenly. "At least tell me a bit about yourself. Your little brother too."
Kaira narrowed her eyes, and in her anger, she activated her Sharingan. Naruto was most definitely impressed by this demonstration of talent, but let none of it show in her impassive expression.
"He's not my brother," Kaira hissed out. She didn't even turn to look at Ryūshiro, who had flinched at Kaira's comment. "Don't you ever call him my brother."
Naruto wasn't deterred. "Cousin, then."
Kaira folded her arms, riled by Naruto's calm countenance. She had never met a babysitter who hadn't blown up as soon as they exchanged one or two words with her. This blonde woman was different. There was something about this babysitter that Kaira couldn't place her finger on.
"He's a mute. Didn't they tell you that?" Kaira replied contemptuously. "He was born that way. Small and useless. I've never even heard him cry." Her tone of voice mirrored disgust.
Naruto saw how sorrow and hurt flashed quickly through Ryūshiro's eyes before it disappeared, leaving his eyes terrified once more. Poor thing. "What about you?" the blonde then asked.
"What about me?" Kaira retorted. She had deactivated her Sharingan, but her eyes were still stark cold and bleak.
"Tell me about you."
Kaira scowled. She was getting angrier by the second at Naruto's persistent questions. None of the other babysitters had shown such nosiness. "I'm a Genin. My father's Uchiha Itachi."
"Who's your teacher?"
"Ino-sensei." Kaira didn't miss the sudden look of recognition that passed through Naruto's face. "You know her," the Uchiha girl accused.
"Yes… I did." Naruto didn't mention to tell Kaira the last time she saw Ino was that stormy night when she had passed out in front of Ino and Chouji. Naruto hadn't seen Ino since, for no one was allowed to visit the blond in the hospital. In fact, Naruto wondered. Who actually knows that I'm back in town now?
Kaira frowned. She knew the suddenly pensive babysitter was keeping something from her, and the Uchiha girl became irritated when the older woman didn't expand on her answer.
"What's your name?" Kaira asked in an insolent manner.
Naruto looked at Kaira and smiled a small, genuine smile for the first time since the two children's arrival. "Uzumaki Naruto. You may call me Naruto-san."
The Uchiha girl rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned her back to Naruto and began walking towards the door, determined to end the conversation. "You'll be gone in a week like the rest of them, anyway. I'm going to training." And Kaira disappeared from the room.
"I'm beginning to think that there must be a genetic disorder for rudeness and arrogance," Naruto muttered in exasperation. "Are we going to come to love each other…" The blonde then directly her kind gaze towards the small boy who was now shaking visibly in front of her.
"Hello there, Ryūshiro," she said brightly, smiling her most winsome smile.
Ryūshiro, not alleviated by this show of warmth, took a small, scared step back.
Naruto's blue eyes softened, and she squatted so she was the same eye level as Ryūshiro. "You're the cutest thing I've ever seen! Has anyone ever told you that?" the blonde said cheerfully. Secretly pleased when she saw a look of surprise momentarily replace the fear in Ryūshiro's eyes, Naruto continued, "I thought you were a little angel when I first saw you. I almost fell down to my knees; I'm in desperate need for some of my prayers to be answered, love."
Ryūshiro blinked rapidly, but the terror in his eyes was slowly dissipating.
Naruto suddenly brightened. "Hey little guy, can I touch your hair?"
The boy started. Touch his hair? He stared back at Naruto with huge, inquisitive eyes, wondering if he had heard her right. Naruto was delighted to see that almost all traces of the fear he had towards her in the beginning were gone, replaced by incredulity and curiosity.
"It looks soft and silky, Ryūshiro," the blonde went on to explain, grinning sheepishly. "I've always admired people with pretty hair. I have coarse hair, unfortunately, so people with hair like yours have always been the object of my envy." Naruto laughed. "It's silly but true!"
Ryūshiro was in a state of inner turmoil. In his entire life, Ryūshiro had never met a woman who was as gentle, as nice, as kind as Naruto, and he immediately felt something in his heart stir. It was a long time since he had felt this warm, this safe… this protected. The little boy wondered if Naruto was a dream. He had those sometimes. Dreams where his daddy would be back home holding him and praising him, telling him that he wasn't unwanted. Dreams where Mommy wasn't crying and drinking that horrible liquid that made her go crazy.
So was Naruto only a dream too?
Good things, Ryūshiro had concluded and accepted long ago, weren't real, and the little boy realized with a pang that Naruto was a good thing. Upon such a revelation, whatever warm fuzzy feelings Ryūshiro had started to feel was soon crushed again by hurt and sorrow.
Naruto saw the little boy's face fall, and the blonde thought it was because of her request to stroke his hair. "Oh, sweetie, don't cry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to force you into anything! I promise not to touch you unless you allow me to, okay?"
Ryūshiro blinked, yet again startled by Naruto's exclamation. Someone… was actually giving him a choice? No one had ever allowed Ryūshiro to do anything out of his own volition. Instead, he always had to follow the rules, and sometimes when he was bad and he didn't comply, hurtful things would happen. Ryūshiro had learned that the hard way, especially that one time when Mommy drank too much of her bad liquid and punished him severely.
But this lady here… She said he could decide by himself?
The small Uchiha boy looked up to stare at Naruto's face. Two kind, cerulean eyes stared back. Ryūshiro had never seen so much comfort and love radiate from anyone's eyes, and to his bewilderment, that love was directed towards him. How was that possible?
Naruto was about to give up and ask Ryūshiro another question when the little boy suddenly surprised her by timidly taking one of her hands and lightly placing it on his head. Ryūshiro caught the amazed look on Naruto's face, and without realizing it, a small smile consequently graced his features.
The blonde had never seen any child look so angelic. And to top it all, she realized that Ryūshiro was the spitting image of his father. Tears well up in Naruto's eyes, and she lovingly ruffled Ryūshiro's hair.
"Sweetheart, can I pick you up?" the blonde whispered.
Ryūshiro, though at first he had been alarmed by Naruto's tears, realized that the babysitter was happy that he had allowed her to touch his hair. The boy pondered her question before nodding slowly. Naruto beamed at him, and Ryūshiro involuntarily smiled back at her when he saw the beautiful grin break across her face. Naruto's breath hitched in her throat as Ryūshiro's smile revealed two missing front teeth.
"Ryūshiro, you're gorgeous," Naruto exclaimed. She picked the boy up – he weighed as light as a feather – and held him close. "You are the cutest child I have ever seen."
Ryūshiro's grin got bigger. He had never been complimented, had never been held so tenderly, had never been smiled at, but this was suddenly all happening in one day. The little boy wiped at Naruto's tears, trying to tell her in his own silent way how happy he was that she was now his babysitter. He knew – the way children instinctively knew some things – that Naruto would protect him from now on and forever more.
He felt safe.
Naruto saw the trust that was burning brightly in Ryūshiro's eyes, and she laughed. The blonde kissed Ryūshiro sweetly on one of his chubby, rosy cheeks.
"Hey little one, your name's quite a mouthful," Naruto said affectionately. She thought for a quick while. "Would it be okay if I called you 'Shiro-chan?'"
Ryūshiro pondered over the new nickname. He then decided that he didn't mind what nickname was given to him, as long as it was Naruto who called him, and the little boy nodded seriously. Ryūshiro took one chubby hand and wrapped it firmly around a strand of Naruto's golden hair. He was scared that if he wasn't careful, this beautiful savior might disappear. To make sure Naruto wouldn't be whisked away when he wasn't looking, Ryūshiro concluded that the best way would be to have a tight hold on her hair, and indeed, the iron grip he had on Naruto's locks was quite impressive for someone of his stature.
Naruto winced slightly. "Shiro-chan, is that really n – "
A loud wail penetrated the household.
The blonde woman shared a knowing look with Ryūshiro. "Oh. I believe your sister Momo has awakened from her nap." Ryūshiro nodded, taking his one free hand and beginning to suck furiously away on it.
The boy thought intensely.
Whenever Momo cried, she wouldn't stop for at least a good two, three hours. Ryūshiro had long learned to tune out the wails, but he worried that Naruto might get annoyed and possibly leave. The small boy furrowed his eyebrows, suddenly very concerned that she might vanish.
Naruto, oblivious to Ryūshiro's distress, immediately set off towards the infant room, picking up speed as the baby's screams got louder and louder with every hysterical cry. Following the sounds of wailing, the blonde soon came across a small room she recognized as one of the rooms she had cleaned earlier in the day. Naruto hastily opened the door and walked in.
"Momo, Momo," Naruto crooned, walking towards the crib. "There, there, don't cry anymore, Naruto's here."
The baby immediately stopped crying.
Naruto was surprised. Was it really that easy? She had expected that it would've taken a lot more effort to get Momo to stop crying, considering Tanubi and Jiraiya's warning. Coming to the edge of the crib, Naruto peered over and stared down at Momo. At first she was surprised to notice that the toddler's eyes were green, not onyx like she had expected. Then Naruto realized Momo had stopped crying not because the baby had felt soothed by Naruto's presence, but because she had heard Naruto's entrance and was now paralyzed in fear, her huge eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
Naruto also realized that Tsunade and Jiraiya had failed to mention one important detail concerning Momo.
The baby was blind. She could not see as she looked straight at Naruto, her emerald eyes unfocused and empty.
"Holy mother of…" Naruto whispered, aghast.
Momo flinched – how does a two year old child flinch? – at the sound of Naruto's voice. The toddler feebly cried out, as if she were expecting to be…
To be beaten.
Naruto wanted to hurl. There was something messed up with this family. The Uchihas were supposed to be the strongest clan in history, and yet, is this how they treat their children? First Sasuke and Itachi, the two most angst, revenge-driven people Naruto had ever seen, and now these three kids…
The blonde turned to Ryūshiro who was worriedly sucking away at his thumb. He still had the tight hold on her hair. "Shiro-chan," she whispered softly. "I'm going to put you down real fast, okay? I need to take care of your sister right now. I promise I'll pick you up as soon as my hands are free again."
Ryūshiro nodded. He allowed Naruto to gently place him on the ground, but, still feeling a bit anxious, he now secured his iron grip onto the part of Naruto closest to him, her leg.
Naruto smiled down at the child as she felt him hug tightly. "I'm still here, baby," she reassured him. The blonde then directed her attention to Momo, who was giving out meows of distress.
"You poor, poor thing. Not being able to see, but already having to suffer through so much," Naruto murmured quietly. "There, there, everything's all right now. Don't cry anymore, Momo. I'm not going to hurt you." The blonde gently placed her hand against Momo's cheek. Momo immediately winced, a terrified look on her face. "Sh… sh…" Naruto soothed. "It's okay… it's all right…" And the blonde continued to gently stroke Momo's cheeks. She stroked softly and reassuringly, and eventually the baby's soft cries were beginning to die down.
Naruto then changed the course of her stroking to unexpectedly – but slowly and gently – poking the little baby on her stomach.
Momo blinked, and miraculously, a wondering coo came from the baby's mouth.
Naruto smiled. "There, you're not scared of me, are you? I'm not going to hurt you. You believe me right? Momo, Momo, Momo." The blonde placed two hands around the baby's waist, and when Momo didn't protest, Naruto lifted the baby girl out of her crib and tenderly laid Momo's head on her shoulder. The blonde continued to softly pat the baby's back. "Sh… sh… everything's going to be all right. There, there…"
The green-eyed Uchiha baby consequently sneezed and then relaxed into Naruto's embrace. A sense of security and love, not unlike what Ryūshiro had felt earlier, enveloped Momo.
Ryūshiro, amazed at the sudden transformation that took place in his sister, pulled at Naruto's leg. Naruto directed her attention to the small boy and smiled. She stopped patting Momo and stretched out a hand to enclose around Ryūshiro's.
"Now, Shiro-chan, I think your little sister is hungry. How about we get a late afternoon snack, hm?"
Ryūshiro sucked contently away at his thumb. It didn't matter what they did; as long as his beautiful savior was with him, Ryūshiro was willing to do anything. And now that Momo had been charmed as well by this golden haired goddess, the little boy realized that the best thing had just happened to his life.
Maybe… the little boy concluded. Maybe all the bad things happened in the beginning because they needed to balance out the goodness of the goddess. Ryūshiro tightened his hold on Naruto's hand. Whatever the reason, he was never ever letting her go.
Naruto smiled at the boy. "What are you thinking so intensely about, you little angel? C'mon, bring me to the kitchen, Shiro-chan! I've yet to memorize my way around here."
The little Uchiha boy couldn't be happier to comply.
XXX
"Is this what you eat around here?" Naruto asked, exasperated. "Tomatoes?" She saw the suddenly terrified look that flashed through Ryūshiro's face, and the blonde hastily backtracked. "No no no, that's not what I meant! Oh Shiro, I'm not mad at you! It's just… just… I really don't like tomatoes."
Ryūshiro furrowed his eyebrows, perplexed. If the goddess wasn't mad at him, then why did she sound it?
Naruto, who had went back to frowning and pouting, stared with dismay at the open refrigerator door. The only thing evident in the refrigerator was mountains and mountains of tomatoes, and the blonde subsequently groaned. It was one thing to be a health freak, but this… This was too much.
"Does no one do the shopping around here?" she said, looking down at Ryūshiro. The little Uchiha boy shrugged nonchalantly while Momo sucked contentedly away at her thumb, cooing complacently to herself, oblivious to everything.
"This is horrible." Naruto took out a tomato with the hand that wasn't holding onto Momo. "Tomatoes are disgusting."
Ryūshiro nodded fiercely, still not understanding Naruto's distress but trying his best to assuage her. He personally didn't see anything wrong with tomatoes; in fact, he had been eating them ever since he could remember. But if the goddess didn't like them, then they had to be bad.
"I mean, they're not even vegetables. They're fruits." Naruto paused. "You know what would be good right now, Shiro-chan?"
Ryūshiro had to think twice before shaking his head.
"Ramen," Naruto answered dreamily. "A bowl of ramen is definitely what is missing in this fridge..." The blonde then sighed. "But you guys don't even have instant noodles. So I suppose you're okay with tomato and egg soup for dinner tonight?"
Ryūshiro nodded, excited. He had never had eggs and tomato soup before. No one had ever really bothered with cooking in the household.
"Okay," the blonde replied, smiling brightly at the little Uchiha. "And there's still some unexpired baby food for Momo. We'll manage. And we can go grocery shopping later this week, once I get the – Hey! Speaking of that…" Naruto looked down at Ryūshiro. "Where's your uncle? Do you know?"
Ryūshiro furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't know how to explain to Naruto where Itachi was, but he didn't want to let the goddess down.
Naruto smiled as she saw Ryūshiro furiously racking his brains. "Will he be home later tonight?"
The little Uchiha boy nodded.
"Ok! Thanks, Shiro-chan. That's all I need to know." Naruto took out some tomatoes. "Go bring a book here, Shiro-chan! I'll read to you and Momo while I'm cooking!"
Ryūshiro's bright black eyes widened before his chubby face split into a smile, and he jumped up and down in elation. No one has ever read him a story book before. Ryūshiro ran forward to quickly give Naruto a hug – but he could only reach so far, so the little boy excitedly grabbed the blonde's leg – and dashed out of the kitchen to grab a book from his room.
Momo cooed, her blank stare aimed at the direction Ryūshiro ran off in. The baby took out one sticky hand from her mouth and stuck it on Naruto's whiskered cheek.
Naruto laughed. "Momo, that's gross."
XXX
"And they lived happily ever after," Naruto finished. She closed the storybook and smiled at Ryūshiro, poking him affectionately on his nose. "The end."
Ryūshiro clapped his hands and smiled widely back, showing Naruto his two missing teeth. He loved listening to the goddess read to him. She had the perfect voice and she knew how to act to make the characters come alive. He tugged at Naruto's sleeve, silently asking her if he could get another book for her to read.
Naruto frowned gently. She looked over at Momo, who was seated on the baby chair and playing complacently with the little baby toys that Naruto had dug up from an old room hidden deep in the Uchiha compound.
"Well, Shiro-chan, we need to eat," the blonde said slowly. She looked at the clock, whose hour hand pointed to eight. "It's getting so late. My eggs and tomatoes must be cold by now. When does Kaira come back?"
Ryūshiro blinked, confused. He shrugged helplessly, his face falling as he didn't know how to answer Naruto's question.
Suddenly, one of Momo's toys fell on the ground. The toddler, blindly searching for it on her chair, realized that she could no longer find it and she began to bawl. Naruto winced and the blonde stood up, walking over to Momo and taking the crying baby out of the chair.
"Sh… sh… sweetie," Naruto said gently. "Don't cry, Momo. I know you're hungry and sleepy." She turned and looked at Ryūshiro. "C'mon, honey, sit at the table. We'll eat now."
The Uchiha boy jumped up, running to the dinner table and seating himself on his favorite spot. He smiled excitedly, wondering what the goddess' cooking would taste like.
Naruto, who had calmed Momo down, seated the baby back on the baby seat. Momo was ready to scrunch her face up to cry again when Naruto took the baby bottle of formula and placed it in Momo's mouth. The baby widened her blind green eyes before realizing it was yummy, and the little girl began to drink contentedly. She took a rattle and shook it happily while sucking on her formula.
Naruto ruffled Momo's hair fondly. "All right, now that we got the little princess satisfied, let's eat, Shiro-chan!" The blonde took the dishes she had cooked – it was mostly dishes containing tomato, but she had found a piece of steak in the back of the freezer – and placed it on the table. "Itadakimasu! Dig in!"
Ryūshiro grinned. He shook in anticipation, staring at what seemed to be a feast in front of him. Everything smelled so nice, so perfect.
His life was perfect.
XXX
A lone figure hobbled slowly down the streets and came to the front door of the Uchiha complex. It was Kaira.
The young Uchiha girl opened the door to the compound and walked in, breathing heavily. There were cuts on her arms and legs, and blood dripped onto the floor. She winced. She had trained extra hard today, pushing way past her limit. Her body throbbed. The floor in front of her eyes seemed to blur, and the girl breathed deeply, trying to clear her vision. When she was sure she wasn't on the verge on fainting, the Uchiha girl resumed her slow walk. She needed to eat, but Itachi hadn't bought any food for a week now. Kaira felt her blood boil. She knew he was busy with his work, knew he didn't have time, but why…
Why couldn't her father care more?
"Kaira."
Kaira's eyes widened and she straightened up, staring at a familiar looking blond-haired woman… Oh. The new babysitter. On further examination, Kaira noticed the babysitter seemed mad. Livid, actually.
"What in God's name have you been doing to yourself?" Naruto snapped.
The Uchiha girl narrowed her eyes. "It's none of your business."
"None of my business?" Cerulean eyes flashed. "Let me tell you right here right now, Kaira, that if you get hurt, it is every bit of my ass that's going to get owned. By your father and by Tsunade-baachan, understand?"
Kaira was secretly shocked. The babysitter didn't show the least bit of fright at Kaira. Did that woman not know what the Uchihas were capable of? And the babysitter had a lot of nerve calling Godaime-sama "grandma."
"Shut up," Kaira said coldly. "I was training."
Naruto glared at Kaira. "First off, show me some respect, young lady. And second, no one trains until eleven at night."
"Well I do." The Uchiha girl clenched her fist. "Can't you just mind your own business?"
"Like I said, you are my business!" Naruto said, her blue eyes flashing angrily.
Kaira opened her mouth for another retort… and everything turned black.
Naruto groaned as she saw the Uchiha girl faint, and the blonde quickly flashed stepped to Kaira and caught the girl right before she fell onto the ground. The woman sighed in exasperation.
"And this is exactly when your business becomes my business," Naruto muttered. "Self-conceited Uchihas."
XXX
Kaira felt herself swim back into consciousness. Someone was humming softly and wiping her forehead with a soft towel. To the girl's surprise, her wounds no longer hurt. In fact, they were… bandaged and healed. The Uchiha girl opened her eyes groggily, wondering if her dad had come home.
"Here, drink this." A bowl was placed to Kaira's mouth, and the girl obediently drank from it. Chicken noodle soup?
Kaira tried to sit up and take a peek at her savior. She saw a glimpse of yellow before the person gently eased her back to a sleeping position. The babysitter?
"You shouldn't try to get up just yet, or my hard work would be for nothing," the woman chided softly. Kaira's vision cleared, and the Uchiha girl came face to face with the blonde-haired babysitter. "And you really shouldn't train so hard. It actually doesn't do you any good if you work your body beyond repair."
Kaira blinked, taking a look at her surroundings. She was lying on the couch in the living room and the woman was seated on the ground next to her. "You… Where did you get the chicken noodle soup?"
Naruto shrugged. "I visited our neighbors."
Kaira furrowed her eyebrows. "This late at night?"
The blonde smiled sheepishly and brought her hand up to the back of her head. "Well, I'll just pay them back tomorrow morning. I'm sure they wouldn't mind."
The Uchiha girl's mind whirled. What… This babysitter… She must've been the one who had healed Kaira's wounds, and now she's saying that she snuck into the neighbor's house and took chicken noodle soup without waking up with the entire household? Just who… who…
"Who are you?" Kaira whispered, her black eyes widening with apprehension.
Naruto smiled gently. "I told you. My name's Naruto." She took the towel and placed it gently on Kaira's forehead. "And you need sleep. You have a fever from an infection in one of your worse cuts. I healed it, but I can't help you with the fever. You just need to get lots of rest and it should be gone by the end of tomorrow."
Kaira shook her head and winced. Her head spun. "Naruto-san, are you a shinobi?"
"Here, take some of these pills. It'll clear your head." Naruto placed the pills to Kaira's mouth and prodded the girl to swallow some. "Better?"
Kaira nodded. She tried to sit up again. Naruto didn't stop her this time but instead helped the young girl into a sitting position. The Uchiha girl blushed and muttered something incoherent, but Naruto knew it was a quick "thanks."
"You're welcome," Naruto said brightly, smiling. "Now, will you tell me why you're training so hard? It better be a good reason." The blonde narrowed her eyes playfully. "I'm still deciding whether to ground you for life or til the turn of the century."
Kaira scowled back. "You're not the boss of me." But it was an empty threat and both of them knew it. "I don't wish to say."
Naruto gracefully raised an eyebrow. "If you tell me, I'll answer your question."
Kaira snapped to attention. "You mean it?"
"On my word."
The Uchiha pondered a bit before staring back at Naruto and said, "I want to beat my father."
Naruto nodded seriously. "Yeah. I want to give your father an ass whooping too." She then added as an afterthought, "Sorry. For cussing I mean."
"No, that's not what I meant!" Kaira said defensively, feeling like it was in her honor to back her father. "He's just busy, that's all."
"And that's why you want to beat him, Kaira. You want him to acknowledge you."
The Uchiha girl looked away. How was it possible for the babysitter to just glance at her and see the deepest secret that she kept in her heart?
"Kaira, look at me."
Kaira found it impossible to ignore the quiet order, and the girl raised obsidian eyes to stare into orbs of blue. Warmth and love shimmered from their ocean depths, and to Kaira's confusion, she felt safe and protected. For once in her life, she felt she could place her trust in someone.
"He loves you very much," Naruto said tenderly, putting her hand under Kaira's chin and raising the girl's head so she could see that everything Naruto said was the genuine truth. "Itachi's not very good at showing his emotions. It's not in him to do that. But he does love you. And damned it be if he's not proud of you."
Kaira stayed quiet and looked away, brooding. "Do you know him Naruto-san?" Naruto smiled bitterly, and Kaira didn't miss the wryness in Naruto's smile. "Naruto-san?"
"Yes," came the sarcastic reply. "I did."
"You knew my father?"
Naruto sighed. "Not personally. Just fought him once."
"Fought him? So… so you were a shinobi."
"Yes. I was." Naruto's voice turned harsh.
Kaira knew it hurt Naruto to ask, but her curiosity wouldn't allow her to stop. "And Sasuke-san?"
There was a dead silence.
"No. I do not know him."
"Oh…" Kaira saw the vacancy in Naruto's eyes. "I'm sorry."
Naruto perked up. "Excuse me?" The blond blinked, and emotion flooded back into the ocean depths. "Kaira, did you just say – "
"Shut up," Kaira growled, embarrassed.
"Oh," Naruto exclaimed, "so you do know some manners after all!" The blonde laughed and in her excitement, she hugged Kaira.
Kaira squirmed uncomfortably. "You can let go, Naruto-san." She wasn't used to physical contact with anyone unless it was on the battlefield. And feelings of endearment and love were just beyond her. "You're hurting me."
"Liar." Naruto let go of the blushing child and beamed. "I fixed your wounds to the best of my ability and I know they're completely healed."
Kaira narrowed her eyes, considering Naruto's comment. "Then, Naruto-san, just what level of shinobi are you?"
"Good… enough, I suppose."
"Like, teaching wise?"
Now it was Naruto's turn to narrow her eyes. She had caught the inflection in Kaira's voice, and she knew what the girl wanted to ask her. "Yes." The blonde went on before the girl could say anymore. "If you want me to train you, I'll be willing to comply. But you have to follow my orders, even if it goes against every Uchiha fiber in your body. That is my ultimatum. Is it a deal?"
Kaira scowled. She knew Naruto had won this battle, but her pride wouldn't allow her to acknowledge her loss.
"Kaira?"
"Ok," Kaira snapped.
"Ok, sensei," Naruto corrected in amusement.
Kaira glared at Naruto with sharp black eyes before blowing out a breath and saying, "Ok, Naruto-sensei."
"There we go," the blonde said happily. "Now we're on good terms."
"Hn."
"Don't hn me, young lady!" Naruto frowned before remembering something. "Oh! You need to eat. Give me a second, Kaira-chan." The blonde subsequently disappeared from the room, giving Kaira the time to think over everything that happened in this short while.
Naruto-sensei… was different. Not just from the other babysitters, Kaira realized. But also different when compared to the rest of the world. Kaira had met bubbly and friendly people before – those people irked her to no end – but Naruto… Naruto's happiness did not come completely out of innocence. Kaira could feel a barrier of sorrow and alienation from Naruto that reminded her of herself. And the fact that Naruto could use her happiness to cover the anguish in her, Kaira couldn't understand. Was… Was Naruto-sensei that strong? Was Naruto-sensei so emotionally wired that she was able to be happy and connect to other people even when it seemed like she was in so much pain?
Naruto-sensei was charismatic. She made Kaira feel loved, warmed. A feeling that Kaira hadn't felt in so long. The Uchiha girl furrowed her eyebrows. But what was it about Naruto that gave Kaira such a shiver of fear? What was this dark secret that she could feel resonating from Naruto that gave Kaira such a stark naked terror?
"Oi." Naruto tilted her head and held the tray of food in front of Kaira. "What horrible things are you thinking of there? I've never seen anyone make such a sour face, Kaira."
Kaira scowled, breaking out of her reverie. "Nothing." The girl then realized the buffet of food Naruto was holding in front of her. "You guys went out to eat?"
"No," Naruto said, insulted. "I cooked. It's important for a kunoichi to know how to cook."
Kaira widened her eyes in amazement. "But… but this food…" Indeed, Naruto had spoken the truth, for every dish contained tomatoes except for one. "Where'd you get the steak?"
"It was in the back of the freezer. Luckily, it hadn't expire yet." Naruto placed the tray down on a small coffee table. "Can you tell me why there are so many tomatoes? Shiro-chan couldn't explain it to me."
Kaira looked at Naruto. "Shiro-chan?"
"Oh yeah," the blonde woman said, smiling. "Who named him, seriously?"
"He's not scared of you?"
"Well he was, but not anymore, I hope." Naruto gave Kaira chopsticks and a bowl of rice. "Eat."
Kaira took the bowl and chopsticks gratefully from Naruto and began to dig in. She was shocked at how amazing everything tasted. "Naruto-sensei, you really cooked all of this?" the Uchiha girl said between bites.
"Yes," Naruto said. She laughed. "Just eat. I'll still be here when you're done. Is it good?"
Kaira could only nod. She hadn't tasted such delicious food in so long. She hadn't been treated nicely in so long. She hadn't talked to someone without yelling or being yelled at in so, so, so long. To her chagrin, tears began to fall out of Kaira's eyes.
Naruto smiled kindly. The blonde took a tissue and wiped at Kaira's tears tenderly. "Everything's going to be okay from now on, Kaira. You don't need to fight anymore."
"Thank you, sensei," the girl whispered.
"Don't thank me." Naruto said softly. She took a seat on the couch next to Kaira and hugged her. "Thank you for giving me a chance." Naruto noticed that the girl, who had wolfed everything down in her hunger, was done eating. "You have quite the appetite."
Kaira took a napkin from Naruto and wiped her mouth. "Sasuke-san's favorite foods are tomatoes," she then said, answering Naruto's question from earlier. "We had onigiri too but that stupid babysitter ate it all." Kaira saw anger flash in Naruto's blue eyes. "You met her?"
"Yes," Naruto growled. "Was she the one that did all the drinking?"
"No." Kaira looked away. "That was Sakura." The Uchiha girl couldn't keep the disgust out of her voice.
"Sakura?" Naruto repeated, aghast. "Sakura drank?"
Kaira was confused. "Wait… Naruto, did you know Sakura too?"
"Yes," the blonde said, her face still in shock. "Please don't tell me that Momo…"
Kaira gritted her teeth. "It was Sakura," the girl said flatly.
"What?"
"Sakura was devastated that Momo was born without the Sharingan eyes, and one day when Sasuke-san wasn't home, she drank herself into such a stupor and in a second she had destroyed Momo's eyes." Kaira shook with anger. "It's all her fault. If she wasn't so useless, if her genes didn't produce such useless babies, then our family wouldn't be like this! That's why… That's why I have to get better. I have to uphold the Uchiha line, since the other two are so useless!"
Naruto shook Kaira. "No! You must never think that. Kaira, Ryūshiro and Momo are your only relatives. They aren't useless. They're your blood. They're your kin, Kaira. You can't treat them with all that hatred! It's not fair to any of you."
Kaira looked away. She knew what Naruto said was right… but… But…
"Kaira, listen to me." Naruto's face was grim, but warmth shone from her cerulean eyes. "I know life seems horrible right now, but it's not your fault. It's not your cousins' fault. It's not Ryūshiro or Momo's fault, okay, Kaira? Don't blame them for how things turned out."
The Uchiha girl closed her eyes, trying to accept the truth in Naruto's words.
"They need you right now. They have no mother, no father as far as I can tell, and no friends. They need you, Kaira, more than anything. Please listen to me."
Kaira began to cry. "I know, Naruto-sensei, I know. It's just… It's just I'm so alone, and when Momo's crying and Ryūshiro's hurting, I don't know what to do! I don't have a mother either, and Father's always on missions, and Sasuke-san… Sasuke-san hates me!"
In a second, Naruto had Kaira in a deep embrace, letting the girl cry into her chest. Huge sobs racked the girl's body, and Naruto knew that Kaira had kept all these hateful insecurities inside of herself her entire life.
"There, baby, there… Just let it all out… Let it all out," Naruto whispered.
Kaira cried harder. "I don't know what to do, sensei… I don't know what to do…" The Uchiha girl kept repeating those words. "I hate myself. And if I hate myself, how can I love Ryūshiro and Momo? How can I give them love if I don't even know how to love? There are times, sensei… times when I want to kill myself. But I can't, because Father's going to be all alone. Father's hurting too. He's hurting the most out of everyone, and I don't know why. Help Father, sensei. Can you?" Kaira's voice broke at the end of her plea, and the young girl resumed her sobbing.
Naruto closed her eyes. "Of course, sweetheart. Of course I'll help. I'm here from now on. You'll never be alone anymore. So stop hurting and stop worrying. I'm here for keeps, and I'll never leave. I promise."
Kaira heard the conviction in Naruto's voice, and she knew Naruto would not break that pledge. And so, the Uchiha girl, finally letting down her barriers, cried and cried in the embrace of the one woman who had finally reached deep into the Uchiha girl's torn soul and warmed her heart.
"Th-thank you, sensei," the girl sobbed out.
"Sh…" Naruto crooned, patting Kaira's hair. "It's okay now. Everything will be okay."
Kaira knew, like her two cousins before her that day, things were going to change. And they were going to change for the better.
XXX
Itachi walked into the compound, hesitant. He had met up with Tsunade and Jiraiya after his mission and they had informed him of a new babysitter that had taken residence in the Uchiha household just today. But this time, instead of just sadly waving him away, Tsunade and Jiraiya had warned Itachi that if the new babysitter were to get hurt, something really horrible going to happen to him and his brother.
And Itachi had spent the whole walk home wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean.
Opening the door and walking into the living room, Itachi was immediately aware of how clean his house had become. This babysitter was indeed a good one. Probably a shinobi, for only a shinobi would have the energy to clean the huge Uchiha compound.
But what shinobi would be willing to babysit the infamous Uchiha children? Everyone with a good sense of mind steered clear of the Manor.
Then Itachi noticed the two people asleep on the couch of the living room. He first noticed his daughter, Kaira, and Itachi felt his heart flame with guilt. Guilt for being such a horrible father. He hated himself for the ways that he treated her – ignored her even, but he did not know any other solution. If she grew attached to him, it would just hurt her more if a day came that Itachi was given a suicide mission. But the remorse that Itachi felt in his heart still stung every time he saw his precious daughter…
And finally, turning to the second woman, Itachi was stunned as he recognized the sleeping figure.
It was Uzumaki Naruto. The boy who had died seven ago. But this person here… was not a boy. And certainly not dead, if the rise and fall of her chest was any clear indication.
She was a beautiful woman, Itachi assented. Her golden hair was free flowing and lively, curling a little at the ends. It shone with verve, hinting that the woman herself was a very vivacious person. Her build was lithe but lean, the perfect stature of a kunoichi. There was a certain charm about her, full of elegance and charisma, that Itachi knew could draw any man towards her. And, upon activating his Sharingan, Itachi could see traces of the demon fox chakra that was centered in Naruto's being.
It was no lie. Uzumaki Naruto was back - as his household's babysitter.
Itachi didn't know what to make of this.
The Uchiha quietly walked over to the couch. He brought a hand forward, about to place it on Naruto's shoulder, when, faster than lightning, the woman's eyes shot open and she grabbed his outstretched hand in a painful grip. Her bright cerulean eyes were flaming with fury. She stood up silently but her firm grip on Itachi's hand did not lessen.
"Welcome home, you fucking bastard," Naruto hissed. "Let me tell you now, you have a lot of shit to explain." She threw Itachi's hand aside and walked briskly to the door, blue and red chakra bursting from her body in random spurts. There was no denying that the blonde was livid. "Let's have a talk, shall we? Outside, where the children can't hear me blasting your sorry ass halfway to the moon."
Itachi took one last look at Kaira, who had not awakened from her slumber, and nodded at Naruto. "If you insist."
"Yes I fucking insist," came the pissed retort.
And so Itachi followed an irate Naruto out the door.
XXX
Ok so I'm finally done with this story! Yay!
Kunoichi = female shinobi
Itadakimasu = lets eat!
Shinobi = ninjaaaaa
I wonder what Naruto and Itachi are going to talk about :3 I think I'll add a twist to it hehe
And yes. Sasuke will show up someday. LOL It is SasuNaru fanfic
So it's break, which means I have more time to write. But my motivation comes and goes LOL so please keep up with the reviews! Your reviews are seriously a wonderful motivator
Thanks to you who have all already reviewed! Thanks a lot :] Please keep it up!