So, the long waited chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.
Heritage Arc.
Eternal Spiral.
Chapter 7: Starlight's Part II.
"Sasuke! Stop this, what can he offer you that Konoha can't!" Naruto yelled as she pulled herself onto a standing positions on the water.
Sasuke stared down at her from his place onto one of the stone statues, the one of Uchiha Madara it looked like.
His eyes were blank of any emotion, at least any emotions that were even slightly positive. They were so dark and cold, like two black voids she found herself afraid of her best friend for the first time in her life.
Not even after the massacre had she seen him like this.
"Power."
Naruto gasped, her eyes widening and her iris and pupil almost appearing to get extremely small in her shock.
'Neji was right after all, he really is lost...in his own darkness.' she thought as she lowered her head and clinched her fist.
"Power?" she scoffed. "What about me, about Team Seven!?"
Looking up at Sasuke she yelled, the pain and anger obvious in her voice.
"What am I to you now, we're comrades... you're my best friend! Have you forgotten that, Sasuke, or do you simply not care!?"
Sasuke closed his eyes, a part of him grimacing at the pain and anger in the blondes voice.
"No," he began, his voice low but she could easily hear it. "For years I wanted to push you away, but despite that you have always remained my best friend."
Opening his eyes Naruto was only slightly surprised to see the blood colored orbs of his Sharingan glaring back at her.
"Because of that, you have and will always remain the closest to my heart."
Naruto shivered, in a both frightened and pleasant way. Suddenly her heart hurt even worse. He'd never come out and told her she was his best friend before.
"I don't understand... why are we fighting? I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU, SASUKE!"
Sasuke laughed bitterly.
"It's too late. I told you, you're my best friend, it's because of this... I must kill you."
'WHAT!' Naruto thought, her eyes getting even wider and her knees threatening to collapse out from under her.
Naruto gritted her teeth and glared, a new confidence flowing through her. She'd bring him home, even if she had to break every bone in both their bodies!
Mizu no Kuni; January 27th:
Sasuke wondered Mizu no Kuni (Water Country), the last place he knew his lover to have been. That had been months ago, though, and he didn't have a lot of time to spare.
He may not have been caged in the sound village but if he left for too long Orochimaru got paranoid and to put it bluntly – bitchy. The last thing he needed was the snake-bastard sending someone after him, only to discover him with Naruto.
He wasn't sure what the snake sannin thought he felt for the blonde, but he was pretty sure it was the opposite of his true feelings. They had acted more like rivals than best friends or more in this case. Though, truth be told he wasn't sure what exactly they were, besides lovers.
Were they together, in a way he knew his fangirls would have been crushed about. Or were they just a bit of fun – the last part didn't sound right at all. For some reason he knew it wasn't meaningless sex or conversation for him and Naruto.
It was more. It wouldn't be the first time he thought of what they could be in the future, many times in the past few years he'd thought one day finding a girl, marrying, and reviving his clan. In all those thoughts, Naruto was always the first and only to come his mind.
He wasn't sure that was even possible anymore. He was a traitor to not only his team, but to Konoha. The punishment could be anything, unless by some miracle most likely execution. Second chances were rarely given in the Shinobi world.
He digressed though. He had come to Mizu no Kuni knowing she would have most likely already left. It had been months since they'd last met after all. He knew her well enough to know she didn't stay in one area for longer than two weeks. He could admit to only himself, but he was beginning to go crazy without their hidden meetings.
"A young blonde girl, you say," one of the locals in the village, a fisher from the looks of it, said. "I do recall seeing such a person. Real young, with a older man with long white hair – a ninja from the looks of it. They rented a boat, said something about heading towards Nami no Kuni after stopping at the girls ancestral homelands."
"Ancestral lands," he muttered, thinking of what the man could mean.
The old fisher seemed to take it for a question and nodded.
"Yes," he said. "If I had to guess, I'd say they were heading for old Uzu no Kuni." The old man nodded again. "The girl reminded me of a noble, and the island itself, If I recall was owned by a family called Uzumaki, which is the name given on the forms to rent the boat. Hmm, what did you say her name was again, boy?"
Sasuke twitched at the mans words, but wasn't too surprised, more annoyed at the interruption of his own thoughts.
He knew little about Naruto's family, her being an orphan. But she had told him during their trip to Snow about what knew of her family.
She'd told him mostly of her mother, whose clan name she'd taken. How her mother had come from a allied land to Konoha, on the First Hokage's wife's request as a child.
Later, during the war Uzu no Kuni was attacked the lands, and shinobi village, Uzushiogakure, leveled in a huge battle between them, Kiri and Kumo.
"Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto," he answered, seeing no real reason not too.
"Strange name for a girl," the man said, shrugging. "Anyways, if you want I can get you a boat. It'll cost ya to rent of course."
Sasuke sighed.
"Fine, how much old man?"
It didn't matter to him, it was Sounds money anyway.
Nami no Kuni; December 31th:
Uchiha Madara was amused.
Now, that wasn't exactly a good thing, commonly. This time was no different. The reason for his amusement was just as grim – at least in the fact he now knew something very few would realize for three or four years.
He had decided to locate the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki after a rumor floated around the older people of Mizu no Kuni about a girl with the name of Uzumaki.
Water Country was one of the few that remembered the one prosperous lands of the Uzumaki clan.
Even though Uzu no Kuni had been destroyed by Kiri and Kumo, many still recalled them, seeing as Uzushio had been gaining many jobs all over the nations.
One of the reasons they had been destroyed. He might have also helped push Kiri and Kumo in that direction with some subtle manipulation.
Petty revenge against Mito for sealing his pet away inside herself. Of course, he wouldn't admit that, what was the point?
There were actually civilian survivors from Uzu no Kuni that still lived around the nations, some in Water Country as it was close. Others in Nami no Kuni – though very few, if any that still recalled.
He knew a few of the more prominent clans, what other nations might reefer to as their royal clans for lack of better terms having survived.
The Uzumaki had been slaughtered to a few members. He knew of one maybe two other with blood-ties to the Uzumaki besides Uzumaki Naruto.
The Himura Clan, with a bloodline that had interested even him. The Shadow Walk (Shadouu~ōku).
The ability were similar to the Nara Clans hiden techniques over shadows, but very different seeing as it was a bloodline and allowed than complete control of shadows in anyway they wished.
It was a shame they had been massacred that day, none had survived.
The Namiki clan on the other hand had no bloodline, but was one of their treasured clans for their Kenjutsu which surpassed all others and weapons smiths.
As far as he knew only a few remained, one had a child and ended up in Konoha from what he knew.
The family name was no longer Namiki, as the daughter had changed the surname to make sure no one came after her and her son.
A son who later married a kunoichi from Konoha, and had his own daughter. Higurashi Tenten he thought her name might be.
The Namiki clan had never truly been his biggest concern, though there was a saying about knowledge being power.
The Honda clan was a bit more interesting. One of Uzushio's bloodline clans. The Honda had the ability of Shōton (Crystal Release). There were a few survivors, one he knew being a girl named Guren in Otogakure.
The Yuki clan he remembered was now no longer in existence as only one girl had survived the destruction of Uzushio. She fled to Water Country, married and had a son, Haku.
The son was now dead, as was their bloodline of Hyōton (Ice Release).
The Shirai clan was the last of the major clans of Uzushio, and had the bloodline of Shakuton – and interesting bloodline for Uzu no Kuni were the elements were rarely fire and more commonly lightning, water and wind.
From what he knew the Shirai clan had ended with a girl named Pakura from Suna. There had been a few others who survived but none alive as far as anyone knew.
He supposed he digressed though.
The Uzumaki girl was what mattered at the moment. When he'd found her in Nami no Kuni he hadn't expected to find her heavily pregnant.
From what he gathered by listening and watching the father was his wayward descendant, Uchiha Sasuke.
He had been sorely tempted to laugh at that, but than again. The Uzumaki woman had always attracted the Uchiha's attention, none had ever married or had children together though.
He would admit the very fact that the blood of a Uchiha and Uzumaki were mixing now intrigued him. The Uzumaki were known for their large chakra that was often times unique to them in ways – like Kushina's chakra chains – their vitality, and ability to live far longer than normal shinobi or humans in general.
A few hundred years in fact. Though, most were cut down in battle, and it took a lot more to kill an Uzumaki than one liked to admit.
Mixed with the Uchiha bloodline, it was bound to be interesting.
He knew this would be the perfect opportunity to capture the Kyuubi, but there was plenty of time for that. He was interested in seeing how his descendant and Mito's great-great niece would play out.
Looking up at the night sky, Madara snorted as he saw the moon high in the sky, a Blue Moon.
"How Ironic," he muttered.
Thinking of how the blue moon was appropriate for such a night, he looked towards the house the Jinchuuriki was staying at with some bridge builders family as yells began and he felt the pressure of Kyuubi's chakra begin to struggle for freedom.
"Huh, December 31st..." he muttered, and stood, deciding there was no point staying to watch the birth. "An interesting birthday, impatience must be something they inherited from the Uzumaki."
Even if the Uchiha were rather impatient themselves, Madara would never admit to that. Within seconds of his muttered words, Uchiha Madara was gone.
Naruto screamed as she sat in her bed, Tsunami, and Jiraiya around her. A doctor having been called, but at 3 AM, it would take a little while for them to arrive.
Thankfully, Tsunami was trained to help her deliver the twins, while Jiraiya was currently holding his hand over her seal and keeping it intact.
It seemed not to be a violent as her mother's had been, being a stronger seal, but it still made the contractions and labor pains in general a lot worse.
One of the plus sides was that she dilated a little faster, and wasn't in labor for very long. Though she'd been having contractions for hours without really realizing it.
She had thought she'd ate something that hadn't agreed with her, until her water broke fifteen minutes ago.
"Dammit, I'm going to kill Sasuke!" she yelled, clinching her hands into fist beside her. "Feels like someone is trying to shove a Chidori through me."
Jiraiya grimaced.
"Okay, there is something completely wrong about what you just said, Naru-chan," he said, and blanched as he looked towards Tsunami who was between Naruto's legs as the said blonde pushed.
Blinking back tears at the sight of a little black haired head peaking out he nearly pulled his hand from the seal and knelt over to puke. That was going to scar him for life.
"Ero-sennin!" Naruto growled, punching him rather hard in the side of the head. "Pay attention to the seal – ahhg!"
His ears rang at the sound of her scream, and Tsunami smiled.
"The heads almost out, Naru-chan," Tsunami said in a encouraging way.
Naruto smiled but then groaned.
"Wonderful, but then there is another one to get out...god I'm gonna castrate Sasuke," She grumbled, once again baring down to push. "Ahhg... this kid had to inherit his big head."
Jiraiya winced as red chakra burned against his hand and he glared slightly.
"No, bad Kyuubi, stay put dammit!" he snarled, and the chakra reseeded as he forced the seal to stay as secure as it normally was.
Another ten minutes passed and Naruto laid back against the headboard of her bed, breathing heavily, her stomach flatter than before. The doctor, having arrived just as the first baby – a boy – had been born was cleaning the twins up with Tsunami.
"You did good, brat," Jiraiya said from where he sat beside her bed in a chair.
Naruto smiled and the doctor and Tsunami walked over with two bundles.
Both were wrapped in dark blue blanket. Both had the Uchiha fan on the back and the orange-red spiral of the Uzumaki in a smaller size on the left corner.
They were handmade, but mostly by Tsunami. Naruto was a Shinobi, knitting wasn't something she could actually do. But Tsunami had taught her a little and she'd helped knit the symbols into the cloth.
One blanket was lined in white, the other in dark pink. This was to make it easier to tell them apart.
As the twins were placed in her arm, Naruto grinned and chuckled.
"Congratulations, Naru... it's a boy and girl," Tsunami said, smiling happily.
Looking at them it was easy to see whose children they were.
They had what looked like a typical Uchiha features, but they were also slightly rounder, not quite as sharp as Sasuke – well, at least the little girls was.
The little boy looked like he would be the spitting image of his father, with the same dark hair even if it was spikier.
Almost resembling a mix of Naruto's father and Sasuke's though only time would tell seeing as he had little hair being a newborn.
Both babies had the Uchiha pale skin.
Both babies also had the same whisker marks as her, which was surprising but not exactly unexpected. Most babies born to a Jinchuuriki gained marks from the bijū.
Many thought hers were from having the Kyuubi, but she had been born with them since her mother had been a Jinchuuriki before her.
She also knew it wasn't always something that would happen. It was a forty percent chance that all children she had would be born with them, despite being a Jinchuuriki.
She was pretty sure Mito Uzumaki had been a Jinchuuriki when her son was born, yet he hadn't had the marks while her daughter had.
According to history, the daughter, Senju Narumi, had been killed during a mission when she was eighteen and never had any children. In a way, she'd been named to honor her second cousin (or maybe it was third, she wasn't exactly sure).
The little girl had softer features, but it was still obvious whose child she was from her Uchiha features. Being twins the two obviously looked alike, besides gender of course.
The girls hair, had a bit of blue tent to it, surprisingly that she figured was either her blonde (red highlighted) hair mixing with Sasuke's black (though very unlikely as yellow, red and black shouldn't make blue), someone from her father's side of the family,or from the Uchiha side.
Sasuke's hair did at times take a bluish tent.
Both yawned and opened their eyes, which were almost surprising. The boy had the same eyes as Sasuke, a deep onyx she'd always loved. The girl had blue eyes, but they were slightly different from hers, not quite the same shade of Cerulean as her own. But they were still a stark contrast with her pale skin and dark hair.
"Figures they'd take more after their father," she said, smiling.
"They're beautiful," Tsunami said.
"They are," Naruto agreed, a single tear falling from her own joy. "Hello babies."
Jiraiya chuckled.
"Her eyes," he said. "They remind me of your mothers, but lighter. Quite a bit lighter, actually but still in that same shade of violet-blue."
"Onee-chan," Inari said, coming in with Tazuna after having been given permission from the doctor. "What are they!?"
Naruto laughed as the boy jumped onto the rather large bed beside her only to stare open mouthed at the two small babies. They were not unhealthy, despite being a few weeks early, but she wasn't too surprised.
Uchiha's were either on time, or fashionably early.
"It's a boy and girl," she replied. "The one with the dark eyes is a boy, the one with the blue is a girl. The boy is older and the girl is younger by three minutes."
Inari smiled.
"What are their names?" Tazuna asked, taking a drink of saké even though Tsunami was looking at him in a scolding manner for drinking around the babies.
"It took me a while to decide, but I did," she began, "The boy is Uchiha Kiyoshi, and the girl is Uchiha Nariko."
Jiraiya smiled in amusement.
"Quiet and Thunder," he said, chuckling. "I think you may come to regret such names if their personality is anything like their names."
Naruto rolled her eyes.
"Probably, but that's their names," she said, and the two babies looked back up at their mother with what seemed to be contentment.