A/N: I had some requests to write a follow-up to An Important Mission, where Naruto is taking care of Boruto and Himawari without Hinata. This is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy!

#5. Fabled

It had been a few days since Hinata had left for her mission, and in that time, Naruto had been pleasantly surprised by how well he had managed alone.

He'd been nervous at first, concerned that he wouldn't be able to take care of the kids as well without her.

It wasn't something he would care to admit to out loud, but he'd always harboured doubts about his capability as a father. He'd grown up without the love of his own parents and, at a young age, had been largely isolated from other children. It didn't leave him with much of a base to draw from.

Hinata had always been integral to him. She was patient and level-headed, a perfect foil to his more excitable personality. She was kind and nurturing, protective of those who weak or dependant; traits that had always left no doubt in Naruto's mind that she would one day make a good mother. The fact that she already had a lot of experience helping look after Kurenai-sensei's daughter didn't hurt either.

Still, Hinata always took the time to reassure him how well he did raising Boruto and Himawari, as if reading through him and seeing the uncertainties he held.

They had both struggled throughout their lives and thrived under the opportunity to grow. This new experience was a challenge they faced together, and sharing the burden made it seem a little bit less daunting. Without her, however, his doubts began to manifest once more.

Though, Naruto didn't want to worry Hinata while was away, or make her feel guilty for taking on a mission. She had spent several months away from active duty while carrying and eventually raising Boruto and Himawari. Naruto knew that if he gave any indication that he was uncertain about looking after the kids alone, Hinata would offer to drop the mission and stay with him. It was just in her nature, she always seemed to put others before herself. Naruto did not want to deprive her, though. That would be selfish. She needed to think of herself for a change.

Naruto also knew that they wouldn't be able to depend on each other forever. There would likely be points in the future where Hinata would have to leave home; be it on a mission, or to tend to some of her duties with the Hyuuga clan, and vice versa. Taking care of the children alone was something they would both have to get used to.

It was strange. Though her absence so far had only been brief, it was palpable to Naruto. It was cold when he woke up in his bed alone, he found himself missing how her soft voice would greet him with a whisper or the way she would gently hum as she got ready in the morning. They had been separated from one another before, as was their nature of a shinobi's life. However, it had never really registered to him this significantly before. They hadn't been apart for this long since they had first acknowledged their feelings for one another.

It was surprising how quickly she become so irreplaceable in his heart.

Thankfully, Naruto had managed to find comfort and reassurance in falling back into the same, familiar routine; the he one he and Hinata had been following together for years. Waking (or sometimes, being woken by) Boruto and Himawari in the morning, having breakfast together, walking to the Academy, spending time in the garden or running through exercises with them. Following the simple steps he had come to memorise over the years helped ease him slowly into what seemed like a daunting tasks.

For someone known for being spontaneous and impulsive, it was refreshing to gain composure from a sense of control and order in life.

The kids had also done their best to help him out; the fact that Hinata had had a word with them before leaving probably helped. Not one to disobey the wishes of his mother, Boruto especially was on his best behaviour; his occasional bouts of talking back and running amok reducing drastically.

"Alright, arms up Hima." Naruto instructed, as he helped his freshly-bathed daughter change into her pyjamas.

"Yes, papa." Himawari replied cheerfully, raising her arms and allowing him to pull the shirt over her head.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth, Boruto." Naruto called over his shoulder, as he tended to Himawari. Even without looking, he could tell that his son had been more pre-occupied with pulling faces in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. Boruto stopped, however, when his father admonished him.

"I know, I know, 'ttebassa." He grumbled, reaching for his toothbrush.

"There we go, all done." Naruto said, inspecting Himawari with a satisfied smile, smoothing the fabric of the yellow pyjama top over her chest.

He stood back to his feet, stretching out the stiff muscles in his back and shoulders with a sigh, before glancing down at Boruto and Himawari.

"Alright. Well, looks you kids are ready for bed now."

"Papa, papa," Himawari bounded on the balls of her feet. "Can you tell us a bedtime story first?"

Before Naruto could answer her, he was interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. Glancing down in surprise, it took him a moment to realise that someone was calling. Naruto rolled his eyes, this new technology was taking him some time to get used to.

"Hang on a second, Himawari." Naruto said, fishing the device out of his pocket. He raised it to his ear, his eyes remaining trained carefully on the two children in front of him, not wanting to let them out of his sight.

"Hello?" Naruto answered.

"Naruto-kun?" A soft, sweetly familiar voice spoke from the other line. Naruto's eyes widened, the breath catching in his throat.

"Hinata?!" He exclaimed in surprise. Boruto and Himawari perked up, the familiar name drawing their attention.

"Sorry, I mean-" Naruto continued, careful to lower his voice. "What are you doing calling...? Not that it isn't good to hear from you, but... Aren't you in the middle of your mission?"

"Actually, we were just finishing up. Shino-kun, Kiba-kun and I are going to stay for the night and leave in the morning... I wanted to check up on how you were doing."

"Oh, okay. So... Everything was alright?"

"It's been fine, Naruto-kun." Hinata reassured him. "It's been awhile, so I was a little bit rusty at first, but it was a simple mission. We were just shadowing a noble who had received threats of assassination. Thankfully, they just turned out to be a scare."

"Oh, good." Naruto sighed in relief. He had nothing but faith in Hinata's skill as a ninja, but there was a small part of him that had feared for the worst, worrying that something may have gone wrong. After all, certain missions could bring factors that were beyond your skill and control. It was reassuring to hear that everything had gone smoothly.

"How's everything been back at home?"

"Is that mama?! Can we talk with her?" Boruto and Himawari tugged excitedly at Naruto's sleeve.

"Well the kids are here with me." Naruto grinned, knowing that the receiver would have likely picked up the sound of their voices.

"Shouldn't they be in bed by now?" Hinata scolded light-heartedly. He could tell that she was smiling, from the distinct warmth that entered her voice.

"We were just getting ready to." Naruto answered sheepishly. "But, now that you've called, I don't think they'll settle down so easily. I'm sure they'd enjoy it if they could say goodnight to you, though."

"I would like that."

"Alright then. Let's just see if I remember how to do this."

Naruto glanced down at his phone, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to remember Shikamaru's instructions on how activate the phone's video call function. After fumbling with the device for a moment and, thankfully, not disconnecting the call, Naruto set his phone down on the counter top, Boruto and Himawari watching in fascination before the image of Hinata flickered on screen.

"Mama!" They exclaimed excitedly, pulling their faces closer towards the screen.

There was a swell of happiness in Naruto's heart as his eyes rested on Hinata. Even though there was some fatigue lingering in her eyes, the result of a long, tiresome mission, a light shone through them when she saw Boruto and Himawari. There was no greater beauty than the genuine love she exuded for her children, reflected in her expression. It was in the way her eyes softened, and her lips curled warmly into a subtle, but bright smile.

"Hello Boruto, Himawari." She waved. "It's good to see you."

"We miss you, mama! How much longer until you're home?"'

"I miss you too, sweetie. But, it won't be much longer now... I hope you've both been good for your father."

"We have, we have!" The children cried in unison, before Naruto could even answer.

"Tell us about your mission, kaa-chan!" Boruto exclaimed, pounding his fist against his open palm. "Did you beat up lots of bad guys?"

"Are Uncle Shino and Uncle Kiba with you too?" Himawari asked. "Did Uncle Kiba bring Akamaru?!"

"Now kids," Naruto interjected. "I know you're excited to talk to mama, but remember; it's still bed time. You can't stay up too late."

"But we only just got to see her-," Himawari protested softly, her lip setting into a pout.

"I know, Hima." Naruto said, crouching down to her height. "Tell you what, what if mama stays until you both fall asleep, just like she always used to? Would that make you happy?"

Himawari's lips set in a thin line, her eyebrows furrowing, as she considered what Naruto had offered. She glanced up at him after a moment.

"Can we still have a bedtime story, papa?"

"Of course you can." Naruto answered before he looked to Hinata with a knowing look in his eyes. Hinata glanced back at him, her nose wrinkling in confusion.

"In fact, I think I know one that you might enjoy. It's a story about a princess…. and a handsome ninja."

Once Naruto had led the kids into their bedroom, making sure that they were settled, he began to animatedly tell the familiar story, gesticulating wildly with his hands. Hinata couldn't help but laugh softly to herself while Himawari watched her father with rapt fascination, her hands clasped together and completely engrossed in the story. Boruto, who claimed that he was too old for stories, sat with his arms folded. His bored expression only broken by an occasional scoff or rolling of his eyes at Naruto's overly dramatic gestures.

Naruto smiled knowingly as he recounting the kidnapping of the princess' young sister, knowing that Boruto's sharp intake of breath and sudden shifting of his head meant he had finally caught his attention. The subject matter was something of a sensitive issue to Boruto, as he had always been protective of his own younger sister. As the action continued to build and the story reached its crescendo, Boruto couldn't help but listen intently.

"Despite how strong and badass the handsome ninja was, his power alone wasn't enough." Naruto recounted, his voice suddenly more hushed and measured. "He couldn't defeat the evil Toneri alone. He needed the Princess's help. For, it was only with her special magic that they could damage the giant orb, the one that was causing the moon to fall towards the Earth."

"They joined hands, and with their combined efforts they were able to destroy the orb, saving the planet from destruction. With Toneri defeated and the princess' sister safe, the ninja and the princess were able to return home knowing that their world was free from harm."

"As they left the moon, the princess was finally able to return to the ninja's feelings, the ones that she had had to ignore in order to save her sister's life. They shared their first kiss together, beneath the full moon. The ninja to grow with her and for them to spend the rest of their lives together, happily ever after."

"Wow," Himawari sighed in relief. She reached up stifle a yawn with the back of her hand. "That was an amazing story, papa. I was worried the princess may have been trapped on the moon forever." She looked towards her brother with a smile. "What do you think, oni-chan?"

"I- It was alright, I guess." Boruto answered, averting his eyes with a blush.

"Alright then, guys." Naruto said, clasping his hands together. "You know the deal. Lights out, time to go to sleep now."

Having already being coaxed into their warm, comfortable beds, both Boruto and Himawari had grown tired over the course of Naruto's story. Despite their disappointment, they didn't have the energy to protest. Naruto took the phone in his hand as he moved towards their beds, allowing the kids and Hinata the chance to say goodnight to one another.

He pulled the covers up to Himawari's neck, before leaning down and gently placing a kiss on forehead.

"Goodnight Hima."

"Goodnight mama, goodnight papa."

"Goodnight Himawari," Hinata said, blowing a kiss to her daughter. "Sweet dreams."

As Himawari's eyes fluttered closed and her breathing fell in a relaxed, lulling pattern, Naruto moved over towards his son's bed.

"Goodnight Boruto," he spoke softly, smoothing and kissing him there.

"Goodnight kaa-chan, tou-chan." Boruto mumbled drowsily.

"Goodnight sweetie." Hinata said. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"O-okay," Boruto answered through a yawn as he turned over, the familiar, soothing tone of his mother's voice lulling him into sleep.

Naruto's footsteps were light as he moved towards the bedroom door, silence carrying throughout the room. His gaze travelled over the children one last time before he left, taking a moment to enjoy the sight of their perfectly relaxed, still forms dozing contentedly. Carefully not to disturb them, Naruto gently closed the door behind him.

"So, what do you think?" Naruto said, glancing down at his phone and looking to Hinata with a wink.

"You certainly haven't lost your tendency to embellish things, oh handsome ninja." Hinata teased.

"Very funny," Naruto drawled, their gaze breaking as he pouted. His eyes rested on the children's bedroom door as he turned, his lips lifting into a soft, wistful smile.

He knew how precious the tale was to Hinata, to the both of them.

On that night; once they had managed to stop Toneri from destroying the world; she could remember how Naruto had held her in his arms, promising to spend the rest of his life with her. At the time, there had been a part of Hinata that almost couldn't believe it was real. As though she was dreaming, or living out some kind of fairy tale, not unlike the ones they had told Boruto and Himawari before.

It was the story of how her love, the feelings she had kept hidden inside for so long, had finally reached Naruto. How the sacrifice she had made to save her sister and defend the world had not been in vain. How despite having to turn away from Naruto initially, his devotion and trust in her had never wavered.

Now it was something that they had shared with their children, Boruto and Himawari. The product of the love that had blossomed between them on that night. The living proof of their promise, their vow that they would stay together forever.