I am back! I know I said I would upload next week but I just couldn't stop writing! I know that I'm not the strongest of writers, my English is garbage, but eh, this is my way to improve! Anyways, I just cannot stop writing for this story. Every time I finish a chapter I feel like I can relax but I am restless after a few hours and I gotta write! So here it is, another chapter. This one will start becoming spicier I suppose.
Also, I love to engage with you all! Again, to the person who thinks Ai was toxic as well, I disagree but I can see why you would have that opinion. But in my opinion, Ai wasn't toxic. She wanted to so desperately be loved that she latched onto the first person who she assumed loved her, but we all known after reading the manga, if any of you have read it that far, that she in-fact did not love the Aqua's and Ruby's father. It's even implied she tried by lying to herself that she did, but she never could. Again, I'm not saying that Ai is totally innocent, but her childhood and the environment she was raised in didn't exactly teach her much.
And while yes, I see your point that at the very end she realized that she did in-fact love her children, I believe that she always did love them, she was, as she said terrified that it would be a lie of hers. I have dealt with that aspect differently, you'll see in this chapter.
Anyways, please be civil with each other when discussing with each other in the reviews. Have a good read!
It has been a few weeks ever since that fateful day that Naruto saved Ai and much to Ai's and her inner circles surprise, the news about her stalker and her almost stabbing never appeared in any media outlet. Ichigo had been fully ready to do damage control, but nothing ever come about. It was as if the whole incident just never happened.
"I have a sneaking suspicion that Naruto-san might have something to do with that." Ichigo thought as he watched Ai conduct another performance with arms crossed. While it was true that Naruto wouldn't do anything to harm Ai and her children in anyway, the man was still a mystery. His background and history were clean, almost too clean. To anyone else they would just dismiss it as just any other person's story out of the billions untold, but Ichigo wasn't just anyone. He had a task, and that was to protect his talent and someone he saw as a daughter. So, to him the whole thing just felt…wrong. Still, he let it go for now.
"At least he was willing to babysit." He thought with a chuckle. Miyako finally got the much-needed reprieve from the constant babysitting of the twins and could now get more involved within the business. He was sure that his wife wanted to be like him, a manager with vast connections.
With Naruto:
"Why did I agree to this…" Naruto said flatly to himself as he looked at the two twins, who stared back at him. He didn't know the first thing about babysitting.
"Although, I guess it's kind of like those bodyguard missions." Naruto muttered to himself. This caught Aqua's attention.
"Bodyguard missions? Oi oi, just what the hell is your job?!" Aqua thought as his mind was working overtime to decipher the enigma that was Naruto Uzumaki. Ruby on the other hand was very much fascinated by him.
"Um, Naruto-san, how did you get whiskers on your cheeks?" Ruby questioned as she poked at his cheeks, causing Naruto to sweat-drop at that. Great, how was he going to explain this?
"Well, um, I'm not sure. I was just born them. And they are birthmarks, not actual whiskers." Naruto answered. He couldn't just tell them that he had a massive construct of Chakra that was Kurama sealed inside his guts. No, that would either scare them or make him come off as a delusional man.
"Wow, but they are so cute!" Ruby said excitedly as she rubbed his cheeks. Naruto for his part was taken aback. No one had ever called his whisker's cute, if anything they reminded people of the Kyuubi, and thus only brought about more hatred then anything.
"Don't you think so too, onii-chan?" She questioned her brother who blinked a bit, being drawn out of his thoughts by his sister. Now that he thought about it, how did Naruto get those whiskers? He might not have been a doctor for long in his past life, but never had seen such distinct birthmarks.
"I guess…" Was Aqua's response. Ruby pouted at her brothers subdued response while Naruto looked on in amusement. Though internally he was slightly jealous. Growing up he had always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, but that was never meant to be. Truthfully, he never knew the love of a parent growing up. Sure, he had met them, but that didn't negate the years of loneliness.
"Um, Naruto-san, if you don't mind me asking, how did you lose your arm?" Aqua's question broke him out of his thoughts as he looked the said child. If there was one thing Naruto could deduce from the twins, it was that Aqua was smart, very smart for his age.
"Onii-chan! That's rude!" Ruby chastised her brother. As someone who in her past life was condemned to be bed ridden and disabled, she could understand why Naruto would want to keep such a thing secret.
"How did I lose it? Hmmm. Well, I guess you could say it was cause of my own foolishness." Naruto responded with a hollow chuckle. If only he wasn't so weak and did what needed to be done. An uncomfortable silence descended into the room as Naruto was lost in his deep thoughts, his greatest failures. Ruby could only look at his eyes that showed nothing but pain and sadness. She quickly thought of a way to cheer him up.
"Ah! Mama's performance should be beginning soon!" Ruby shouted cheerfully as she ran over to the TV and turned it on and quickly changed to channel with Ai's performance and sure enough Ai was indeed performing.
"I guess she's preparing for the Dome." Aqua said as he too was engrossed with the live performance, same as Ruby. Naruto for his part watched the broadcast with curiosity. He wasn't too big into Idols and thus didn't really know much about it or Idols in general and what they did.
"Don't you think that mama is pretty, Naruto-san?!" Ruby questioned him causing Aqua to raise an eyebrow. What was she up to?
"Well, I'd be lying if I said she wasn't, although she should smile more." Naruto answered as Ruby looked at him strangely.
"What do you mean? Mama is always smiling!" Ruby proclaimed as Naruto kept looking at the performance. While it was true that it looked like she was smiling, but it was all an act, at least to him.
"Well, you are right about that…" Naruto said as he simply sat back and watched. They were just kids, and he wouldn't want to talk badly about their mother. He could tell just how much they adored their mother, especially Ruby. Ai truly was an Idol to Ruby from what he could gather. And he could also tell that even Aqua, who tried to hide it, looked up to Ai.
"Where is that true smile of yours I saw?" Naruto thought as he remembered the very first time he had seen her smile. It was a genuine smile, not at all like what he was seeing now. He sighed as he shook his head. Questions for another time.
A couple of hours later:
"But I don't wanna go to sleep! I want to wait till mama comes home!" Ruby cried causing Naruto to sweat drop.
"Listen, your mother won't be back home until later and it's already late as is. You two have school tomorrow and it's your bedtime." Naruto said sternly as Ruby whined about how unfair it was. Aqua merely sighed.
"We never had someone else other than our mother or Miyako-san put us to sleep and most of the time we would have our way with staying up late, but…" Aqua said as he looked at Naruto. The man was stern but fair and the air of authority he had around him was unreal, it was actually quite unnerving at times.
"Ruby, how about this, I'll tell you a cool bed time story." Naruto bargained and just like that she instantly stopped and looked at him with stars in her eyes.
"Really?!" She asked to which Naruto nodded. She might be smart, but she was still a child at the end of the day.
"Promise." Naruto promised to which Ruby was overjoyed as she headed off to bed. Aqua's interest was also peeked as he wanted to hear this story. Naruto sighed as he followed after the two as the two siblings made themselves comfortable, eagerly waiting for the story. Naruto hummed as he thought about a good story.
"Let's see…" Naruto thought as he closed his eyes and thought long and hard about the story he would tell them.
"Oh, come on!" Ruby waited impatiently. Naruto took a deep breath before nodding to himself.
"Alright then. A long time ago in a village hidden in the leaf, lived a boy." Naruto started as he recounted the story of his youth.
"The boy grew up as an orphan and was neglected and hated by the village for a tragedy that occurred on the day of his birth. For much of his childhood he was ignored by the villagers. His life was always a constant struggle, but he pushed onwards." Naruto continued as he noticed the two were paying close attention.
"Eventually, the boy became a Shinobi, so that he may become the village's leader, so that they may longer ignore his existence." He remembered that dream of his. To become Hokage meant that the village acknowledge you as the strongest and the most powerful Shinobi. It was his way of getting attention.
"The boy went on many missions, protected countless people, did all that the village asked him for. Then one day his best friend betrayed the village and he was sent after to stop him. The two fought in a battle to the death and while the boy was strong, he still lost in the end, almost barely surviving the battle. After that –" Naruto stopped as he heard snoring. Looking down he cracked a smile, the two were already fast asleep. He quietly stood up and exited the room, making sure to shut off the lights and gently closed the door behind them.
"Thank you for looking after them, Naruto-san." Naruto was caught off guard by Ai, who was standing right outside the room leaning onto the wall.
"Oh, it wasn't a big deal. I don't have much to do anyways most days." Naruto responded as he turned to leave.
"Naruto-san… that story about the boy. It wasn't about you, was it?" Ai questioned him causing him to tense up. It seemed like she had indeed heard his story.
"Seems like I've been letting my guard down lately." Naruto thought to him. In a peaceful world like this, he didn't have to look over his shoulders for an assassin. He turned around to look at Ai with a black face.
"Maybe it was." Naruto responded as Ai looked back at him with that same smile he saw on TV. It honestly reminded him of how Sai used to be before he finally broke free from Danzo's control.
"Oh? Now why would you lie to children like that?" She questioned him as she walked towards him, look right into his eyes as he looked back into hers.
"Same reason why you would lie to everyone else." Naruto responded causing her to gasp slightly at that.
"W-What do you mean?" She questioned him as he looked back at her stoically.
"I can see it on your face. Your performance, how to interact with people, even your own family, is a lie, isn't it?" Naruto questioned her. He wasn't afraid to call it out as it was. A Shinobi was someone who naturally dealt in the world of lies and mysteries. Everyone, from his fellow friends to sensei had their secrets and lies that they wanted to keep to themselves. Heck, Naruto's life had been built on a big secret and a lie that the third Hokage always told him he had no knowledge of who is parents were, when in reality he damn well knew and never said a thing.
"Naruto-san, my whole life I have never been loved. I want to know what it feels like to love, to be loved. I feel as if I tell lie enough that they will eventually become reality. Can you understand that?" She questioned him softly as she let her façade down all for him to see.
"In a way, yes, I can understand that. I never had anyone while growing up, I had no parents, people, other than a handful, despised me. For a long time, I didn't know what love even meant. Heck, I still don't think I do. But, I lie to protect myself. But you lie to make your lies into reality. After all, I can see just how much effort you have put into them." Naruto responded as he too let her know his side of the story.
"I…I see. So then, what do you think of me now, Naruto-san? I guess you think I'm just a cheap selfish liar who wants to be loved and uses her career to do so." She said with a chuckle, but it was a painful one, and he could tell. Naruto looked at her before he turned his head to the twins' room.
"Tell me, Ai, you love your kids, right?" He questioned out of the blue causing her to widen her eyes at his question, a question she herself had asked once to herself before and it was a terrifying one.
"I-I…" She trailed off as Naruto turned to look at her.
"You were young when you had your kids, at a time when you might have lost it all just by having them. You keep them a secret to protect them, yourself, you career because you know that in this vicious world, people love to see others torn down. You endured all that for your kids. Tell me, what parent would go through all those lengths if they didn't love their children?" Naruto questioned her as he remembered how his parents sacrificed themselves to save him. At that moment he himself felt pitiful and disgusted by himself. His parents loved him unconditionally and he realized how selfish he was to ask for more.
"I-I'm terrified…" Ai responded catching Naruto off-guard with her response. Here, at this moment, he saw her for who she was. A lonely individual that was scared of herself.
"I'm terrified that if I told them that I love them, that it would be a lie and that thought terrifies me, to lie to them." She cried out as she let the hot tears roll down her cheeks. For so long she had kept it all bottled up, always hiding her true feelings, her thoughts from everyone, even those she considered family. All of the sudden she found herself in a hug by Naruto.
"Ai, I won't lie to you. I don't know what it is to feel love or to love for that matter. But let me ask you this, at that moment, when you were standing at your door and saw that knife about to be plunged into you, what did you think about? When your life flashed before your eyes?" He whispered to her as her eyes widened as she recalled that event and all she remembered seen was…
"My children…" She whispered in response as Naruto broke the hug and brought his hand at her shoulder and gave her a stern look.
"And that tells me just how much you love them, that in your potential finial moments it was them you were thinking about. Ai, your love for your children is as real as you. Do not doubt yourself when it comes to your feelings about your kids." Naruto proclaimed as she sniffled before she broke down crying.
"H-How can I-I be such a fool?" She cried as Naruto's features softened.
"You're not a fool. It's just that no one ever taught you." Naruto explained. He might not know what it to be loved growing up, but he knew damn well how much a parent can love their child and Ai was no exception.
"T-Thank you… Naruto-kun." Ai said between her sobs as Naruto smiled and stepped back.
"Get some sleep, Ai. You had a long day." Naruto advised her as he headed out back to his apartment. Ai for her part wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to her children's room and smiled as she slipped into their bed, curdling the two in her arms.
"I love you two…" She muttered as sleep finally overcame her. Today had truly been a long day.
The Next day:
Naruto yawned as he exited his apartment. Yesterday was rough day and he hoped that Ai would have felt better today. He stretched his arm out and after hearing a few satisfying pops he relaxed.
"Today doesn't seem so bad…" He said to himself as he allowed a smiled to grace his face, as he leaned over to watch the sunrise. For some reason he felt better after the whole ordeal last night.
"Oh, good morning Naruto-kun!" Naruto turned left to find Ai, but he could tell that something about her was different. For one her smile was more genuine, like the first time he had seen it.
"Morning Ai. Heading out for the day?" He questioned her. He knew that she usually had a very busy schedule, more so since she was preparing to perform at that Dome. Naruto didn't know much, but what he did know was that it was a very big deal for an Idol group as small as hers and from an agency as equally small to perform at the Dome.
"No, I have today off actually. Director Gotanda wants discuses more about Aqua actually." She answered as Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Director Gotanda? I thought only your manager, his wife, and I knew about Aqua's relationship with you?" Naruto questioned causing her to chuckle nervously.
"Well, Director Gotanda figured out who he was when I played a role in one of his movies. Aqua played a role in it too so he wants to discuss about Aqua becoming an actor." She explained as Naruto nodded at that. Clearly, she trusted this director to not be bothered by it.
"Still, be careful. You never know what kind of lunatics are out there." Naruto advised her as she nodded as she leaned over as well looking at the sunrise as well.
"Uhm, Naruto-kun, if I may ask you of something." She started as Naruto turned to her, wondering what it was.
"What is it?" He questioned her as she turned to him with that carefree smile of her.
"If something were to happen to me, will you protect my children?" She asked him leaving him stunned for a second. He opened his mouth to respond but closed it. It had been a long time since he had uttered those words. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before he exhaled and opened them back up as he looked at her, a grin on his face.
"I'll protect not just them, but you as well and that's a promise of a lifetime, believe it!" He proclaimed. That's right, his word was his bond. Just because a few past promises caused him pain didn't mean that was no longer the case.
"W-What?" Ai blushed at that. She had only asked him to look out for her kids, not this. Naruto simply chuckled as he brought his only hand up and ruffled her hair.
"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. After all, children need their parents more than a stranger. So, I won't let any harm come to you or them!" Naruto stated cheekily, failing to see the deep blush that had no overtaken Ai's face.
"Thank you…" She muttered out as she felt something…strange. Like as if someone had unleashed a bag of butterflies in her stomach. What was this feeling?
And that's a wrap! Phew, things sure are escalating quickly, aren't they? I know that people said that Naruto was quite out of his character, but know that Naruto is simply lost in this stage of his life. He doesn't know what to do and blames his current situation on his past actions and failures.
He is resentful against Sasuke and regretful for all the things he could have done differently, but underneath it all he's still the same Naruto. All he needs is someone to pull him out of it. Remember, he hasn't had many relations build in this new world, and he did so on purpose, but Ai and her children will help him.
With that out of the way, see you all next time!
Chapter edited: 6/9/2023.
