Well well well, I have returned! And again, I have returned sooner than I had expected myself! I got another nice chapter for you all to enjoy! And this will get even wilder as Naruto and Ai's relationship deepens!

I have yet to arrive at the time skip, yes there will be a time skip to get to the main storyline, but before that I will lay out the groundwork. Now I have a question for you all. Who do you think/want Aqua to be paired with? Hahaha, may the best girl win!

A Few Weeks later:

Another couple of weeks flew by in a blink of an eye and Ai's performance at the Dome was edging closer by the days. As a result of this she was tied up with a busier schedule, appearing in live performances, concerts, some talk shows and so on. The manager had gotten even busier on his side of things as Ai's popularity attracted more talent and attention to his company. Thankfully his wife was present to help him in managing the business. This was in large part thanks to Naruto who was willing to look after the twins.

"I don't really do anything other than meet with my publisher ever now and then. I got plenty of free time." Was his answer when they had asked him if it was ok. When Ichigo had found out that the infamous Jiraiya, the author of Icha-Icha, was actually Naruto Uzumaki, he had approached the young man with offers to have his books turned into a drama.

Ichigo had told him that he had many connections and knew many producers and directors that wanted to do so as well, but Naruto turned him down. He had been told the same thing by his publisher, but turned them down as well. Naruto's reasoning was that he liked to maintain his animosity for as long as he could. Ichigo respected his wishes and didn't pish any further, but told him that should he want to in the future his could always approach him.

"I wish you were here, old friend…" Naruto sighed as he looked up at the open gate, the same gate that once held back the mighty Kyuubi. The gate was wide open, an indication that the seal was open for good, but there was no Kurama. All remained now was a sphere of red Chakra. He didn't know what happened, but when he first went to his mindscape to talk to Kurama, he was no longer there. All that remained was his Chakra.

"Damn you Sasuke…" Naruto gritted his teeth. Another friend he lost because of Sasuke. He took in a deep breath and exhaled. Getting angry now wouldn't do him any good. His world was lost to him with no way back and Sasuke was dead. While Naruto wasn't a man of revenge, he would never forgive Sasuke.

"Naruto-kun." Naruto relaxed as he heard her voice. It wasn't all bad though. After all, if he wasn't sent to this world he would have never met Ai. There was just something about her that made him feel something he had never felt before…

"Argh…all this thinking is giving me a headache." Naruto mumbled out, frustrated at his new feelings. He sighed one more time as he looked at the sphere.

"See you later, Kurama." Naruto said as exited his mindscape. Opening his eyes, he found himself in Ai's apartment. It was starting to become a common occurrence for him to do so, with him baby sitting and all. Not that he minded. The twins were starting to grow on him. For now, the twins were asleep leaving him with some time to his own thoughts.

His feelings regarding Ai were…well…he wasn't sure. When he looked at her, he saw how strong she was. He was sure that she didn't realize it, but the fact that she pushed through all her hardships, for her children, for her dreams. It reminded him of how he used to be. Somehow, along the way, he had lost sight of it.

"I feel like idiot…" Naruto let out a chuckle as he looked down, thinking about his life, all the promises he had made. And then he remembered what his other had told him when he met her for the first and very last time.

"There are so many things I wish I had time to pass onto you, so much more I wanna tell you. I wish I could stay with you longer." Naruto recalled her words and for the first time, in a long time, Naruto allowed a tear to escape his eyes. It was true that he never knew his parents growing up, but he knew that they loved him. His mother's word struck him in his heart.

"I'm sorry, Kaa-san…" Naruto muttered, feeling like such a failure at the moment.

"Naruto-kun, are you crying?" Naruto was broken out of thoughts by Ai, who looked at him with concern. Naruto quickly wiped his tears as he shook his head.

"N-No. I just got something in my eye. When did you get here anyways?" Naruto questioned, trying to deflect her question.

"I just got here actually. Our practice routine ended early today." Ai answered with a smile. She had been more cheerful ever since Naruto had quelled her doubts about her love for her children. It was as if a heavy burden was lifted from her shoulders and now she sought every opportunity to spend time with her children's. She wished that one day she wouldn't have to hide them from the world.

"Well, that's good. I guess I'll be heading out now." Naruto said as he started to make his way to the door but before he could get any further his hand was grabbed by Ai, causing him to stop and look back at her.

"Uh, Naruto-kun. I was wondering if, um, if you would like to have dinner with me tomorrow." Ai asked him as her face turned crimson red from her blush. She had never felt like this with anyone before. When she was around Naruto she felt anxious, happy, and afraid for some reason. She felt as if she did something wrong he would vanish from her life and the thought of that made her afraid. She didn't know why she felt this way about him.

"You know, typically it would be the guy who asks the girl out." Naruto automatically before he realized what he said. If Ai's blush could get any redder, it just did.

"I-I mean. What I'm trying to say is." Naruto tried to explain himself, but couldn't come up with anything.

"I-It's a date then." Was Ai's response causing Naruto stop and stare at her in shock. Did she say a date?

"Uh, yeah, sure." Naruto responded before he internally facepalmed. That was his genius response?! Ai smiled brightly as she turned on her heels and walked off to her room, leaving Naruto standing there in shock before he came too as he began to blush. He brought his hand up and ruffled his hair.

"Great job Naruto, only other girl you have asked out for dates was Sakura and her response was a fist to your head." Naruto said to himself as he sighed. He didn't know the first thing about going on a date! Maybe he should consult with the Icha-Icha books. He quickly shook his head. Hell no. As Naruto left the apartment, he failed to realize that two other people had seen the interaction between him and Ai.

"Onii-chan, did you see that?! Mama is going out on a date!" Ruby shook her brother, who sweat dropped at her excitement.

"Yes, I saw Ruby. And no, it's just a dinner." Aqua countered as Ruby pouted.

"It's a date!" She insisted as Aqua hummed at that.

"What happened to 'there was no father'?" Aqua questioned her. A while back the two had questioned who their biological father was, but Ruby was of the opinion that there was no father to which Aqua shook his head. A virgin birth? Yeah right.

"Well that's different! Mama deserves to be with someone!" Ruby argued. Aqua sighed at that as he looked at her like she was an idiot.

"Baka. Ai is an Idol. You think Idols have such luxuries? If she did that she wouldn't have to keep us a secret." Aqua explained causing Ruby to pout at that.

"But that's not fair!" Ruby countered as Aqua nodded.

"It's not, but that's the life of an Idol. The only way for Ai to be with someone if she stops being an Idol, and even then, people will no doubt harass her for her choices. Not to mention the scandal it would be if it comes out that she had kids at 16 years of age." Aqua listed off. That was a time bomb that he knew would eventually have to explode. The question was if it would be by accident or if Ai would reveal it herself?

"Don't you want mama to be happy, onii-chan?" Ruby questioned her brother. It wasn't fair that their mother couldn't live her life normally, that they she had to hide their existence from the world.

"Of course, I do. But it's her choice. Besides, it's not like I think that Naruto-san is a bad match." Aqua answered truthfully. After the fact that Ai was almost killed, Aqua thought about how was it possible for that to happen to begin with? Who gave away her address? And for that matter how did that stalker know about them?

"Come to think of it, that was the same man from that night." Aqua thought as he recalled the night he was killed. How did he know where she was giving birth? Aqua had a lot of questions that needed answering.

"The manager and his wife are out of the question. No way would they put Ai in danger. It's their job to protect the talent. Naruto-san didn't even know Ai personally up until recently, and even then, he had never met her until the day they he saved her. The director is also out of the question. He figured out our relation to Ai during the movie shots." Aqua's mind was working overtime, going down the list of anyone that would want to harm Ai.

"That leaves only one person I can think of…our biological father." He thought. Ai never talked about their biological father, only that he was no longer in the picture or rather she broke things off. If Ai had contacted him for some reason, then it might be possible that their father might have wanted Ai dead. But why? Did Ai represent a threat to him? Did the fact that she had his children threaten his reputation? He didn't know. It would all depend on who their father was.

"I'll find him, and I'll make him pay." Aqua thought darkly. The man was potentially responsible for attempted murder of his mother and also in part responsible for his death in his past life.

"Earth to onii-chan, are you there?" Ruby tried to get his attention but he was simply too deep in his thoughts to notice. She sighed as she shook her head and headed off to find her mother. Whenever he did that it creeped her out.

The Next Day:

The whole day Ai was in a good moody, much to Ichigo's and Miyako's confusion. She had the day off for today and all day she was browsing through her collection of cloths. Typically, she would only do that if she had practice or an event coming up. But she had none today.

"Ai, why are you going through your clothes?" Miyako questioned her out of curiosity as Ai grinned with her eyes shining like a star.

"Well, I got a date with Naruto-kun, so I have to look good." Ai answered to which Miyako nodded.

"Uh, ok I guess that – wait a minute, you can't do that!" Miyako shouted in panic. What was Ai thinking!?

"What's going on?" Ichigo chimed in, wondering what the commotion was all about. Miyako turned to him and leveled a glare.

"Did you know about this?" She questioned him causing him to bring his hands up in defense.

"Oi oi, know about what?" He questioned back. What was she talking about? Miyako pointed at Ai, who only gave her a pout.

"She's going on a date with Naruto-san today!" Miyako said causing Ichigo jaws to drop. What was she thinking?!

"Ai! You know you can't do that! What if someone was to see you two? And you know Idols can't have romantic relationships!" Ichigo tried to reason but Ai was as stubborn as ever.

"I can and I will! I'll be discreet as possible!" Ai countered as Ichigo sighed.

"Ai, do I need to remind you that the last time something like this happened you ended up pregnant?" Ichigo pointed the elephant in the room. Ai narrowed her eyes into glare at him.

"I didn't want to become pregnant, but I love my children regardless. This time it's different." She responded as Ichigo took a step back, he had never seen this side of Ai before. She wasn't wrong. Back then, she was just a country bumpkin that didn't know much about life, especially given her background. And as the old saying goes, 'stupid people do stupid things'.

"Are you seriously willing to risk your career for this?" Miyako questioned her sternly. The ramifications that this possessed were serious. Ai had no other skills other than her Idol abilities and somewhat acting, but if she threw all that away, how was she expecting to survive.

"I…" Ai started but stopped as she thought about it as she looked down, her hands curling into fists.

"For all my life I have never known what it is to love or be loved. I knew nothing but the abuse my mother had given me. When I became an Idol, I thought that I would finally figure it out, but I…I didn't. So, I lied, I lied and lied and hoped that one day those lies would become truths. And when I had my children I was afraid to even tell them that I loved them because I couldn't bear the thought of that being a lie." Ai vented out her emotions. That's right; she no longer needed to bottle them up. Not after what Naruto told her.

"And when I was almost stabbed I realized, that I did in-fact loved them. I do know what it is to love and to be loved. I don't need to be an Idol to realize that now. All these years of building my lies…but I no longer need them. So, to answer your question, yes, I am willing to do so." Ai said firmly, not backing down.

"But you don't even know that you even like Naruto." Ichigo stated, but Ai only blushed at that, which caused Miyako's eyes to widen.

"I can't believe it…" She said with a sigh as she walked away.

"Wait! Come back and put some sense into her!" Ichigo shouted, but Miyako just shook her head and pointed at Ai.

"Just look at her, you can tell that she is obviously head over heels for him." Miyako responded. It was impossible to stop Ai now and if Miyako was honest to herself, she didn't want to. It was Ai's choice now.

"Is that true, Ai?" Ichigo questioned. Sure, Naruto saved her, but surly that wasn't enough to make her fall for him?

"I-I don't know, but every time I'm around him I feel like everything will be ok. He's the one who helped me see the truth and understand it. He…He understands me in a way no one else has been able too." That waas Ai's response. She wouldn't have asked if she wasn't sure. The feelings she felt for Naruto were vastly different than the ones she had once felt for her children's father, they were like night and day.

"Wow! Mama is in love!" Ruby squealed as she overheard everything, while Aqua just stood next to her. Well, it's not like he could complain. Naruto was a good man according to everything he had gathered, but there was so much they didn't know about him.

Few Hours Later:

Day had turned into night and Naruto gulped as he stood in front of Ai's apartment. Sure, he had agreed to the dinner turned date, but he knew nothing about dating or anything! He'd never had a relationship like this. The only other girl he had an interest in was more into the brooding ego of a traitor and constantly berated him.

"I hope that old perverts book help." Naruto muttered. Having no idea what to do, he reluctantly turned to Jiraiya's books, and he cringed at reading it. He still didn't understand why millions of people actually liked these books. They are cringe and cheesy as hell and the only good scenes, he assumed, were those of a sexual nature, mainly because of how detailed they were. Naruto had quickly skipped those aspects of the books.

"Here goes nothing…" Naruto said to himself as he ringed the doorbell. It was good to see that Ai had a video-based ring bell installed after the incident. The door slowly opened as Naruto blushed after looking at Ai. She was wearing a lavender sundress with a simply black hat that had a pair of shades on top of it. Her eyes were like looking at a pair of shining stars.

"Ah, Naruto-kun! Glad you made it! Let's go!" Ai exclaimed excitedly as she took a step forward, looking up at him with that smile of hers.

"Y-Yeah. You ready?" Naruto asked her to which she nodded. However, before they could head out, they were stopped by Ichigo.

"Hold it." Ichigo stated as he walked forward and looked at Naruto sternal.

"You better return her before midnight." Ichigo said as he walked closer and pulled his shades down and gave Naruto a glare.

"And if you hurt her, there will be hurt to pay." Ichigo threatened, not realizing that he was threating a man who could very well change the very landscape, not that he knew. To Ichigo, Ai was like a daughter and she was serious in dating someone, then he'd make sure they knew the price of hurting Ai.

"I would never." Naruto replied with a stern look of his own. He made a promise to protect Ai after all.

"Geee, let's go Naruto-kun!" Ai quickly grabbed his hand and ran off with him, which slightly took him by surprise. As Ai ran off dragging Naruto with her, Ichigo could only sigh before he smiled slightly. He hadn't seen Ai like this since Aqua and Ruby were born.

With Ai and Naruto:

"So, Naruto-kun, where are we going?" She questioned him as the two walked the bush streets of the city. She had put on her shades as a means to hide her identity.

"I got reservations at a nice restaurant and after that we'll be heading to the amusement park." Naruto told her about the itinerary for the night.

"Wow! Amusement park! I have never been to one before!" Ai said excitedly. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.

"You never been to an amusement park before?" Naruto questioned her causing her to shake her head as she looked down sadly.

"My mother never took to one as a child and I was too busy with Idol work for any leisure time." She responded as Naruto looked at her before he took a hold of her hand.

"Well, if it counts, I have never been one too." Naruto empathized. No one ever wanted to go to one with him or they never let him in. Ai looked at him with surprise before smiling.

"Then let's have lots of fun!" She said as the two were off on their first date. The very first thing they did was go to the restaurant that Naruto had gotten reservations for. It was a nice upscale place that served all sorts of exotic food.

"I didn't know you got a reservation for this place! I have heard it's very hard and expensive to get reservations for this place." Ai exclaimed. And he had managed to get it for the next day. Naruto chuckled as he ruffled his hair.

"The owner of the restaurant is actually a big fan of the Icha-Icha books. So, I contacted him and told him who I was and offered to give him a signed copy. He immediately agreed." Naruto said with a nervous chuckle. Ai looked at him, amazed.

"Your books must be really popular." She praised him, causing him to wave his hand.

"They aren't my books. I never wrote any of them." Naruto dismissed it. He would never write such books. Ai simply giggled.

"Then, who's Jiraiya?" She questioned him causing him to stop as he smiled sadly.

"He was…like a father to me." Naruto reminisced about the time he had spent training under Jiraiya.

"Naruto-kun. You really had a hard life, didn't you?" Ai questioned him, catching him by surprise. She smiled sadly at him as she brought a hand up to his cheek.

"I can tell. Growing up my mother never cared about me. She was violent, selfish, and abusive. And even after she got out of jail, she never bothered to take me out of the orphanage. So, I understand." She emphasized with him. She was as much of an orphan as he was.

"Ai…" Naruto started before she put a figure on his lips.

"It's ok, Naruto-Kun. When you want to talk about your past, you will. You don't have to force yourself." She said gently as Naruto looked at her with amazement. This girl was kind and gentle underneath all the facade she put up in her performances, she was truly a gentle soul.

"It's fine, Ai. I'll tell you some of my past later." He promised as the two went on about the night.

And it just keeps getting crazy! You like that cliffhanger? Well, don't worry. Knowing me I'll just start working on the next chapter tomorrow lol. The first date is underway, Ai threatens to end her career as an Idol. Keep an eye out for the next chapter! See ya!

Chapter edited: 6/9/2023.