Hello there my fellow readers! I know that it has been a while! But remember when I said that updates for this story will be slowed down drastically while chapter sizes will increase? Yh, I wasn't kidding lol.
With my recent move to a whole new state, new location, etc. I don't have my old setup. Along with wanting to let the manga time develop further and hopefully finish, this story will receive 1 chapter a month update, maybe 2 in some months. But that's it for now.
Now I know that a couple of you are excited about the return of the tailed beasts, especially with Shukaku. Don't worry, I got funny scenes for him which I hope you all will enjoy!
Someone brought up how problem-solving in the story will work as tail beasts are powerful creatures. Don't worry, tailed beasts won't be running out and about in their massive forms. Rather, they will actually find themselves having to adapt to Naruto and his family's mundane life.
I also see that some of you want Chakra to be given. I'll say this now, that's not going to happen. I'm sorry, but I just do not see Naruto wanting to spread Chakra in a world that is even more destructive than his own world. Sure, he has two children that have Chakra, and their descendants will have Chakra, but he is trying to keep the number of people that have it as limited as possible. And even then I am not sure why people think that Naruto can give Chakra.
Naruto inherited PART of Sage's power. He cannot just 'give Chakra'. He isn't the Sage; he doesn't have the complete power of the Sage. That doesn't mean he is any less powerful. So yh, spreading Chakra by 'giving' is a no-go since it went disastrously when the Sage taught Chakra in the hopes that people would use it to understand, not weaponize it to wage war.
Now, later on in the story, I will have some whacky chapters with Crow Girl messing around a bit, but for now, her role and part is just as an observer. With all that out of the way, enjoy.
Shukaku considered himself a prideful Tailed Beast. He was created at the same time as the other Tailed Beasts by the Sage of Six Paths. But, he was also considered the weakest by his siblings, possessing the least power compared to the others.
"Uh… sorry?" Shukaku didn't know how he found himself apologizing to an unknown woman, who was glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill, he'd be dead by now. He looked past the woman to see Naruto still passed out. What intrigued him the most was that Naruto looked older, far older than the last time he had seen the boy.
"Uh, excuse me miss, but how old is Naruto?" Shukaku questioned her, opting to be polite rather than his usual bashful self. The woman's glare slightly softened as she looked down at Naruto and ran her figures through his hair.
"Thirty-two." Her answer caused Shukaku to pale. Thirty-two?! He had been 'dead' for sixteen years?!
"Sixteen years?! Guess we really screwed up this time." Shukaku spoke. He could sense his other siblings within Naruto, but they were still reforming. He smirked to himself, guessing being the 'weakest' Tailed Beast had its perks.
"But still, that is a long time for even me to reform. Kurama wasn't joking." Shukaku thought to himself before he turned his attention back to the pair before him. He took note of how the woman seemed very affectionate to his new host.
"Might I ask who you are to the kid?" Shukaku questioned her. The second he did, her expression went from a glare to a sincere smile as she gently caressed the blonde's hair.
"I'm his wife." She answered as Shukaku blinked once, then twice before he burst into laughter.
"Oh, by the Sage! The blonde got hitched?! Ahahaha! This is hilarious! I could even tell from within Gaara that the knucklehead was denser than a rocker! Next, you're going to tell me he's got kids!" The Tailed Beast laughed as Ai frowned at that.
"We have four children." She stated as Shukaku paused and looked at her seriously before he burst into laughter again.
"This is unreal! Wait till that overgrown fox hears about this!" Shukaku laughed before he paused and began to shiver. He looked down and gulped. The woman's glare returned a thousand fold, directed at him. He swore he could see some ghost figure behind her!
"Oh… Ai-chan, you have no idea the dream I just had. Apparently, Shukaku returned!" Naruto opened his eyes slowly as he grabbed his head. Damn, that was one hell of a dream. Ai giggled to herself before she pointed ahead.
"That wasn't a dream, dear. Look." She pointed out as Naruto blinked, following her finger before his eyes widened.
"Shukaku…" He whispered as started at the one tail, who waved his tail at him after he overcame the fear he felt from the woman.
"Hey there kid, been a while." Shukaku spoke casually, as if he hadn't technically been dead for years. Naruto slowly stood up and walked over to him slowly, his hair overshadowing his eyes. Ai looked at him worryingly as he slowly walked over to the beast. Shukaku chuckled, thinking that the kid was just happy to see him; however, he did not expect what was to come.
"Shukaku… you have been gone for over a decade and all you have to say is 'been a while'?!" Naruto shouted as he manifested a giant golden right arm and slammed it right into Shukaku's gut, causing him to have the air knocked out of him.
"O-Ok, I may have deserved that." Shukaku spoke as Naruto glared at him.
"'May have'?! I didn't know where you guys were! I thought that you all died! I thought that I was all alone…!" Naruto choked out in the end as he closed his eyes shut tightly. Ai walked over to him and hugged him from behind, resting her head on his back. He was hurt. She could tell. He had lost everything from his world.
"I… I thought I failed you guys…" He choked out as Ai held him tighter. Her own heart broke at his pain. He was a strong man, but he was also emotional. Shukaku looked down, a regretful look on his face.
"I'm sorry kid, but we had no choice, and we had no time. If we didn't act when we did, your whole existence would have been torn apart." He explained as Naruto looked at him.
"You guys could have told me…" He reasoned but Shukaku shook his head.
"There wasn't any time. We used all of our strength to keep you alive. It took a lot out of us and it's thanks to Kurama that we didn't fade ourselves." Shukaku explained as Naruto's eyes widened at that.
"Is… is Kurama okay?" He questioned. Kurama was a friend. Despite their rocky start, he considered him a friend, almost like a brother. Shukaku scoffed.
"Of course, he is. His Chakra absorbed the small remains of ours and we have been using his Chakra as a base for reformation." He explained as Naruto frowned.
"Then where are the rest?" He questioned him as Shukaku pointed with his tail at the ball of Chakra behind him.
"We are Tailed Beasts, kid. It can take years for us to reform if we 'die'. They'll all return soon. I just so happen to return first because I am awesome." Shukaku bragged as Naruto sweat dropped at that.
"More like because he is the weakest." It was Ai that spoke up. She understood enough about the basics of Tailed Beasts. Naruto had of course explained to her that much. And in his own words, Kurama was the strongest of his siblings, while Shukaku was the weakest. And yet, Shukaku's ego and pride were far larger than himself.
"Naruto, who is this woman? She claims that she is your wife." Shukaku questioned him, a bit annoyed that she had ruined his parade. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.
"That's because she is. Her name is Ai Uzumaki." He answered as Shukaku rolled his eyes at that.
"Great, another brat with something with 'love' attached to them." Shukaku lamented at Ai's confusion as she looked at Naruto, who sighed.
"My friend Gaara had the kanji for 'love' on his forehead." He explained briefly as she nodded in understanding. She knew who Gaara was, after all, Naruto considered him a close friend, but she didn't know that about him.
"Now that I think about it, she kind of reminds me of that Hyuga princess." Shukaku narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall his memory. He remembered that girl when he was still sealed with Gaara.
"Hyuga girl?" Ai questioned Naruto with a raised eyebrow. Naruto sighed as he massaged his forehead.
"He means Hinata. She was the former heiress of the Hyuga Clan, pretty much a princess. Oh god, I completely forgot about her confession." Naruto sighed as he recalled that moment. She had saved his life, and even more than that, she had willingly given up her own to save his.
"What?" Ai questioned curtly. Hinata? A confession? What was this all about? He never told her about this.
"She confessed her love to me. But between the village being destroyed and the war…" He trailed off. He hadn't even remembered that moment until a few hours ago.
"You never gave her an answer?" Ai questioned further. Naruto shook his head.
"Like I said, with everything going on, I didn't even register. But…" Naruto answered as he smiled sadly.
"You think that if you weren't sent here, you would be with her?" She spoke for him as he thought over that. Looking back on it, Hinata's behavior seemed to make more sense now that he was more mature and experienced thanks to Ai.
"She willingly gave up her life… to save me. She poured her heart out and confessed that she loved me in a way that up until I met you no one else had. So…I guess in another life I would be with her." He answered honestly. He wasn't going to lie to her.
"Oh ho… so I remind you of this girl that was willing to die for you? Does that mean you only love me for that?" She teased him as Naruto rolled his eyes.
"Why am I not surprised that you aren't mad." He stated, causing her to chuckle.
"Why would I be mad at you? I mean, you already know about my past. All I need to know is that you are mine, Naru-kun, and I am yours." She explained before she leaned forward and gave him a kiss. Naruto was initially surprised before he closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss as well and wrapped his arms around her. In another life, he might have had a family with Hinata. But this was his life and he loved Ai.
"By the Sage, stop sucking your mouths out! This is grossing me out!" Shukaku shouted as he gagged at the display. He never understood human display of affection. Well, he reasoned that it was because he was just a mass of Chakra-given sentience. Naruto leaned back and shot Shukaku and minor glare before he looked at Ai and smiled.
"Let's finish this outside. I'd rather not have a walking sand rodent watching us." Naruto said causing her to giggle at his words.
"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" Shukaku shouted at him but before he could say anything more, the two disappeared from Naruto's mindscape, leaving an angry Tailed Beast to vent.
"I'M NOT A RODENT!" He shouted before huffing. Damn that blonde!
Later that morning:
Naruto yawned as he brought his hand up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He sighed in mild annoyance before he opened his eyes and smiled. Inches away from his face was Ai's face, still sleeping soundly, her arms across his neck as she snuggled herself closer to him. He lightly chuckled as he brushed some of her hair aside.
"Holy crap! She wasn't joking when she said you were married to her!" Naruto rolled his eyes at Shukaku shouting in his head.
"Shukaku, it's five in the morning. Must you really shout so loudly in my head?" Naruto questioned him mentally, much to Shukaku's amusement.
"Nah. Mother wants some blood!" He shouted jokingly as Naruto sighed before he smirked.
"Didn't think that you were a woman." Naruto knew one thing about Shukaku; he was prideful. So, he'd go after his pride.
"I am not a woman!" Naruto winched at the volume before he decided to cut the mental link for now.
"You know, you make funny faces when you talk mentally." He blinked as he brought his attention back to the real world and saw Ai playfully looking at him. He chuckled sheepishly as he ran his hand through his hair.
"How did you know I was talking mentally?" He questioned her as she sat up in their bed and stretched her arms.
"I just guessed." She responded with a giggle as Naruto sighed at her antics. Before Ai could leave their bed, she felt herself being pulled back down into it.
"You know I love you right?" She heard Naruto whisper as he hugged her from behind. She smiled and nodded before she rolled herself over to face him, their nose touching.
"I know." She whispered back as she embraced him.
"You are the only women I will ever love. Now and forever. So, thank you for everything Ai. I know I can be a bit of a handful at times, I can be pretty dense, and –" Before he could continue his lips were sealed by Ai as she gave him a tender kiss before she pulled back.
"And that's why I love you. All those qualities about you are endearing." She expressed her own love to him. Truly he was a one-of-a-kind man. Kind, forgiving, loving and so much more.
"Bah! Enough of this mushy crap!" Naruto sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time as he heard Shukaku shout in his head.
"Is it the tanuki?" Ai questioned him as he nodded much to her own amusement as she began to giggle.
"We should get up and make some breakfast. I'm sure our children and their friends will be famished, especially Aqua and his little girlfriend~~~." Ai said cheekily as Naruto shook his head at what she was implying.
"I'm sure that neither Aqua nor Akane are at that stage of their relationship and even if they are, I'd imagine that they will be careful." He reasoned as Ai pouted.
"But Naru~~~, I want grandkids!" She whined playfully much to his amusement.
"I'm sure that in time, my dear, you will have plenty of grandkids to love. But they are still kids. Let them enjoy their lives, lives that we never had growing up." He said as she sighed. She knew that he was right. They wanted to give their children everything that they never had.
"Now, let's go make some breakfast." She grinned at that. One lesser-known fact about Naruto was that he was a very good cook. He knew how to make more things other than ramen.
A few minutes later:
Naruto hummed as he made some eggs, while Ai prepared some rice and other food. They would typically have to make a large breakfast, because aside from Naruto who was a big eater, so was Sapphire. Especially considering that she would be finishing her morning workout soon.
"The mighty Naruto Uzumaki, the inheritor of old man Sage's body and all but his successor, who went toe-to-toe with the Rabbit Goddess Kaguya… making eggs and humming… oh how the mighty have fallen!" Naruto's eye twitched at Shukaku's words but said nothing. He could understand why Shukaku would say that. Back in their world combat was a way of life for Shinobi, double so for Jinchūriki's who were considered the village's secret weapons.
"Shukaku, I told you. This world is different. People here don't have Chakra." Naruto argued but the one tail snorted.
"And? From the looks of it, humans here are far bloodier than back home. Even without Chakra humanity finds a way to be a destructive force. You could be out there; fighting in the many conflicts around the world or, you know, bring peace and all." Shukaku spoke lazily. Shukaku loved fighting, out of all of his siblings, he was considered the more 'bloodthirsty' one. On the contrary, he just simply enjoyed a good fight. Peace was nice and all, but he was more combat orientated.
"No. I am done fighting. No 'child of prophecy' bullshit here. Here, I'm not just Naruto Uzumaki, the savior of the Shinobi world or the son of the fourth Hokage, or even a Jinchūriki. Here, I'm just Naruto Uzumaki, a happily married man with a beautiful wife, and four beautiful children. And I'm happy with that. Happy with just… living." Naruto spoke mentally as he smiled slightly. Was his life mundane compared to back him? Yes. Did he care? No. He simply loved his simple life.
"Food is ready on my end." Ai spoke up as Naruto nodded and flipped the eggs over and onto the plate. Grabbing the plate, he began to bring them over one by one to the table.
"BREAKFAST!" Sapphire came rushing in, still in her training clothes as she took her spot in the chair, but before she could dig in, she shuddered and looked over at her mother.
"Sap-chan, did you shower after your workout?" Her mother questioned as Sapphire chuckled nervously.
"Uh… no?" She answered as her mother simply smiled at her.
"That means go shower." Her father spoke up with a chuckle before she quickly darted out of her chair and ran to her shower. Ai shook her head.
"That girl…" She sighed as Naruto chuckled lightly.
"Well, she does take after me." Naruto pointed out as she rolled her eyes at that.
"How is it that the one child we have that looks like me for the most part is the complete opposite of me?" She questioned him as Naruto shrugged.
"My mother had red hair; my father had blonde hair. I look, for the most part, like my father, but I take after my mother personality-wise. I guess, Hime just inherited her Uzumaki personality as strongly as I did." He reasoned as she pouted but smiled.
"Well, like me or not, I still love that goofball." She said as Naruto laughed at that. Sapphire wasn't the smartest of her siblings; in fact, she could be an airhead at times, just like her mother.
"Good morning, Kaa-sama, Oto-sama." Minato walked in with a smile as he took his seat and waited patiently.
"Wow, I guess Minato-tan is just as polite and formal with his parents as he is outside!" Mem-Cho followed suit with Ruby and Kana. Ruby yawned as she took her spot and sat down, grumbling about being kicked in the face during the sleepover.
"Oh, lighten up. Besides, if you can handle the training you have gone through then getting kicked in the face shouldn't be a big deal." Kana said dismissively, causing Ruby to grumble.
"You're the one to talk. Did you start working out after Sapphire gave you a taste of what she does every day?" Ruby questioned her with narrowed eyes, causing Kana to look away and whistle innocently.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She responded. In reality, she had begun to work out a bit more after realizing just how weak she really was. Besides, being an Idol meant that she needed the strength and stamina to be one.
"I HAVE TAKEN MY SHOWER AND AM READY TO EAT BREAKFAST!" Sapphire came rushing back in, her hair still wet from the water. She came to a halt and blinked as she realized that Kana and Mem-Cho were at the table and giving her a blank stare. She blushed in embarrassment and slowly walked over to her spot and sat down.
"You're such a tomboy, Sap-tan!" Mem-Cho said with a giggle, while Kana and Ruby nodded.
"I'm not a tomboy!" Sapphire argued back with a huff. She liked to work out, but she didn't consider herself a tomboy.
"I think you are very lovely, Nee-sama." Minato complimented his sister, as she smiled and pulled her little brother in a hug.
"I knew you loved me, Minato!" She gushed over her little brother as Minato chuckled. Only two people could withstand Sapphire's bone-crushing hug, their father and him.
"I remember when Minato used to call her Hime-sama when they were younger." Ai chimed in, teasing her children. This time it was Minato who blushed in embarrassment. Minato and Sapphire as kids were always close to each other. Minato was smart, and Sapphire was extremely strong, as thick as thieves.
"Yeah! Why don't you call me that now, Minato?!" Sapphire questioned her younger brother who chuckled nervously.
"I just thought that Nee-sama was more appropriate." Minato answered truthfully. It would have been awkward to call her that as they got older.
"Well, I want you to call me Hime-sama!" Sapphire proclaimed. Ai brought a hand up to her mouth and held back her giggles, while Naruto looked on in amusement. Mem-Cho and Kana were looking back and forth between the two, while Ruby had already begun to eat her food.
"Uh, well, you see..." Minato stuttered as he glanced around. There was only one girl that he would be willing to call Hime-sama and Sapphire was not that girl.
"What, you don't love your older sister anymore? I'm hurt, Minato." Sapphire faked being hurt, taking a page from her mother's book.
"How daring." Ai whispered to Naruto who nodded. Seems like Sapphire definitely had some of her mother's personality inside of her.
"No! I didn't mean that, Nee-sama! I love you very much, you know that!" Minato said frantically as he tried to calm his sister.
"Then you will call me Hime-sama!" She argued causing him to shutter, lost on what he should do.
"Hime, stop teasing your little brother." Thankfully, his father came to his defense, much to Sapphire's annoyance. She grumbled but relented. Minato sighed in relief before he noticed the last pair to arrive at the table.
"So, these are your kids huh? I noticed that only two of them have Chakra." Shukaku questioned him as Aqua and Akane took their seats, both blushing slightly. It didn't help that Ai was teasing the two.
"So, when can I expect a grandkid?" She questioned Aqua who grumbled, his blush reddening.
"Not for another eight years," Aqua responded before his eyes widened as he realized what he had just said. He glanced over to Akane, who was surprised by his answer.
"Does that mean your father and I should be expecting a wedding soon in the coming years?" Ai teased further, her smile turning into a grin. Oh, her son had it bad for Akane.
"Your wife is surprisingly very cunning with words." Shukaku pointed out as Naruto's eye twitched.
"Can you please let me enjoy my dinner with my family and my kid's friends please?" Naruto requested, but Shukaku chuckled at that.
"I've been 'dead' for a long time. I need to catch up on things, especially regarding this new world." He responded but Naruto sighed internally.
"Just go watch my memories, just stay out of the private ones!" He shouted mentally. The last thing he wanted the Tailed Beasts to know was about his sex life with Ai. Shukaku shrugged inside the seal but opted to follow Naruto's advice. It would be faster anyways.
"So, have you guys decided who is going to be the lead singer?" Aqua questioned the trio of Idol girls. Ruby and Mem-Cho smirked and pointed at each other.
"Me!" They shouted as they declared themselves the candidates before they turned to face each other in surprise.
"It should be me. I've been working towards this my entire life!" Ruby stated. Well, she had been waiting for this for two lifetimes, but they didn't need to know that.
"And it's been my dream too!" Mem-Cho argued back. She had pushed her dream for the sake of her family. Now was her time! Aqua looked between the two before he looked at Kana.
"You're not going to put yourself in the running?" He questioned her. Kana turned to look at him, her gaze frosty. She still felt betrayed in a way by him, but she wasn't going to give up.
"No. Ruby and Mem are far more qualified for that role." She argued. Ruby was the daughter of Ai, a legend in her own right. People would come just to see her alone. Mem-Cho had a massive following on several social media outlets. The two of them would draw a much larger audience as lead girls rather than her.
"I don't think so, Kana-san. I think you are far more qualified than those two." Minato chimed in. Kana blinked as she tilted her head and looked at him. Ruby and Mem-Cho stopped arguing and looked at him as well.
"Betrayal!" Ruby declared theatrically. Her baby brother didn't support her!
"Minato-tan, why do you think that?" Mem-Cho questioned him. She knew that Minato was smart and also insightful. He wouldn't say things without a good reason. Minato smiled as he began to present his case.
"Well, Kana-san has the looks that are ideal for Idols. She also has far more experience when it comes to stage calligraphy thanks to her profession as an actor. She also knows how to sing and dance too. Albeit her most popular song was when she was still a child, but she is the most qualified person." Minato listed off his reasons, leaving his sister and Mem-Cho surprised, while Kana was blushing in embarrassment.
"God! I thought that music video was buried and long forgotten! How does Minato know about that?!" She questioned herself mentally. But the cat was now out of the bag and both Ruby and Mem-Cho began to hound her for information.
"Do you know anything about that?" Aqua questioned Akane with a whisper, who nodded slightly.
"It's old, but I remember her doing a music video about vegetables. It was actually pretty popular back in the day." Akane answered with a small smile. She remembered watching that video. Kana was the reason why she attempted to become an actor as a child, that is before she met her and was shot down by her. She wouldn't say this now, but back in the day, she looked up to Kana. She wanted to be like Kana.
"Oh! I know the one you're talking about! The Bell Pepper Exercise!" Ruby snapped her fingers, remembering that particular video of Kana.
"I thought that video was buried and forgotten." Kana put her head in her hands, thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that the video was actually still relevant. She didn't want to be associated with just that one child actor who did something big and then forgotten! She was a growing young woman, and she wanted the world to see her as such!
"I think you performed very well in that video, Kana-san. Most children your age back then wouldn't have the skills or the patience to do what you did. That's why I think you would make an excellent lead singer and center girl, no offense Nee-sama, Mem-san." Minato politely apologized to the two while praising Kana. Said girl looked at him in surprise.
"Do you really… mean that?" She questioned him. She knew Minato, he would never lie to his friends. Minato gave her a sincere smile that caused her to blush lightly.
"I know so." He responded letting her ponder on his answer. Ai looked at the interaction between the two with interest. Oh, she knew that her youngest had a crush on the redhead. She also knew that Kana had a crush on Aqua. She easily deduced why Kana's mood was rather different since yesterday. No doubt Kana's feelings were hurt at seeing Aqua and Akane in a relationship.
"I guess that's just teenager things." She thought to herself with a smile. She was happy for her children, truly, she was. She and Naruto had given them what the two never had, truly that is, a family. She mentally chuckled at her kid's situation.
"I wonder how many blonds or redheads will be running around in the next ten years." She thought to herself. She fully believed that Aqua and Akane were going to tie to knot when they were old enough. And she also had little doubt that Minato and Kana would also do the same. She wasn't worried, however. Both Minato and Kana were intelligent enough to know they weren't ready for that kind of relationship, at least not for years to come.
"I know what you're thinking," Naruto whispered to her. It was low enough for just to her hear while everyone else on the table was talking or eating their breakfast. She raised an eyebrow at that.
"Oh? Do you now?" She questioned as Naruto rolled his eyes at her games.
"You were thinking about grandchildren." He responded as she brought a hand up and in front of her mouth, a knowing smirk forming on her face.
"And how do you know that?" She further inquired as Naruto pointed at her.
"You get that look on your face that smiles when you imagine things about this family." Naruto tried to explain, well, he couldn't properly explain. Ai had many smiles, many of which were fake, and reserved for the public. But at home and with family she truly smiled and to him, it was the most beautiful smile, worth dying for even.
"Well excuse me for trying to imagine how big this family will grow in our later years." She responded to which Naruto chuckled lightly.
"On the contrary, I'd like to have some grandchildren running around as well. I just think our children and their friends should live their life a bit more before they take the next step so to say." He stated to which she sighed and nodded. He was right. Children were a big commitment, and she wasn't sure how she would have done raising the twins without Naruto.
"This mushy crap is a real turn-off, you know that?" And with that, Shukaku killed the mood. Naruto's expression was enough for Ai to know that Shukaku had said something.
"Shukaku?" She questioned.
"Shukaku." He responded.
A couple of hours later:
Midday was fast approaching as Akane, Kana, and Mem-Cho had already gone home after breakfast and Naruto was currently frustrated as he tried to work on his novel. Why frustrated? Because Shukaku would just not stop bothering him.
"And that's why I am the strongest Tailed Beast!" He bragged as Naruto ran his hand across his face. Even Kurama was never this talkative!
"Shukaku, please, I'm trying to work here." Naruto begged, but the beast just grumbled.
"Hey! Not my fault that I'm stuck here alone for now with no one else but you to talk to." Shukaku pointed out as Naruto frowned. He needed some peace and quiet in his own mind for a while, so how to deal with Shukaku…
"Say, you wanna go out of the seal for a bit?" Naruto questioned him with a devious smile.
"HELL YEAH!" Shukaku shouted. Getting a chance to stretch his legs after so many years of 'dying' would be nice. Naruto chuckled as he walked over to the kitchen where Ai was at.
"Need a snack?" She questioned him as he shook his head.
"Can I use one of our tea kettles?" He questioned her as she raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded as she brought out a tea kettle. Naruto thanked her as he retrieved a brush and ink.
"So, when will I be out of the seal?" Shukaku questioned him. Oh, he could leave the seal at any time he wanted to considering it was open, but the emergence of a Tailed Beast would cause pandemonium in this world. That and he had too much respect for Naruto to just go out and cause chaos.
"Give me one second…" Naruto responded as he drew a seal on the tea kettle. It was a summoning seal, but one linked to Shukaku. Putting his brush down, he nodded to himself as he admired his work before putting a hand on it.
"And… release!" He shouted as a cloud of smoke erupted around the tea kettle, much to Ai's surprise.
"I hope you didn't ask me to use one of our tea kettles for a magic trick." She spoke with a smile as Naruto chuckled sheepishly.
"Oh no, I would never do that dear! But look!" He answered as he pointed at the kettle. Ai followed his finger and her eyes widened.
"Ah! It feels good to be out and about!" Shukaku spoke as his head, arms, legs and tail were popping out of the tea kettle before realizing the situation he was in.
"SO CUTE!" Ai squealed as she grabbed the kettle and rubbed her cheek with mini-Shukaku's.
"Hey! Put me down! I am not cute! I am the mighty one-tail Shukaku!" He shouted at her as he turned to look at a snickering Naruto.
"Naruto! How dare you use me like a plushy! In a tea kettle no less!" Shukaku shouted as Naruto scoffed before turning and began to head back to his office.
"Talk to my family while I finish up my work." Naruto advised, leaving Shukaku at the mercy of his family.
"WHAT?! No! Come back here and save me!" Shukaku shouted in panic before he felt suffocated by the Uzumaki matriarch.
"Aren't you the most adorable little creature!" She gushed as Shukaku grumbled.
"I am not adorable! I am a beast of great power and… hey put me down!" He shouted as Ai picked up the tea kettle and ran over to the living room. Aqua, who had been enjoying a book in the living room, raised an eyebrow at his mother's excitement.
"Kaa-san… what is that?" He questioned her as he looked up from his book to see a tea kettle with something… inside of it? It looked like a creature made up of sand with black markings all around.
"You! Kid! Save me from this she-devil!" Aqua's eyes widened.
"IT CAN TALK?!" Aqua shouted in surprise. Aqua wasn't known for his sudden outbursts. If anything, he was most calm and collected, like his younger brother. Ai nodded in excitement as she held out the tea kettle for him to see.
"This is Shukaku! He's the one-tail Tailed Beast." She explained as Aqua's jaw dropped slightly. So, this is one of the mighty Tailed Beasts that his father was talking about. They were supposedly one of the strongest creatures in his father's world.
"Did father put in him a tea kettle as a joke?" He regained his composure as he walked up to the tea kettle to inspect it.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Shukaku questioned as Aqua raised an eyebrow.
"Well, Shukaku is a Japanese legend about a tanuki that lived amongst humans disguised as a priest. I asked if he put you in a tea kettle as a joke because Shukaku, according to legend, left behind a miraculous tea kettle as a gift." Aqua explained. Ever since he had been reincarnated, he had begun to study a lot of Japanese folklore and legends. If reincarnation existed, then the odds of other supernatural elements rooted in folklore and legends could also exist.
"What kind of self-respecting tanuki would live disguised as a priest of all things?" Shukaku questioned him as Aqua opened his mouth before he closed it. Well, he didn't have an answer for that because he had never known tanuki's to be either powerful creatures or ones that could talk.
"Are you really a Tailed Beast?" Aqua questioned jokingly. He didn't doubt that Shukaku was a Tailed Beast. After all, how many sand-like creatures could talk and be in a tea kettle of all things? Shukaku grumbled at that.
"Oh, is that a Tailed Beast?" This time it was Minato who chimed in as he walked into the living room after hearing all the ruckus. Ai nodded as she held out the tea kettle to him.
"Look! Isn't he just adorable?" His mother gushed, much to Shukaku's embarrassment and Minato's curiosity. Shukaku studied the kid, Minato if he recalled, and realized that the boy wasn't surprised to see him.
"Boy, you don't look surprised?" Shukaku questioned him out of curiosity as well. Minato sent him a smile and shook his head.
"Well, I have been reading a lot of seals and other stuff that my grandfather left behind for my father. There is a lot about Tailed Beasts written in there as well. I must admit, I never thought I'd actually have the privilege of seeing one. It's nice to meet you, Shukaku-sama." Minato gave a slight bow, showing his respect. Tailed Beasts were beings of great power and far older than humans. He had to give proper respect where it was due. Shukaku blinked at that before he burst into laughter as he brought his small tail out of the kettle and pointed at Minato.
"I like this kid! He shows proper respect!" He praised. Finally, someone who respected him for the great powerful creature that he was!
"Don't get a big head. Minato is just formal with everyone." Aqua pointed out as Minato maintained his smile.
"It is only respectfully." Minato countered. He'd give proper request where it was due.
"Hard to believe that you are Naruto's sons. When he was your age, he was already fighting other Shinobi's." Shukaku commented as the two boys took an interest in that.
"I don't know much from first-hand accounts, given that I was sealed inside of Gaara. But I heard the reports that Gaara heard. After all, the two were good friends. That is until I was extracted and sealed inside that damn statue." Shukaku grumbled at that event. He might have not liked Gaara in the beginning, after all, his seal was torture for the one-tail and also to his host, but he still felt guilty for what happened to the redhead.
"Oto-sama said he fought in the war, what was it like?" Minato questioned as Shukaku thought on that. He had been captured, like the majority of the Tailed Beasts during the war, but he still saw the events of the war for the most part.
"Ha! You should have seen Naruto! He was like a force to be reckoned with! Before he arrived, the Shinobi Alliance was getting absolutely dominated by reanimated Shinobis and the army of White Zetsu. When he stepped on the battlefield, the whole balance of power shifted! I'd say that Naruto is one of the strongest Shinobi after the old man Sage of Six Paths, Madara, and Kaguya." Shukaku recounted, much to the interest of the two boys.
"Tou-san is really strong, isn't he?" Aqua mumbled as Shukaku nodded.
"You can't even imagine the power he holds. If he wanted to, he could take on this whole world on his own." Shukaku stated. Naruto was strong, very strong. In fact, he reasoned that Naruto could take on the Tailed Beasts on his own and win. After all, he was Six Paths Sage's successor.
"Mama! Can I have some ramen please~?" Sapphire walked into the living room, doing her best puppy dog impression. Her mother's ramen was the best in the world, right next to her father's. Ai giggled at her before nodding.
"Of course, Sap-chan. Here, hold this for me; I have to prepare some food anyways." Her mother responded as she handed Sapphire a tea kettle, much to her confusion before she saw the cutest thing.
"SO CUTE!" She shouted as she hugged the Tailed Beast.
"I keep telling you all, I am not cute!" Shukaku lamented, but that didn't stop her.
"Aqua-nii, what is this toy?!" Sapphire questioned Aqua, who shrugged.
"Well, he's not a toy. He's Shukaku, the one Tailed-Beast." He answered causing her to tilt her head in confusion.
"A what now?" She questioned. Aqua face palmed while Minato just chuckled at his sister. She was definitely an airhead at times.
"Don't you remember Father telling us about the Tailed Beast? The Nine-Tails Kurama?" Aqua tried to jog her memory as she frowned and thought long and hard about it before a provable light bulb went off in her head.
"Oh! I remember that! So, this is a Tailed Beast? But he's just so cute! Not the giant that papa said they were." She reasoned but accepted the fact that she was indeed holding a Tailed Beast. While Sapphire was adorning the mini-Tailed Beast, Shukaku was making his own observations.
"You know, this brat over here has an overabundance of Chakra, right?" Shukaku questioned them as he used his tail to keep Sapphire at bay, much to her annoyance. Minato and Aqua nodded at that.
"Oto-sama told us that she was born with abnormally high amount of Chakra. The seal he placed on her over time suppressed the Chakra, which only forced it to grow stronger in an attempt to break through the seal. Kind of like how you put a muscle under stress over and over again so that it can grow stronger." Minato explained as Shukaku nodded.
"Yours is more… refined. I guess your personality reflects your Chakra in that sense. You are calm and collected, while she is full of energy." He explained as Minato blinked at that. He had never thought of it that way.
"I guess that would explain our dispositions." Minato thought to himself. If Chakra was the measure of one's personality, that would explain why Sapphire had boundless optimism and energy to maintain her insane workouts and everyday life. While he was in his thoughts, Shukaku turned to look at the other blonde in the room. Aqua tensed up as he noticed Shukaku's gaze toward him.
"Can I help you?" He questioned as Shukaku narrowed his eyes.
"You don't have Chakra… but something is… off." Shukaku tilted his head in confusion, which made him only look more adorable for Sapphire who quickly brought him in a hug, much to Shukaku's surprise, his annoyance at being treated like a toy returning once more.
"Unhand me this instant! I am not a toy!" He whined but to no avail, his previous line of thoughts broke, much to Aqua's relief.
"Does he… know?" Aqua questioned himself. Was Shukaku capable of sensing that Ruby and he were reincarnations? It could be possible given his observation, but he wasn't able to deduce anything accurately. He opted to say nothing for now. He didn't want to keep the fact that he had been reincarnated a secret from his family, but it was an uncomfortable truth for him. After all, he was technically older than his parents, mentally speaking that is. He didn't know how old Ruby was when she died in the past since they had never really talked about their past lives beyond that they had been reborn.
"Learned you're lesson yet, Shukaku?" His father's voice broke him out of his thoughts as he walked over into the living room. Once he had gotten Shukaku out of his mind, working on his novel was easier and faster.
"Naruto! If you don't put me back in the seal, I swear there will be hell to pay!" Shukaku shouted much to Naruto's amusement.
"You know, I never knew Tailed Beast that wanted to go back into the seal. What's wrong? The mighty Shukaku is admitting defeat by a bunch of kids?" Naruto egged him on as Shukaku growled.
"Ha! As if these brats can defeat me!" He boasted, so sure of his supremacy. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.
"Really? Because I remember that I managed to defeat you when I was Sapphire's age." Naruto pointed out causing Shukaku to shake his head.
"That one didn't count! I wasn't even at my full power!" He defended himself but Naruto just looked at him blankly.
"I seem to recall how Gaara fell asleep to let you out. I think you were at full power." Naruto countered. Shukaku grumbled something about smart-ass blonde. The three siblings watched the banter between the Tailed Beast and their father as they recounted their past encounters.
"Papa! You never told us about that!" Sapphire said with a pout causing Naruto to chuckle as he ruffled her hair.
"Sorry Hime, but I didn't tell you because a lot of these stories are filled with violence and all. I can't exactly go and tell you about my war experience. Your mother would not be pleased." He responded with a shudder.
"I'd rather you not traumatize our children with war stories, dear." Ai spoke as she entered the living room again causing Naruto to jump and turn to her.
"Of course, not dear! I would never!" Naruto responded causing her to smile and nodded. Aqua sweat dropped at that.
"But the two of you traumatize us daily!" He mentally shouted in his head. His parents were not ordinary, no, scratch that. His whole family wasn't ordinary! Between a Shinobi that traveled through time and reality itself, two siblings that possessed Chakra, and two reincarnated souls? He would say that his mother was the only ordinary one out of the six, but that didn't mean that she was ordinary! Her open display of affection was anything but ordinary.
"You got a weird family, Naruto." Shukaku pointed out as Naruto lightly chuckled at that remark.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way. Speaking of which, where's your sister?" He questioned the three as he looked around, not able to find Ruby.
"She's over at Strawberry Productions with Kana and Mem. Apparently, they still haven't decided on who should be the lead girl." Aqua answered. He understood the importance of choosing the right girl to be the lead girl in an Idol group. After all, his mother was the face of her group. When people talked about her group, they talked about her.
"Oh! I wonder who they will pick!" Ai questioned. Between the three of them, she honestly didn't know who to pick. One would assume that she would pick her own daughter and while she loved her daughter and supported her in her endeavors, she wanted the best girl to take the spot.
"Oh? Not going to root for Ruby?" Naruto questioned as she shook her head.
"Ruby will make a great Idol; I know it for sure. I'll let the three of them decide who is best suited for the role." She answered truthfully.
"What the hell is an Idol?" Shukaku chimed in. He had heard that word being thrown around a bit, but still had no idea what it meant. Ai bonked him in the head with a ladle she had in her hand.
"Language." She said with a sweet smile. The Tailed Beast scoffed at that but seeing her sweet smile made him reconsider what he was going to say.
"An Idol is a singer and dancer. A live performer if you will." Minato tried to explain, not sure how to explain something so mainstream to a creature that was hundreds of years old. Shukaku tried to comprehend that. All he had ever known was either a life of solitude or being stuck in a seal.
"I… don't get it." Shukaku responded honestly. If it didn't involve fighting, he didn't know much about it.
"I know! What if we showed you what an Idol is rather than trying to explain it? That will make more sense!" Sapphire reasoned, to which Aqua agreed. It was easier to show rather than to tell at times.
"Remember kids, just don't take him outside." Naruto warned them. He'd rather the world not know the existence of Tailed Beasts. Human nature was a fickle thing and after all the Tailed Beasts had gone through, he'd rather they never be used as weapons again.
"Can we tell our friends?" Sapphire pleaded, but Naruto shook his head.
"No, Hime. It's not that I don't trust your friends, but the less people know about Tailed Beasts, the better. Unless it's family, I don't want the existence of Tailed Beasts to be known." He said with finality. Sapphire pouted but nodded in understanding. She understood why her father would want to keep their existence a secret; much in the same way he had wanted them to keep Chakra a secret.
"Come on Tanuki-san, let's go watch some of mama's old performances!" Sapphire said with a giggle as she wanted out of the living room. Aqua and Minato followed after her, wanting to have a chance at interacting with a Tailed Beast.
"Naruto!" Shukaku's shout rang throughout the hallway as he was taken away by Sapphire, much to the blonde's amusement.
"That was mean." Ai stated but Naruto shook his head.
"Shukaku was getting annoying in my head. And besides, he might act all tough and strong on the outside, but on the inside, he's just a big softie, like Kurama." Naruto explained with a sigh. Knowing that the Tailed Beasts didn't die and that eventually, they would all return put his mind at ease.
"Are you okay?" She questioned him in worry. In return, he shot her a smile.
"Never better." He answered. Knowing the fact that his friend and his siblings were fine was a relief.
"Good, then help me make some food. I have no idea what Tailed Beasts eat." She stated causing him to blink.
"They don't eat." He answered causing her to raise an eyebrow.
"Like, nothing at all?" She questioned him. She had always assumed that they ate something.
"No. They are a mass of Chakra given sentience. They aren't exactly living creatures in the normal sense." Naruto explained as much as he could. Back home it would be a given, but explaining what Tailed Beasts and Chakra were, even to his wife, could be difficult at times since the level of understanding was drastically different.
"You still need to help me make some food. Sap-chan wanted ramen, and I have to start preparing for lunch anyways." She said as Naruto chuckled and walked up to her and gave her a quick kiss.
"Dear, I'd never say no to you, you know that. Now let's go make some food." He replied causing her to giggle at his words. Of course, he'd help. It was these simple things that made their day.
"And any other women that you managed to woo that I should know of?" She questioned him out of the blue as he almost tripped before chuckling nervously. Having matured and knowing what it meant to love someone, looking back he realized just how many girls he had unknowingly wooed.
"Well, um, there was this priestess." He started causing Ai to stop and look at him with a blank look.
"First you managed to make a princess fall in love with you, and then a priestess. What's next, a queen?" She questioned him as Naruto stayed silent, recalling a memory of his.
"Well…" Technically Sara was a Queen. That episode of his life was weird given that his father had sealed his and Yamato's memories. But no seal could last forever.
"…" Ai looked at him blankly while Naruto chuckled sheepishly. He hadn't realized just how many girls had managed to fall for him until now.
"Guess you were a real heartbreaker." She said with a sigh before she smiled and walked up to him and got on her toes, bringing her head next to his ear.
"But I managed to tame the maelstrom." She whispered into his ear before giving him a light kiss on the cheek before she pulled back and giggled at his shocked expression.
"I can't blame all those girls for falling for you. After all, you are one-of-a-kind, Naru-kun, but you are mine now, so never forget that!" She pointed at him with determination to which he dumbly nodded. Of course, he's hers. He belonged with her and no one else.
"And I am yours." She declared, a light blush settling on her face. It felt so cheesy to say that, but that is how she felt. Nothing could tear them apart.
Well, that's it for now! It's not exactly the 'mega chapter' that people might have been assuming, but hey, it's about 9k words and that's not that bad. I personally don't understand how people can read 20k-long single chapters. I just can't. I think that 10k and maybe 13k is a good number so that people don't stress out their eyes for too long lol.
Anyways, I'll see you all next month for this chapter! Oh, and before I forget. I know someone was asking for the TvTrop page for this story and I kept forgetting to put it in again. So, here it is; tvtropes pmwiki / / Fanfic / ShatteringLies
Just make sure to remove all the spaces since FanFiction doesn't like links. Have fun!
