Author's Note:

I have been toying around with this for some time now and want to test the waters with it.

This is the sequel to All The King's Men. Obito is not the junior big bad in this story. Naruto and Sasuke have enemies in and outside of Hi no Kuni and are willing to destroy everything if it means killing the Uchiha.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I am a fan who looks at plot holes and says, "Hmm, I can probably do something with that."

Chapter One: Before

Standing in the surf with the wind ruffling his close-cropped sun bright blond hair and the sun beating down on his bare chest and shoulders, Uchiha Naruto, Sixth Hokage of Konoha, watched with a critical eye as his four eldest boys raced across the surface of the sea as easily if they were running on land.

They had come to Wave Country for a vacation and to give their boys a chance to rest before the Chunin Exam.

Samuru and Raidon had passed their exams four and three years before, and now it was Jiraiya and Yuudai's turn. Since the boys were so close in age, and Dai just happened to be a bit more talented than Ji, the pair entered the Academy in the same year.

Neither Sasuke nor Naruto made much of a fuss about this, but the same could not be said for the students and staff who cheered for another Uchiha prodigy in Dai. Dai developed his Sharingan at age six and showed talent with elemental jutsu beyond fire-based jutsu.

But Ji was talented in the least. Ji was a taijutsu phenomenon. He developed his Sharingan around age ten out of sheer will and determination. He had trained with Tsunade and Naruto until he was placed in the cell with Rock Lee as his instructor. Thankfully, the kid did not end up sporting a bowl cut in a green jumpsuit. For all his madness, Lee was a talented fighter and good teacher to his genin.

Dai ended up with Kakashi as his instructor.

All the boys were trained in the Uchiha fighting style and knew their fire techniques, and Suigetsu was their sword master.

"Kaa-san!" A sweet, girlish voice called from behind him. Naruto turned away from the sea to squat down to catch a pretty dark-haired little girl before she could throw herself against his legs.

"Na, Mina-chan," rumbled Naruto's husband's deep, smoky voice. "Why did you run away from Mine?"

Uchiha Minako Nao, the only daughter of the ever-growing Uchiha clan, was as beautiful and precious as her name implied. She had long black hair and a large pale violet that looked pink in the light. She was only four years old and the last child for them.

Sasuke never got his blond child, but he was okay with having a daughter, a Princess whom the people of their land loved shortly after her birth was announced.

Naruto pressed a kiss to the little girl's hair before he put her down at his feet. Just as she made to dart towards the water, a clone of Naruto swept the giggling child up and carried her towards the sea.

Three more clones of the Hokage suddenly appeared along the beach to watch his children while Naruto went forward to meet his husband.

Sasuke Uchiha still cut an impressive figure for a man approaching forty. He was tall, with a warrior's body and a shinobi's reflexes. There was a bit of gray at his temples, a sign that his position as Daimyo was not as carefree as his predecessors, but Naruto thought it made him look more distinguished, if not more handsome.

Sasuke smiled fondly as he reached up to remove the mirrored sunglasses Naruto was wearing before he leaned down to kiss his husband's smiling lips.

"Good morning, my love," Sasuke said against his lips. "You had left our bed before I was awake."

Naruto hummed before replying, "The little ones were awake and pestering their brothers to wake us up." He pressed a quick kiss to Sasuke's mouth, then another that was a bit longer, wetter, and more desperate because he missed his husband after a long week in Mist working out the schematics for the next Chunin Exam.

Their long-suffering nanny, Mine, stepped on the beach with Sasuke and Naruto's two youngest sons: Eight-year-old Kaito and six-year-old Asa.

Their twins, Itachi and Uzumaki, were building a sandcastle away from the water with their cousin, Akihiko, napping beside them on his own blanket and umbrella, protecting the young man from the sun.

Naruto rested against his husband before he snatched his glasses away from Sasuke. With a turn, Naruto threw a Rasengan out towards his sons on the water, watching them dodge it easily. Sam conjured his own, and suddenly, the game changed out on the water as Sam and Rai charged at their younger brothers. A clash of wooden swords and against training kunai caused Toshiro, seated on his own towel on the opposite side of Akihiko, to look up from his book with a slight frown.

"Shiro-chan," Naruto called out teasingly, which earned him a sour look from the boy. "I am going to catch our supper; come join me." To his credit, Naruto did not jump when Sasuke squeezed one of his ass cheeks. He smiled up at Sasuke before he moved away and was joined by Shiro, who was carrying a line of wire Naruto had brought along.

"Okasan," Shiro complained as Naruto threw an arm over his shoulders, "You and tou-san are so disgusting."

Naruto clicked his tongue before smiling. "When you find the love of your life, you will spend all of your children's lives disgusting them with your public displays of affection. And embarrassing your children by showing said future brats how much you love them in public." He said before pressing a kiss to Shiro's wild black hair.

Shiro pouted, but he did not shrug his mother off. He smiled, leaned against his mother, and told him about the latest book he was reading. Naruto listened, even if some of it went over his head, and when they got to their fishing spot, Shiro talked about his classes at the civilian school he attended in the village now that he was out of the Academy. Shiro didn't want to be a shinobi; he loved learning and mathematics more than anything.

He was still talented, as all their children were, but he didn't want to kill. Sasuke, as his father, could accept that, but as head of the Uchiha clan and daimyo of Land of Fire, he had to discuss this with the shinobi council and the other shinobi clans. Next year, Shiro will compete in the Chunin exam. If he earned the rank of Chunin, he could retire.

That was the only compromise the Council and the clans would accept. Naruto would have killed them all for what they were doing to his child, but as the other father of Shiro and, technically, Sasuke's "seishitsu" (wife), he could not speak on behalf of his son. And as Hokage, Naruto could not show preference for any of the shinobi clans, even his own.

To protect their son, Sasuke and Naruto trained him. They were relentless with their unconventional methods. It's like fishing with only wire and jutsu. Shiro stopped talking about his classes to watch his kaa-san demonstrate using a nin needle that he guided through the water and into the fish's gill, which pulled the fish out of the water. It took most of the afternoon for Shiro to catch enough fish to feed them all, and the boy was exhausted when they returned to shore. Naruto carried the sleeping boy on his back—the fish he sent back with some clones.

Their family was at the beach house they had been staying in for the month. The Land of Water's Daimyo had loaned them the property for their holiday. He went on about the Uzumaki clan, honor, and deep routed connections.

It was a nice place. It is quiet and well-fortified. The fish was taken to their chef, and Naruto dropped Shiro in his room before he went to his and Sasuke's rooms for a quick shower.

Shiro was up in time for supper.

There was no talk of training or mission at their table. Akihiko, now twenty-four, was ready to marry in three months.

His bride-to-be was Naruto's student, Ima Gushiken. Naruto had no idea how it happened, but it did happen, and now, two years later, and after an intense courtship, their oldest boy was getting married.

Sam and Rai were mercilessly teasing their cousin about him giving up his freedom to be tied down to one woman for the rest of his life. Akihiko shared a look with his uncle. Sasuke had waited less than a year before he married Naruto, and Itachi had not known Akihiko's mother a full hour before he married her.

"Do you think I should leave your okasan for someone?" Sasuke countered.

"Say yes," Naruto laughed.

"Tou-san," Sam chided, "You have told us all our lives that Kaa-san is ours to protect. That means you can't make him unhappy."

"So cruel you have become in your old age, Otosan, to tease our fair kaa-san," Rai drawled as he nudged Ji, who snorted while trying to stop his laughter. "You can never find another person who could survive our wraith should they attempt to usurp our kaa-san place."

"What we would do would be worse than anything you could ever think doing, tou-san," Sam told him.

"Bet," Ji said around a mouthful of rice and fish.

"Boys," Naruto growled, "Leave tou-san alone."

"No, Naru, it's fine." Sasuke waved him off. He met each son's gaze, "I am not afraid of you brats. Do your worst."

"Are you going to try to step out on our kaa-san?" Sam demanded.

"Too late, brats," Sasuke smirked.

"Sasuke!" Naruto was trying not to laugh. His boys were reaching for whatever could serve as a weapon.

"Who…" Sam was almost on his feet.

Maki slammed his hands on the table and pointed his dinner knife at his father. "Da-da, what the hell…"

Itachi groaned with his head in his hands. "Maki! We are twelve now. You need to stop calling tou-san 'Da-da.' It's embarrassing."

"Sasuke, stop teasing these children," Naruto growled.

"Kaa-san, Maki said a bad word again." Mina tattled.

"Maki, you idiot, "Da-da" is talking about us." Shiro sneered.

"Shut up, Shiro!" Maki snapped at his brother.

"Boys!" Naruto yelled. "There will be no fighting at the dinner table. Shiro, don't insult your brother. Maki, don't swear before me and your father. Mina do not tattle, and Sasuke. Sasuke, stop fucking with my kids. You keep it up, and I will kick your ass."

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone stared at the blond man glaring at the daimyo before Mina turned to Sasuke and said, "Tou-san, kaa-san said two bad works, and he's gonna kick your ass."

And happy chaos reigned for the rest of their holiday. It was only a month later everything would change for them.