Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

A/N: To answer a question posed by a reader, Little Sakura (Spider/Sarina's daughter) is a completely different person from the Sakura that went back in time and had all this stuff happen to her. Sarina's distorted view of life was Sakura centric. She saw Sakura as her foil. Sarina was really unhappy and had a hard life. She saw Sakura as someone who was really lucky and had everything handed to her. She wanted her daughter to have a life like Sakura. She did not want her daughter to end up like her. So even if she grew up hating Sakura, Sakura was her basis of comparison for happiness. So she named her daughter Sakura too. And since Sarina wanted nothing more than to be claimed by her father, she gave her daughter his last name.

Hope that clears up any confusion.

Chapter 59: New Beginnings Part I

Flashback

She stared up at his face. He had his thinking face on. That was a very promising sign. He was taking this seriously.

"You understand what's happening today, right Naruto?" She asked him, watching for any changes to his expression.

He nodded his head.

"And you're okay with what's happening, Naruto?" Minato asked him the follow-up question. His expression was not all that different from Sakura's.

He nodded his head. His face broke out into a grin. "You bet, dattebayo! I'm so excited!"

His energy was infectious. It momentarily stilled the butterflies in her stomach.

"Okay, try your best to focus really hard in class today. I know you can do it."

"We'll be back with your new sister by the time you get home." Minato smiled at the boy.

Sakura looked around Naruto's room. They had taken out his desk and added another bed. The red sheets with white polka dots drew the eyes in. Three stuffed animals - a bunny, a pig, and a cat - were guarding the pillows. She took in the colorful paper flowers and garlands of paper cranes they had hung on the walls and from the ceiling respectively. She hoped it was welcoming enough.

"It looks fine without the twinkle lights," Minato read her mind.

"Really? I feel like they would make everything more whimsical and warm," she tilted her head to the side.

"We can put them up in the new house, in her room if she wants them." Minato gave his pragmatic response. It sounded reasonable enough to her.

"Right," she rose to her feet and brought her hands to her hips. "Have a good day at school Naruto." She put her hand on his head.

"Okay!" He hugged her around the middle. He ran to the door with ample excitement. Sakura was not convinced that his feet touched the ground, not even once.

Minato handed the baby to Sakura. She followed them to the front door.

He looked at his mother. "Mama," his face was serious. "I have to tell Manato a secret."

"No stalling Naruto," Minato said with a frown. They were running a little behind as is.

"I'll be fast," he looked at his parents with earnest eyes.

"Okay," Minato hosted Naruto up in his arms.

Naruto leaned forward. His lips were centimeters from Manato's ears. He covered his mouth with his hand.

"The birthday wish we made together came true, Manato. We're getting our sister today." He said in a whisper.

Manato blinked at him slowly.

Naruto was grinning ear to ear as he leaned back. "All done." He looked at his father expectantly.

"Alright then," Minato lowered him onto the ground. "Say bye, Naruto." Minato opened the door.

"Bye, Manato." Naruto waved at the baby. "Bye, Mama."

"Bye, Naruto." Sakura smiled as she waved. She leaned against the doorframe as father and son walked to the academy.

"What did he tell you, Manato?" Sakura looked down at the baby. Manato stared back at her with matching eyes. "Playing it cool, I see." she chuckled to herself.

End of Flashback

Flashback

A tiny spec of orange and yellow light rose higher and higher in the dark night as the current carried it along.

Five faces were looking up watching the lantern's progression. A blond boy was sitting on a blond man's shoulders. A girl with pink hair was standing between the blond man and the pink-haired woman. She held one of their hands in one of hers. The pink-haired woman was holding a blond-haired baby - no more than seven months old - with his face out to the world. They waited some minutes after the lantern had long disappeared behind the clouds before turning towards their home.

The wind gently at their backs.

End of Flashback

Flashback

Naruto took four steps forward toward the deep gray stone. His eyes moved from left to right as he read each letter.

Uchiha Shisui

His heart raced a little as he remembered the last time he saw the man just last year when he turned five. He placed a single deep blue hydrangea on his grave marker.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san." He dipped his head. "I promise to work really hard to be strong and brave so I can protect people just like you did." His face was full of solemn determination.

"That was really beautiful, Naruto." Sakura smiled at him softly when he came to stand by her. Naruto nodded his head.

"Kura," Sakura looked at the timid expression of the young girl. She was holding a blue hydrangea flower in her hand too. "It's okay if you don't want to."

The girl shook her head. Her shoulder-length pink locks - kept out of her face with a red bow - danced around her face. "I want to." She looked up at Sakura with big eyes.

"Would you like to go with me and Manato?" Sakura asked her gently.

Kura looked at Sakura as she pondered the question.

She nodded her head. "Yes, Obasan."

Sakura held out a hand for her. She took it. Sakura led the girl, herself, and the one-year-old on her hip toward the marker. She smiled encouragingly at the girl. Kura lowered her flower next to where Naruto had placed his.

"Thank you for helping Naruto." She bowed her head. She walked slowly to rejoin her brother. She put her hand in his.

Sakura looked over her shoulder at them. Seeing them together was a momentary reprieve from the heaviness that weighed down her heart. She turned back to the spot where the teenager who had saved her son was buried.

"Shisui-kun," she licked her lips. Her voice had fluctuated slightly. "Thank you so much." Words seemed hollow and cheap. What could she say? Because of him, she did not have to die a little every day. Because of him she still had her son. She was grateful. Eternally so.

"Your mother is doing better," Sakura dusted off some of the dirt from his gravestone with a handkerchief. "She started up at the hospital a few months ago. Itachi-kun convinced her to give it a try. He thinks it will be good for her. Give her something to fill her days with."

She took a breath for composure. "Today is a hard day, for her and for a lot of people. She's working up to coming to see you." A tear slid down her face. "She'll get there." She smiled sadly. "Itachi-kun and Mikoto are looking after her. You don't have to worry." She touched her hand to the top of the marker.

Manato moved his hand holding the flower up and down. She smiled as she gently took it from him. She added it to the other two.

"Thank you, Shisui-kun." She said before she rose to her feet.

She looked at the hands of Naruto and Little Sakura. They each still had a flower. They still had one more grave to visit, their last of three. Yet another child to thank. Because without her, there would be no Manato and no Sakura.

'Yuki-chan,' a smiling face with green hair and purple eyes appeared in her mind.

It was only when they had expressed their sentiments of gratitude that the four of them joined Minato who was right at the edge of where the cemetery started. He had expressed his thanks alone and before any of the children had woken up. He had to be at work early today for the anniversary of the attack. The memorial had been a solemn affair. The loss was still profound and the village was still recovering.

Little Sakura was the first to greet him. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Dad, you're here!"

"I'm here, Kura." He smiled at her as he ruffled her hair.

"Dad!" Naruto latched onto his side.

"Naruto," his eyes crinkled. "Happy Birthday, son."

Naruto beamed at him. "Can we go eat ramen now?!"

Little Sakura made a face. "I don't like ramen."

Minato chuckled. "We can get ice cream after we get ramen."

"Okay!" Kura cheered in delight.

"I want chocolate!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly.

"I want strawberry!" Kura countered.

His jovial smile melted into a soft expression as Sakura approached the trio.

"Happy Birthday, Manato." He kissed his son's temple. The baby cooed. Minato looked at his daughter and son. "Naruto, Kura lead the way!"

"Right!" Kura took off running.

"I'm going to be faster!" Naruto ran after her shouting promises of being first.

Sakura transferred Manato to Minato's awaiting arms. She slipped her hand into his.

"Ramen and ice cream? You're spoiling them," Sakura shook her head good-naturedly as she scolded him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He touched his lips to her forehead.

"Me neither," she said with a great deal of contentment.

"How did it go?" Minato asked her in a neutral tone.

"It went well, I think. Kura didn't really say much. I don't know if that was because of me or if she really didn't know what to say." Sakura answered in a somber tone.

"She doesn't have many memories of her mother, maybe she just didn't have anything to say." His cobalt eyes regarded her.

"Maybe," she leaned against him. "We're doing the right thing, right?"

"I think we are. The truth has a way of always coming out," his eyes tracked the movements of the two children running further and further away. "It's best if she knows from the start."

"You're right."

This was not the first time they had this discussion. It probably would not be the last either. She appreciated his candor and his patience. It would only get harder from here. One day Little Sakura would ask more questions about what happened to her mother and one day they would have to tell her the whole truth. All of it. Not just the version with numerous omissions that they had given her.

She was worried about that day. She did not look forward to that day. Her heart twisted in her chest every time she thought about that day. It was looming over them. It was looming over her. Little Sakura never had a father figure in her life. Even the neighbor who had been caring for her was an elderly widow, the same age as her grandmother. Little Sakura took to Minato immediately. She was smitten with him. Just as much as he was with her. Little Sakura had been slower to welcome her. She had been given stories of her mother by her grandmother. Little Sakura had an image, a picture in her head of what her mother was like. Sakura did not line up with that.

She could not help but worry that when Little Sakura was old enough when she finally did know the whole truth about her mother she would resent her. Just like Sarina had resented Sakura. She did not think her heart could handle something like that. It would be a devastating blow if Little Sakura rejected her. Or worse, ended up hating her.

She felt her hand being squeezed. She looked up in surprise at a pair of warm, patient, and understanding cobalt eyes.

"Hi," he smiled at her gently.

"Hi," she squeezed his fingers.

"Welcome back."

"She spared him a small smile in thanks.

"Give it time. It's going to be okay. We're going to be okay." The conviction he held in his belief was cutting through the muddledness of her thoughts.

She nodded her head. She felt better. Who was she to argue with such steadfastness? Not that she wanted to anyway.

"Ma! Ma!" Manato screeched, his big smile revealing a pair of baby teeth on the bottom. He pointed a chubby finger towards the stall that had just come into view. Naruto and Kura were inside arguing over which seat to take in the booth. Neither were using their indoor voices.

Sakura kissed Manato's chubby cheek. He flailed his hands in excitement.

"That's right, birthday boy. Ramen. Let's go eat."

"Let's go eat," Minato said as the three of them ducked under the white curtain at the entrance.

Teuchi greeted them warmly.

End of Flashback

A screech rattled all the windows of the house. The woman with long red hair secured in a low ponytail sighed deeply as she turned and put the plate of breakfast in front of a man with salt and pepper hair. Both were unfazed by the scream. A calico cat with bright green eyes licked herself clean on the couch completely unbothered. It helped that she was deaf.

"Thank you, honey." Joben smiled up at Kushina. He folded his newspaper and set it down next to him. She patted his shoulder before she turned back to the counter. She set down two more plates.

"Mom!" The owner of the irate voice stomped down the stairs, she took two at a time. "Have you seen my crochet halter top? It's white and super cute."

Kushina did not look up as she pulled a chair for herself. "No Karin. I haven't seen it. Have you checked the floor of your room maybe?" Kushina asked her helpfully.

Tukiko took a bite of her toast. She tossed her long black hair over her shoulder seemingly disinterested in her sister's distress.

"It's not there!" Karin's tone was full of anguish. "I just bought it too. The tag was still on it!" Karin pressed her hands to her face. She readjusted her glasses in a huff.

Joben peered over his cup of coffee. "Was the tag green with a white flower?"

Karin looked at him with hope. "Have you seen it?"

"I returned it." He stated simply as he took a sip.

"Dad?!" Karin shrieked. "How could you?" She asked with indignation.

"It came halfway on Mochi. I know that because I checked." He showed them the cuts on his arms. Mochi stretched on the couch. "There's no way that top should have been sold to a 12-year-old girl." He said gruffly. "I gave the shopkeeper a piece of my mind."

Kushina shook her head. She rested her chin in her palm as she waited for the implosion.

"Dad!" Karin groaned. "Why are you ruining my life?! What am I supposed to wear now?" Karin stomped back up the stairs.

"Honey?" Kushina looked at Joben with amusement in her violet eyes. "Can you please try to not ruin our daughter's life?"

"You give me too much credit. I haven't even finished my coffee yet," Joben said with a grunt.

"Was I that bad at twelve?" Tukiko looked at her parents.

"No," Joben answered a little too quickly. Kushuina glared at him.

"You were more broody and less screamy," Kushina answered with a smile. She chewed. "Both of you like to challenge us in different ways."

"Why is she so worked up anyway?" Joben scratched his cheek. "She's just seeing the same people she always does."

Tukiko and Kushina exchanged looks. "You're so cute, Joben-kun." Kushina patted his hand. "But so dumb." She kissed his cheek as he scowled.

"Sasuke is going to be there." Tukiko reminded Joben. "That's why she's losing her mind." She twirled a long strand of hair in between her fingers. "Not that he will notice what she's wearing anyway."

"I don't get it," Joben said with a frown.

"Get what, sweetie?" Kushina asked him with a raised brow.

"The hype with that kid, why everyone goes crazy for him." He said as he took another bite of his breakfast.

"Dad, are you really saying you don't understand pre-teen girl crushes?" Tukiko asked him in a less-than-impressed tone. "Shocker," she rolled her eyes.

"What happened to my sweet girls?" Joben asked Kushina.

"They grew up. That's what happened." Kushina said with deep sympathy. "Wait until they start actually dating."

"No, I am going to pretend you didn't say that." He pushed away his plate. He suddenly lost his appetite. He had some knives and swords he needed to sharpen. That always made him feel better.

Kushina laughed. "It's just around the corner." She looked at Tukiko. "I, for one, can't wait."

Joben stared at her moodily. "Traitor," he whispered. "All I ask is that she gets over the Uchiha kid and finds someone actually nice like Itachi or Naruto-kun. That Choji kid is good too. Lee is a hard worker." Joben wiped his mouth with a napkin.

Kushina stepped on his foot. Tukiko had gone bright red at the mention of a certain name. Joben cringed as he remembered.

"Gross, Dad." Karin came to sit down at the table. "Naruto's like my brother." She gagged. "Besides, Ino-chan likes him. She said she's going to marry him."

Kushina chuckled and shook her head. She strangely shipped them. She preferred Naruto with Ino over the only other girl who showed him any interest.

"Lee and Kura would make a great couple," Karin grinned. "You should tell her that Lee's a great guy, Dad."

Kushina frowned. "Are you being mean?" Sometimes it was hard to tell with Karin.

Karin held up her hands. "Why would you think that?"

"You were just making fun of his eyebrows yesterday with Ino." Kushina looked at her suspiciously.

"Maybe she's into that kind of thing," Karin said innocently.

Kushina scoffed. She knew very much for a fact that Sakura - both of them - were really not into thick eyebrows.

"Don't fall for it, Dad. She's just trying to push Kura-chan out of the way." Tukiko rolled her eyes at her sister's very transparent attempt at manipulating their father.

"Even I saw through that one," Joben said in an unimpressed manner.

"Remember girls, stalking and obsession are not love. It's not healthy." Kushina peered closely at the twelve-year-old and fifteen-year-old sitting across from her.

"Didn't Dad stalk you all the way from Iron?" Karin deadpanned as she put her face in the palm of her hand.

"He did," Tukiko said with a definitive nod.

"He did not," Kushina set the record straight. "We had a rapport. We wrote letters to each other for years. It was all very romantic." She sighed dreamily.

"Same difference," Karin waved her hand dismissively. "Besides what Sasuke and I have is real. We've known each other since we were kids. I was the first one to hold his hand."

"You are kids," Tukiko threw back.

"Are you implying that what your Dad and I have isn't real?" Kushina narrowed her eyes. The defensiveness of her tone was not hard to pick up on at all.

"Karin-chan, I wasn't actually saying Naruto-kun, I'm saying someone like him." Joben rubbed the back of his neck. He tried to return the conversation back to where it was before the detour that caused all this.

"Honey, the more you endorse a guy the less desirable he becomes. Give it a rest." Kushina told him none-to-gently.

"I miss the time when they thought boys were icky," Joben said with a frown.

"The shower drain is clogged again," Karin said flatly. She was eager to change the subject.

"I'll add it to the list." He said with a sigh. He stood up and scraped the leftovers of his breakfast into the trash before he put the dishes in the sink.

"My hero," Kushina got up and kissed him.

"Mom!" Karin shielded her eyes. "Not while we're eating, please."

"I actually agree with her on that. You two are way too old to be doing any of that." Tukiko gestured vaguely in their direction.

Kushina smirked. She wrapped her arms around Joben's neck. He snaked an arm around her waist.

"Does this bother you?" Kushina asked them obnoxiously right before kissing him again and for longer.

"Whatever," Karin refrained from looking at them. She was used to their antics. "Will Kura be there?" She asked with disdain.

"Well, seeing how she is on the same team as Sasuke I would say the odds are high," Joben said flatly.

Karin sank in her chair. "Why is Ojisan being an obstacle in my love story with Sasuke?" She asked woefully.

Kushina rolled her eyes at the melodrama. Joben looked like he was about to lose his breakfast.

Tukiko snorted. "They are just a better-balanced team. No team needs two Narutos. And Kura-chan can at least form coherent sentences around Sasuke. She calls him out too when he's being a huge jerk to Naruto-kun." It only happened the one time but it was still one more time than Karin ever did.

"Kiko-oneechan!" Karin brought her hands to her heart. "Why do you have to call me out like that? And in front of them?"

Kushina and Joben exchanged offended looks. "Them?" Kushina asked her with a scoff.

Karin smiled sweetly at her parents.

"You should be focusing on your training not wasting your time thinking about crushes," Tukiko said with harshness in her tone.

Kushina frowned. "There's no reason you can't do both, that goes for either of you." She softened her expression when she looked at Karin. "Your training should come first though, Karin-chan. Staying alive and keeping your teammates alive is your number one priority when out on a mission. Sai and Daiki are counting on you to be at your best, just like you count on them to be."

"I know," Karin looked at her plate of food. "I can't believe Kura gets to go on a mission first. And it's a week-long one! It's totally not fair. She gets to do all the fun stuff just because her dad's the Hokage."

Joben and Kushina exchanged looks. "Karin-chan you know that's not the reason why," Joben began. "Their sensei felt they were ready. That's why they are the first in your genin group to go on a mission like this."

"Your turn will come soon enough. Just you wait," Kushina added gently.

"I know," Karin repeated in the same fashion. She sighed. "I'll train harder. Happy, Kiko-oneechan?" She shot her sister a look.

"Eat your breakfast," Tukiko told her curtly. Karin pouted but complied.

"Have you given the Chunin exam any more thought, Tukiko-chan?" Joben asked the eldest sister.

"Yakumo-chan says she wants to give it a try as well as Hiro-kun. Sensei says we're ready so I'm going to do it. Can we train after the sendoff, Dad?" Tukiko up at him with enthusiasm.

"Of course, the shop can open late today." He grinned. "It is a special day."

Kushina rested her head on his shoulder. "A lot of firsts happening today."

"More change," Joben said reflectively.

Kushina grinned. "It will be fine. Things have been too quiet around here. A shakeup is just what we need."

"You're unstable," Joben shook his head in disbelief at her perspective.

"You like me just the way I am." She winked at him.

"I like you just the way you are." Joben grinned before kissing her.

"Mom! Dad! Seriously?" Karin asked in exasperation.

"Barf," Tukiko added for effect.

She brought the spoonful of milk and cereal to her mouth and chewed slowly. The fourteen-month-old on her lap grabbed another round circle piece of cereal with wet fingers and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed loudly as he flailed his hands back and forth in excitement. He babbled happily.

She dodged his arms as she continued to read through the open scroll in front of them. It was covered in cereal dust and a little bit of drool but it was still in one piece so she took it as a win. She still had a lot to review.

"Is that for the samurai training program?" Kakashi asked her with a weird undertone to his otherwise usual nonchalant manner of speaking.

"It is, we're having a lecture on using herbs and plants to help expedite healing times for broken bones. I'm just brushing up. One of the returning graduates had a question that I couldn't answer last time. I wanted to make sure I remembered correctly before I said anything. I was right." She looked pleased with herself. "I'll share it with them today."

"Was it the tall one?" Kakashi kept his tone neutral.

Shizune looked up from the scroll. "The tall one?" She raised a brow.

Kakashi crossed his arms. "You know who I'm talking about."

Shizune's brows were now bunched together. "I really don't."

Kakashi sighed. "The tall one with the ridiculous yellow and teal hair. He carried a stack of books for you yesterday."

"He was being nice and helpful." She shrugged dismissively, not understanding why he was so worked up - by his standards.

Kakashi scoffed. "Right, helpful." His intentions were not altruistic, Kakashi was not a betting man but if he were he would put his money where his mouth was.

The surprise on her face transformed into something else. She opened her mouth and accepted the piece of cereal that their son was shoving against the corner of her lips. It was wet. She made a face as she worked it down.

"Do you want to tell me what this is about?" She pinned him in place with her dark eyes.

"I don't like him," he said outright. He hated himself for even saying it.

"You don't even know him." Shizune countered.

Kakashi inwardly cursed. He hated the training program. Unfortunately, it was a hit, so much so that Konoha and the Land of Iron had just extended it another five years. They had even added a class in the academy that was all about swordsmanship. Joben taught it twice a week and the various samurai that were in the hospital classes often ended up being guest speakers of sorts. His twins, much to his dismay, were incredibly excited to take the class once they were old enough.

In the program, Shizune's classes were one of the most popular. She, herself, was one of the most popular among the students that had passed through the program over the years and she was completely oblivious to it all. Or she did not see the same issues he did if she did notice.

"I know him enough," he said through tight lips. He knew his type.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" She asked him with waning patience.

"I trust you, I don't trust him and those like him." He put his thoughts into spoken words. He was not the jealous type. He really was not. But he was also human. Seeing the attention she received, sometimes even from a younger demographic hurt his ego a little bit every now and then. He certainly did not appreciate overhearing some of her students discussing the various parts of her they liked best.

No one dared to breathe a word like that about Rin. The sad truth was that was only the case because she was married. It was open knowledge. She even wore a ring when she was not looking at patients, hence when teaching the classes. The Uchiha clan emblem she wore on her clothes further helped keep foreign lips sealed when it came to making comments about her. Her relationship status got more respect than Shizune's. It was unfair but that was just how the world worked. Rin was claimed in a court of law. Shizune was not.

He supposed that was his fault. They supposedly did things out of order. She had children out of wedlock. The samurai came from a more rigid culture and upbringing. They were not as open-minded. Even people from Konoha had their opinions on the topic. Very vocal ones. People were to talk. Even if Shizune was not bothered by the suggestive and rude comments about supposed looseness, he was not. He was very much bothered by the slander.

"Kakashi, sweetheart," she looked at him. "Between you, the kids, work, your genin team - who I adore, even Sasuke-kun because Kami knows it's hard to love that kid sometimes - and Rin-chan's and Obito-kun's kids, I'm at capacity. I don't have the time or the energy to cheat on you, much less the desire. The only thing I fantasize about is getting uninterrupted sleep. That's it."

The twins had taken to sleeping in their bed lately because the toddler did so it was only fair if they did it too. Their life was a lot right now. She just wanted one night where she was not being kicked in the back, poked, or touched throughout the night.

"I trust you Shizune," he repeated in a strained voice.

"So why are we talking about this right now? Before your mission of all things." She implored him. Was this really how he wanted to spend his last morning at home before leaving for a week?

"Why not talk about it now?" He could die. He was not too worried about that but it could happen. And if he were to die, he would appreciate knowing that he gave it his all to try to convince her. "Have you given it any further consideration?"

Shizune sucked her teeth. She turned her attention back to the scroll. "We've talked about it. I'm not going to marry you just because people are insinuating things about me. It doesn't bother me."

"Think about how this could affect the twins," he had enough presence of mind to know he was using his children as a shield for her ire.

She glared at him. Even their son stopped babbling. He looked between their faces with a concerned look on his tiny face.

"The comments will just magically stop all because I have a man attached to me?" Shizune asked him with ice in her eyes.

"Yes," he did not back down. "Look at Rin and Sakura-sensei." No one was saying things about them. No one makes passes at them. Their situation was respected by the populace, right or wrong.

Shizune covered the baby's ears with her hands, he stared at her with wide black eyes. "It's bullshit," she narrowed her eyes and spat venom. She lowered her arms back down to the table.

"I agree," he was unphased by her display. "It sucks that the world is the way it is. The twins are in the academy now. It's time we did this." He did not want the other children to mock or tease them for being the only ones with parents who were not married.

"The twins are fine. They made it through one year of the academy without incident. They have a stable home with two doting parents. Some of their classmates have single parents. You yourself were in that category. As was I." She looked at him with a blank face. She was not going to put up with him using the twins as leverage for his argument. "My parents never married. That didn't mean they loved each other any less than anyone else's."

"My parents were married, Shizune." He reminded her of something she needed no reminder for. It was all a tired argument. "It's important to me." He pressed.

"Oh?" She looked at him with feigned surprise. "It's important to you now? All of a sudden? Seven years in?" She cocked her head to the side. "It wasn't so important when we decided to start a family."

She was right. Back then they had both seen the pressure and strain Rin and Obito were under from their proposal miscommunication. They both believed that if they got married - even quietly or secretly - before Rin and Obito did it would impact their relationship with the couple. Fair or not. It was a very real possibility and they had not been willing to risk it. Rin and Obito were simply too important to them. And they did not want Rin and Obito to feel guilty for holding up things for them.

So they decided they would wait to get married. But it was more complicated than that. They both did not want to keep coming back to empty houses and did not want to hold off indefinitely. Life was too short and another day was not guaranteed. They both wanted the same thing. So it seemed like the path to take. So they decided to go for it. Neither of them expected to get pregnant so fast. They both thought it would take a few months if not a year. Shizune had stressed that. They were both young but that was only one of the factors. He decided to trust her expertise on the matter. He had prepared himself. He managed his expectations on the matter. It could take some time. He was okay with that. In fact, a little time would not have been the worst thing in the world. It would have given them more opportunities to practice. He had counted on it taking some time.

But that was not in the cards. Turns out they were both pretty fertile. He let the emotion get to him. He had a sudden change of heart. He had asked her to marry him soon after he found out. Seeing her in his childhood home, working shoulder to shoulder with him to get the place back to a liveable state had shaken something loose. She looked him dead in the eye with a broom in her hands and said no. She told him that Rin and Obito were still not engaged, much less married. And she said that she did not want him to marry her out of a sense of obligation. She had told him they had an agreement and that she was going to stick to it. He went along with it because in that moment all that mattered was being with her. Married or not. He could wait.

Then the Kyuubi attack happened and everything was in shambles. They were both so busy with rebuilding. He was vetting and training the new ANBU along with watching over the Hokage. She was helping heal and rehabilitate patients, running the Land of Iron training program with Rin, and growing two babies inside of her. They hardly had time to rest their heads for five hours a night much less anything else. It had not been the right time for them.

Rin and Obito married one month after the attack. The whole village was invited to attend. It was a beautiful ceremony. It gave the village something to rally around. They announced three months after that that they were expecting. They wasted no time at all. His teammates had everything they wanted. They were so happy. He was happy for them.

Then the twins came and things were even more hectic. They were in survival mode, even with all the help and support they received from Sakura, Kushina, Rin, Obito, and Kurenai. They could barely think of anything that was not an hour out at a time. Rin and Obito's son came nine months to the dot after their wedding. The first three years were really, really rough. A handful of times it felt like they had reached their breaking point but they had survived.

When the twins were four, and they had fallen into a routine, Kakashi was the one to broach the topic. He had been surprised and more than a little disheartened at how quickly and ruthlessly Shizune shot the idea down. He did not have much time to stew in his feelings because, in the same breath she rejected him, she had told him that they were pregnant again. His soul had left his body momentarily. She did not look too enthused either. Apparently, all he had to do was look at her funny during her window and they would have another baby on the way despite both of them taking the necessary precautions to prevent such a scenario.

They welcomed their surprise baby when the twins were five. He referred to his youngest as the surprise baby because she got really, really, really angry when he referred to their youngest as an 'accident' or his personal favorite 'the whoopsie baby'. She did not need to remind him of all the different ways she could make him suffer without anyone knowing. She was not called a poison expert for naught. He even took it a step further by referring to him as such in his head because she had a sixth sense when it came to reading his mind. The cycle of chaos continued for another year.

Now he felt like they were in a good place again. The twins were solid and stable - for the most part. And the baby was now a toddler. It was time, but only he could get her to agree. She was digging in her heels and being stubborn. It did not happen often which made dealing with it all the more irksome. He did not have enough practice to have good form.

He regarded her as she poured herself over the scroll. It was as if he did not even exist. He decided to change up tactics slightly.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" He asked her in a smooth, level voice.

"Yes Dear," Shizune responded without looking up from her reading.

"Shizune," he pressed.

Shizune sighed as she raised her eyes to his. She ignored the raven-haired toddler tugging at her cheeks.

"Kakashi, for the third time, we'll be fine."

He shoved his hands into his pockets as he continued to study her closely for any hints or signs of dishonesty.

"You'll be outnumbered."

"I'm aware but it's been that way for a while now." She gestured to the baby who was babbling happily as he continued to eat his cereal.

"This is different," he said knowing full well that she knew exactly what he was getting at.

Shizune's expression softened. "We'll be okay, Kakashi. It's just a week. Maybe eight days depending on travel conditions. We'll miss you but we'll manage. Asuma-kun and Kurenai-chan will be stopping by throughout the week. Asuma-kun is hoping that some time with the twins and the baby will cure Kurenai-chan's baby fever for a little while. I'm inclined to think it will," Shizune said in a lighthearted tone hoping to elicit a smile from him. She had no such luck.

"Everything will be okay." She reminded him to set his mind at ease. "Guy-san insisted that he would be by every day if his squad didn't get a mission. Is it bad that I'm hoping they get a mission? He always gets the twins so riled up."

Shizune smiled at him in assurance. It did nothing to soften the reluctant nature of his stance.

"Will you be okay?" She asked him with concern, starting to creep up into her expression.

His visible eye crinkled in a manner in which she knew that he was frowning. "You're worried about me?"

"It is your first time being away from home, from the kids for more than a day." She looked at him with understanding in her eyes.

"I'm fine," he said a little too quickly.

"Okay," she turned back to her breakfast. She looked at him as if a thought occurred to her. "Are you worried about the mission?"

He furrowed his brow. "No," he was not being totally honest.

"It's just a simple C-Rank, right?" Her dark eyes stared at him intently.

"Yes," officially he knew that was the case. But he knew it was a lie.

Relief appeared in her eyes. "You can do that in your sleep even with three overzealous genin. You'll be fine." Her face fell. "Why does it feel like I just jinxed you?" She knocked on the wooden table just in case.

He chuckled. Her face lit up in response. "You didn't. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me or the kids."

"A little late for that, Dear." She turned back to her breakfast. A moment of silence passed between them.

"Shizune," he called out for attention again.

"Hm?" She blinked up at him slowly.

"Are you mad?" He asked her evenly.

Shizune's lips pulled into a frown. "No," she looked at him openly. "Why?"

"Are you happy?" His expression became a little strained.

Shizune grabbed the spoon from her son's hand. He was swinging it around like a weapon. She set it to the far end of the table out of his reach.

"Of course I'm happy." She leaned back in her chair and pinned him with an inquisitive expression.

Kakashi sighed. "Then why won't you agree to it?"

Shizune smacked her lips in annoyance. "We've been over this repeatedly, Kakashi. I'm happy. You're happy. We're happy. Why mess with something when it's not broken?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. The change in her stance was rather sudden. He knew who he blamed. Anko, the loudmouth, had planted a seed in her head about how long-term couples divorced after getting married at higher rates than their counterparts. Shizune had been cold to the idea ever since.

He had his own theory as to why Anko would do such a thing. The woman seemed to get a kick out of blatantly making passes at him in front of Shizune and vice versa, seemingly depending on her mood on that particular day. She would always laugh it off and act like she had said or done nothing egregious. She claimed to not like drama but she sure liked to stir up her fair share of it. She was an agent of chaos. Unfortunately, since she was important to Shizune, he had to put up with her very, very reluctantly when he could not get away with avoiding her outright.

"Is this not something you want anymore?" He asked her point blank. He was tired of dancing around the issue. If she really did not want it for real reasons, reasons not rooted in fear, then he would let it go. Once and for all.

"It's not something I need anymore." She admitted slowly. Her dark eyes held his gaze. "I'm happy with where we are, how we are."

"I'm not," he registered the surprise on her face. "I'm tired of calling the woman I share a home, a life, and three children with my girlfriend. It's ridiculous. We're not kids anymore." He ignored the heat that was on his cheeks. He did not know if it was from embarrassment or indignation. It did not matter all too much.

Shizune looked taken aback at his statement. "All this over a label?" She asked him in disbelief.

Kakashi shook his head. "No. All this is over you, over us."

"A piece of paper does not change anything," she shot back as she readjusted the boy to be against her shoulder. "I won't suddenly be more devoted to you just because I signed a piece of paper. Or it won't make it any more difficult to leave. Our lives are intertwined. I don't need a document written by some crusty old man who probably thought women's role was to be a wife and produce children and run a home and keep her mouth shut to tell me that we're committed." She held his gaze. Her eyes were blazing with righteous fury at the unfairness of it all.

"It has no bearing." She added after it became clear that Kakashi was not going to poke the landmine she had set for him. He was too cautious, too smart, and had way too much self-preservation to fall for it. "It means nothing." She punctuated with a sigh.

"My point exactly," he said coolly. "It changes nothing between us and how I feel about you."

Shizune closed her eyes. "No," she shook her head. "We're fine the way we are."

"You're scared," he said impassively.

Her eyes narrowed. "Of course I'm scared." She used her free hand to gesture vaguely around the room. "We've been over this. You know the statistics, the likelihood of divorce for long-term couples after they get married right? The stakes are high. We have a life that I love. I don't want to jeopardize that."

"We're solid. You're happy. I'm happy. Getting married won't change that for the worse. It might even make this better. Who knows?" His eye darted to the clock. He still had some time. Not all day but some.

"It will add pressure," she looked at him with apprehension. "That's one thing we don't need."

"Shizune, I have faith in us." He cleared his throat. "It's important to me," he added evenly despite the fact that his heart was beating rapidly in his chest.

"Which one is it, Kakashi? It's important to you or you are tired of the comments or you want to do it for the kids?" Her words cut through the air.

"Can't it be all three? I am tired of the comments. They are disrespectful to you. That bothers me. I know you're not going to be less likely to leave or I'm less likely to leave just because of a title or status. Sure if we get married and split up it would be harder and slightly more annoying than if we were never married but that's not why I want us to be husband and wife. Not the comments, not the inconvenience. I'm yours, Shizune. I'm not going to leave you. I'm not worried about you leaving me." He paused to gather his rapid thoughts.

"The only way I see myself leaving you is if I die. I would feel much easier going into missions knowing that you had legal protections that came with being my wife if anything were to happen to me. I don't want you to have to jump through hoops to stay in this house and keep our life. I don't want to put that on you. I want the peace of mind that you'll be taken care of in that scenario. That you'll get what is yours. I need to know that."

She stared at him for a painstakingly long time. "Okay," she put another spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

"Okay, what?" He asked her as the dread built up in him. He waited not so patiently as she finished chewing completely.

"It's important to you so we'll do it."

"I'm being practical." He was caught off guard by her sudden change of heart. He did not know if he was being tricked or not.

"I already agreed, Kakashi. You don't need to convince me more. When you get back, we'll get married. We'll go over to the courthouse and get it over with." She said blandly, not looking up from the scroll.

"Get it over with, how romantic." He said with a scoff.

"Do you want to get married or not, Kakashi?" She asked him impatiently. He had two sets of dark eyes looking at him expectantly. Life was not like one of those Icha Icha books that he loved so much. Someone had to rein him in every once in a while.

He swallowed. "I do." He said firmly.

"Great," Shizune said with finality. "Come back in one piece and we'll get married." She tapped her chin. He did not like the gleam in her eye."I'll make an appointment for it. Right after you get a vasectomy."

He froze. "A what?"

She tilted her head to the side and blinked slowly. "Do you want another kid or, Kami forbid, another set of kids?"

"No." He replied instantly.

She covered the toddler's ears again. "Do you want to keep having s-e-x?" She asked him in a very nonplussed manner.

"Yes." He replied just as quickly.

"Then you're getting a vasectomy." She said with finality. She lowered her hands back down and resumed reading her scroll.

It took him a minute to recover. He looked at the raven-haired toddler trying to put his whole foot in his mouth. He hung his head.

"I'm getting a vasectomy." He mumbled in agreement.

Shizune dipped her head further to hide her smile.

"Daddy!" Two sets of voices called out as they each latched onto a leg.

Kakashi stared at the faces of his silver-haired daughter and son. He felt his heart start to soar from the depth his stomach had dropped to.

"Are you going on a mission today?" His dark-eyed daughter asked him. Her short hair was styled into a side ponytail, held together by a hair tie with two navy balls. She took after him in more ways than one.

"I am, Kimi-chan." He brought his hand to rest on her head. She giggled in response to his action. "Be good for Mommy, Kimi-chan, Sakuto-kun." He rested his other hand on his son's head.

The boy pouted. His son's hair was a replica of his own at that age. It was growing straight up and at an angle. Other than the hair, he was all Shizune.

"I'm always good, Kimi is the troublemaker." Kimika stuck her tongue out at him. "See!" He pointed in exasperation.

"No one likes a tattle-tale, Sakuto." Kimi looked down her nose at her slightly older brother - by seven minutes. "Isn't that right, Shisui-chan?" Kimi looked at her younger brother.

"Da!" Shisui, the baby, held out his arms toward Kakashi.

Kakashi walked over and picked him up. "I'll see you when I get back, Shisui-chan." Kakashi breathed in his scent.

Shizune rested her head in her hands as she watched her six-year-old twins bicker. She caught Kakashi's gaze.

"I love you," she mouthed the words.

His heart skipped a beat. His eye told her that he loved her back. He could not wait to get back from the mission and marry the woman next to him. They had put it off long enough.

"Naruto!" The pink-haired and green-eyed twelve-year-old was seething with disgust. "Can you at least pretend that you weren't raised by wolves?"

"I can't help it, Kura-oneechan." Naruto said in between shoveling food into his mouth. "It's so good!" He took a loud breath in. "I want to be well-fed before our first real mission today. You know I can't think straight when I'm hungry."

"You barely can think at all," Kura said with a scoff.

"Kura, be nice to your brother." Sakura looked at the girl with a sharp look.

"Sorry, Mom." Kura looked properly admonished.

"I can think just fine!" Naruto glared at her.

"Your test scores beg to differ." Kura piled on. "What?" She looked at her mother's face. "Am I not allowed to speak the truth now either?"

"If it's not nice it's better to say nothing at all," Minato flipped through the newspaper.

"Yes, Dad." Kura tucked a waist-length pink strand behind her ear.

Minato should have been a little more careful when he wished for a Mini-Sakura, Kura was just that and so much more.

"Is Tsunade-obaachan going to be back soon?" Kura asked her father.

"She'll be back next week," Minato answered. Minato put down the newspaper.

"Are Obaachan and Ojiichan sticking around for a while this time?" Naruto looked at Minato inquisitively.

"They are," he answered with a smile. It was high time their schedule, of one year out of the village and six months in the village, changed. He could not be too upset; they were keeping an eye out for the Akatsuki during their year-long missions. Minato was just happy that Jiraiya finally agreed to take backup. He slept better at night knowing Tsunade was watching Jiraiya's back.

"Finally," Kura said with a sigh. "I want to ask her to take me on as an apprentice. I can't wait to learn from her."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to convince you to learn from me?" Sakura asked her in a tone that was dangerously close to pleading. Kura broke her heart a little every time she mentioned being trained by Tsunade. Minato gave her shoulder a sympathetic squeeze.

"Sorry, Mom. I just think I will respond better under Obaachan. She's not as strict." Kura gave her mother a small smile.

Sakura shrugged. So far Kura had only witnessed laid-back vacation mode Tsunade. She was in for a rather rude awakening when she learned the reality. It was okay. Learning under Tsunade built character.

"It's okay, Mom. I want to learn from you." Manato smiled at her.

"Oh, my sweet, sweet boy." Sakura wrapped him in a hug. She kissed his head.

"Sakura, you're crushing him," Minato said dryly.

Sakura paid him no mind. "Manato's not complaining," she said as she pulled back.

"Manato never complains," Kura deadpanned. She looked at the blond with the green eyes. "Manato what was that Hyuga saying to you? Do I need to beat him up for you?"

"What's happening now?" Minato's ears perked. It was his selective dad hearing making an appearance. He claimed he developed it to keep his sanity. His philosophy was to let Naruto and Kura tire themselves out when they got into one of their back-and-forths. Only they never did tire. It was always Sakura's patience that gave out first.

"A kid has been really mean to Konohamaru and Manato in the academy, he's older like my and Naruto's age," Kura explained. She was struggling to keep her voice in check.

"Oh yeah! I know that jerk. He's on Karin's team." Naruto's eyes blazed. He pounded his fist into his palm. "You just let me know if he gives you any problems Manato. I'll take care of it."

Kura scoffed. "Right, and by that he means me taking care of it."

"We do not use our fists to settle things, we use our words," Minato reminded them firmly. Kura and Naruto settled down instantly. They knew better than to test that tone.

"Is everything alright, Manato?" Sakura asked the youngest member of the Namikaze household. He was unusually quiet, even by his usual standards. Kura and Naruto just took up most of the airspace.

Manato nodded. "I'm okay. Daiki-san just wanted to ask me a question."

Sakura kept a close eye on her son. She had a feeling something else was bothering him. "You know you can tell me anything right?" She asked him quietly as Kura and Naruto were engaged in yet another back and forth.

"I know, Mom." He smiled at her. "I'm okay, I promise." He patted her hand.

"Okay," she bit the inside of her cheek but did not say anything else.

"Hey Kura-oneechan how funny would it be if a bug crawled up your nose when we're sleeping outside for the mission?" Naruto asked her as he grinned from ear to ear. The shaking of his shoulders suggested that he was already picturing it.

"Why you!" Kura got up in her seat.

"Naruto, stop antagonizing your sister." Sakura rubbed her temples. Minato poured her more coffee. She took a big sip. "Got anything stronger?" She asked him only half kidding.

"One week," he grinned at her. Sakura felt herself getting more excited.

"He doesn't even know what that means, Mom!" Kura whined very loudly. "Look at his dopey face."

"I know what that means. Why do you have to be so mean all the time? I was just asking you a question. It could happen." Naruto shot back in irateness.

"Dad, why did you have to put me on a team with Naruto?" Kura's whine worsened.

"Dad, why did you have to put me on a team with Sasuke?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Minato sighed. He exchanged a look with Sakura.

"Your genin team is going to become part of your family. The bond you build with your team will be for life. It's important that each team be well rounded." Sakura reminded them again of the significance of it all. It helped that they were already more or less there.

"Sasuke was the top performing student, Naruto you weren't," Minato ignored Kura's snickers. He cleared his throat. "Kura you show promise as a medical shinobi. The three of you, like your mom said, are a well-balanced team." Minato finished off.

"And I can keep you in line, Naruto. No one else can." Kura flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Kura-oneechan, that hurt my feelings." Naruto pouted. "I'm going to be the best teammate, just you see. I'm going to be Hokage one day just like Dad!"

Minato could not help but feel pride in his chest. Sakura curled her fingers around his knee.

"Well yeah, dummy, I know that. Would it kill you to not be such a knucklehead all the time? That way people will take you more seriously when you tell them about your dream." Kura's expression softened slightly. Naruto brightened instantly. There was a moment of peace.

Sakura did not know if she should correct Kura for calling her brother multiple names when her sentiment was kind of sweet. She decided to let it go for now. They were both kind of annoying but they were hers and she loved them.

"Dad," they all turned to look at Manato. "Are you coming with us to see Kura-oneechan and Naruto-oniichan off?"

Minato smiled softly at him, the crow's feet became visible due to the action. "No son. I wish I could but I have some things to wrap up before lunch."

"Can't be helped." Manato nodded his head in understanding. "Village first," they all knew what it meant to be Hokage. The sacrifices their father made and continued to make.

Minato ruffled Manato's hair.

"I'll be the first one waiting at the gate when the two of you get back. I can't wait to hear all about it." He smiled at his two eldest.

"It's going to be so awesome, dattebayo! I can feel it in my bones." Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically. It was a small miracle that he did not shoot right out of his chair and into the ceiling with the amount of energy radiating off him.

"We're going to have so much to tell you!" Kura kicked her legs back and forth, also unable to contain the excitement. "I bet there's so much to see!"

Minato chuckled. "Be sure to try the dried squid sheets. They are amazing."

Kura made a face. "Gross. Seafood breath."

Naruto nodded his head. "I'm going to eat so much food." He was practically salivating. He gave the impression that his most recent meal was not just seconds ago.

"Just don't stand next to me, Naruto." Kura waved a hand over her nose as if she could smell it on her brother's breath already.

"I should get going," Minato stood up. He brought his dishes to the sink. "Be good, listen to directions, watch each other's backs."

"Yes Dad," Kura and Naruto said in unison.

Minato kissed the top of Kura's head. "Be safe. Make good choices. Have a good first mission. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad." Kura beamed up at him.

He moved down to Naruto's seat. He kissed him on the top of his head as well. "Be safe. Make good choices. Have a good first mission. I love you."

"Thanks, Dad. I'll make you proud. Love you." Naruto tilted his head back - the legs of his chair came off the ground - and grinned at Minato.

"I will see you later, Manato. I love you." He kissed his youngest on the top of his head in a similar manner to his siblings.

"Love you, Dad." Manato smiled Minato's smile back at him. Aside from inheriting Sakura's face shape and her eye color, he was an exact replica of Minato.

"Haruno-sama," Minato pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'll be seeing you later too." He winked discreetly at her.

"Bye, Yondaime-sama." She could not help but smile at the ease of his stride. He was happy and that just added to hers.

She felt three pairs of eyes staring at her intently, it brought her back to reality.

"Is Dad going to be okay?" Kura was the first one to speak.

"He's fine," Sakura assured her.

"He's not a little sad?" Naruto asked her.

"Maybe a little but this is something he's wanted for a while. Endings are always a little bittersweet." Sakura put her plates in the sink. "But today for you two is a new chapter. So let's focus on that."

They stood up and brought their dishes to the sink too. "Go check your packs and rooms. Make sure you have everything you need. Double-check everything, especially you, Naruto." She watched as Naruto ran to his room unable to stand still for too long. Part of her was surprised that he did not sleep in his ninja garb last night.

"Don't worry Mom," Kura assured her. "I'll check his pack before we leave."

"Thank you, Baby." She hooked an arm around her daughter and gave her a quick hug. "But he needs to learn to do it for himself. If you see that he's missing something be sure to hammer the point home," she looked at the gleam in her mini-me's eyes. "With words, not your fists." She clarified.

Kura sighed deeply. "Okay," she walked at a much more reasonable pace to her room.

Sakura started on the dishes. She needed to double-check her own pack. It would actually be her third time checking it but she needed something productive to do to combat the anxiousness she felt.

"Mom?" Manato called out to her. He was right at her elbow.

"Yes, Baby?" Sakura asked him gently.

"Can I help?" Manato asked her while reaching for the towel used to dry the dishes.

"Of course," She pressed her forehead against his. "You can always help."

Manato grabbed the plate she had just put on the drying rack. He began to dry it with his towel-covered left hand.

"What was your first mission like?" He did not look up from his task.

Sakura looked out the window. "A lot like your brother's and sister's mission actually. It was an escort mission to the Land of Waves."

"Did it go well?" He asked her in a level tone.

"It didn't go as planned," she sighed as she recalled the encounter with Zabuza and Haku. It had been her first time seeing a dead body. She had seen two in fact. She remembered thinking Sasuke died. It was a lot. It was her first real taste of what it meant to be a shinobi, what kind of life she had signed up for. "But we completed the mission."

"Was it scary?" He stacked the plate on the counter. He was not tall enough to reach the upper cabinets.

"At times. It was also really fun. I slept under the stars for the first time. It was my first time being away from home without my parents." She put more wet dishes on the rack.

"Were Obaasan and Ojiisan nervous?" He looked at her face.

"Your Obaasan was so nervous. She was making me nervous. She checked my pack at least five times. She added a whole bunch of things she thought I would need. She made it too big. My sensei had me empty out most of it. I had to leave all of the snacks she made behind. She made the best snacks." Sakura smiled softly at the memory. She had been modified when Kakashi all but started to discard things from her pack in front of Sasuke and Naruto. Naruto nearly choked to death as he wolfed down what he could. He hated wasting food after all.

"And Ojiisan?" He grabbed another plate to dry.

"He was excited for me. He kept me up all night the day before telling me all kinds of facts, tidbits, and jokes about the Land of Waves. He snuck a whole loaf of bread into my pack when I wasn't looking. I wasn't the most aware ninja back then." She tried to keep her tone neutral. Even after all these years, it was still hard for her to not think about her father through a dual lens. She was still not completely over what he did. She never got a chance to ask Akemi if she knew anything about the affair.

"Sounds funny," Manato said as he finished drying the dishes. Sakura began to put them away.

"He was a funny guy, your Ojiisan." Sakura put her hand on his head. "He would have loved to meet you. Your Obaasan too. Thank you for asking about them. I haven't thought about the backpack memory in a long time." Most of her memories with the Land of Waves were much heavier in nature.

"I like it when you tell stories, Mom." He hugged her around the waist.

Sakura squeezed him. "I like it when you listen." Sakura paused as she regarded him.

The two houses of the Hyuga Clan had dissolved into one, three years ago. There was no more Bird Seal. But there was plenty of resentment, especially in families who used to be in the main house. Many of those families blamed Minato and by extension her for helping make the change happen. It did not help matters that she sealed the existing Bird Seals on the members that already had them. Hiashi had worked with the Elders to amend that clause of her punishment.

Daiki and his family had belonged to the main house. She had a feeling she knew what was bothering Manato. She just needed him to tell her so she could be sure.

"Manato," her expression turned slightly more serious. "What did Daiki-kun want?" Sakura asked him gently.

"He was mad," Manato ran his fingers along his eyebrow. "He said that I ruined everything for his clan. I don't really understand what he was saying."

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek to keep her anger from turning into venomous words. She stopped and put both her hands on his shoulders. She crouched down so that they were at eye level.

"And what did you say?" She asked him in a calm voice.

"Nothing, Neji-san came and told him to go away. He told me not to listen to him." Manato rubbed his eye.

Sakura's expression softened. "Neji-kun was right. Daiki-kun is confused. Whatever is happening with his clan or whatever happened with his clan has nothing to do with you. He's upset and is trying to make you feel bad. He was probably hoping to make himself feel better by doing that. But that doesn't work. You did nothing wrong, Manato. Just ignore him the next time he bothers you."

His face fell. "I couldn't even say anything to him. I was scared." He looked ashamed of himself.

"Baby," Sakura tilted his chin up gently. She spared him a soft smile. "It's okay. Everyone gets scared sometimes. He's a lot bigger than you and he was mad. That is a scary situation to be in and I'm sorry you went through that."

"But you're not scared of anyone, Mom. You or Dad." Manato blinked back the tears that were starting to collect in his eyes. "Naruto-oniichan and Kura-oneechan too, I'm the only one who is scared."

"We're all older than you, Manato. We've had more practice and more time to get better at dealing with things." She brushed the tears from his eyes with her thumbs. "When I was your age I was scared of my bullies too. I couldn't stand up to them on my own, not yet either. It wasn't until I was older that I stopped being scared of them. I still get scared. And your Dad? He gets scared too. We all do. Your brother and sister hide it really well but they get scared all the time too. I know that they're a little scared to be leaving home for the first time. Both of them. I'm a little scared that they're leaving too. Same with your Dad. It's normal."

"How did you face your bullies?" He looked at her solemnly.

"I had a really good friend who helped me be brave," her eyes softened as she thought of Ino. "She helped me gain confidence to the point that I could stand up on my own two feet."

"Like Konohamaru-kun," Manato's eyes were no longer red.

"Like Konohamaru-kun," Sakura nodded encouragingly. "Was Daiki-kun being mean to him too?"

Manato nodded. "He told Konohamaru-kun that his Ojiisan was the worst Hokage, last week. Konohamaru-kun told him he wasn't and he pretended like he did not care but it really bothered him. I asked Daiki-san not to be mean when we saw him again yesterday but then he started yelling at me." He looked at his feet. "I'm sorry I lied."

"It's okay. I know why you did it. Your brother and sister are a little too trigger-happy. I'm glad you told me." She gave his shoulder a squeeze. "You and Neji-kun did the right thing."

"I'm not in trouble?" He asked her cautiously.

"No, not at all. I'm really proud of you," she smiled at him.

"Why?" He looked at her genuinely confused.

"You stuck up for your friend. That was a very brave thing to do. You kept your cool and did not make a bad situation worse. You did so much better than I would have at your age." Warmth colored her expression and bleed into her words.

"Really?" His red-rimmed eyes were wide with surprise.

"Really, you did good, Manato." She said with firm conviction. "I'll talk to Iruka-sensei. There is no reason for academy graduates to be loitering around the academy anymore." She held the back of her neck.

"I don't want Daiki-san to get in trouble." Manato's voice was unsure.

"Daiki-kun is not in trouble. He just needs to understand how his presence is making others feel. It's okay for him to be upset but he cannot take it out on anyone else and he has no right to make anyone else feel unsafe while they are trying to learn. Especially someone so much younger than him." She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Mom?" Manato looked up at her.

"Yes, Manato?" She asked encouragingly.

"Can you train me when you get back?" He took in her surprised face. "I know hitting is bad but I want to be able to protect myself." His voice got small. "I don't want to have to rely on others to do it for me."

"Of course, Manato. We can start as soon as we get back." She pushed down the conflicting feelings. On one hand, she was so proud of him. She was excited to be teaching him. She wanted to teach him. But on the other hand, she wanted to shield him a little longer. She wanted him to stay just a kid a little longer. It was the duality of the kunoichi and the mother in her. The best way to protect him was to teach him to protect himself. That was the overlap. That was the solution.

She bit her lip. "Manato, I know it can be scary or not feel good to ask for help or to ask for something or to point out a problem but Baby, if you don't say anything it's really hard to know how to make it better. I hope that you feel comfortable enough in the future to tell me what's bothering you."

Manato looked down at his hand as if the answer was to be found on the lines of his palm. She could see the little gears turning in his head.

"I understand, Mom." He looked at her with tranquility in his gaze. "I'll try harder next time to talk about it."

She ruffled his hair. He smiled up at her. The knot in her stomach was not quite gone yet. "It may feel like everything is changing all at once with Naruto and Kura being gone from the house for the first time and with us leaving too. Your Dad and I did not want to time it like this but leaving the three of you with your Obachan and Ojichan for a week is too much. And you know your Obachan would be so upset she was not the one to watch you all." She tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear. "If you don't feel ready that's okay. We can postpone our plans and try again later the next time your brother and sister have a mission." She said to him gently. "We won't mind." It was not entirely true but she could always make it up to Minato later.

Manato shook his head. "No, you and Dad have been waiting a long time for your trip. I'll be okay, Mom."

"It's okay to be nervous or even scared." She wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. "I'm nervous and a little scared too, to be away from you." She sighed as she looked out the window for a brief moment. "Truth be told I don't know if I'm ready."

"Really?" He asked her with clear astonishment on his features.

"Really," she nodded her head firmly. "I'm going to miss you so much," she admitted. "I'm going to miss you all so much. This is my first time leaving the village since the day we brought Kura home. You were barely two weeks old. You were so little." She stared at his face.

"I was so nervous and scared to leave you then too with Tsunade-Obaachan, even if it was only for a couple of hours. You slept through the whole time we were away. I cried more than you did. Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Manato chuckled. "I'm sure," Manato smiled at her. "It will be fun even if I am a little scared." He admitted. "Don't worry, you're going to have fun, Mom." He smiled at her reassuringly.

"That's my line," she winked at him before she tapped his nose. "I love you with my whole heart, Baby." Her jade eyes were soft.

"I love you too, Mom." His smile was just like his father's.

Sakura looked at the time on the oven clock. "Wrap it up you two or we'll be late and we all know how much your sensei feels about that." She called out loudly.