Chapter 4: Morning Shenanigans
A shrill exclamation, followed by infectious laughter, broke the usual quiet of the main wing of the Hyuuga compound.
"Toshiro Hyuuga, get back here!" came a woman's voice laced with both amusement and exasperation.
"How on earth did you even manage to catch a fish from the pond by yourself and bring it all the way in here?" she called after him, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Running—there is always lots of running in the morning for Sakura's liking ever since their son discovered how to exploit his motor skills.
This is the usual routine of mother and son just before breakfast. While her husband starts his day by doing some kata and meditating, the duo have a more lively activity to start the day, unwittingly headed by a three-foot-tall prankster.
If anyone didn't know any better, they'd say the boy is Naruto's spawn due to his mischievous streak. But his coloring, except for his eyes, and facial features scream of a Hyuuga. Let it be said that Sakura dealt with Naruto with no shortage of colorful threats if she ever found that he had been the architect of these morning shenanigans.
"Where are you?" Sakura calls out into a room, scanning the hallway. The faint sound of splashing and giggling in the distance answered her.
With a knowing smirk, she heads for the baths. There, in the bathtub, she would find her son with a fish nearly half his height, water sloshing over the sides.
"Mama! You found me!" the boy exclaimed, his face a mix of surprise and glee.
"You bet!" Sakura chuckled, shaking her head at the sight.
"Isn't it bath time, Mama? I didn't want to bathe alone. That would be so boring!" he protested, pointing to the fish now attempting to swim in the confined space of the tub.
"I know, but it shouldn't be at the expense of poor Ryuu, baby. Look at him," she said with concern, gesturing to the traumatized fish, who seemed ready to jump out of the tub and grow legs to escape the enthusiastic boy.
Shiro pouted, his lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated fashion. "But Mama, Ryuu needs a bath too! He's all slimy, and he smells fishy too!"
Sakura couldn't help but laugh at her son's antics. "Baby, only because he is a fish. That's just what he is, scales, slime, and fishiness and all."
Her son merely answered her with a defiant look that distinctly resembled his dad.
This is Neji's child, alright.
"Alright, alright. Let's get Ryuu cleaned up then. But no more fish baths next time, okay?"
Shiro's face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Okay, Mama. No more fish baths...," the boy promised, but his eyes were twinkling with unspoken plans.
Sakura could practically see the gears turning in her little tyke's head. There were numerous animals within the compound. Who knows what creature might mysteriously appear next, courtesy of her inventive son. She could already picture the chaos that awaited them. With Shiro, every day was an adventure, and Sakura wouldn't have it any other way.
With a shake of her head and a smile tugging at her lips, Sakura set to work getting her son cleaned up while "helping" him bathe the unsuspecting Ryuu, all the while wondering how her mornings had gotten this way. Before Shiro came into their lives, she used to wake up with a start, always in a rush to get to work, perpetually running late, her hair a wild mess.
Back then, coffee barely had the chance to grace her stomach before she was already elbow-deep in surgery, mending bones or carefully stitching skin back together. Those mornings were a blur of urgency and precision, the demands of her medical profession pulling her in every direction.
But now, as she watched Shiro giggle with delight, splashing water everywhere and turning bath time into a playful adventure, Sakura couldn't imagine her mornings any other way. The chaos, the laughter, the unexpected surprises—all of it had become an integral part of her daily routine.
Her mornings may no longer be quiet or predictable, but they were brimming with pure happiness. And as she lovingly pretended to scrub Ryuu clean, Sakura couldn't help but think that as much as she complained about her son's antics, she wouldn't have it any other way. After all, life in the Hyuuga compound was never boring with a bit of mischief and laughter to start the day.
Just the other day, Sakura remembered with a chuckle, she had found a small turtle tucked under Shiro's pillow, its tiny legs poking out as if it was trying to hide. That had been quite the surprise. Ah, the joys of motherhood.
Their footsteps echoed loudly on the polished wooden floors of the corridor, the rhythmic thud of Sakura's sandaled feet interspersed with Shiro's lighter, quicker steps. The sound reverberated through the hallway, adding a lively beat to the otherwise serene atmosphere.
With each step, Sakura could hear the playful giggles of her son, the excitement palpable in his voice as he darted ahead, his small feet barely making a sound on the smooth surface. She couldn't help but smile at the infectious joy radiating from him, his laughter mingling with hers in a harmonious symphony of morning chaos.
"Slow down, Shiro-kun!" Sakura called out between breathless laughs, the sound of their running echoing off the walls. "You're too fast for Mama!" And there they went running again, with Sakura now carrying a basin with the giant fish, the victim of the day, and Shiro leading the sprint in nothing but a towel.
Shiro was already halfway down the hallway, his laughter trailing behind him like a comet's tail. With a determined grin, Sakura picked up her pace, her sandals slapping against the wooden floor as she chased after her mischievous son, careful not to spill anything to mitigate the abuse on poor Ryuu.
"Is breakfast not to your liking, Toshiro?" Hiashi breaks the silence at the gloomy breakfast table.
"I'm not hungry, ojiisan," the boy answers, disinterested, picking at his food.
"Cheer up, Shiro-kun. I'm sure your otosan is on his way here," Hanabi tries to assure him. "Maybe he just had to talk to someone for a bit."
"Yeah, he promised… Just like last time," Shiro says, pouting, the disappointment in his voice palpable.
Just as the gloom seems to settle in more firmly, the door creaks open, and footsteps echo in the hallway. Shiro looks up, surprised.
"Papa!" Shiro's excitement took over, a wide grin breaking across his face.
Neji walks over to the table with a smile on his face as he takes in the scene. "Ah, what's this? I thought you'd be done with breakfast by now. Aren't you excited to see your mother?"
"He said he wasn't hungry," Hanabi teases the boy.
Shiro blows his aunt a raspberry for tattling on him. Only he can get away with something like this in Hiashi's authoritative presence.
"But I thought you'd want to have lots of energy when you tell your mother about all your adventures with Uncle Naruto and Uncle Lee," Neji says warmly, his voice resonating with paternal care.
"Yeah!" Shiro's enthusiasm returns with a vengeance as he eagerly digs into his food, now with his father sitting beside him.
Hiashi and Hanabi share a glance, their own smiles mirroring Shiro's.
"Slow down, son. The food's not going anywhere," Neji says, ruffling his son's hair affectionately.
A/N: Naruto is not mine.
Italics = Flashback
Roman/normal text = Present
Another filler chapter. An important scene stubbornly refuses to be written.