Chapter Fifty
Naruto Uzumaki was twelve years old, sitting in his father's chair, wearing his father's hat. His father, the Fourth Hokage, was giving him a lesson on the importance of forgiveness in the aftermath of Sakura playing games with his heart. Naruto blinked.
The room changed. He was sitting at the Hokage's desk. Now, he was the Seventh Hokage and the first Fire Daimyo of the Uzumaki Dynasty. Nothing about the situation was real. Kakashi's Jacket hung on a coat rack, as did his headdress. Shikamaru, Shizune, Sai, Ino, Sasuke, Sakura, Gaara, Konohamaru and Hinata all sat across from him. "Everyone, I don't even know where to get started."
"Naruto, out of curiosity, why didn't you ask your parents or grandparents to be stay?" Hinata asked.
"Bluntly put," he sighed, "I don't want to get comfortable running to them any time something goes astray. Also, my grandparents have five children, and Mom and Dad still have Akane to worry about."
"Naruto," Shizune looked long and grim, "I'll be moving us out of the Hokage's Residence by the end of the week."
"Shizune, there is no need to rush," Naruto offered, "Take all the time you need; I'm not planning on making residence here any time soon – if at all."
"Naruto, the children need to be home," she replied. "This place," she gestured around, "was never home for them or any of us." She shook her head, "Kakashi, if… when he wakes up, will probably be relieved when he hears he no longer is Hokage."
Far from comforting, Shizune's words stung. Kakashi never wanted to be Hokage, but could never avoid it. You, on the other hand, always wanted it, and now you give anything to give it back. "Shizune, take your time, please."
"Naruto, not to change subject," Sasuke chimed in, at least trying to sound sympathetic, "but we have to make plans regarding the near future."
"Sadly, he's right," Gaara added.
"Gaara, I'm assuming you still will be part of our training group?"
"Of course," he nodded, "I don't think I would have been able to defeat Kinshiki without the training we had."
"Lord Hokage," Konohamaru spoke, "I insist we keep a protection detail on Hinata at all times. If Boruto is their target, they'll likely attack around his birth – when Hinata will be most defenseless."
Just like Obito tried, did, with Mom. "Agree," he stared at his wife, "Hinata, I'm sorry…"
"I understand," she gave a slight nod.
"Lord Naruto," a voice came from the door, "I believe we must do the same for you." Everyone looked up to see Itachi enter the room.
"Lord Uchiha?" Naruto felt odd calling Itachi by a formal title he so rarely used.
"Naruto," he walked up to the group, "while I admit your protectiveness of Hinata is warranted, I caution you not to neglect your own safety. These guys might want your son alive to make him into some kind of vessel, but they will have no compunction about killing you," he paused to look at Hinata, "or her once Boruto is born."
Naruto sank back into his chair, "Dammit," he groaned.
"Naruto, I know it may be a bad time," Ino spoke up, "but we do have to consider the administrative details of life."
Naruto leaned forward, "Like?"
"My father is retiring as head of the Sensor Division," she said.
"The job is yours if you want it," Naruto didn't hesitate.
"N-Naruto… are you sure?" Ino shook at the suggestion.
"You're the best there is," Naruto assured her, "and I have no doubt about your abilities."
"Boss," Konohamaru spoke, "being that Hinata is essentially out of the picture for combat, I suggest she and I continue researching the stuff you brought back from the Land of Whirlpools."
"Might I suggest," Sakura interjected, "that any security detail be given birthing training." Sakura stared at Hinata, "If we have to play shadow games to keep you safe in labor, you might have to give birth outside the hospital."
Hinata nodded, "Naruto, you may wish to continue training with the family blade."
It had been so long that Naruto had nearly forgotten the Hyūga family's blade. "It definitely can kill an Ōtsutsuki," he agreed.
"Naruto," Sai spoke up, "I have a request to make."
"Go on," he nodded.
Sai stared at Ino, taking her hand, and exchanging of a long stare. She gave a faint nod, and Sai turned back to Naruto. "Lord Hokage, Lord Fire Daimyo, please marry us."
"Right… now?!" Naruto asked.
"We've been talking about it for a long time," Ino added, "and we expect to be quite busy the next nine months. Naruto, please."
Naruto reached into the desk, finding the correct form, "May I take it that everyone here will sign as witnesses?" Naruto asked.
"Yes," there was a collective response.
"Ino do you declare that you love Sai? Do you declare by that love that you would have him as your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to share with him all that you are, all that you have, and all that you ever shall be in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and for better or for worse; forsaking all others for as long as you shall live?"
"I do," Ino answered with a tear at the corner of her eyes.
Naruto turned to Sai, "Sai, do you declare that you love Ino? Do you declare by that love that you would have her as your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to share with her all that you are, all that you have, and all that you ever shall be in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and for better or for worse; forsaking all others for as long as you shall live?"
Sai sat frozen, mouth hanging down at the profoundness of the question. Eventually, Ino squeezed his hand, snapping him out of the state he'd been in, "Yes… I mean… I do!" Tears also leaked from his eyes.
Naruto penned in some of the details on the certificate but stopped at an important part, "Umm… Sai are you planning on taking Ino's name, then?"
The couple exchanged looks, nodded, and replied in unison, "Yes."
Naruto cracked his first smile in almost two days as he filled in the details on the certificate. "Then by the power vested in me as the Hokage Hidden in the Leaves and the Fire Daimyo, I happily pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Yamanaka." Naruto reached into the drawer for the Hokage's Seal and stamped the form. "I think you two know what to do from here!"
On cue, Ino snatched Sai by his collar and pulled him in for a kiss. Sai's eyes popped open wide at the spontaneous act, and the kiss pushed the boundaries of what was appropriate. Exactly what you wanted to do with Hinata when you found out she was pregnant. A pang of jealousy hit Naruto. No matter what he did, a dark shadow would cast itself across what was supposed to be a happy time, filled with joy.
"When you two are finished," Naruto jested, "I will need your signatures as well as that of the witnesses." Naruto bit his lip as the couple and the witnesses all signed. Naruto tented his hands, "Is there anything else?"
"Actually, there is quite a bit we need to discus," Shikamaru finally spoke for the first time since the meeting had started.
"Go on," Naruto nodded.
"Well, for one," Shikamaru spoke, "I know you didn't want to lean our parent's generation to solve things for us, but I do suggest we consider keeping them in the game in a supporting role."
"What do you mean?" Ino asked.
"Well, most of our parents have quite a bit of experience with the bureaucratic management of the village. I say we put them there where they have the most use." Shikamaru shrugged, "After all, there is a lot of day-to-day stuff that needs doing both here and throughout the Land of Fire. Obviously, you can't do it all alone, Naruto." Shikamaru sharpened his gaze, "Nor should you try."
"I see," Naruto nodded, "If that is the case, I suggest we arrange to have ministry positions made for them, and we try as much to merge the management of the Land of Fire to coincide with management of the village."
"I have a few suggestions," Shikamaru pulled out a scroll from his pocket.
"Continue," Naruto nodded.
"Finance Minister I would suggest Hiashi Hyūga."
"Good call," Naruto nodded.
"Health Minister," he cleared his throat, "either Tsunade Senju or Akemi Hyūga."
"I recommend we go with Tsunade," Hinata said.
Naruto raised his eyebrow, "Any reason?"
"Yes," Hinata nodded, "She currently is facing some level of scrutiny regarding her management of the late Fire Daimyo."
"Hinata, there was nothing she could have done," Ino interjected.
"For two, Mom is a field medical-nin," Hinata continued. "She'd absolutely hate being in a ministry-level position. For three, I'd be worried that it would look like favoritism."
"All right, we try Tsunade first," Naruto nodded. "Who else?"
"We do need an education minister."
"Iruka," Naruto mentioned without hesitation. "He's been headmaster of the Shinobi Academy for some time."
"Defense minister?"
"That," Naruto gave a slight smirk, "will be you."
"Me?" Shikamaru balked.
"Shikamaru, you are the best strategist I know," Naruto asserted. "I need someone competent and current. Your Dad and Inoichi are good at consulting, but both admit they're getting too old to play the game.
"All right, fine," Shikamaru huffed, "God, what a pain this is turning into!"
"Speaking of pain," Gaara spoke, "we probably should prepare a meeting of the Shinobi Union," he crossed his arms. "I wouldn't put it past these freaks to try destabilizing the other countries like they've tried in the past."
"That brings up my question," the stony, stoic Sasuke spoke as if he'd been a trap waiting to spring on this very moment.
"Which is?" Naruto asked.
"Where was Jigen, or Isshiki, in all of this?"
The thought had crossed Naruto's mind. Isshiki being present likely would have tipped the scales in favor of the Ōtsutsuki – he was a killing machine. "I don't know," Naruto shook his head.
"Maybe they're not all on the same side," Hinata said.
"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked.
"Well, didn't Kaguya betray Isshiki in the past? Maybe the Ōtsutsuki aren't playing ball for the same team," she commented. "Certain parasites placed in competition for the same host will kill each other."
"Isshiki has been trying set up to harvest this planet's chakra for some time," Naruto tilted his head forward. "Stands to reason he wouldn't take kindly to competition showing up to claim all the glory after a thousand years of hard work."
"Naruto, with all due respect, they all want us dead in the end," Sai spoke up, "Surely you aren't planning on talking them down?"
"No," Naruto shook his head, "but it is possibly a blind spot in their vision that we can potentially exploit," Naruto explained.
"In any case," Sasuke continued his usual drab stoniness, "I insist we continued to hunt for Isshiki and the Divine Tree he or the others is potentially growing. After that, we have to throw every effort into destroying it or there will be no future for your… our children."
Akemi Hyūga stood, watching the kettle heat up on the stove in the kitchen of the Hyūga Compound. Even as a little girl, she'd learned her way around the kitchen. In the years since coming here, the kitchen had been a sanctuary from the wrath of her father-in-law. The kettle whistled, and Akemi poured herself hot water for tea.
As she sat at the kitchen table, she stared at the simple sheet of paper in front of her. So many critical moments in our lives, and most of them end up as nothing but words on a page. She read her work thus far:
I Akemi Hyūga, Chief of the Medical-Nin Corps., Chief of Medicine of Konoha Hospital, hereby resign my offices effective –"
The words were unreal, and yet, they were there. Akemi had expected pushback in the wake of the Fire Daimyo's death; she hadn't expected a formal inquiry by the ethics board and the practice board. She tried to tell herself that it didn't matter – she still had the White Kitsune and that was enough. However, Akemi couldn't help but feel like she was walking away from an accomplishment in a way her mother and grandmother would have found shameful.
A knock at the kitchen door distracted her from the paper, "Mom?" a soft, male voice came from the kitchen door.
"Lord Hokage," Akemi stood and bowed to her son-in-law.
"Mom, please," Naruto held up a hand and shook his head, "please, just let me be Naruto for now."
"Please," she gestured to a chair across from where she sat, "please have a seat." She walked to retrieve another cup for tea. She poured Naruto a cup of hot tea as she sat. "I don't have to be a mom to tell something has you troubled."
"Lady Akemi…" he spoke with a taut, pained voice.
"Mom, you used to call me Mom," she said.
"Mom," he shook his head, "Don't do this!" Naruto grimaced but did not cry.
"Naruto?" she asked.
"I saw the letter," his eyes turned milky blue momentarily, revealing he'd used his altered Byakugan to see what was written.
She might have been irked at the invasion of privacy, but she needed someone to talk to right now. "I didn't expect you of all people to intervene."
"Actually, Hiashi asked me to stop you," he gave a faint smile.
Akemi shook her head, "He would. He was never the greatest at offering solace." She looked down at her unfinished resignation letter.
"I know you don't want to, and I'm telling you right now you don't have to out of some sense of guilt or duty!"
"I made the call to prioritize Kakashi," she began to cry, "I'm the reason you're now the Fire Daimyo!"
As Akemi sobbed, Naruto came around the table and hugged her, "Mom, you did everything you could. Hinata, Sakura, and Ino all briefed me on what happened and what is happening." He held her, and Akemi's world inverted. For the first time in her life, it was someone she'd known as a child comforting her and not the other way around.
"N-Naruto…" she pulled back. She embraced him again, remembering the boy causing mischief in this compound, the young man that carried his friends through Chunin Exam preparations, and the man that became Hinata's husband. "Naruto, I can't do this! I can't face the board and tell them it was a legitimate triage decision. I killed a patient!"
"You saved Kakashi! And remember, I'm just as complicit in the Fire Daimyo's death."
She stared with concern, "What do you mean?!"
"Akemi, I was there at the stadium. I made the call the rescue Hinata, Sakura, and Kakashi. I didn't even try saving the Fire Daimyo because I thought he was dead. I could have gone back and gotten him immediately, and I didn't!" A few tears leaked from his eyes. "And when it comes time to testify at the inquiry, that is what I will tell them."
"Naruto, you can't!" she protested in horror.
"And neither can you," he shook his head. "You saved my mom twice, saved my father, saved my brother, and saved me!" he wiped away tears. "A Hokage does what is in the best interest of the village, even when it hurts."
"Naruto, this will be a stain on your reign!"
"If I can't be a decent human being and a good Hokage or Daimyo, then I choose to be a decent human being, Mom." He stared with fiery intensity belonging to Kushina, "The village needs a good chief of medicine, and right now that is you! Sakura and Ino can't, and Tsunade and Shizune won't! Who am I going to place? Dr. Nakamura?"
"She's a fine choice."
"If she was such a good choice," Naruto raised an index finger, "Tsunade would have recommended her as her successor and not you."
Akemi again stared at the piece of paper mocking her. "Did I ever tell you why I became a medical-nin?"
"It was a natural choice," he replied.
She shook her head, "It was because of you!"
"Me?!" Naruto released her.
"I remember a three-year-old who leapt out a broken window into the snow to save my daughter. And then, your first mission, you and Hinata."
"I remember well," Naruto nodded, "How?"
"I rushed to the hospital to find Hinata mostly all right and you and Kushina on the brink of death." She shook her head remembering that horrible day. "I remember being all but useless after we'd transferred the last fragment of Nine-Tails into Hinata. Not being able to help Tsunade save Kushina, not being able to help you when you crashed on the operating table."
"Mom, it wasn't like you could have done anything…"
"That's my point! I couldn't do anything!" Akemi bawled, the flood of helplessness overwhelming her. "I was so ready to give up on doing anything important when your mom insisted on training me as a shinobi. She reminded me that I wasn't even forty, and I remembered what you'd said since childhood, about never going back on your word. I started to push the boundaries of what I thought I could do." She shrugged, "And look at me, now!" She had to laugh.
"Mom, you haven't gone back on your word, yet. And I don't think now is the time to start. You'll beat this inquiry!"
Akemi stared back at her mostly undrinked tea. "And what then?" she asked. "I'll have a dark cloud hanging over me."
"Clouds pass, Akemi, even in the Land of Rain." Naruto gave a reassuring nod of his head.
Clouds pass. Akemi remembered the cloud of the Third Shinobi war, passing when she arrived in Konoha and met Hiashi. She remembered the cloud of Hattori Hyūga threatening their relationship only to pass when Hiashi became clan leader. She remembered the cloud of her father-in-law's influence over Hanabi only to have it pass when Hinata became clan leader. How is this any different? "You're right," she crumpled the paper in her hand. "Of course, you're right."
"You'd be the first one to say that all week, Mom," Naruto shrugged. "I've never had so many people – media, advisors, council members – second-guess me this much in a lifetime.
"Leadership is not an easy role, son," Akemi took his hand. "All the same, you thus far seem to be a fine Hokage and Fire Daimyo."
"You think so?" he asked.
"I know so," she smiled.
Kushina raced to the front door after hearing the doorbell. Something about the doorbell ringing gave urgency to her footfalls. Minato, Naruto, and Akane wouldn't need to ring the doorbell. She opened the door, and a young woman with dark hair and pale amethyst eyes stared. "K-Kushina, may I come in, please," Hinata spoke with the same voice of a scared child who came to this door a lifetime ago, begging to be let in after losing control of Nine-Tails.
"Hinata, you don't have to ask," Kushina stepped aside and admitted her daughter-in-law. "Can I get you anything, water, tea, coffee?" Hinata shook her head; Kushina gestured to the couch. The two sat, but Hinata remained silent. "Honey," Kushina prodded, "what is wrong? Did you and Naruto have a fight?"
"No," Hinata shook her head.
"Is something wrong with the baby?" Kushina asked, hands wringing as she remembered multiple early miscarriages before Akemi offered a work-around for the issue of Kyuubi's negative chakra.
"No," Hinata again shook her head, "At least, the baby is still healthy if that is what you mean."
"Then… something to do with the baby?" Kushina scratched her chin as she guessed.
"Something like that…"
"Hinata, I'm here to help, but I need to know what is happening."
"M-Mom…" Hinata's eyes sank to the floor, "I don't know what to do!" she shook her head and cried.
Kushina brought her arms over Hinata's shoulders, "Honey, what's wrong; I don't get it!"
Hinata buried her face in her hands, "I'm useless, Kushina!" she sobbed.
"Hinata, what kind of talk is that?!" Kushina struggled to keep herself from outright rebuking her daughter-in-law.
"I have all my training, all my chakra, and it's all useless!" Hinata wailed.
Kushina froze, seeing her younger self on the couch, struggling with postpartum depression, struggling with being disabled. She remembered crying at random intervals out of nowhere, flashes of jealousy toward her healthy son and husband, and having random lightning pains in her abdomen due to the seal holding her chakra network together. If you don't act, her story becomes your story. "Hinata, I want this talk to stop, right now!" she said firmly, "You are an expectant mother, and you are not being fair to yourself!"
"But… Kushina," Hinata looked up from her hands.
"Hinata," Kushina seized Hinata's left hand, "you are carrying a child, a child whose future may tie in with out own survival. I am fully well aware how helpless not being able to use chakra or do missions must be making you feel!" Kushina stared intently. "You are currently doing something much more important than if you were in the field right now!"
"I just… hate being only along for the ride… not contributing…"
"Hinata," Kushina released her hand, "It isn't not contributing. On the contrary, you are contributing twenty-four/seven and will be contributing like that for quite some time after that! Do you think Minato could have done what he did as Hokage if he'd been a single father?" She let the words sink in, "Do you think my son would be as strong as he is now if he didn't have me training him from youth when his father wasn't able to be home all the time?"
"I… I never thought about it like that!"
"Hinata, I know it's frustrating, and I know it's scary. The first time with Naruto, I spent most of the pregnancy worrying about complications and not enough about my safety. With Akane, I can't tell you how suffocating it was to have a full security detail day-in, day-out, and having medical-nin worried every timeI showed the slightest degree of distress – forget that I was also Hokage."
"Kushina," Hinata stared with her wide eyes, "I'm scared…"
"It's all right to be scared." Kushina put her hand on Hinata's shoulder. "I was scared of losing Naruto in pregnancy. I was scared Nine-Tails was going to come bursting out of my abdomen as I lay dying in the operating room after Naruto's birth. I…" she paused, eying Hinata, remembering their first encounter like this, "I remember being scared that I had cursed you and Naruto with something so damn dangerous I couldn't explain what it was fully. I remember being scared to let Akane out of my sight for even a second after Toneri had taken her!"
Kushina shivered but regained her composure. "So, you see, it's perfectly normal to be scared, especially in our current situation."
"Mom… thank you!" Hinata embraced Kushina. Kushina hugged back, not letting go of her or the promise she'd made to Hinata as a child.
Minato stood in the sterile hospital room as he had many times since becoming a man. The room's other occupant was a mass of bandages that had been Kakashi. It was now August, and he still hadn't regained consciousness.
"Kakashi," Minato spoke, "come on, man, this isn't you." Kakashi didn't stir. He hadn't stirred in the weeks since the Ōtsutsuki attack. "Kakashi…" Minato fought back tears. He'd come to visit every day since visitor were allowed. Some days Shizune would come, but she also had to concern herself with looking after two young children. "… this is all my fault…" Minato let tears drip from his eyes this time.
"That's a bad look for you, Dad," Minato turned to see his son, now wearing the white Hokage's jacket, enter the hospital room. "Shizune is on the way."
"Naruto," Minato's stomach soured, "I never wanted this for him, for you."
"I know, Dad," Naruto walked up, putting a hand on Minato's shoulder. Minato tried to remember when his son didn't stand taller than him. He looked back at Kakashi, remembering visiting him in the hospital after Rin's death.
"I failed him, much as I failed Obito and Rin," Minato shook his head, feeling the weight of having lost all of his team.
"Dad, Obito failed you, not the other way around," Naruto put his other hand on Minato's shoulders and stared him square in the face. "For as much as he blamed you and Kakashi for failing to protect Rin, he never once accepted his part in what happened, at least while he was alive."
"And what about Rin?" Minato asked.
"Dad, she was being used as a pawn in a much larger game of chess, and no one knew who was moving the pieces." Naruto shook his head, "What she did know was that she was going to be used to level the village, much the way Obito planned to do with Nine-Tails. Like Mom, she didn't play ball."
Minato thought back to that horrible night, being in this hospital, Kushina begging him and Tsunade to euthanize her. "Kakashi is the only reason you have the two of us right now."
"No duh," Naruto said dismissively, "He saved us how many times."
"No, I mean, he was the one that stopped me from making a fatal error."
"What error?" Naruto took his hands of Minato's shoulders and tilted his head to the side.
"I was ready to use the Reaper Demon Seal to weaken Nine-Tails and seal him in you. Kakashi reminded me that it would have killed me and likely your mom, being that Nine-Tails was still inside her."
"Dad, not a day goes by that I don't wonder what changed when Himawari made the change that she made," Naruto shook his head. "Maybe she knew this would happen, maybe she didn't, but that doesn't change anything now!"
"How do you figure?!" Minato asked in exasperation he hadn't noticed since confronting Naruto at Mount Myoboku when Naruto was framed for murder.
"Because regardless of what was, it is not what is going to happen, Dad! We are breaking unexplored trail here, toward a future not written." Naruto gave a shake of his head. "Dad, even if Himawari went back and saved Rin and Obito from the start, there is no guarantee we wouldn't still be here! Sometimes bad things happen, and there is no explanation for it!"
"I," Minato began to protest, but stopped, "… you're right!" Minato shook his head. "No way anyone could have predicted this mess, assuming this isn't the same mess she left from."
"We have one way to find out," Naruto said, "and we have to live to see it."
"You both…" a strained wheeze of a voice froze both men, "… talk too goddamn much!" There was a cough and what sounded like a gasp. Minato and Naruto turned to seek Kakashi finally awake.
"KAKASHI!" Minato and Naruto both raced to Kakashi's side. Minato hit the call button for the nurse. "Kakashi, you're okay!"
"I'm… far from okay…" he winced. "What the hell happened?"
"The Otsutsuki attacked during the Chunin exams," Naruto explained.
"Otsutsuki!" Kakashi struggled to rise, and Minato placed a hand on his student's chest.
"Kakashi, don't move just yet!" Minato cautioned.
As Kakashi struggled, he winced. As his head sank back into the pillow, he groaned, "How bad am I injured?" He clamped his eyes closed.
"You had a severe head injury, broken ribs, some bad burns along your body…" Minato listed, stone sinking in his stomach.
"Beautiful…" Kakashi sighed, opening his eyes, focusing on Naruo. "Naruto… tell me I'm hallucinating."
"I'm afraid not," Naruto shook his head. "A lot has happened since you were out."
"How long was I out?" Kakashi's voice came weary.
"Almost a month," Naruto answered with a shake of his head. The council voted to invoke succession when it became clear you weren't going to be back anytime soon." Naruto sighed and again shook his head, "Lord Sixth…"
"Son, I never wanted this for you so soon," Kakashi cut him off. Kakashi locked his eyes on Naruto, "You're the Hokage now."
"And the Fire Daimyo," Minato added.
"What?!" Kakashi's heart monitor jumped several times.
"Kakashi!" the door burst open, admitting Shizune, followed by Akemi. Shizune dropped to her knees beside her husband.
"My love, our children?" he asked.
"It's fine, they're fine!" Shizune cried.
"Minato, Naruto," Akemi spoke, "I hate to say this, but I have to ask you both to leave for now."
"Akemi?" Naruto asked.
"He's still in a very fragile state; I'll update you both about visiting tomorrow. I promise!"
Naruto exchanged a nod with Minato. "Okay, we'll go," Minato followed his son outside.
As they got out of the room, Naruto paused, staring at Minato. "Dad…"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'm ready for all of this?" Naruto asked.
For Minato, it was like staring back in the mirror, seeing his younger self talking to Lord Third. "Son, no one is ever ready," Minato smiled. "Lord Third wasn't ready when Lord Tobrima named him as successor." He raised a finger to count off, "I wasn't ready when Lord Third put my name in the hat." He raised another finger, "Your mom wasn't ready when she stepped up, and Kakashi wasn't ready despite being shaped for the role for years."
"Sometimes, I keep thinking this is a nightmare, and I'm struggling to wake up."
"Naruto," Minato crossed his arms, "I know it's a lot," Minato leaned back against the wall of the sterile hallway. "Just whatever you do, be sure to do the one thing Lord Third insisted I do."
"Which is?"
"Don't ignore your family; don't take them for granted." Minato stared his son in the sapphire eyes. "They're the one thing that makes you wake up in the morning. It's a tough act to balance family and being Hokage, but remember your family can't elect a new father and husband. The village can always replace a Hokage."
Naruto gave a faint nod, "I should go check in with my wife, then. Keep in touch about Kakashi."
Naruto turned to leave. "Hey, Lord Fire Daimyo," Minato called after, making his son pause and turn. "How about dinner at the family house Friday night? Akane keeps asking where her big brother is. Bring the wife; it will just be like old times."
"I'd liked that, Dad," Naruto smiled, "I'll see you then!"
Shikamaru couldn't tell if it was night or morning when he crawled into his room exhausted. Between being Naruto's close advisor, the defense minister for the Land of Fire, and spending every waking moment he could studying old Land of Whirlpools records with Konohamaru and Hinata; sleep had become a valuable commodity in the past two months.
He tried to remain silent as possible, not wanting to wake his now hugely pregnant wife. As she slept on her right side. The fact that she was asleep and not complaining about their son kicking would only add to the guilt factor. He didn't even take his clothes off; Shikamaru just laid on his side.
As his head hit the pillow, there was a muffled sound like the lowering of a zipper. Then the smell hit. "GODDAMN!" Shikamaru leapt up from bed to the sound of his wife giggling. "Temari!"
"Hehe," she laughed, "It wasn't me; it's your son blowing you a kiss!"
"Troublesome… woman!" he heaved, trying to get the rank scent of Temari's fart out of his airway.
"Get used to it, crybaby!" she continued to laugh unabated, "When you're changing diapers, I guarangoddamntee you'll be getting farted on, and shat on, and pissed on!"
"No reward is worth this!" he huffed.
"Oh, come on spoil sport," she laughed, "Come here and say high to your son."
Despite his annoyance, Shikarmaru cautiously walked back toward the bed, fearing another gas attack. As he came around Temari, she snatched his hand, placing in on her swollen belly. The baby was kicking quite vigorously. In theory, Shikadai could be born any moment. Akemi was planning on inducing labor if nothing by the end of the week. "Hi, son," he said with a voice exhausted by sleeplessness.
A tightening of Temari's hand around his forearm was followed by a strong shuddering of Temari's abdomen. "Shikamaru…" she fought through pain, "… you're going to get to say it in person a lot sooner! Her abdomen relaxed. "That was a contraction!"
The word hit him, striking him dumb. "I'm sorry, what?" he spoke, unable to collect his thoughts.
"The baby is coming, genius!" she growled as she struggled to sit up. "Time to get me to the hospital!"
Shikamaru stood frozen like one of his family's deer suddenly illuminated by lamplight. "Oh shit," he muttered, picking his wife up in a bridal carry. Exhaustion washed away in a flood of adrenaline – he was about to become a father.
Author's notes: Hi everyone. Apologies for taking so damn long to update. Life has been hectic to put it mildly, and I can't tell you how frustrating it is to be going so slow. All the same, I hope you enjoyed, and I thank you for reading.
I do have a favor to ask. There is a poll on my FFN profile that will affect the opening of the next chapter. I'll leave it up until 2/21/25. I greatly appreciate input.
I'll see you all next chapter. Stay healthy, stay save, and Happy Valentine's Day if you're reading on date of publication.