Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Oshi no Koi
Was she wrong? Why did it feel like she was the only one that didn't click here?
"I didn't know you could speak English so well, sensei~ Are you an American?"
"It's just something I picked up when me and the kids were traveling. Let's just say I…pick up languages quickly for some reason."
Once again the toddler asked herself.
Was she the problem?
…
No one else seemed to have a problem with him despite what he did.
Saito-san sneezed in the backdrop, watching the events in envy, the steam from his tea (he had very strongly rejected cocoa unlike everyone else) curling lazily above.
"Very impressive. Do you know any other languages, Uzumaki-san? My husband has dabbled in English but…"
"Well Ai…hai degli occhi che colpiscono."
"Wow! What does that mean?! What language was that?!"
"Italian and…let's leave the meaning lost for now."
"Now I just want to know! Aqua, quickly search it up for Mama! Stat!"
"Yes mama!"
"No, w-wait!"
Ruby sulked, rather cutely one may add, on Miyako's lap, her little legs dangling just above the tatami mats, unable to say a word as she watched her family slowly stolen away from her.
With gloomy eyes, she stared at her Mama's flushed cheeks and sparkling gaze, clearly enchanted by whatever sweet foreign gobbledygook the foreign bastard had said in another language.
Even Aqua, the most skeptic of them both, seemed at ease in the presence of the pathetic excuse for a father. Miyako, too, leaned in, eager to understand the meaning behind the foreign phrase.
But Ruby couldn't feel the same.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to accept him or his family. She knew she was being difficult. She knew her Mama probably liked the man. She knew she was older than she looked and should be mature like her brother.
But every time she even considered doing so, it was like swallowing a lump that refused to go down.
It was a horrible feeling to be the only one stopping everyone from moving forward, but it felt as if accepting him would be the same as betraying the painful memories of her past life.
Those final moments where she swore to never cry for being left alone in that sterile hospital room. The scary feeling of losing all control over her body, slowly being unable to walk or the loss of dignity of being unable to even go to the bathroom by herself.
Sometimes she was glad she had died before it got even worse.
Before sensei had seen her become lower than human.
An invalid. A vegetable trapped inside her own body.
…
A faint rattle from the wind chimes outside the shōji doors jolted her before she looked down blankly.
Yet worse than all of that was the helplessness she had felt of being forgotten.
Of fading away without a trace.
And it happened all the same, the strained smiles, the visits lessening until they stopped completely and worst of all the promises on the phone that she had foolishly believed.
They had not even come for her last birthday. They had left her there all alone.
…
She had sworn to herself that she would never cry again for people like them, that she would never show weakness, never show sensei how scared of death she really was, but the tears came anyway.
She wasn't ready to die.
She wasn't ready to be forgotten.
Unable to take it any longer, Ruby nearly slid off Miyako's lap, ready to bolt, when a masculine voice suddenly cut in, hurried and eager to shift the mood focused on him.
"Hey! How about I give these two tykes their gifts, huh? I think they've waited long enough, don't you?!"
"That's a good idea! Ruby, come over~"
Ruby blanched as Miyako released her, glancing toward Mama, who was smiling and beckoning her over like a deity.
She didn't even think to say no, not after seeing that smile, but it didn't make her move any faster. She dragged herself closer, her little slippers brushing along the wooden floor, deliberately ignoring Aqua's warning glare from his position in Mama's arms.
Jealousy flared in her chest and she bared her teeth at him, but she didn't have the energy to argue.
Instead, she quietly settled beside her mother, who gave her customary (demanded) head pats, calming her down almost immediately.
"Well it ain't much…" Ruby's head swung to the side at the interruption and she glared at the two boxes hovering over her head, the wrapping patterned with cute cartoon tanukis, clearly bought from the 100-yen store down the road her mother had once carried them to.
Cheapskate! No wait…this was an opportunity!
"Thank you sensei! What do you say kids?" Her mother said, as a wicked grin grew on Ruby's face.
"Thank you Naruto san."
"Yeah, thanks bas- Naruto san." Ruby coughed tiny hands reaching up to take a gift herself, settling it into her lap, already planning to shame the man on whatever crappy gift he got them.
"No problem. Though I wasn't very sure on what to get you both, I think I managed to find something… meaningful."
Ruby nearly rolled her eyes.
Soon she and Aqua sat cross-legged side-by-side in front of the kotatsu table, gifts stacked next to each other. Aqua's hands moved calmly as he untied the ribbon from his box, while Ruby ripped into hers with a practiced fake smile eerily reminiscent of her Mama's and a glint of venom in her eyes.
She didn't even look at it.
The moment the lid came off, she stood like she'd been spring-loaded, lifting the surprisingly light item up.
"Ah-ha! See-!"
And then she saw it.
There was a collective gasp in the room.
She froze, her expression falling apart like paper soaked in rain.
"U-uh…wa-"
All things considered it was rather simple.
It was a charm.
A seemingly cheap one.
But any true stan would know how priceless the thing she was holding really was or that it had a history covered in the blood of otakus!
So rare and limited it was rumored to be pulled from circulation before release! Something only known by fans who'd followed Ai before her recent stardom until it resurfaced through an auction that went up to ¥14,000,000.00 before the seller mysteriously disappeared!
Aqua's mouth dropped open. "The Cyan Star B-Komachi charm…only distributed to internal staff and one private fan event years ago! But there were only-?!"
"...e-eight ever confirmed to exist. It's a miracle…" Ruby's mouth worked wordlessly before she finished the thought, breathless.
Her knees wobbled.
Then-
"Well, is it good?"
She looked up, the man's face was open and slightly unsure, with a dumb relaxed smile that didn't match the sheer devastation currently shredding and remaking her pride from the inside.
Nor the immensity of this gift.
Ruby blinked as she stared at him, unable to hear anything but the beating of her heart.
Honestly, what was a little abandonment right?
"I give up."
"Eh?"
"I acknowledge you, whiskers."
"H-huh?"
"You are my fat-"
She fainted.
Right onto the table until a quick hand reached over to catch her head.
Ai blinked, then casually reached over to pull Ruby back from her sensei's hand, laying the girl gently on the floor. Her fingers brushed through Ruby's strands, smoothing them down with practiced ease.
"Wow… she does that sometimes, but never twice in a week. She must've been really excited."
This birthday party was a success!
Sensei scratched the back of his head, laughing a little awkwardly.
"…Too much?"
Aqua, still staring blankly at the charm in his hands, looked seconds away from joining his sister on the floor.
"N-no. I think you just won. Completely." He gave a helpless smile. "Good job, Naruto-san."
"No clue what that means kid, but… you like it?"
"I love it." Aqua clutched the charm to his chest like it was sacred. "God bless you, Dad."
He then fainted too, only to be caught by a prepared Ai.
"Haha, wait what?"
Naruto glanced around, stunned, while Ai took a look over at the charm in Ruby's hands, intrigued.
"Anyway, Sensei-"
"Are we seriously just gonna ignore that he just called me-?"
"I'd like you to tell me something."
Ai reached over to take the charm from Ruby's hand, struggling a bit until she gave her customary head pats.
She examined the charm carefully, turning it over between her fingers. It was the real thing. She recognized it now. A very faint memory tugged at the edge of her mind… but she glanced at Miyako, who looked like she was halfway through processing her midlife crisis, for reassurance.
Miyako nodded and Ai was surprised.
So she wasn't the only one who knew this was rare.
("Aren't you gonna ask me?" Saitou-san asked in the background before being ignored completely.)
"Where'd you get two of these? I don't think you could get them even if you scour the entirety of Japan! It's amazing, actually! And you couldn't have gotten them in advance because I told you about their birthdays at the last minute!" Ai turned to give the blonde man a half-lidded stare as he stared at her too until her cheeks pinked.
She wasn't a merch nerd or anything, but even she knew this wasn't something you found anywhere.
…probably?
She looked pleadingly over towards Miyako again and mouthed, this isn't normal, right?
Miyako gave her a slow, exhausted nod, sipping her drink like she'd aged ten years in five minutes.
Definitely a big deal!
"So?"
His expression shifted. His smile didn't disappear, but he tilted his head ever so slightly, as if examining her.
She could not say she disliked it.
Also for a second, Ai could have sworn she saw a flicker of gold-
Sensei's grin widened as he leaned back slightly, closing his eyes. "So, you want to know how I got these presents in less than five minutes?" He began, in mock-seriousness. "Even though, logically, it shouldn't be possible? I mean, only some kind of superhuman could do it, right? Are you sure you want to? It's kind of dangerous, you know?"
Ai nodded along, with a playful smile. So he wanted to play like that huh? "Dangerous? You're making it sound like you're a Yakuza. Well, I do like a good mystery. Please shed some light, Sensei~"
He shrugged. "Alright." he said, his voice dropping lower. "Come closer, I don't want anyone to hear by accident."
Ai blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden seriousness. "Only if you don't mind, Sensei." She replied, doing as told.
"No, closer." he insisted, beckoning her with a finger.
Ai hesitated for a moment, then leaned in until she was just a breath away.
Sensei's lips curled into a sly smile as he glanced around at the curious eyes boring into him.
"That's-"
Everyone leaned in with bated breaths.
"-a secret."
Everyone face-faulted at once.
Ruby's still-unconscious body twitched on the floor.
The only two conscious toddlers giggled behind their father, while Ai straightened up abruptly, her face turning a vivid shade of red.
Was she tricked-
"Again?!"
Naruto chuckled. "Never change, goldfish. Never change."
"The first game we'll play will be Heads Up!" Ai declared with a twirl, holding the colorful stack of cards everyone had written on at her behest.
Meanwhile, Naruto's attention was completely elsewhere, specifically, on a certain wriggling gremlin of a girl trying very hard to pretend he didn't exist.
Suspiciously interested in her socks, said gremlin shifted a little further behind Ai's leg every time his eyes met hers, gripping her charm to her chest.
He didn't say anything. He just grinned.
It was kind of fun watching her squirm.
"Auntie, what's Heads Up?!" Himawari asked, practically bouncing with curiosity, her hand shooting up like they were in school.
"Good question!" Ai beamed. "It's a super fun game where you wear a card on your forehead, like a crown, and everyone else gives you clues until you guess what it says!"
"Huh?" Boruto questioned, scrunching his face. "That sounds too easy!"
Aqua deadpanned from his spot on the floor, fiddling with the charm as well. "You say that now, but you haven't seen Mama do 'sumo wrestler' without punching someone by accident."
"That was one time!" Ai puffed her cheeks before grinning again. "Anyway~ once you guess right, you bring the card down. If it's too hard, you can pass. But beware, pass too much, and you lose cool points!"
"Do we get real points though?" Boruto asked, still bored.
"No, just the fragile kind." Ai said, placing a card dramatically on her own forehead. "The ones that make you feel better about yourself."
"Emotional validation, basically." Aqua finished.
"Vali what now?"
Aqua sighed and Naruto shook his head with a snort. This kid really was a bit too smart.
Of course his eyes suddenly went back to Ruby, who was now peeking from behind Ai's skirt. She froze when their eyes met again.
Was it unfair to use his senses to tell when she was looking at him?
Maybe.
Did he care?
He smiled and gave a tiny wave.
Ruby ducked back behind Ai with a frustrated growl.
Aqua sighed. "Naruto-san, I'm just gonna say it. She's gonna explode."
Naruto raised a brow. "How so?"
"Emotionally."
"Hmm? A bit of an overreaction for a present, right?"
Naruto didn't know why, but the toddler gave him a look of half pity, half judgment, that somehow made him feel like he'd missed something major.
"Now!" Ai suddenly declared, seemingly appearing out of thin air with a cardboard box in hand as she breezed around the room. "Everyone draw straws!"
Miyako eyed the box suspiciously, plucking out a half-cut straw with a sigh. "And why are we doing this, exactly?"
"To decide who goes first, of course!" Ai beamed, she had been doing that alot lately. "It's way more fun when fate decides!"
"…I have several concerns." Miyako muttered.
"Too late!" Ai sang, spinning dramatically as she reached the couch where the bulk of the guests were. "Draw, draw, draw!"
Boruto and Himawari dove in eagerly, giggling as they grabbed their straws. Aqua, cool as ever, pulled his without even glancing. Ruby, trying not to make eye contact with anyone, quickly snuck one and stepped back.
Finally, Naruto, still a little confused but rolling with it, reached in, and drew the shortest straw.
He stared at it.
So did everyone else.
Except Ichigo, who was staring blankly at the now-empty box.
"…There are only seven straws." he mumbled.
There were eight people here.
Ai gasped. "And the universe has spoken!"
"Daddy's up!" Himawari cheered, clapping excitedly.
Naruto held up the sad little stub between his fingers, then gave a resigned smile. "Guess I'm first, huh? You kids sit on the floor, I stay up here, right Ai?"
"You catch on quick, Sensei!" Ai grinned and tossed something his way. "Here!"
Naruto caught the rubber band in one hand with ease, chuckling as he stretched it around his head. "Let's see what you've got planned…"
Sticking out her tongue at him, the human goldfish began shuffling the cards skilfully. After a fairly long time and a couple of coughs to hurry up, Ai inched closer holding out the deck of cards.
"Hide it until I start the timer!"
Naruto took one without pause and stuck it inside the headband, covering it with his hand.
After quickly stepping back and sitting down with the children and Miyako, Ai started the timer and clapped.
"Begin!"
Naruto took his hand down and shot his eyes over to the audience staring at his forehead blankly.
…
…
…
"Huh? What's wrong? Why aren't you saying any-"
Shit.
That was the only word Ruby's brain could conjure as she stared in frozen horror at the card taped to her absentee father's forehead.
How was she supposed to know that stupid words would come back to bite her like this?! She'd written it back when she still hated his guts. Before the charm!
"Oof-!"
"Ruby, what were you thinking?!" Aqua hissed, elbowing her sharply.
"I don't know! I didn't think it would actually come up!"
"I thought you let it go!"
"T-this was before I did! Stop shaking me-!"
"Uh.."
Both toddlers whipped their attention back to the chaos unfolding in front of them.
"Okay guys, go ahead!"
Without missing a beat, Ai flopped backward, tongue out, limbs splayed like a cartoon character. Himawari collapsed dramatically beside her, and Boruto crossed his arms over his chest and mimed lying in a coffin.
Naruto blinked. "Uhh… corpse? Sleeping? No, wait, dead?"
Ai clapped excitedly.
"Alright, alright, not bad." Naruto muttered. "Next part?"
Boruto began throwing slow-motion punches into the air, mouthing exaggerated "boom boom" sounds. Himawari pretended to bang on an invisible drum, stomping with intensity.
"Uhh… fighting? Boxing? Punching? No… beating? Beat?!"
Ai threw him two thumbs up. "He's getting there!"
She turned to the toddlers who were cheering, deeply impressed. "This is terrifyingly effective."
"Last one! Help us, Auntie!" Himawari grinned, then pointed to herself, Boruto, and, surprisingly, Miyako and Ai.
Ai's eyes lit up in understanding.
Before anyone could question it, Ai zipped over to Miyako, cupped her hands, and whispered something into her ear with a gleeful sparkle in her eye.
Miyako blinked once. Then again. Her expression shifted from confusion to dry amusement. "…Seriously?"
Ai just winked.
Miyako sighed like someone who knew she was about to indulge nonsense, and did it anyway.
With a kind of mom-strength only years of stress could build, she knelt and effortlessly lifted Himawari and Boruto into her arms. They didn't protest in the slightest.
Then Ai scooped up a stunned Ruby and Aqua like they were featherlight, cradling them.
The two women stood side by side, rocking the four children like oversized babies while humming softly, totally in sync.
Naruto's eyes widened at sight, glazing over as he scanned both women before quickly regaining his expression. "…Okay. Cradling…rocking… babies?"
He looked to Ai, who gave him an innocent head shake.
"Uh…parents? Moms?"
Another head shake.
Aqua groaned audibly.
Ruby buried her face in Ai's shoulder.
"Father? Dad?"
Silence.
"Dad?"
Naruto's brow furrowed, until his expression slowly shifted into understanding.
"…Deadbeat…dad? Huh?"
….
…
Ruby promptly went limp in Ai's arms.
Ai beamed, completely ignoring the implications of those words. "Congratulations, sensei! You win!"
Naruto gazed around strangely. "Why do I feel like I shouldn't be proud of that?"
Miyako letting down Boruto and Himawari, Aqua and Ruby all gave him strange looks.
Gee ya think so?!
"Grrrrrrr-"
"So~" Ai began, strolling over with a bottle that looked suspiciously like wine and two plastic cups balanced in one hand. "What do you think so far, Sensei? Regretting coming?"
He glanced her way, leaning casually against the wall. He'd been watching his daughter, Boruto…no, Himawari, crawl around on all fours, growling and swiping like a tiny cat.
It was adorable.
"Regret? Nah." He said, with a small curve of his lips. "We don't get out much for stuff like this. And this is… well, it's something."
"A nice something?"
"Yes Ai, a nice something."
"Wow, from you that's glowing praise." Ai teased, offering him one of the cups while eyeing his profile, his jawline in particular, a bit too long.
He accepted the cup, then hesitated. "I can't really be drinking with the kids still up, and I have to drive back-"
"Apple cider." Ai interrupted sweetly, already familiar with his absolute dad mindset, as she aimed the bottle towards him. "Zero alcohol, sensei~. You don't think I'm that bad do you? I've leveled up from when you met me! I bet you're a lightweight anyway~"
He squinted at her like he was debating whether to take offense, planting a hand on the cap and giving it a quick twist.
Click.
"Cute."
The cap popped off and soared clean across the room, landing perfectly in the trash bin with a very satisfying pap.
It was impressive considering it was over his shoulder.
Ai blinked and went on her tiptoes to look over his shoulder, failing being too short, falling back to her heels. "I…needed that cap."
"What? Seriously?!"
"Yes!"
"Ah…sorry?"
Letting him stew in panic for a bit she giggled.
"Pfft, kidding, Sensei! I'm kidding."
She gave an impish look as he glared at her, but glanced at the bottle he opened.
Then at the cap opener she brought.
And then back at him.
"This…isn't a twist-off…"
Sensei scratched the back of his head and shrugged.
She just poured the drinks, still staring at him in mild awe. Was that martial arts? Do you train your fingers for that? Could she learn it too? Not that it'd have much use but...
"So…what's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" She asked after she was finished, leaning on the side of the wall like him.
He gave her a sideways look, half-bemused, half-bewildered at the bombardment. "Did you seriously just use that on me?"
Ai looked away, taking a sip. "That depends. Did it work?"
"No."
N-no hesitation?!
"Then no. I didn't."
Feeling a shift beside her, Ai turned, only to freeze when she found his blue eyes inches away, staring straight into hers.
Her pupils dilated.
Uuhh
Sensei gave her a slow once-over, sniffing involuntarily making her cheeks redden before leaning back.
"Sorry." He said with a snort, rubbing his nose. "I just thought you were the first person in history to get drunk off apple cider. How else am I supposed to explain this behavior?"
H-hmmm~ sensei is dangerous!
"There are other explanations…" she murmured, curling a strand of hair between her fingers, hoping he couldn't hear the pounding in her chest before she could understand what was causing it.
"Other-?"
"Do you not drink, Sensei? Or do you just not like people who do?"
He tilted his head slightly at the abrupt shift in topic. "You shouldn't base your choices on mine, Ai."
"Wow, that was pretty arrogant, Sensei. Not gonna lie." She smiled at the subtle twitch in his brow. It still amazed her how easy to rile up he was sometimes. Usually she was on the other end."I just want to know more about you. Personally, I don't like drinking, but I won't refuse if the situation calls for it. What about you?"
It was only now that she realized how naturally those words had flowed. It scared her more than she liked to admit on how easily she spoke of something she truly disliked.
When was the last time she had ever been genuine? Or could recognize that she wasn't telling a lie?
This needs to be studied. Sensei must be some kind of magical empath!
"...I don't mind a little on special occasions, but I'd rather abstain if it's just for the taste. Too many consequences." He admitted grudgingly as she shook from her fantasy.
"That wasn't too hard, was it? Now we know a little more about each other! Cheers!" She pushed her plastic cup forward, relishing the sigh of amusement he gave as he did the same.
"Clink!"
He stared at her in exasperation, cups touching.
She stared back in unapologetic Ai Hoshino.
"Did you really just say 'clink'? Ai, what are you, five?"
"Thank you for the compliment, Sensei. Kids have more fun than adults, honestly and you said it too!" She wasn't that uneducated or naive, but honestly, the bafflement on his face never failed to bring her endless amounts of enjoyment.
Once again, Sensei just stared at her, like some kind of exotic animal.
A blush crept up her neck, and she instinctively threw up her arms in defense.
"...What are you doing now?" The man sounded at his wit's end.
"You're not gonna sniff me again, right?! I swear I'm not drunk! I won't let you!"
He just kept…staring at her until she felt the slightest bit of embarrassment but she did not put down her hands.
She was the master teaser here!
Then corners of his mouth twitched, and for a brief, terrifying moment, Ai thought he might actually be mad.
But unexpectedly, he let out a quiet, almost reluctant laugh, like he was trying to keep it in. The sound caught her completely off guard.
"You...are a very special person, Ai." he said, covering his nose and mouth, still smiling.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, dropping her arms back down. "A nice special?"
"Yes. A nice special."
"Well it's good that you know sensei-"
"That won't do anymore, you know?"
Her head snapped up as she stared at him in confusion.
"You said you 'leveled up,' right?" He asked, voice deceptively casual.
She gripped her cup tighter, giving him an uneasy look. "Ehm...I might've?"
"Then call me senpai."
"?!" She yanked her gaze back down to her drink and didn't dare look up again frozen in speechlessness. Who was this man and where did herbivore sensei go?
Quite frankly she was afraid of what expression might be on her face or what he could gleam from it. He was scarily perceptive at times.
"...You can if you want to or not. I won't mind either way." He mused pushing off the wall. He also may or may not be smirking. She couldn't tell but she could spy his shoes moving away.
"But I'd understand if my little kouhai was too…scared to evolve our relationship. Now if you'd excuse me." He snickered, leaving her to stare at her cup with rosy cheeks.
That clinches it, sensei needs to be taken out!
"Mama's giving him those eyes again." Aqua observed both flatly and a bit exhausted, after about an hour or two later cycling through numerous time consuming games Ai had suggested.
"..." Ruby squinted, then hurled the ball back with just a bit too much force. They both continued their game, still committed to the act of ordinary toddlers.
Aqua took the aggressive pass, then calmly nudged the ball over to his half-brother, who slapped it toward Himawari with surprising coordination.
Huh. Both of them were unusually athletic. Maybe that was their thing, some kind of gifted talent to balance out their siblings being reincarnated?
Or was there perhaps something special about their father?
Food for thought.
Aqua's gaze drifted back to the adults.
"She giggled again."
Ruby's eyes narrowed as she kept her head down, watching the ball fly past her to the President who seemed very happy to be included. "So what?"
"They're flirting… or well, Mama is. Naruto-san might as well be a brick wall. It's honestly kind of impressive."
He paused and considered it. "I mean, Mama is…very conventionally appealing."
Of course that was from Gorou's perspective, not Aqua's. That distinction was important, especially if his thoughts were being recorded.
"And you're telling me this, why?"
"You're weirdly calm about it. I'm worried you're planning first degree murder."
She grunted. "I don't care. As long as he pulls his weight, it's whatever."
Aqua blinked. "That's… surprisingly pragmatic of you."
"I'm two."
"You're three and also Ruby."
"…just pass the ball."
He did, still eyeing her sideways. She seemed less prickly than before but he certainly wasn't the best judge of a situation considering how he died.
"You're really not jealous?"
"I'm slowly dying inside."
"Same but you're not planning something?"
"I didn't say that."
Aqua smirked. "There she is. Spit it out."
Ruby gave a nonchalant shrug. "Have you ever read a chaebol novel?"
Aqua blinked, processing it at the speed of a genius. "Where the protagonist goes back in time to cozy up to their rich grandparents so they can inherit their empire? The Korean ones?"
She nodded, completely serious. "Playing the long game."
Aqua stared at her, baffled. "And you're…comparing Naruto-san to a chaebol patriarch?"
"If the shoe fits." Ruby said smoothly. "Mama's the beauty. I'm the cute, talented daughter. You're the quiet genius."
"...That's terrifyingly accurate."
"..."
Aqua gave her a long look. "So you're saying you're okay with her dating him…because he might be useful later?"
"I'm saying." Ruby said, flicking the ball toward him with impressive precision. "There's no need to piss off my rich dad when he's got the connections to snag a charm like this, two of em without even blinking."
Aqua caught the ball effortlessly and gave a low whistle. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Ruby smiled sweetly. "You already are."
Aqua could see what she was trying to do and how insidious it could be, though there was a reason he didn't talk her out of it.
One, the man already had healthy children. Two, in every one of those novels the scorned child always gained affection for the grandparent no matter how bad they were.
And lastly, their own mother was the biggest deterrent. Anything that made Ai sad was doomed to fail before it started when it came to them.
Basically?
She was walking to her doom but Aqua simply smiled keeping it to himself.
Why? Because it would be funny to see her fail.
Though that reminded him…
Why did they break up in the first place?
An affair?
Has it always been like this between them? How long had they known each other? Aqua stared at his older brother, only a few months older than him and Ruby, trying to piece everything together.
"Hey…"
The soft, high-pitched voice startled them both. Ruby and Aqua froze, then quickly turned to find their two-year-old half-sister standing beside them, half-lidded eyes blinking sleepily, clutching a bright red ball in her tiny hands.
When did she get here?!
"Were you talking about Daddy?" she asked with a sniff, eyeing them with a suspicious squint.
Aqua panicked, quickly waving his hands in a flustered attempt to calm her down, though he couldn't help but notice the faint veins beginning to show around her eyes.
"Ah, yes! But we were only saying good things about Naruto-san! He's a wonderful father!"
There were two haughty sniffs in the background.
"...really?" Himawari gave him a softer look as he nodded again.
"Yes, you two seemed to be raised very well!"
"Hmph! Dad is the best, don't forget it!" Boruto shouted, smacking on candy as he walked over, giving them both a suspicious glare.
"I'm sure he is." Ruby sighed sarcastically, though Aqua knew it was lost on both children.
All four toddlers glanced at one another in their first, subtle standoff, until Himawari yawned and plopped down, clearly over it already.
"That's nice." she mumbled.
Aqua watched as the other blonde male also sat with a huff and wore a tired smile.
This kid reminded him suspiciously of a certain red headed salt licking brat…
Clearing his throat, Aqua leaned a little toward Himawari. "So… Himawari, is it? Who usually watches you two when Naruto-san's not around?"
She tilted her head, thinking for a second. "Ehm… Daddy is always around! But Uncle Kurama hangs around too."
Aqua blinked. Kurama? What a strange name.
Before he could ask more, Boruto cut in with a frown. "Why do you keep asking about Dad? He's our dad not yours!"
Aqua held his hands up, amused at the irony. "Just curious about Mama's new friend. He seems very busy right? With a dojo…"
"He is." Boruto replied, looking away. "He trains a lot, studies even more and has a lot of students! He always has stuff to do with his businesses as well but we'll take those stuff over soon!"
"Must be tough." Aqua said casually, noting down that he heard no bitterness. Even doing all that the man still found time to not make 2 toddlers feel neglected? By himself? "Does he have any other family to help him out?"
"Daddy's an orphan. We're all he has." Himawari yawned again.
Both Aqua and Ruby froze at that, sending each other wide eyed glances.
Orphan huh? That just opened an entirely different bucket of questions.
"Then whose Uncle Kurama?" Ruby beat him to the punch at recovering, though she was a bit too aggressive for his liking as he glared at her until she sat back with a grumble.
"Can't have shi-" She mumbled.
"He isn't our real uncle silly but he may as well be! But he never helps daddy with the dishes…"
"I see…" He was very tempted to ask about their mother but considering even his loudmouth sister didn't then it would just be distasteful.
He could guess what happened. Perhaps an estrangement or even death.
"Boo."
Aqua yelped and flinched at the sudden voice, and so did Ruby. They turned in sync, eyes wide, just in time to see the tall blond man, Naruto, crouching down looking at them with a grin.
"Naruto san?"
"Did I scare you? Hima and Boru never fall for my tricks anymore."
Yes, he scared the crap out of him!
"No, it was just unexpected…"
The man gave him a funny look as he moved forward and effortlessly scoop Himawari into his arms.
"Daddy, I'm tired…"
"Heh. I'm surprised you two lasted this long."
How…? Aqua blinked, completely thrown off. Wasn't he just speaking to Ai?
He hadn't heard a single footstep.
On hardwood flooring?! What kind of stealth stats did this guy have?!
Naruto adjusted Himawari on his shoulder, patting her back gently as she yawned against his neck.
"You're glaring, Firecracker."
"H-huh?! N-no, I wasn't!"
"Huuu? And I thought we got a bit closer with our gift. Tsk, tsk."
"Urgk?!"
…where did all that bolster go?! Aqua nearly shouted aloud seeing his sister fold like wet tissue as she looked down guiltily.
Aqua glanced back at Naruto, who was calmly taking his daughter's shoes from Boruto. Before he could stop himself, he asked, "Are you leaving, Naruto-san?"
"Well, it's getting late, and I don't want to impose any more than I already have." Naruto replied with a polite but firm refusal, exactly what Aqua had expected.
Aqua couldn't help but think, we could have probably been good friends if we'd met in my past life.
"Sen…sei?" Aqua hesitated, unsure how to respond to the soft, demure way his mother spoke as she approached, or the brief, knowing grin that appeared on the man's face when he turned to look at her.
Both twins stared blankly already familiar with Ntr like feeling in their hearts.
"You're leaving? So soon?" Ai asked, her tone a bit softer than she intended, as though she regretted the passing of time.
Naruto chuckled, his grin widening just a fraction. "Well, we can't very well sleep here, can we, Kouhai? It's almost been three hours."
Aqua and Ruby exchanged a quick, baffled glance.
Kouhai?
And the fact that their mother seemed to be thinking about allowing what he just said. She really liked him huh?
But before she could even begin, Naruto san shook his head. "It would be uncomfortable for both our kids if we stayed the night." He said, preemptively cutting her off.
Ai slumped slightly, her shoulders drooping as she let out a soft sigh. "kay…"
You look way too disappointed! At least hide your emotions Ai! You're too easy! You're lucky Naruto san is such an upright man!
"Ugh dad it's a bit tight-"
"Just bear with it for now, Boruto. Sorry." Naruto shut down his complaints as he finished fastening the booster seat belt around him. His complaints were valid. At this age, and being what they were, if they were in a crash, Boruto would have a better chance of being unharmed sitting normally rather than being strapped in.
But with all the eyes on him, Naruto couldn't afford to give him that luxury.
Ruffling his head, Naruto stepped back, shutting the door to the jeep, cutting off the cold air, before looking at his audience.
"Well you guys, it seems we are ready to go now. Thanks for having us over." Naruto gave a brief once over to the group, just a bit surprised to see Ai's children looking more energetic than his own.
How was it possible? He did not know but attributed it to their advanced mental states.
"It was a pleasure having you over, Naruto san. Thank you for the gifts! I hope I can return the favor." Looking down to his right knee, Naruto scratched his head at the well mannered boy. At first he had passed it off as high intelligence but he seemed wise as well…
That wasn't something intelligence made up for.
It was really strange but-
"No need to do that but something tells me you won't listen anyway, Aqua." With no malice to speak of, Naruto couldn't help but like the boy despite his oddities.
Speaking of malice…
Naruto glanced to the space in front of his left knee.
"Firecracker."
"Stop calling me that, old man." Naruto crouched down silently, his gaze fixed on the girl. He wondered how such a tiny body, such a young child, could carry so much turmoil.
Even though he felt suspicious, Naruto also felt a deep sadness.
There was a reason her behavior did not phase him at all.
A child who just turned three, who shouldn't even remember if she stubbed her toe the day before…
Why could she hold so much grief?
For him, the negative emotions he sensed every day, ninety percent of them, were something to be ignored. They came and went so quickly, whether it was a fleeting annoyance or a passing thought directed at someone else, that Naruto had been shocked when he had observed it seriously.
The human mind was scary wasn't it?
Those emotions, they were petty, temporary things. He felt them, too and he knew better than to judge people based on those moments.
If he wanted to live without carrying the weight of others' burdens, that was the only way. For someone like him, who had carried on his master's flame, knowing someone was in pain and willfully ignoring it-
It wasn't pleasant.
Especially those ten percent. The ones with sickly, gaping wounds, walking around as if everything was okay.
For him, the ability someone back home would have been lauded for had simply become a minor inconvenience in the backdrop of his life. Something he had sought to burry-
Until today.
Naruto stared at the girl, who stared back at him nervously, peering closer into the wound that flared up, every time she saw him.
He raised a hand.
She flinched and he smiled sadly, simply placing his hand onto her head and whispered.
"You've had it hard. You did well."
She froze.
Naruto glanced at a wide eyed Aqua-
"You have the love of a brother-"
Then Ai-
"-a mother-"
He then glanced behind her, all the way up to the apartment complex where those two heads were observing through curtains.
"A family. I don't understand but it's okay to let go right? A kid like you should be protected and loved so-" He stared at watery eyes and screwed up face glaring at the floor, and patted her shaking body.
"Smile, laugh and be happy. It's the best medicine." That wasn't what he wanted to say but considering she looked like she wanted to burst into tears he toned down his words and stood.
"Sensei?" Ai gave him a look to explain what the heck was going on and Naruto chuckled.
Finally catching on huh?
"Ah don't mind it too much. She said she wanted to be a Tv star like her Mama so I did this as her first audition."
"First time, I'm hearing of it-"
"Or maybe you just forgot, goldfish?"
She pouted.
"I'm not that bad, am I?"
Naruto brought out his cellphone-
"Okay okay! Point proven!" She quickly reached for his hand, stopping him from retrieving the evidence and looking at him with pleading eyes.
Don't embarrass me infront of my kids- I beg you sensei!
With a chuckle, Naruto nodded and turned around.
"I'll see you later, Ai. I'll text you when I get home." Waving a hand back, he began heading towards the driver side of his jeep just to stop and blink after 2 seconds.
…
He took a single step forward.
Step.
Step.
He took another.
Step.
Step.
Naruto sighed.
"Ai? Why are you following me?" Spinning Naruto turned to stare at the idol, who was fidgeting behind him, staring at the ground as she tapped her fingers together
"...well…"
As she hesitated, Naruto took the opportunity to observe her as well. He had to admit, he'd willingly overlooked a lot about her, especially the emotions that didn't require an extraordinary sixth sense to pick up on.
Just experience.
She was so small, honestly, everyone in this place, Japan, was. The oversized, soft beige sweater hung loosely over her high-waisted, distressed jeans along with white sneakers, made her seem both comfortable and stylish.
Not a single bit of extra thought put into it.
Naruto thought it suited her perfectly.
"Get back home safe." She stepped forward, and Naruto said nothing as she engulfed him in a warm hug, carefully controlling his reaction as her arms encircled his back, not quite touching each other due to its wideness.
It was a familiar feeling.
It took all of two seconds of staring at her children's haunted faces over her head for him to react. He curled a single arm around her, hugging her closer, his hand resting on the small of her back.
"Sure."
A lackluster response all things considered but she did not seem discouraged as her right hand drifted up his back.
Pinch.
Bend down- was what it meant in Ai speech. He was becoming quite a linguist when it came to her.
He bent.
She gently grasped his shoulder, rising onto her tiptoes to meet him, her soft body against his. Naruto tensed his body as her lips neared his cheek, but just as he began to anticipate the kiss, lean into it even-
She paused and spoke softly into his ears.
"Bye, bye, Naruto senpai~"
Naruto stared in incomprehension.
Ai stepped back and all Naruto could see was the cheeky smile on her face as she waved at him using her fingers.
Naruto gave a slow nod, turning back to his jeep and opening the door and getting in. Strapping himself in, he placed his hands on the wheel and soon the tires began crunching against the gravel, kicking up dust as the jeep slowly pulled away.
With a final beep and his gaze in the rearview mirror, Naruto left the vicinity.
It wasn't long until his acceleration stopped and he gazed at a red traffic light.
Red.
…
First it started from his neck, then his ears, his cheeks, and the more he tried to push it away, the worse it got. He tilted his head down, burying his face in his hand, eyes barely peeking through the gaps as he stared at the road in mortification.
Never had he wished, more than anything, that he could just teleport back to Konoha and never come back.
How could he show his face again?!
Dammit! Luckily Kurama wasn't-
"I AM ALWAYS WATCHING!"
Ai stared at the retreating vehicle, still feeling her heart pound a mile a minute as she waved it goodbye. The warmth in her cheeks hadn't quite faded, and she let out a quiet sigh, rubbing her forehead as if trying to shake the feeling off.
She hadn't meant for it to go that far. She barely knew what had gotten into her, but she couldn't help the flutter in her chest-
If only she had the courage to go all the way, maybe then she wouldn't be left wondering... What had she been thinking? With sensei?
No s-senpai?
Her cheeks exploded into a rosy blush once more and she quickly patted it down, not quite used to it as a thought occurred to her.
Should she have invited Hikaru?
Her mind lingered on him for just a second longer than she wanted. Hikaru…it wasn't like she hated him but…
Ai sighed again and turned toward Aqua and Ruby. "Come here." she chuckled softly, bending down to scoop them up in her arms. She could feel their little arms wrap around her neck with prompting, and a sense of calm began to settle over her.
Though she couldn't help but mutter quietly, almost as if to herself, as she walked back to their apartment.
"I wonder if I should've invited him over... He helped me the most making you two after all."
…
…
…
…
…
2 pairs of horrified eyes in the midst of an existential crisis and mental breakdown stared at the ditzy woman who dropped a hydrogen bomb onto their heads at the worst possible moment.
He helped you make us...Mama what da fuck does that mean, Mama?!
She couldn't possibly be saying that man wasn't their father right?
Right?!