Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Reflections and Shadows	By : twistedsheets Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1576 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Disclaimer:
Naruto is Kishimoto�s property. We do not own them. Don�t sue.
Author�s note: THE REAL CHAPTER! To those who thought the last post was the real
chapter, gomen! Well, after the pregnancy comes parenthood. And it�s hard to be
a parent when you have twins, you�re Sasuke and Naruto, and you have a
pedophile of a snake bastard after you. Enjoy! Things are a bit fast-paced from
now on, so excuse any �abruptness� you feel.
MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO THOSE WHO
REVIEWED THE PREVIEW. I didn�t expect people to review at all�
Warnings:
Technical MPREG. Yaoi. If you don't like this, run away.
NOW!
Pairings:
SasuNaru. KakaIru. Minor pairings
include SakuLee, ShikaIno, and NejiHina. XD
Special thanks to: Akuma_river: Yes, this is just the beginning of their problems!
Sukara: Well, Orochimaru really keeps an eye on Sasuke. I hope you didn�t
hurt yourself from punching the computer screen. XD
Ghostninja85: Twins are nice. XD And yes, Gaara has freaky ways of comforting
people.
Ladypea: Thank you. Here�s the next chapter!
Macy: OHMIGOD! You know Tagalog! Are you Pinoy? XD Thank you for the
genetic explanation of the whole Sharingan thing. I was thinking along the same
lines, but I couldn�t express it scientifically. And yes, thanks Itachi for
killing the whole clan�=__=. Walanghiya ka, Itachi! XD
Hitomi: You have no idea how appropriate those names are for those two! And
yes, you�ll see the children grow up, I promise! I�m glad you found the chapter
hilarious. My friends also loved the part about Gaara.
B-chan: Hikaru is for both girls and boys. XD
MultifacetedTune: Yes, Orochimaru is such a pedophile. We planned twins since the start
of the fic. So did you get the e-mail? We couldn�t let Naruto stay female long,
because the jutsu immediately released as soon as Hisoka was born.
Weezy: Uh, that was another fic! XD Thank you for reading!
Dee.S: Thank you. I�m glad you had fun! XD
Rosemary: Yes, It�s finally happened! ^_^
Janet: Wokey! Did you get the mail? As for what will happen to the twins,
you�ll find out this chapter.
Kitsunekochan: Ehehehe�yes, we have a devart page. There�s just too much fan art
floating around.
Tastes like chicken: I�m glad you liked Gaara. I was worried he was OOC.
Kirby: Yes, Naruto is back to his normal self. Thank you for reading.
Puchu: I hope you got the mail! XD Thank you very much for reading the fic!
Yugiko: Yes, Orochimaru spoiled it all! Hehehe�Sasuke and Naruto would
definitely enjoy parenthood. XD
Altoids give you mouth cancer: *dodges whip* HAH! But there will be a lot of action and adventure
here.
Mitsune: I think misery would be a mild word for what�s about to happen! Enjoy
the fic!
Jazzy: Yes, Orochimaru is evil! XD See author�s note for explanation about
Hisoka�s name!
Millia Rage: There�s an explanation for Hisoka�s name on the author�s note on top!
I hope you got the e-mail!
Thirteenth-spider: Gaara as midwife�XD
KpapercutC: Thank you very much! And yes, Itachi will appear�sometime�XD
Fyredevyl: Uh�that may be a very difficult thing to do.
Ryuukotsusei: We like Gaara a lot. XD You�ll find out what Orochimaru�s planning
this chapter. XD
_without . LOVE_: Thank you! XD I hope you�ll like this part. You�ll see the other
children in this chapter.
Me_laiya: Nope, that wasn�t the update. This is the TRUE update!
Dirtyangel: *fangirl scream* KYAAAAAAAH! I love your fic! XD Thank you. I�ve had
a lot of help from my collaborators. They keep my impulses in line. XD Our
biggest challenge right now: weaving the new generation into the story without
making them Mary sues or Gary stu(es). XD
This is for Macy. Long Live SasuNaru MPREG! XD

Chapter IX: Baby Steps

A loud wail shattered the night�s
stillness, abruptly waking two sleeping shinobi.
�It�s your turn,� muttered Naruto
to Sasuke. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get back to sleep. He
snuggled deeper into the sheets.
Sasuke glared sleepily at the
blond. �No, I believe it�s your turn.�
�No, it�s not. It�s your��
Another loud, piercing wail joined
the first one. Naruto sighed. �Okay, it�s both our turns.� With a groan, he stood
up, got out of bed, and sleepily went straight to the crib just a few feet
across their bed. Behind him, Sasuke followed, muttering to himself.
Naruto leaned over to find the
twins kicking and flailing their tiny arms and legs as they cried out in distress.
�All right, what the problem with you two? Hungry? Or are you wet again?� Gently,
he scooped up Hikaru, wrinkling his nose when he felt the distinct wetness on
his son�s bottom. �Wet it is.� Thankfully, as soon as Naruto had his son in his
arms, Hikaru stopped crying. �Let�s go change your diapers.�
Sasuke already had Hisoka, who had
also stopped crying, in his arms and was heading for the nearby changing table
to change her diapers. Naruto followed, picking up the packet of baby wipes
from one of the closets as he did.
It had been two months since Naruto
gave birth to the twins. Naruto recovered without any complications, much to
Sasuke�s relief. After a week�s stay in the hospital (the long stay was mostly
for the twins� sake than Naruto�s), the couple and their two children went back
to their apartments. As soon as they got home, the sleepless nights began.
The problem with the twins was that
as soon as Naruto or Sasuke puts to sleep one of them, the other would start
crying, or, if they were unfortunate enough, the two would start crying
simultaneously. As a result, both of them would stay awake throughout the
night.
The two would have lost their minds
dealing with the twins if it hadn�t been for Hinata and Shizune, who had
earlier instructed them in the arts of taking care of babies. The problem was, Sasuke and Naruto�s training was for handling ONE baby,
not TWO. To say that the twins were a handful would be an understatement. The
first time they tried to change diapers, their clothes were soaked wet, their
bodies covered with talcum powder.
�There, finished.� Naruto gazed at
the dry diapers on Hikaru with pride. He grinned at his firstborn as he took
him into his arms again, resisting the urge to cuddle him close. The twins
needed sleep, not cuddling. He glanced at Sasuke, smiling a little when he saw
that the Uchiha was unconsciously rocking the diaper-changed Hisoka, who he
held against his chest, back to sleep.
The twins changed Sasuke. During
the first week after the twin�s birth, the Uchiha had kept himself almost aloof
from them, and had acted as if he was afraid to touch the babies.
�You�re their father!� Naruto had said, glaring at Sasuke. �Why the
hell are you scared of them? They�re not going to kill you!�
Sasuke�s dark eyes fell on the sleeping twins. �I might hurt them,� he
replied shortly.
�No, you won�t,� Naruto said emphatically. �Stop being a bastard. You
are NOT leaving me alone to care for the twins! We need to work together! And
don�t you want to bond with your babies?� He narrowed his eyes. �Don�t tell me
you�re getting post-partum depression on me. I�m the one who�s supposed to get
that!�
Sasuke gave him an are-you-stupid look. �Just touch them,� Naruto
urged. �You did just fine when they were born. Don�t back away now!�
Sasuke scowled at Naruto, but reached out to touch Hisoka. It wasn�t
that he didn�t want the twins or resented them. I had a family once, and I lost
them. Now I have a new family�will I lose them too? Itachi and Orochimaru were still out there, waiting, taking their
time.
Family holds you back, little
brother. Family limits your capabilities. It deserves to be shunned.
Itachi�s words echoed back to him, and he almost pulled away from
Hisoka, but just then, his daughter�s eyes opened, revealing eyes as black as
his own. She looked at Sasuke gravely, as if looking into his very soul, and
then she yawned, her tiny arms flailing about. Sasuke couldn�t help but smile.
�Hey, looks like this one�s going to have your eyes, Sasuke. Too bad
she won�t inherit the Sharingan, right?� Naruto remarked. �But Hikaru might,
ne?�
�Yes,� Sasuke answered, shifting his gaze to his son. There was no way
to tell if a newborn child would be capable of Sharingan, but somehow, Sasuke
knew his son would master Sharingan. He touched his son�s tiny whisker scars,
not for the first time wondering how he got them.
�Anou sa, Tsunade explained those whisker scars are like birthmarks of
sorts. Hisoka has a birthmark too, on her back, somewhere between the shoulder
blades. It has a funny shape, like a heart,� Naruto said, as if reading
Sasuke�s mind.
�Hisoka has a birthmark?� Sasuke frowned, glancing at their daughter.
�I didn�t know that.�
�That�s because you haven�t paying much attention to them,� Naruto
retorted.
Sasuke winced. �Fine. I�ve been a bastard.� He glanced at his children
again. �I won�t promise anything, Naruto, but I�ll try to be a good parent to
them.�
Naruto nodded approvingly. �Good.� He held out a feeding bottle. �You
can start being a good father by helping me feed them. You feed Hisoka, I�ll
feed Hikaru.�
Since then, Sasuke had been more
involved with taking care of the twins. Sasuke seemed more partial to Hisoka
than Hikaru, though. Naruto didn�t really mind. He liked taking care of Hikaru.
Of the twins, Hikaru fussed the least. His son was a grave, quiet little baby,
rarely crying. Hisoka, on the other hand, would cry vociferously at the
smallest provocation. Naruto once tried to pick her up, but her cries only got
louder. However, she immediately stopped as soon as Sasuke had her in his arms.
�What are you smiling at, dobe?�
Naruto heard Sasuke ask, breaking through his reverie. Sasuke had just finished
putting Hisoka back in the crib and was looking at Naruto with narrowed eyes.
He grinned at Sasuke, stifling a
laugh at the annoyed look that flashed Sasuke�s face. �Oh, nothing.� Naruto put
Hikaru beside his twin, sighing in relief that the terrible two were finally
asleep. �I hope this is the last time for this night. I don�t know if we could
take any more of this.�
They carefully slid back into their bed. Much
to Sasuke�s surprise, Naruto snuggled closer to him, wrapping his arms around
Sasuke�s waist. Between taking care of the twins and missions, Sasuke hadn�t
had much�intimate contact with Naruto, except for some hurried or chaste kisses
and hugs. �Dobe, what are you doing?�
�What? Can�t I hug you now?� Naruto
pouted.
�No,� Sasuke said coolly. �But I
know you. We�ll wake up the twins.�
Naruto grinned. �Not if we�re
quiet.�
�You�re never quiet.�
�That�s your fault.�
�Is it now?� Sasuke drew closer,
face only inches away. �Maybe we should find out if that�s true.�
Naruto�s grin widened. �Why don�t
we, you bastard?�
Sasuke shut him up with sudden deep
kiss. His hands slid up Naruto shirt. Naruto bit back a hoarse moan. He felt Sasuke
smirk against his lips as his breath hitched when the Uchiha�s hand wandered
down to his stomach.
Just then, the twins let out
another long, piercing cry, shattering the mood.
Naruto pulled his mouth from Sasuke
with a long groan. Dammit!
------
�They look absolutely adorable!�
Sakura squealed as she looked at the sleeping twins inside the crib. She
grinned as she turned to Naruto and Sasuke. �On the other hand, you two look
absolutely horrible!�
Naruto shot Sakura a baleful look.
Did she really have to point it out? Naruto knew he and Sasuke look like
zombies out of some cheap horror movie with their deep, dark eye bags,
mussed-up hair, and crumpled clothing. Not only that, they smelled of spit,
talcum, and a whole lot of unwholesome things Naruto did not want to think
about now. �Don�t laugh at us yet, Sakura-chan!� He pointed at Sakura�s huge
stomach. �Pretty soon, you and that eyebrow freak are going to look a LOT like
us!�
�Sakura, please don�t speak so
loudly,� Sasuke said in his deadpan voice, though Sakura could detect a hint of
weariness in it. �You might wake the babies, and it took us an hour before we
could get them to sleep.�
�Is it really that bad?� Sakura
glanced at the babies again. The two month-old twins slept side by side, facing
each other, tiny hands touching. The twins always slept together in the same
crib. Naruto and Sasuke had found out the hard way that separating the twins
would bring on long, loud, and piercing crying fits from the twins. Both wore
matching blue baby clothes. Sakura can�t help but smile. They look like angels!
�You have NO idea,� Naruto said
with a groan. �I haven�t had a decent night�s sleep for two months!� Not to mention I haven�t had a decent lay at
all. Last night, they woke up five times again to feed and change one of
the twins, or both of the twins. �You�re lucky. At least you�re just going to
have one kid. Do you know what gender it would be?�
�The ultrasound confirmed it�s
going to be boy, Naruto-kun,� Rock Lee answered from behind Sakura. His eyes were
shining with pride and joy.
Naruto and Sasuke shared a look,
inwardly shuddering at what the baby would look like. Would Sakura�s baby look
like her or her husband, or would it be a combination of both? Naruto nearly
fainted with laughter and horror at the thought of a miniature pink-haired,
bowl-cut, thick-browed, googly-eyed, spandex-wearing Lee.
�You�re making fun of my baby
again, aren�t you?� Sakura demanded, hands on her hips and eyebrows twitching when
she saw the way Naruto�s eyes rolled back and his lips twitch with suppressed
laughter.
�No, Sakura-chan, I�m not,� Naruto
replied hastily.
A small, whimpering sound came from
the crib. Sasuke sighed, stood up, and went over to the crib. He glared at
Sakura and Naruto. �Look what you two have done. You woke the twins up.�
Bending over, he scooped up Hisoka, who was indeed, wide-awake. As soon as
Hisoka was in Sasuke�s arms, the youngest Uchiha quieted down.
�Sorry,� Sakura and Naruto said at
the same time. Naruto then took Hikaru, cuddling his firstborn close. Hikaru
gravely regarded Naruto with his blue eyes, and then turned his tiny head to
where his twin sister was.
Sakura looked at them fondly.
�Looks like Hisoka-chan�s going to be a daddy�s girl. And look, she has
Sasuke-kun�s eyes!� she said when Hisoka opened her eyes, revealing their
jet-black color. Hisoka regarded Sakura calmly, and then glanced away, burying
her face on Sasuke�s shoulder.
Naruto rolled his eyes. �You have
no idea how much of a daddy�s girl she is. She wouldn�t even let me hold her.
Every time I do, she starts crying on top of her lungs. She only behaves with
Sasuke.�
�Then if Hisoka-chan will be a
daddy�s girl, then Hikaru-chan will be a mommy�s boy?� Lee asked, glancing at
Naruto and Hikaru.
�I hope not. Hikaru-chan needs a
better role model than Naruto,� Sakura remarked with a grin.
�Are you making fun of me,
Sakura-chan?� Naruto growled out.
Sakura looked innocently at Naruto.
�Would I do that, Naruto-kun?�
Naruto scowled. Then he turned to
Lee, who was making funny faces at Hikaru. Hikaru�s face screw up a little, not
sure what to make of the strange man in front of him. �Congratulations on
becoming jounin, by the way. I heard Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chouji passed,
too.� Naruto sighed. Naruto was happy for his friends, but he did wish he
entered, but he was pregnant at that time. �I wish I could go back to training
and missions, but I can�t until the twins are a bit older.�
�Ah, thank you, Naruto-kun. But isn�t
Sasuke-san still taking missions and doing training?� Lee pointed out. �Why
can�t you?�
�Someone has to stay home and watch
the babies. And I don�t really mind.� It wasn�t really a lie, sort of. Naruto
did miss training, and he longed for missions and sparring matches. After
almost a year of not training, he was more than eager to get back to being a
shinobi. But he was also a parent, and he just couldn�t abandon his kids when
they were so young.
Sakura�s features softened. �You
know, you�re such a fussy mother, Naruto-kun. I�ve never thought you�d be like
this. You must have gotten it from Iruka-sensei.�
Naruto laughed uncomfortably. He
could feel Sasuke�s eyes boring into him. They haven�t really talked about Naruto going back to his shinobi duties. He had
a feeling they were going to have a talk later on.
Sakura had a speculative look in
her eyes. �Hmm, maybe we girls could make arrangements. Ino-pig, Hinata, and I
could watch the twins for you while you guys train and go to missions.�
Naruto blinked at the offer. �Eh? But
Hinata already have two kids to take care of.� A few days after Naruto gave
birth, Hinata went to labor and was delivered of a daughter they named Hokuto.
�And don�t you and Ino have other things to do?�
�Not really. And it�s not really a
bother. It would be a joy to take care of the twins. And besides, it would be
some sort of practice for me and Ino-pig.�
�But you�ll be giving birth soon,
and then you won�t have time to take care of the babies,� Naruto said, frowning
a little. He held his son a bit tighter. He really didn�t want to saddle the
twins to anyone. In fact, he wasn�t comfortable with anyone taking care of the twins other than him and Sasuke. Naruto
was a bit unnerved on how possessive and protective he felt for his children.
Sakura caught the look on Naruto�s
face and smiled. �You�re very protective of the twins, aren�t you?�
�Well,� Naruto began, laughing
sheepishly, �the twins might not be comfortable with other people. They haven�t
been around many people, you know. They might get upset. And the villagers��
Since the twins� birth, he and
Sasuke rarely ventured outside of the apartment with them and if they did, it
was usually just a few feet from their apartment. The villagers still didn�t
know about the twins being their children.
Hell, they probably don�t even know about the twins� existence. Naruto
still had the gnawing fear of what the villagers� reaction would be, especially
in view of the fact that Hikaru has the same whisker scars as his.
Besides, the twins really haven�t
been around many people in the past two months. Sakura was a frequent visitor,
and so were Tsunade, Shizune, Iruka, and Kakashi. Other than that, the others
just passed by occasionally.
�I don�t think the villagers would
be a problem. When they see how adorable these two are, they�d melt.�
�Thanks, Sakura-chan, but I�m sorry
if I don�t share your optimism.� Naruto flashed her a grin tinged with a hint
of bitterness. �Personal experience tells me so.�
Sakura sobered at Naruto�s smile.
�I know.� Then she grinned back. �I think the twins are quite safe here in
Konoha. I�m sure you�ll do great physical harm to anyone who�d try to hurt
them.�
�They�d be dead before they know
it,� Naruto muttered. �Then there�s still the snake bastard and Itachi. So we
can�t really leave the twins alone or to anyone. Too unsafe.�
�I heard Hokage-sama wanted to have
ANBU shadowing the twins,� Lee mused.
Sasuke raised one eyebrow. �What
makes you think they aren�t already?�
Sakura looked startled and looked
around. �They are? I didn�t notice. I must be getting out of practice.�
�Eh? I didn�t know about them,
too,� Naruto remarked, eyes wide with feigned innocence.
�Yeah, right, Naruto.� Sakura
smirked. Naruto let out another sheepish laugh. He�d detected the ANBU the
moment they arrived and a while ago, he saw Sasuke talking with one of them.
�So what are your plans, then? Wait
until the twins are older? Isn�t that a bit long?�
Naruto thought for a moment.
�Actually, I�ve been thinking of using my Kage Bunshin to do the babysitting.�
Sakura�s eyes widened with
disbelief. �You�re not serious, Naruto! Don�t tell me you�re leaving the care
of your twins to mere clones at all times!� She glanced at Sasuke, who was
scowling at Naruto. �Even Sasuke-kun doesn�t approve of the idea!�
Naruto winced. �Hey, I said I was
just thinking about it! And I didn�t mean �at all times�. Just at night, I
guess. Someone to stand guard, or pat them to sleep. My chakra�s almost
unlimited, so it doesn�t really put that much strain on me to maintain a Kage
Bunshin all night. I�m not THAT stupid to leave the care of the twins to mere
clones at all times.�
Sakura thought the idea over.
�Hmmm�it does seem like a good idea. Did I just say Naruto had a good idea? I
really must be out of practice.�
�SAKURA-CHAN!�
�So what will you do now?� Lee asked,
trying to calm things before Sakura and Naruto would go into a full-blown
squabble.
�We�ll think of something,� Naruto
said. �We always do.�
�That�s what I was afraid of,�
Sakura muttered under her breath.
------
After Sakura and Lee left, Sasuke
narrowed his eyes at Naruto and asked, �Why didn�t you say anything about
wanting to go back to training?�
�Well,� Naruto began, smiling
slightly as he bounced Hikaru in his lap, �I really didn�t want to bother you
anymore. You already gave up joining the jounin exam for me. And I really don�t
mind being with the twins.�
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. �Oh? I
thought training was one of your favorite things in this world. And whatever
happened to the competitive Naruto I knew? And since when did you care about
not bothering me?�
�Bastard. Fine. I do want to go
back to my shinobi duties. But who�s going to take of these two?�
�Dobe, we could take turns and
alternate missions.� Sasuke glanced at his daughter, who was happily playing
with Sasuke�s hair, chubby hand gripping his long raven locks, wincing a little
when she gave one a hard tug. �They�re growing up fast, aren�t they?�
�Yeah. Tsunade-baachan says babies
generally grow a lot during the first few months. Pretty soon, these two would
be crawling and walking.� Naruto looked around. �We should get a bigger
apartment. This one�s not big enough for the four of us.�
�We could always move back into my
place,� Sasuke said in a deadpan voice.
Naruto�s eyes widened. �The Uchiha
compound? No way. That place is creepy.� Naruto wanted to hit himself when he
realized what he had just said. �I meant��
Sasuke gave a small bitter smile.
�Don�t say it, Naruto.� His eyes had a distant look in them, remembering. �That
place�may not be the best one for them to grow up. Too many old ghosts.�
�Yeah,� Naruto muttered, suddenly
uncomfortable. As always, discussing about the Uchiha clan and anything
connected to it brought about a tense silence. Eager to change the subject,
Naruto said, �Maybe I could ask Tsunade-baachan about the missions, so we could
alternate or something. By the way, I saw one of the ANBU talking to you a
while ago. What was that all about?�
Sasuke grunted. �Nothing. We were
discussing about their orders.�
�Ah, okay.� Naruto�s eyes narrowed
for a moment, but he didn�t say anything else.
-------
�Well, looks like you two are doing
a good job on the twins. They�re very, very healthy.� Tsunade announced after
she gave the twins a thorough check-up. Tsunade eyed the feeding bottle on
Naruto�s hand with narrowed eyes, and then smirked at Naruto. �Why do you
bother feeding them with that? You could use Sexy no Jutsu and transform into a
woman and breastfeed them, you know.�
�NO!� Naruto cried out. Bottle
still in one hand as he fed Hikaru, he glared at Tsunade. �NO WAY! I�ve been stuck in a girl�s body
for nine months, and that�s long enough for me.� He stuck out his tongue at the
Fifth Hokage. �If you�re so eager, why don�t you feed them with your boobs?
They�re certainly big enough for four!�
�Naruto,� Tsunade growled in
warning. In the background, Kakashi was trying hard to stifle a laugh.
�Don�t shout, usuratonkachi,�
Sasuke said. Cradling the happily feeding Hisoka closer to him, he continued,
�You�re disturbing the twins.�
�So,� Kakashi said with a smile,
�have you decided what names the kids are you going to call you with? Is Naruto
going to be �mommy�?�
Naruto gave Kakashi a nasty look.
�Shut up, Kakashi-sensei!�
Kakashi went on, heedless of the
imminent danger to his health. �You know, you have to explain it to them
sometime why their parents happen to be both guys.� He grinned at them. �I�d give a lot to be there to see their
expression.�
Sasuke glared at Kakashi, and then
turned to the Hokage. �Is there anything else? I assume you�re not just here
for a check-up, Hokage-sama.�
Tsunade frowned at the Uchiha�s
tone, but said nothing of it. Instead, she replied, �Yes. It seems like the
Akatsuki have been keeping a low profile. There hadn�t been many reports on
them. Meanwhile, there has been considerable activity in Sound. It seems
Orochimaru has a new body.�
�What? But I thought he wanted
Sasuke�s body!� Naruto blurted out.
�It�s been three years or so,�
Sasuke said, his voice flinty. He narrowed his eyes. �He needs to replace his
body every three years. Do we know whose body he took?�
Tsunade shook her head, lips
curling with disgust. �No, we haven�t managed to get that information out. I
had hoped you would have an idea whose body he would chose, Uchiha.�
Sasuke made no reaction at the
rather offhand way Tsunade alluded to his past association with Orochimaru. �Kabuto
had been volunteering to be the body, but I doubt it�s him. Kabuto is far too
shrewd in Orochimaru�s opinion to be his new body. He needs someone he can
dominate without much effort. Probably one of the Four Gate Guardians, but I
don�t know who among them. Or someone I don�t know.�
�The new Gate Guardians seems to be
intact. It could be someone new.�
�Then I wouldn�t know who it is.�
Tsunade flashed a warning look at
the Uchiha. �Anyway, Naruto, as you�ve requested, I�ve put you back in the
active shinobi list. And you should be pleased to know that your prot�g�,
Sarutobi Konohamaru and his friends have graduated from the Academy.�
Naruto grinned. �GREAT! I have to
congratulate them!� He hadn�t seen much of Konohamaru and his friends during
the course of his pregnancy, just an occasional glimpse every now and then when
Naruto went to the Hokage tower, and they didn�t know at that time that the
blonde girl they saw was Naruto. �Who�s their jounin?�
�That would be Nara Shikamaru. He�s
just newly appointed, but we�re a little short on available jounin.�
Naruto let out a snort of laughter.
�Shikamaru? That lazy-ass? I wish him a lot of luck!� A sudden idea flashed in
his mind. �Ne, Tsunade-baachan, can you do a little favor for me?�
Tsunade looked suspiciously at
Naruto. �You�re up to no good, are you, brat?�
Naruto just grinned back, and then
whispered something into Tsunade�s ear. When Naruto was finished, both of them
were wearing evil-looking grins.
------
�Naruto-no-niichan!� Konohamaru shouted
as soon as he saw Naruto. Naruto gave a start on how tall Konohamaru had grown
in the past months they hadn�t seen each other. �You�re back from your
mission!� Behind him, Moegi and Udon were also making similar remarks. Like Konohamaru,
they had grown as well.
Naruto just smiled at them. He
missed the three, and it felt good being around them. �Yo, Konohamaru, Moegi,
and Udon! Congratulations!�
Konohamaru smiled back. �Now I�m a
step closer in beating you, my rival!� His voice was no longer as thin and
squeaky as before.
Naruto resisted the urge to ruffle
Konohamaru�s hair. Some things never change. �You wish.� Naruto�s grin was
positively evil when he saw Shikamaru trudging behind them, a look of profound
pain on his face. �So, Shikamaru, enjoying things?�
Shikamaru flashed Naruto an annoyed
look. �They�re very noisy. Like you.�
Naruto�s grin widened. �The Hokage asked
me to give your mission.�
Moegi made a face. �Are we going to
weed gardens again?�
Naruto laughed, remembering how he
hated those kinds of missions. �No. It�s a special, secret mission. I used my,
uh, connections to get them especially for you!� He waved a scroll in front of
them.
Konohamaru�s eyes sparkled at the
words �secret� and �special�. Shikamaru regarded Naruto suspiciously. �What is
it?� Udon asked, eyeing the scroll apprehensively.
He handed the scroll to Shikamaru,
who took it with a scowl. Unfurling it open, Shikamaru read it rapidly, and
then gave Naruto the first look of disbelief Naruto had ever seen Shikamaru
make. Naruto gave him a vicious smile, clearly enjoying everything. �Think of
it as practice for things to come.�
Konohamaru also read the scroll and
frowned angrily. �It�s just a babysitting mission! What�s so special and secret
about it?�
�Because the babies you�d be
babysitting are mine and Sasuke�s,� Naruto said in an off-handed manner.
The Konohamaru Corps� eyes grew as
wide as saucers. �Yours�� Moegi gasped.
��and Uchiha-san�s�� Udon
stuttered.
��babies?� Konohamaru said in a
voice barely above a whisper. His face turned into a bright shade of red. �But
how did that happen? You�re both GUYS!�
Naruto was laughing like mad by
then, and between guffaws, he said, �Remember my Oiroke no Jutsu?�
Konohamaru nodded.
�Remember that blonde girl that you
used to see going to the Hokage tower?�
Konohamaru nodded again, and then
as realization hit him, he blushed again. �That was you?�
Naruto briefly wondered if
Konohamaru�s relatives would kill him for ruining the boy�s innocence this was.
�Yep.�
�The Oiroke can do THAT?�
�Yep.�
Konohamaru fainted.
�How troublesome,� was all
Shikamaru said.
------
All in all, the arrangement worked
out. After the initial shock, the Konohamaru Corps quickly adjusted to the
situation and became close to the twins. They would do the babysitting when
Naruto and Sasuke were both out on missions. It was good training, Tsunade had
said. It thought the kids responsibility and helped developed their senses and
stealth techniques. Naruto was both amused and proud at how seriously the three
took their duties seriously.
The twins accepted this change with
equanimity, although they were times the twins would overwhelm them. However,
most the time, the twins were good-natured and hardly fussed at all.
At night, the Kage Bunshins would take
over, and for a while, Naruto and Sasuke enjoyed some measure of normal sleep.
They still had to wake up to change diapers, though.
The security of the twins was tight.
The ANBU kept faithfully watch, and Shikamaru could effectively deal any threat
that might occur while he was with the twins. And with the combined skills of
Naruto and Sasuke, a sane person would think twice before doing anything
unpleasant to the twins.
Naruto resumed his training with
Jiraiya, but the toad-sennin was away most of the time, going off to do some
�research�. Sasuke, on the other hand, continued training with Kakashi, and
occasionally, much to Naruto�s surprise, with Maito Gai.
And so, time passed, and life, at
that moment, was good.
------
The months passed, and now, the
twins were eight months old, and walking about, which Sakura remarked was quite
advanced for their age. They�ve begun to babble and coo as well and would turn
when someone called their name.
They were other changes and
developments in Konohagakure. Sakura had given birth to a boy, whom they named
Ryuuichi. The baby had black hair like Lee�s, but his features and eyes
belonged to Sakura. Everyone was relieved at that. Lee was a little
disappointed that the boy didn�t look like him, though, but he was very happy
and proud as any new father was. He did 500 laps around Konohagakure in
celebration of his son�s birth.
Ino, not to be outdone, gave birth
to a boy as well, the splitting image of his father. And as Nara tradition dictated, the boy was
named Shikani. Shikamaru now often spends his free time doing laundry while Ino
would dote on their baby, buying all kinds of stuff. Though he seemed
disgruntled at the turn of events, the tiny smile that would touch Shikamaru�s
lips when he looked as his wife and child told others he wasn�t as disgruntled
at he appeared to be.
By then, Naruto and Sasuke were
well on their way becoming jounin and catching up with their �batch�. The
missions kept them busy, but not busy enough that they wouldn�t have time for
their children.
In one of their day-off, they found
that most of their friends had taken a day-off as well. Sakura, Hinata, and Ino
suggested a little get-together party with the children. Naruto privately
suspected the girls were just dying to show off their babies. Mothers were like
that, he noticed.
Sasuke just nodded in agreement.
The Uchiha was distant in the past few days, often brooding and deep in
thought. Naruto tried to ask what was wrong, but all he met were monosyllables
as answers.
As a father, Sasuke was far from
perfect, but he was improving steadily. Sometimes, he would look at Hikaru with
narrowed eyes, not saying a word. But with Hisoka, Sasuke was different. His
dark eyes would soften, and he would often cradle her close. Hisoka was just as
taken with Sasuke. She�d often play with Sasuke�s hair, which has steadily
grown longer, gurgling happily when she tugged his hair. When not playing with
Sasuke�s hair, she�d be playing with his nose, which was what Hisoka was doing
right now. Then, she squirmed free of Sasuke�s grasp and began crawling about
the floor.
�You�re going to spoil her when she grows up,� Naruto remarked one
time. Sasuke was smiling at Hisoka as she crawled about the floor. It was
absurd, but sometimes Naruto was jealous of the two, and he had a sneaky
feeling Hisoka knew about it and took advantage.
�So?� Sasuke said. Hisoka was now with her twin brother, who was busy
examining the teddy bear Gaara had given to the twins, a tiny frown on his face.
�She�s a lot like you.�
�She is?� Naruto glanced at Hisoka, who looked at him briefly, then
glanced away. �I though she inherited your more snobbish qualities.�
Sasuke glared at him, then his gaze fell on Hikaru. �Hikaru will
probably obtain the Sharingan, but Hisoka won�t. The Sharingan is partial to
Uchiha males. That�s why Orochimaru might be interested in Hikaru.�
�Oh.� Naruto couldn�t say anything else to that.
�Hn. If Orochimaru decides to take Hikaru,
we have to do something to prevent that.�
�Tsunade already have ANBU guarding the twins.�
Sasuke snorted. �You�re a fool if you think that�s enough to stop
Orochimaru or Itachi.�
A loud knock on the door broke
through Naruto�s thoughts. �Ero-sennin!� Naruto burst out when he saw Jiraiya
standing outside. �What the hell are you doing here? When did you get back?�
�Watch your mouth, brat! And how
many times must I remind you my name is Jiraiya!� Jiraiya grunted and peered
inside, frowning a little when he saw the twins and a scowling Sasuke. �Oho!
Are those the twins? They�ve gotten bigger since the last time I�ve seen them!�
Brushing past Naruto, he went inside the apartment.
�This one looks a lot like you,�
Jiraiya remarked when he saw Hisoka. Hisoka looked curiously at Jiraiya.
�Don�t stand so close to Hisoka,
Ero-sennin,� Naruto warned. �She might�� Naruto sighed when he heard Jiraiya
give a yelp of surprise, ��pull your hair.�
�Quite a strong grip she has
there,� Jiraiya muttered, wincing as Hisoka continued to pull Jiraiya�s hair. The
toad-sennin picked her up, ignoring her little kicks as she was lifted into the
air. �Enough of that miss,� he said sternly. �Let go of my hair.�
�Gah!� Hisoka cried, tugging
harder. �Spirited, isn�t she?� Jiraiya murmured as he tried to pry his hair
from Hisoka�s death grip.
�You have no idea,� Naruto muttered.
He took Hikaru in his arms. The youngest Uchiha regarded Naruto gravely, and
then turned to Jiraiya and his struggling twin before gazing at his Naruto. �Na-to,�
he said gravely.
�Na-to?� Jiraiya asked, cringing
when Hisoka grabbed his nose, gurgling all the while.
�Their version of Naruto,� Sasuke
said.
�At least they don�t call me,
�dobe�. With the way you�ve been calling me that, I�m surprised those weren�t
their first words!� Naruto retorted.
�Da!� Hisoka exclaimed, hands reaching out to
Sasuke. Jiraiya eagerly gave her to her father, but not before Hisoka smiled at
him and tugged his hair again. �I think she liked you,� Naruto said.
�Daddy�s girl,� Jiraiya remarked
with a smile. �Anyway, I�m not here for just a visit.� His face took on a serious
expression. �There�s been considerable activity in Sound. As Tsunade might have
told you, Orochimaru has a new body. We still don�t know who, but it seems
Kabuto is missing.�
�What? You mean he took Kabuto�s
body?� Naruto exclaimed.
Jiraiya shrugged. �We�re not sure.
He might be, or he could be in a mission, but until we are, exercise utmost
caution. Tsunade has given orders to double the ANBU guards. Don�t do anything
foolish like hunting out Kabuto or Orochimaru. Just stay with your children.�
He glanced at Sasuke, who remained expressionless.
Naruto caught the look, and
wondered if what Jiraiya was talking about had something to do with Sasuke�s
recent brooding. �Don�t worry, we�ll protect our children. They�ll be in for a
nasty surprise.�
Sasuke said nothing, but the fierce
light in his dark eyes said it all.
-----
Despite the danger they were in,
Naruto tried to be cheerful at the get together party. The others, however,
still noticed, and it wasn�t long until they had the whole story from Naruto.
�Don�t worry, Naruto-kun,� Lee
said. �We�ll also help in protecting your children.�
�Thanks, Lee.� Naruto watched with
a smile as his children interacted with his friends� kids. Hisoka was busy
playing blocks with Hokuto, Neji and Hinata�s daughter, while Hiroshi and
Hikaru seemed to be engaged in a staring contest. The fact that Hyuuga Hiroshi
was almost a year older than Hikaru didn�t seem to deter the Uchiha.
Behind the men, Ino was showing of
some little sleepwear she had made for her son and Sakura�s. She�d also given
some to Naruto�s kids, one in the likeness of a nine-tailed fox while the other
was a frog. Hisoka got the fox, Hikaru the frog, which was weird in Naruto�s
opinion, because it was Hikaru who had the whiskers, not Hisoka.
Beside him, Sasuke was silent and
indifferent as usual, until Kiba said, �Hey, Uchiha. I heard the ANBU had been
scouting you to join them. Have you accepted yet?�
Every eye swung to Sasuke, who
regarded Kiba quite calmly. A tense silence settled on the group, Kiba wondering
if he�d said something wrong. The others knew only a thread of control
prevented Sasuke from killing Kiba immediately.
Sasuke finally spoke. �No, I
haven�t.� He met Naruto�s narrowed eyes with unnerving stillness, as if daring
the blond to say something. Naruto didn�t though.
The party soon ended after that,
the others casting worried looks at the silent Naruto and Sasuke as they left,
oblivious to Kiba�s prattling in the background.
�Have I said something wrong?�
�No,� Neji replied, eyeing Sasuke
and Naruto. He could feel the barely contained fury radiating from the two.
�You haven�t said anything wrong.�
-------
�So, when were you going to tell me
the ANBU was asking you to join them?� Naruto said in a calm voice. They had
come home in silence, and it wasn�t until the twins were safely tucked in their
crib with their Kage Bunshin nannies did Naruto speak out. �Was this why you�ve
been brooding these past few days?�
He was mad. Really mad. He could
tell Sasuke was angry as well, but he didn�t care.
�Why are you making a big deal out
of this, Naruto?� Sasuke didn�t sound repentant at all, Naruto noted. �I didn�t
tell you because I haven�t made a decision yet.�
�I�m not stupid Sasuke. That�s not
the reason why you haven�t said a word. You know I wouldn�t have any problems
if joined the ANBU.� Naruto�s eyes narrowed again, remembering Jiraiya�s words�the
sannin mentioned something about a hunt. Naruto felt himself grow cold. �Or was
it really the ANBU asking you to join? Sasuke, don�t tell me it was the hunter-nins��
Naruto�s voice trailed off for a moment. The hunter-nins were those who chased
and killed the villages� missing nins, which included Itachi and Orochimaru.
Naruto grabbed a fistful of
Sasuke�s shirt. �What were you THINKING, you bastard! Going after them on your
own? Are you insane! They�d kill you! Didn�t you even think about the twins? Or
were you thinking of revenge again?�
Sasuke pried Naruto�s hand away. �I
am thinking of the twins. A whole
ANBU squad guarded me when I was a child, and yet Kabuto had just been a hair�s
breath away from abducting me. What makes you think that will change anytime
soon? They are too weak to protect the twins. I am not leaving the safety of my
children in their incapable hands. Being a hunter-nin will give me the training
to��
�Then what? So you think the only
way to eliminate the threat is to hunt them down on your own and kill them?�
Naruto�s voice had grown cold. �What makes you think you�ll able to kill them?
You couldn�t do it then, what makes you think you can do it now?�
�Naruto,� Sasuke growled out.
Naruto opened his mouth to say more
but the sudden wrench of returning chakra stopped him cold. That, and an alien,
oppressive presence he only felt now followed by a loud wail that was abruptly
cut off. He and Sasuke looked at each other simultaneously, and without another
word, flashed to where the twins.
The bedroom door burst into
splinters as the two entered.
Kabuto, silver hair gleaming in the
dim moonlight, smiled at them, white teeth gleaming. In his arms were two squirming
bundles. Then, before they could move, he disappeared with a puff of smoke.
~T.B.C.~
Author�s note: Cliffhanger! The chase is ON! Mwahahahaha! Don�t kill us, please!
Don�t you just hate Orochimaru now? This chapter is EVIL, I tell you. It took
me forever to write this! And look how long it is! More plot, thank the gods.
I�m sorry if there isn�t that much �show�. Maybe when we edit, or when we put
up an omake. XD
Horny Naruto:
Oh, gods, that was a pain to write! I always had Sasuke taking the lead, but
it�s Naruto initiating stuff this time. XD Too bad the twins interrupted them.
Mistaken identity: A weird thing happened to me (twisted-sheets) during the period I was
writing this chapter. I was with my four-year-old cousin, riding on a pedicab
(a kind of bicycle with a cart of sorts and four wheels), when the driver asked
if she was my daughter. Eww. I�m only twenty, please. XD An I�m not good with
kids. Really.
About the twins� names and their meaning: Some readers pointed out that �himitsu�
was the proper word in Japanese for secret. While this is true, the nature of
Japanese characters, namely �kanji�, makes it possible for a kanji to have
different meanings and spellings. XD In Hisoka�s case, her name has only one
kanji, and that kanji means �secret�. You could say the �hi� in Hisoka�s name
is the same as the �hi� in himitsu. XD Gah! I suck at Japanese! If you�re in
doubt, Hisoka�s name was derived from a character in Yami no Matsuei, Kurosaki Hisoka!
Check out the kanji in his name, it�s the same as Uchiha Hisoka�s! And yes,
like Hikaru, Hisoka can be both a boy and a girl�s name.
As for Hikaru, the difference
between Hikari and Hikaru is that the former is a noun, the latter is a verb.
But basically, they have the same kanji! Damn, my Japanese sucks.
The eyes:
As far as I know, a baby�s eyes changes for a while before they get their
permanent color. Most Caucasian (lighter-skinned) babies have blue eyes when
they�re born, while darker-skinned babies are usually black, grayish-black, or
brown at birth. XD
Walking:
Yes, a baby can start walking as early as eight months. I, twisted-sheets,
should know, because that�s when I started walking. No kidding. My mom said I
never bothered to crawl. I just got up and started walking. Weird. XD
Daddy Sasuke and Mommy Naruto: Sasuke�s rather awkward with kids. And he still has his
hang-ups. He�s terribly biased. But he�s trying to be the best father he can
be. XD Mommy Naruto�s doing a great job with Hikaru, though. This chapter was
such a pain to write. We had to show Sasuke�s a bit softer without making it
seem that he was OOC. Was he OOC? Do tell.
The quarrel:
Naruto doesn�t want Sasuke as a hunter-nin because he knows Sasuke would hunt
down Itachi and Orochimaru, and he knows it�s not healthy for Sasuke to do that,
if you know what I mean. The quarrel might seem abrupt, but you read the fic
again, you�d see it was coming. Sasuke�s keeping secrets again. And Sasuke does
really look at the Leaf as quite weak, if you think about it. XD And yes, he is
an arrogant ass.
Kage Bunshin Babysitters: Ehem. I knew that technique would come in handy in the
future. Damn Naruto and Sasuke, they�re cheating. XD Eehehehe. We�re milking
Naruto�s techniques for all they�re worth, no pun intended. XD
Konohamaru Corps: They�re so adorable, and they make the best choice as babysitters. They�d
be twelve or so years old. I think Naruto and Sasuke traumatized them for life.
XD And poor, poor Shikamaru. Hmmm�when I watch the anime, I always hear
Konohamaru address Naruto as �Naruto-no-niichan�. I could be wrong though.
Next chapter:
The chase is on! What happens to the twins? Will Naruto and Sasuke be able to
save their kids from Orochimaru�s clutches? *hears screams of �Kabuto and
Orochimaru must die� in the background*
- 8
- 9
- 10
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Reflections and Shadows