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minaa-munch · 4 years

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Ferns and Familial Bonds

“Ryusui dono, I hope you’ve been well.”

“I have, dear. And you?”

“The Capitol has been a blessing. In fact--” The words were drowned by a sudden gust of wind that entailed a shower of lilac and magenta from the fuji flowers that swayed from the moss covered branches overhead, along with the tell-tale scent of wild honeysuckle. This particular section of the forest was leafier and perhaps, more flowery than the rest, with splashes of color in the form of apricot blossoms, hydrangea bushes, clumps of morning glory -- maybe even a few curious lavender blossoms peeking from beneath the various bushes peppering the forest floor.

it was one of the few shared acres between the Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka clans; located behind their clan monument. Akin to the monument itself, it was grand, it was colorful, it was--

Tan digits barely had time to cover his nose before he sneezed for the third time.

It was going to give him an allergy. Gingerly, he peeked at his now-damp fingers before his features scrunched up in disgust.

"Be careful not to dirty your clothes, little kinmokusei." said a soft, almost musical voice before a floral patterned handkerchief was offered to him; one he gratefully took. He carefully rubbed his tingling nose before folding the cloth neatly, tucking it away in his yukata sleeve. Sniffing miserably, watery blue hues stared at the wrinkly hand that was firmly clamped over his, before flickering to his grandmother's wrinkles. How come the mixture of scents didn’t bother her?

Talk about unfair. Cue another, disdainful sniff as Ryusui turned to address yet another distant clan member (Minato had lost count) and his eyes flickered to the bit of lilac that was balancing precariously on his nose. He picked it before it could aggravate his poor sinuses any further, the petal held captive between his fingers. It was soft, almost velvety to the touch; it looked pretty too (sinuses-bias aside), and he could see why the Yamanaka preferred the color as the main theme for today.

Apart from flowers that he had no idea how to identify, of course. It was Inoichi’s Genpuku* ceremony, as he was going to officially be crowned as the heir to the Yamanaka clan. It was also to celebrate his admission into Konoha’s Ninja Academy, which was a matter of pride for the Yamanaka likewise.

The young heir was expected to achieve great things - and Minato had no doubts he would; since he could already perform the shiranshin no jutsu and had amazing chakra control (as amazing as a six year old could figure, since his cousin could walk on trees and that was so cool) and he would probably be a Jonin before anyone knew it.

He and Shikaku both. Cue a forlorn sigh as curious hues stared at the dirt trodden path the younger members of the clan had taken earlier in an excuse to collect herbs and shrubs; when it had actually been to get away from the boring adult meetings. Minato would have joined them, had it not been for Ryusui’s strong grip on his hand; as if she was afraid he would run away - not to say he hadn’t tried of course.

She simply happened to be very...overprotective. Cue another useless tug; his umpteenth attempt to loosen his grandmother’s hold on his hand before a voice interrupted his valiant efforts.

“I would like to introduce my children, obaa sama.” Somewhat sullen (he was not pouting), he peeked at the newcomers through his blond fringe, only to find a curious pair of dark hazels staring back at him. A boy who seemed to be around his age and height was observing him from behind a blond girl who had her head bowed respectfully towards the clan elder, her pale blond locks framing the sides of her face in a dainty, almost royal manner.

Were they from the Daimyo’s court? The lady - their mother, judging from the way she spoke about them - wore an elaborate green kimono that had a delicate gold trim. The girl was wearing a similar dress, though hers happened to be a darker shade of green whereas the boy was wearing a formal yukata of a startling, sapphire blue.

They practically reeked of aristocracy and he couldn’t help but stare.

“Its rude to stare, you know.” Of course, the universe was out to get him wasn’t it? Minato felt the tips of his ears burn as the girl narrowed her eyes at him in what he perceived to be a glare; easily missing the humorous tilt in her words. Instead, he ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Summimasen” He was too mortified to notice the amused chuckle that was passed amidst the three females. It wasn’t until a shy tug at his sleeve that he looked up again, to familiar dark hues.

“Wanna go explore?” The boy spoke in hushed tones as their elders talked. He seemed to be the friendlier of the two; with an easy, infectious smile and red spots on his cheeks. His gaze was welcoming too, and Minato decided he instantly liked him.

Besides, girls were weird. “Hai” Both boys exchanged grins at that, before turning to their respective elders.

“Ne, can we go explore please, hahu-e?”

“Can we, obaa sama?”

To their credit, both women didn’t immediately succumb to the combined efforts of large, hopeful eyes and pouting lips; even though they were very well tempted to. Instead, they exchanged a look before nodding in agreement - Ryusui’s a tad more reluctant.

“Only if Tsunade goes with you.”

“Yatta!” Before Minato could react, the boy had grabbed his hand and was now proceeding to drag him towards one of the many, leaf littered forest paths that led away from the clearing. The girl - Tsunade, followed them at a leisurely pace.

---------

“And then...” Cue a suspenseful pause as the two leaned closer, “he blew up!”

“Really?” Minato couldn’t help but ask, blue hues wide and curious as Tsunade nodded, light hazels focused on her fingernails, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Mhm. Luckily I was there, or my teammates would have had their heads blown off.” She remarked, clearly reveling in the unabashed (read: awe inspiring) attention she was getting from the two - more from Minato than Nawaki, since he had heard her stories before but was excited by gory details, just like any other kid his age.

Minato, though? he was enthralled. “You’re so cool, Tsunade ane.” Blue hues practically sparkled in the sunlight, “Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Iie” Tsunade raised her nose, “You need to be a shinobi first, gaki.” She lowered her hand to her lap before raising an brow, “and you’re not even in the academy yet, are you?”

“I’ll be joining this year, after Inoichi ani” The younger blond was relentless as his expression turned more childish, complete with wide eyes and a trembling lower lip, “Please?”

Their exploration had been cut short; both boys were now sitting on the mossy forest floor while Tsunade was perched on a knobbly outgrowth of a root, one leg slung carelessly across the other through the slit of her kimono. She had a makeshift crown of morning glory and apricot blossoms on her head and seemed very much like a forest spirit holding court with her shorter, spirit underlings.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Arigatou, Tsunade ane.”

Nawaki had made crowns for the two of them too; except they consisted solely of dandelions and ferns. “Tsunade ane is a talented chunin” Nawaki nodded in a sagely manner before turning to his new friend, a large smile on his face, “But I’ll leave her in the dust when I become Hokage, ne?” There was a swell of pride in his words, and the rosy spots on his cheek shone with a flush that dusted the bridge of his nose.

Was that even possible? “You’ll be Hokage?” Minato questioned instead, with a curious tilt of his head, “Aren’t you too young to be Hokage?”

“Iie, not like that Mina chan” Nawaki sprung to his feet, clothed chest puffed out, “I’ll train super hard and out rank my sister and be Hokage, just like Hashirama oji!” The declaration was met with silence as he turned fully towards the younger blond, “Everyone and Tsunade ane will acknowledge me and I’ll acknowledge everyone, regardless of their clan because that’s what oji sama did.”

His back was turned so he didn’t notice the fond smile on Tsunade’s face, though Minato certainly did - it was very similar to Ryusui obaa sama’s and he was beginning to see the familial resemblance. “That sounds like a lot of work, Nawaki ani” He replied, his gaze flickering to the elder, just as he deflated a little, “Iie, not like that! I believe in you” Cue a shy, childish grin, “You’ll make a great Hokage, Nawaki ani.”

Nawaki positively beamed and Minato felt happy. He offered a hand to the Namikaze, one which he took, before pulling him to his feet, their footfalls echoing the delightful crunch of fallen leaves that littered the forest.

“My first order as the future Hokage...” Nawaki raised his index finger, solemn “Is to outrun Tsunade ane in a forest sprint.” Cue a wide, mischievous grin before he took off, dragging the younger blond with him as Tsunade hopped off her perch.

“Oi, you can’t just randomly announce a sprint Nawaki!”

“Can’t lecture who you can’t catch ane san!” The Senju didn’t even bother looking back as he laughed. Minato did, though. Blue hues peeked at the now shrinking figure of the forest spirit, a homely smile on her face as she shook her head.

He could have sworn she said something, but they were too far away to tell.

---------

They ran for what felt like hours to his six year self, though it was probably a few minutes. They had to make a couple of detours because Tsunade almost caught them - and like a downright onni, too. She would unexpectedly spring from a random bush, arms raised over her head and leaves stuck in her hair.

For their part, they didn’t scream because one of them happened to be the future Hokage whereas the other would be his first loyal, shinobi (which couldn’t be further from the truth, judging from the shrill, almost girly shrieks that reverberated around the trees after such encounters). No matter how sneaky they tried to be, Tsunade would always manage to jump them somehow. At first Minato thought it was because she was miffed at the un-called for sprint, but judging from the devilish smile on her face every time, he deduced she was having fun at their expense.

If their expense translated to him almost getting a heart attack every time, that is. The blond cast furtive glances as Nawaki jumped behind a fallen tree, one large enough to easily swallow their forms in its massive shadow.

“Is the coast clear?”

Cue a short nod, before the Senju pulled him to their new hiding spot. For his part, Nawaki barely looked a little more than ruffled, whereas Minato was having a hard time catching his breath, despite the grin on his face. He hadn’t had this much fun in a while.

“Wanna see something cool?” Nawaki whispered conspiratorially as they hid from their self proclaimed baby sitter. Minato, ever the curious child, nodded as he tucked his knees under his chin. As quiet as they were trying to be, he had a sneaking suspicion that the older Senju probably knew where they were - her presence was like a tickle on the back of his neck.

But maybe that was just him, since Nawaki seemed confident that they were alone. He gave the younger a toothy grin before bringing his hand, palm up between them. Dark hues narrowed, and there was a sliver of light green before a few ferns poked their heads out of his skin.

“Ho--” Minato clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle his words. Nawaki shot him another grin before his brows furrowed in concentration. A few beats later, and he had a miniature bush in his hand, complete with twigs, ferns, plant sprouts and fully grown dandelions. His forehead was peppered with sweat at the exertion, but he managed to retain his friendly smile regardless.

“P-pretty cool, ne?“ He wheezed, “Demo, its not perfect yet but I’ve been practicing.” He sounded proud of himself and Minato didn’t blame him - he had never seen anyone grow stuff out of their hands before. In fact, the only person who had been reputedly able to do that was the legendary Shodai...

They very same Shodai who happened to be Nawaki and Tsunade’s grandfather. Suddenly, his earlier references to ‘Hashirama oji’ made sense and he felt silly for not noticing it sooner. Minato scooted a bit closer, before a tan finger poked at the fern in his hand cautiously.

It even seemed real! “That’s amazing, Nawaki ani” He whispered, the excited flush on his face underlining his hushed tone, “You’re amazing! Can you teach me how to do that?”

“I don’t know, Mina chan” Nawaki sounded sheepish, though more uncertain as he scratched his chin in a thoughtful manner, “No one ever taught me and it just...happened...” Trailing off, he noticed the younger’s disheartened expression and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, the same infectious smile on his face.

“But if I figure out how, you’ll be the first person I teach, ne?” The foliage in his hand was starting to rapidly age and fall off, leaving the skin of his palm smooth, as if nothing had grown on it in the first place. “You can be my kouhai and I’ll be your senpai and I teach you the jutsu, we can prank Tsunade ane together”

If anything, Nawaki seemed more excited by the prospect of tricking his older, more qualified sister. There was a playful sparkle in his eye and a laughter in his tone that Minato had trouble resisting. Both boys shared a wide grin and Nawaki held out two fingers for the Namikaze, “Its a promise, ne?”

Maybe this is what it felt like to be acknowledged by someone other than Ryusui obaa sama - or maybe it was because Nawaki was such a friendly person; regardless, it did little to stifle the warm, comfortable feeling that translated to an accentuated flush in his cheeks.

It was...nice. Also, he was certain he had the best cousins ever. As such, tan digits had no qualms in curling around the elder’s fingers, “hai, Nawaki ani.”

There was a comfortable silence after that, before the sound of fluttering wings prompted their attention. Curious, Nawaki peeked from over the fallen wood as Minato took to glancing at the back, “I think we lost her” the older of the two whispered, before cautiously walking out of their hiding spot, prompting the younger to follow him.

True, Minato couldn’t feel the slight tickle at the back of his neck either. Maybe she had given up? Curious, blue hues stared at the flickering sunlight dancing along their forest path, taking care not to crash into the older boy.

The forest was oddly serene - and pretty. The trees allowed shafts of sunlight to illuminate the grassy floor, each flickering whenever a breeze found itself trapped between their many, many branches. The scent of foliage was rather overwhelming, and he was sure that the two of them would smell like wet soil or rotting wood by the time they returned for the ceremony.

Speaking of, it was getting rather late, wasn’t it? “I think we might be lost, Nawaki ani.” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could check himself - he couldn’t help it though, they had clearly lost track of time and the forest was huge.

Though what bothered him a little more was the fact that Nawaki didn’t immediately reply. The boy paused, a contemplative expression on his face as he observed their surroundings, “I wouldn’t say lost, Mina chan.” He blinked at him over his shoulder, “The trees...I can’t explain it, but I think they can help us get back.”

But trees don’t talk. If he felt silly for thinking it, he would certainly sound just as bad if he said it out loud. Minato merely blinked back with a curious tilt of his head. A part of him was willing to argue the logic behind Nawaki’s words, but another, more childish part was willing to believe him.

Nawaki was going to be Hokage, so he couldn’t be wrong, it reasoned, and for some stupid reason he was willing to roll with it. Both of them exchanged nods, before Nawaki raised two fingers in a standard jutsu seal at his chest. Curious, Minato observed him from the side, blue hues widening at the flicker of light green from earlier.

It couldn’t be a trick of the light a second time...maybe it was what they called chakra? Minato opened his mouth to ask, but then there was that familiar tickle at the back of his neck again--

“Gotcha you little gremlin” Both of them were lifted clean off their feet by the backs of their yukatas, prompting collective, surprised yelps (they were very manly yelps, thank you very much). Minato, for one, took solace in the fact that Nawaki looked just as unsettled as he felt. Blue hues caught dark counterparts before both of them peeked at their captor.

Tsunade looked bored for someone who was holding two boys at arms length, and at least half a foot in the air too. Their eyes met and she shot the two a bemused grin, “you really thought you could give me, a chunin, the slip?”

Were girls normally this strong, or was it also because she was a chunin? Minato would probably never know, he was too flabbergasted to comment.

Luckily, Nawaki did enough flailing and talking for both of them, “We gave you the slip for a while didn’t we?” He crossed his arms with a soft grunt, looking almost comical with the way his form swayed in her grip.

“Iie, hahu-e came looking for us earlier.” Tsunade replied, “She was angry because we missed the ceremony.” She was smirking, but both of them were too mortified to notice, “I told her it was because you two ran away.”

“What? But ane san!”

“...”

Oh, they were in so much trouble.

---------

The distant sound of thunder echoed in the small room he dragged his futon next to her larger one. It was raining outside; a light drizzle that played a delightful staccato against the wooden tiles of Yamanaka Ryusui’s homely quarters. During times like these, the elder would usually ask him to sleep in her room, since the rain brought an onslaught of memories she didn’t like.

Or at least, that’s what she had said. His grandmother barely slept as it was; more often than naught he had caught her staring out of a gap between the thin, rice paper doors with the most forlorn expression on her face. As if she was elsewhere; far away.

“I’m sorry, my little kinmokusei”

It worried him at times, since he was scared that she might forget to return one day. Brows furrowed briefly at the thought before he willed it away, instead, choosing to face his grandmother who was staring at him with tears in her eyes. She moved a little closer, her covers pooling around her lap before thin, clothed arms pulled him in for a smothering hug.

And Minato let her. This was part of their nightly ritual and practically routine at this point; she would always hold him close before retiring to bed, chin resting atop his head while long, straw colored locks tickled the sides of his face. He had stopped questioning it, since whenever he did, she would tell him he was too young to understand. Blue hues stared absently at their flickering shadows colored by the lamplight and he briefly wondered whether it was because of today (he and Nawaki had gotten a scolding of a lifetime).

The hold loosened and he was briefly pulled away to meet her watery gaze, “Promise me you will always be kind.” Frail, trembling digits clasped younger counterparts. Irises the color of the mid-day sky stared at him with a mixture of unmasked sentiments; apprehension, love, expectation--

Fear. It was funny, the six year old thought, how his grandmother could switch from aloof to emotional so effortlessly; Nary a clansman could claim to be privy to how she actually was - since she was so composed in front of everyone else. But when they were alone, he would see her crumble like the foliage he had seen in Nawaki’s palm earlier. Curious hues blinked, before he curled his fingers around her own, a childish smile on his face, “I promise, obaa sama.”

His words prompted a genuine, heartfelt smile on her pinched features. At that point, Minato didn’t care that this promise...this little ritual of theirs was practically routine, and had been since as long as he could remember.

Her smile was worth his entire world.

Genpuku is the coming of age ceremony which was held for the children of samurai clans. I’ve twisted it around quite a bit, so please don’t use this snippet as a reference for the actual tradition.

Note: I share this headcanon with @senjutsunade. If you’d like to use it, or incorporate it somehow, please get permission first and link it back here, ne? Thanks in advance!

#Yamanaka Ryusui #Senju Tsunade #Yamanaka Inoichi #Senju Nawaki #Namikaze Minato #headcanon #senjutsunade #minaa-munch #story post

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milkshake-fairy · 7 years

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Worth the Wait

For SNS Summer Week Day 5 - Family

Author: https://milkshake-fairy.tumblr.com/ (AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11276295 )

Paring: Sasuke x Naruto

Summary: “The door swings open and Naruto catches himself, trying not to fall forward. As soon as he straightens up, everything stops. He is–essentially–looking up at himself, or a version of himself, an older, more mature version.”

Naruto charges toward the opposing ninja at full speed, having just watched the man blast Sasuke some 30 feet away into a tree. Their opponent had stolen a forbidden scroll and was now cornered by team 7 in the forest just outside of Konoha.

The man blocks and dodges as Naruto attacks him repeatedly, his skills an obvious result of his high level of mastery as a ninja. Both Kakashi and Sakura are yelling at Naruto to be more cautious, but the warnings fall dead to his ears as he jumps to attack again and again. Suddenly, as Naruto is about to charge from behind, the ninja turns around in the last second, catching the young genin off guard and hitting him dead on with some from of jutsu. Sakura’s cry is the last thing he hears before everything fades to black around Naruto.

When he opens his eyes he’s in Konoha again, sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a fence.

What the hell?

Mind racing, Naruto jumps up, looking around for his team and the enemy ninja. The last thing he remembers is being hit by a powerful jutsu, Sakura calling out his name in fear. Had he been blasted all the way back to Konoha? He has no injuries whatsoever though, no physical sign that he had been hit at such close range.

Heart pounding in his chest, Naruto bolts through the streets, towards the forest where he had been perviously fighting. As he races down the familiar roads, everything mostly a blur around him, a part of his mind registers a discontinuity, or rather several incoherences in his surrounding that shouldn’t be there. He slows his pace, most of his brain screaming at him to find his teammates but the subconscious nagging in his mind hindering him.

This was definitely Konoha, but something, several things actually, were off. A few shops missing, some new buildings here and there, roads that seemed renovated, houses he had never seen before, and it left completely Naruto bewildered.

How had he missed these changes? Had he really been that caught up in his training that he didn’t pay attention to his surroundings to this extent? How was he noticing the changes now though?

At this point Naruto had slowed down to a quick walk, mind racing as he looked around and took in his hometown, so familiar yet so new now.

He almost trips over himself when he spots the hokage several feet away from him, his hat covering most of his face, head lowered as he reads the documents in his hand. The hokage turns, walking through the gates of his house, and Naruto races after him.

He knows. He knows the moment he saw the Hokage that the man wasn’t Sarutobi. Though he’s wearing the hokage attire, he’s much taller, with an athletic build, broad shoulders, long legs, and unwrinkled skin. Naruto knows he isn’t Sarutobi, but it makes no sense.

Running through the gates of the hokage’s house, Naruto slams against the door, preventing it from closing shut.

“Hokage oji-san!”

The door swings open and Naruto catches himself, trying not to fall forward. As soon as he straightens up, everything stops. He is–essentially–looking up at himself, or a version of himself, an older, more mature version.

The older him blinks down at Naruto slowly then brings both his hands to his own eyes and rubs them roughly.

“Damn it. He was right. I am overworking myself. I’m losing my damn mind now.”

Naruto still can’t find his voice so he watches as his older self finally stops rubbing his own eyes to look down at him again.

He stares at Naruto for a while, confirming that the boy in front of him isn’t a figment of his imagination, before taking a deep breath.

“So, what’s going on? Who are you, and what do you want?”

Technically, someone could’ve easily taken on Naruto’s younger form, but the look on the Hokage’s face shows that he can sense that this isn’t an imposter, that the boy standing in front of him is indeed, somehow, his own genin self.

“I…b-became the hokage…” Naruto’s mind is still whirling, the image of himself adorning the hokage attire all but bringing him to his knees. This could all be an illusion, an elaborate dream conjured by the jutsu he had been hit with, but he can’t help but feel that there’s some truth to this reality.

His older self’s expression soften, and he moves away from the doorway, gesturing for Naruto to come inside.

He follows the Hokage into the house, finally snapping out of daze as he takes in his surrounding.

The house belongs to a family.

His heart squeezes almost painfully as he takes in the details of his spacious abode. There are different sizes of shoes lining the wall next to the door, as well as various types of coats hanging from the coatrack, a small pink one beside a slightly larger green one. Older Naruto hangs up his hat and robe beside a black cloak.

“Back already?” The hokage mutters under his breath as he looks at the cloak before walking deeper into the house.

Naruto hears him moving around the house, opening and shutting a few doors, before coming back to the doorway.

“Must’ve gone out.”

“Who?”

Older Naruto pauses, looking as if he’s contemplating something, before shaking his head and motioning for Naruto to follow him. Naruto’s eyes catches the golden ring on the hokage’s finger.

He leads Naruto to the living room and gestures for him to sit down on one of the plush couches before he walks off into the kitchen.

Naruto’s gaze wonders around the room, taking in the warm and homely atmosphere. There are artwork obviously made my young children hanging on the walls, a few stuffed animals lying on the couch and on the floor, a plethora of children’s books lined on a shelf.

He has children. He has a family.

His heart is thundering in his chest as a waves of emotions crash though him, leaving him breathless and almost fatigued with an unprecedented sense of relief.

Trying to steady himself, Naruto takes a few deep breathes, eyes falling on a note lying on the corner of the table in front of the couch.

“Went out for grocery. We’re out of tomatoes. I’m making dinner tonight.”

The handwriting on the note seems oddly familiar, but the Hokage walks back into the room before Naruto has a chance to contemplate it further.

He’s holding a cold jug of lemonade and two glasses, which he places on the table before pouring the liquid into on of the glasses and handing it to Naruto.

“Thank you.”

Nodding, the Hokage pours himself a glass of lemonade as well before settling comfortably on the couch across from Naruto.

“Ok, so tell me what’s going on.”

Naruto recollects all that he can remember up until he came face to face with his older self as the Hokage drink his lemonade and nods along.

“It had to be the jutsu that that bastard hit me with,” Naruto finishes. “He somehow teleported me into the future.”

Older Naruto nods slowly. “But what I don’t understand is how I have no recollection of this. I remember the battle you’re talking about, but I don’t remember this happening.” He sets his glass down, running a hand though his hair and frowning. “If you’re me, a past me, then I should be able to remember everything that’s happened to you.”

Naruto huffs and leans back on the couch, confused as well before his eyes stray to his surrounding again.

“Um…I have a family now?” His own voice sounds small and slightly unsteady to his own ears.

Looking up from his concentration, older Naruto smiles softly at him.

“Yes. Yes you do, and they’re amazing.”

Naruto clears throat and sits up.

“Tell me about them, please. Can I see them? My wife? Do my kids look like me? Is my wife pretty?”

“Whoa, calm down!” The Hokage laughs and gets up from the couch to walk to one of the other rooms, retrieving a picture frame before sitting down again and handing it to Naruto.

“We don’t keep picture frames, or anything with glass really, in the living room anymore since they don’t last more than a week with the kids running around,” he explains. “They’re both in school right now.”

Naruto looks down at the picture in his hands, heart skipping a few beats. There are two young children in the photo, one girl and an older boy. The boy is the spitting image of himself, messy golden hair, lightly tanned skin, clear blue eyes, with a small smile. His younger sister has long dark hair and dark eyes, very fair skin, sharp features, and a bright grin.

“My son looks just like me.”

Older Naruto chuckles, nodding his head in agreement. “Naosuke. He does, but he acts just like Sas—ah—um….he’s,” he splutters and looks flustered for a second before he clears his throat to continue. “He looks like us but he doesn’t have our personality or temperament.”

“He’s more like his mom?”

The Hokage looks as if he’s trying not to laugh. “Yes, you could say that. Sana, though, is my mini me. She’s also the reason most things break in this house ”

“Naosuke and Sana,” Naruto says softly, heart clenching. He looks up again, “And what about my wife?”

His older self looks conflicted as he scratches his head. “Don’t you want it to be a surprise?”

“I want to know! Is it Sakura-chan!?”

The hokage bursts out laughing, leaning forward to brace himself on his knees, and Naruto frowns.

“What?”

“I think,” his future self gasps, in between his roaring laughter, “that you really should wait and find out for yourself.”

“But I want to know it’s her when I meet her”

“Who says you havn’t met that person already?”

Naruto gaps at him and then groans. “Please tell me.”

“I’ll tell you that that person loves you, extremely. They helped you grow, pushed you, broke you and built you. They became your one real partner in more than just marriage. You could say that you two are soulmates.”

Bowing his head down, Naruto feels his cheeks burning. Soulmates? He shakes his head, fighting to control his blush.

“And what about Sasuke?”

The hokage looks surprised for a moment.

“Did I beat him? Do we—uh—ever become friends?”

Another smile spreads across his older self’s face, his eyes lighting up again with suppressed laughter. “Another thing that you’ll have to wait to find to out.”

He reaches out and places a hand gently on Naruto’s head.

“It’s worth it. It’s a long journey, and it’s rough. Really rough. It’ll beat you up and break you down, but you can do it. I’m living proof that you can do it. And in the end, it’ll all be worth it. I promise.”

He ruffles Naruto’s hair and grins, “Your family will be waiting for you.”

The doorbell rings suddenly, and the Hokage stands up.

“Wonder who that is?” He glances at the clock on the wall before walking towards the doorway.

Naruto stands to follow him, but as soon as he gets on his feet, an intense wave of nausea rolls though him. Before he can catch himself, everything melts around him and fades to darkness once again.

“Naruto!” Sakura’s shrill cry pierces though the dark haze in his mind, and he blinks his eyes open, sitting up slowly.

He’s back in the forest near Konoha, Sakura and Sasuke running toward him, Kakashi sensei a few paces behind them.

Sakura drops beside him, pulling him into a hug. “You’re alive! What happened to you!? Sasuke-kun couldn’t sense your chakra.”

Naruto looks up at Sasuke, who’s standing beside his legs, breathing heard, face contorted in anger, or was it fear? Pain? He glares down at Naruto, so intensely that Naruto has to look away.

“Dobe,” he spits out, but theres a slight tremor that breaks the harshness of his voice.

“We couldn’t sense you at all.” Kakashi sensei comes up to stand beside Sasuke. “We’ve been looking around for you after we caught the rogue ninja, but it was like you disappeared from this world. There wasn’t a single trace of your chakra.”

Sasuke ducks his head and shoves his hands in to his pockets. “What the hell happened to you?”

Naruto opens his mouth to reply, but suddenly his recent memories are seeping out of him, fading quickly and leaving him blank. He rubs his face with both hands, trying to focus.

What had happened to him? He went somewhere, met someone important. But who? What happened?

“I–I don’t know,” Naruto finally replies, both hands scratching his head.

“It’s alright, Naruto.” Sakura helps him up to his feet, letting him lean on her for support.

He suddenly feels so weak he can barely stand by himself. Sasuke walks to his other side and takes half his weight, slinging Naruto’s arm over his shoulder as they head back toward Konoha.

Naruto turns slightly to look at Sasuke, his dark eyes and dark hair, his fair skin and sharp features. Somehow they all seem strangely familiar. Naruto shakes his head. Where had he seen those traits before?

“Whatever you’re thinking about, usuratonkachi, stop it. I can sense your small brain melting under the pressure.”

“Shut up, bastard!”

***************************************************************************************

Naruto leaves his younger self in the living room and goes to open the door, finding his husband standing on the other side, two large grocery bags in each hand.

“Hey.” He smiles and takes one of the bags as Sasuke walks inside.

“How many tomatoes did you buy?” He peers in to the bag in his hand, which is almost entirely filled with the red fruit.

“There’s alot of things you can make with tomatoes,” Sasuke defends himself as he walks toward the kitchen, passing through the living room and spotting a jug of lemonade along two cups on the coffee table.

“Did we have someone over?” He asks as Naruto follows him into the kitchen.

“Huh?” the blond looks like he wants to say something but then seems confused, brows furrowing as he rubs his chin. “No—well—I don’t think so?”

Sasuke sighs and places the back of his hand against his husband’s forehead, checking for his temperature.

“So you were having lemonade with a ghost?”

Naruto looks even more confused, rubbing his temples. “I seriously don’t remember.”

“See, this is why I tell you to stop missing sleep and overworking yourself.” He reaches over to smooth out Naruto’s brows and run his hand though the golden hair.

“Stop thinking so hard, usuratonkachi. That tiny brain of yours may start melting.”

“Shut up, bastard!”

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Hope you guys liked it^^

#sasunaru #narusasu #SasuNaruSasu #sns summer week 2017 #mywriting

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