Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I'm your guest lecturer today, so pay attention because I’m going show you some awesome moves!” Naruto spoke to the newest batch of genin children as he began showing off.

As he did, he suddenly heard a bunch of screaming girls gawking and screaming his name excitedly at him. He gave a confused face and went back to his lecture.

In that classroom of screaming girls was Uzumaki Ai, who looked bored and annoyed as the girls were looking at her parent. She didn’t understand why her classmates were obsessed with him but it made her days at the academy annoying.

Soon the class was brought back to order by their female teacher. “Everyone! Back in your seats,” Sadoru-sensei said. The girls complained but they went back. This was the part of the day when the boys and girls were separated to learn about specific gender roles in their parts as shinobi. It was basically a large push for girls to learn things like medical ninjutsu, flower arranging, and more dainty things. It was also when sex education took place but that was for when Ai would be older, closer to 11-12 years old.

The eight-year-old girl sat next alone with a chair space open next to her. Ever since she was six years old and she made enemies with Mitsuki Sora, Ai had been isolated. She didn’t have the same interest as the other girls, which mostly included but were not limited to fangirling over her parent, Naruto, crushing on Senju Tsuko (who was her best friend), and other girly activities.

The teacher was writing on the board and when she finished, she turned to the girls. “Alright ladies, since tomorrow and this weekend is the Rinne Festival, we’ll be discussing our families. More specifically our ancestors,” she said. “If applicable, I want each of you to bring one parent to class and present your family trees. If you do not have a family, we may discuss a replacement assignment,” the teacher spoke.

One girl raised her hand. “Sadoru-sensei, what does the Rinne Festival have to do with our ancestors?”

“Good Question. The Rinne Festival may be a time when loved ones exchange gifts for each other, it started as a festival to give offers to our ancestors and those who had died. It’s a way to help start a rebirth of their memories, figuratively of course.”

Ai blinked and wrote down the assignment on her sheet of paper. She was a little apprehensive since she knew she didn’t have a normal family. People knew she was Naruto’s daughter (he would scream it on rooftops if he could get away with it) but her family history was spotty at best and not a subject talked about in her house.

Not to mention she was also an Uchiha and they had a horrible clan history of betraying the village and being slaughtered.

Soon the lessons truly began and Ai was zoning out. She was a smart kid but she felt stagnant — restless even. It only made her want to stare at the clock and wish it was later. Tonight she had her specialty taijutsu lessons with Lee-sensei and she always loved them! Something about using her muscles to break a piece of board and learning how to fight and defend just made her so happy.

Not to mention she was developing a small crush on the teacher of the class.

A knock was heard at the door and the door opened up, revealing Naruto. The girls screamed, snapping Ai out of her thoughts. “NARUTO!”

“Uzumaki-san, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit? Is your lecture over?” Sadoru-sensei asked.

“Yeah and I was wondering if I could take Ai home a little early today,” Naruto said.

“Well it is a little unorthodox, but if you insist then I can’t say no,” Sadoru said and looked at Ai. “You’re excused Ai,” the teacher spoke. Ai got up, grabbed her notebooks, and walked around to go to her dad.

The girls jeered, “boo! How come he gives her special treatment?!”

“It’s cuz she’s his daughter!”

“I wanna be adopted by Naruto as well!”

Ai kept her head down and Naruto only smiled and waved them off as he walked beside his child.

Naruto smiled happily as he walked beside his kid. Ai had grown up in the last two years. A few inches taller with longer, warm brown hair that was kept in a high ponytail that swayed as she walked. She was wearing a yellow thick pullover sweatshirt with the Uzumaki red circle on the back but she still wore the Uchiha-Uzumaki crest necklace she received years ago. She also was wearing thick pink pants and magenta sandals.

“So how are you enjoying classes Ai?” Naruto asked to make conversation.

Ai looked a little bored, “they’re okay.”

“I know you have been receiving high marks on your lessons! I'm so proud of you,” he said with a big grin.

Ai smiled a bit as she did like the praise, but she then said, “we have to have a parent with us to talk about our family history soon. I was wondering if-“

“Say no more Ai! I’ll be more than happy to come to class. You know! We have such an interesting lineage. After all my father was the Fourth Hokage!” Naruto said with pride.

Ai nodded, “yeah, I remember meeting him a few years ago,” she said.

A few years, as in the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Naruto frowned as he thought about that time. The war was short but it had a lasting impact on their lives. “And you can tell your classmates about that! You were in the middle of history,” Naruto tried to spin it, but he also knew Ai blocked out a lot of those memories for her own good. If she remembered the sealing process for becoming the 10 tails jinchuriki, he feared it would damage her mentally. “And your Nana was the hero of the war along with your father!” Naruto chimed in again.

Ai looked a little reluctant to speak but asked, “I was wondering if Father could b help with my assignment as well,” she said. The History of the Uchiha Clan was well documented, but she just wanted an excuse to see her father. She hadn’t seen him in a few months and he was only back in Konoha to restock on supplies and get mission information from Kakashi when a hawk was too much effort.

Naruto frowned as well. He didn’t like seeing Sasuke since it brought out a lot of conflicting emotions. He shook his head, “I think your father may be busy with an important mission still, so I can help you research his family! I’ve met your Uncle a few times before ya know. He was a really powerful ninja-“

“-who killed his clan by orders of the Hokage to prevent a coup,” Ai repeated with a sinking sensation in her gut. “I know that part, Nana,” she said defeatingly. “I just…I wanted to hear him talk about his past and maybe reconnect with him,” she said.

Naruto frowned and put a hand on Ai’s shoulder, pulling her in close, “I know you miss him a lot. He’s not being fair to you by being gone so long,” he said. “Well, it’s his loss for not spending time with you,” Naruto said. “Why don’t we stop by Konohamaru’s home and then go get some ramen before your taijutsu class? He was saying he had some cool things he wanted to show us.”

Ai nodded and the two Uzumakis headed off.

Naruto took Ai to Konohamaru’s house and they were led to the back shed. The older teen was digging around and found a few boxes. “This is Grandpa Hiruzen’s stuff! I found it while doing some cleaning!” Konohamaru said.

Naruto and Ai looked unimpressed. The girl picked up an old toy doll and Naruto picked up a toy monkey that was dressed up as the third Hokage.

“All of this stuff is kinda-“ Naruto began but was cut off. “Don’t you dare call it junk!” Konohamaru stated.

Ai put the doll aside and asked, “hey Kono-nii-san, how did all of this stuff survive the village being destroyed?”

“Pain never hit this area. It’s a little ways from the village and not near the destruction,” Konohamaru explained.

“So was there something more specific you wanted to show us or…?”

“Yeah! That reminds me! I found this box I think you would like to keep,” Konohamaru said and showed Naruto a medium-sized box. Naruto accepted it and sat crossed-legged on the ground. Ai scooted closer to him as he blew the dust off it, making her cough and sneeze. “Sorry Ai-chan,” Naruto apologized quickly before he opened the box and his heart dropped.

“Are these…?”

“Yeah! Grandpa kept some old photos of your parents and some of their stuff! And he also kept some photos of you and Ai-chan,” Konohamaru said.

Naruto picked up a photo of him when he was a child and he was holding a baby Ai in his arms. She had only been born a month before and it was his twelfth birthday and her homecoming. He covered his mouth as tears began to form in his eyes. Ai looked at the photo as well with some confusion. “Is that you?” She asked and pointed to Naruto.

He nodded and smiled, “yes! I thought your baby photos were destroyed!” He said and said. “That’s me, and that’s you when you first came home from the hospital,” Naruto explained.

“That’s me? But why were you so young? And why was I so small?” Ai asked.

“Well, I was eleven years old when you were born and you were born prematurely. So of course we would be small.” Naruto said and kept looking through the box and not only did he see more photos of him and Ai but also of his parents and some of their belongings.

One of which was a scarf. It was a hand-stitched scarf and Naruto knew his mother had made it.

Maybe he should make something similar for Ai?

Naruto put the scarf back in the box and asked, “do you mind if I take this box home?” He asked Konohamaru.

“Not at all! That’s why I asked you to come over,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” Naruto said and stood up, carrying the box. “You have no idea how much this stuff means to me,” he said and looked at Ai. “Let’s go get something to eat,” he said and as they walked out of the shed, they saw the sun beginning to set.

Ai panicked. “Nana! I’m gonna be late for class!” She screamed and began to hurry Naruto along so that she wouldn’t be late. They waved Konohamaru off and Ai hurried for her lesson.

The girl ran quickly and she shouted “we made it!” as she slid into the building.

Naruto hurried after her and laughed as his child was full of energy, much like he was around her age.

Rock Lee looked over and, standing before some other students, and saw the girl crash into the wall. She slid down the wall and quickly got up, standing upright and saluted, “Uchi-I mean, Uzumaki Ai reporting for lessons sir!” She said as she almost called herself Uchiha Ai. She still has that habit and while she knew she was Uzumaki Ai, she would always be Uchiha Ai as well.

Lee walked over and gave the girl a shiny smile, “great! Go line up with the other students!” He said.

“Right!” She said and walked over to the other students

Naruto walked over and smiled, “thanks again for accepting Ai as a student. I know she’s a little young but she seems to be enjoying the class.”

“It is alright Naruto. Ai is one of the most enthusiastic students I have,” Lee said.

“So like, how is actually doing in the class? She’s not failing miserably is she?” Naruto asked in a worried whisper.

This confused Lee. “No. She is a very promising student! She keeps up and surpasses the other students at times. She doesn’t have a natural talent for it, but if she did, I think it would just bore her,” Lee admitted. “That is the beauty with Taijutsu though! Even when you think you have mastered it, you have not and thus it is not easy to be bored of it! If doing 100 push-ups are too easy, then you push to 200! Or even 500 push-ups! Pushing past your limits to getting stronger is what being a shinobi is about!”

His students began cheering, with Ai being his loudest and biggest clapper. “You’re so awesome Lee-sensei!”

“And with that! We shall begin our exercises with 100 push-ups!”

“Sir yes sir!” Ai shouted and dropped down and began doing push-ups, along with the older students.

Naruto laughed nervously as he saw his child being so enthusiastic. He wished she showed that much enthusiasm when he wanted to do training with her. “Well if you have everything covered, I’ll pick her up after her lesson,” Naruto said and Lee was also doing push-ups with his students. He laughed and waved his daughter off and left her to her training.

“Thank you for your purchase! Please come again!”

Naruto smiled as he held the small bag close to his chest and left the shop. He was minding his business when some girls approached him. “Please accept my Rinne Festival present!”

“Mine too!”

“Please accept mine!”

To be honest the fact that so many girls were fonding over him was nice but it was also attention he didn’t like. He did accept their gifts but he also had a lot of boxes and bags he now had to carry. He should have done the shadow clone jutsu to help himself carry all of the stuff but he was just shocked and didn’t have the time to do it. So he was carrying a lot of things back to his house, which also included the boxes from earlier.

He reached his house and just as he was about to drop his load, he heard a voice.

“Need some help?”

Naruto glowered a bit and turned to see Sasuke standing behind him.

This. This version of Sasuke he remembered seeing in his past. The same Sasuke that had—

“No I got it,” Naruto said as he tried to do a balancing act but the items ended up tumbling over, including the bag that had some yarn in it. Sasuke knelt and picked up the yarn. “Since when do you knit?”

“Since just now. I’m making Ai a scarf,” Naruto said and he swiped it back from the man. The yarn that rolled out was yellow but Naruto had purchased over colors like pink, red, and blue.

Sasuke helped him pick up his gifts and said, “you seem to have a lot of fans now. Tell me, how does Ai feel about them lurking about?” Sasuke asked on a more serious note.

“What? Those girls don’t bother me when I’m with Ai so it’s nothing,” Naruto said but Sasuke disagreed and approached, holding a photo of Naruto with Ai doing a normal outing but the photo was clearly taken without consent. “It matters when I see photos like these leaked out and my daughter is in the picture,” Sasuke said.

Naruto scoffed, “what? She’s spending time with me. And I didn’t take that picture. Someone else did.”

“I still don’t want Ai to be in photos without permission. Someone could see this and target our child,” Sasuke stated.

Despite the era of peace, all it would take is one mad person to know their child and target her. She’s still a child and not invincible. Sasuke had been traveling and he had seen a lot of dangers left behind by Kaguya, who their child was hosting inside of her body!

Naruto got his stuff shoved into the door and looked at Sasuke, glaring, “what are you even doing here? Ai is at her taijutsuu lessons.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, “taijutsu lessons?”

“Yeah. Lee is leading the class. She loves it. You would know that if you were around more often.”

Sasuke scoffed, “you know why I can’t be around more often.”

Naruto rolled his eyes, “whatever. Why are you even here now? Just to yell at me that someone took a photo of me? Why? Ya jealous?”

Sasuke looked annoyed and merely shook his head. “Haven’t you noticed anything strange?” He asked

“Strange? Like what?”

“Like that,” Sasuke pointed to the sky, more accurately the thin crescent moon. Naruto narrowed his eyes and said, “it kinda looks bigger I guess but so what.”

Sasuke gritted his teeth. “It means the moon is falling! Haven’t you heard of the meteorites hitting the ground recently? It’s big and whatever it is, it’s not natural.”

Naruto kept looking up and shrugged, “well whatever is going on, I’m sure it can be fixed.”

Sasuke shook his head again, “you’re impossible sometimes.”

Naruto snapped, “well you’re a-!” He turned but Sasuke was gone. The blonde growled and howled in annoyance as he got the last of his things and slammed the door shut.

He pushed everything inside and picked up the box that had his family mementos in it. He wanted to hang some photos up and he knew he had some old frames around the house. He had planned on filling them with pictures of Ai once they took some more, but now he had photos he wanted to hang up. He saw pictures of his mom and dad together and some of him when he was a young child with the Third Hokage.

And his favorites were of him with his baby girl.

As he took the time to sort through the photos, he found one that he was surprised existed.

It was Team Seven but Ai was in the photo as well. She was a baby and while Sasuke and Sakura looked annoyed, he and Kakashi were smiling away, and ask was sleeping against him. Now he knew that Sakura didn’t care for his child existing but he didn’t care about what she thought anymore so long as she stayed away from the girl. Even in the childhood PTSD therapy unit she started, Sakura refused to take her on as a client, so Tsunade stepped in.

Still, Naruto will keep this photo.

He finished sorting and realized how late it had gotten.

The Uzumaki got up and began heading to pick his child up when someone jumped in front of him. It was a young man with pale skin, shaggy white hair, and ice blue eyes. He wore a white ceremonial kimono with a yellow sash tied over his right shoulder. “Uzumaki Naruto,” the man spoke calmly.

“Who the hell are you?” Naruto asked as he didn’t like the feeling this man was giving off.

“My my, are you brash. Certainly not as docile as I would like but I’m not picky on who I chose as a spouse,” he said.

“Excuse you?!” Naruto made a fist. “Who the hell do you think you are?! And what’s this nonsense about becoming your spouse?!”

“Forgive me Naruto, I am Otsutsuki Toneri, and I want you to become my spouse and bare my offspring,” he said as he suddenly was close to the man. Naruto glared and threw a punch. The man vanished but Naruto was grabbed from behind. “Hey! You creep! Let me go!” Naruto shouted. For some reason, whatever was holding him was stronger and wasn’t budging. Naruto began forming a Rasengan in his hand, but the man reappeared. He held a green orb of energy and Naruto felt his chakra drain.

“Good night my love,” Toneri said and Naruto blacked out.

Chapter Text

“Alright class! That is a wrap! Great form out there! We’ll meet back here next week!” Lee said as he dismissed his class.

“Yes Lee-sensei!” The students proclaimed and soon began to disperse.

Ai went over to Lee and said, “Lee-sensei! I hope I am not being annoying but I have a request for you!”

Lee watched as the girl suddenly bowed. “Please teach me the Konoha Senpū!” Ai requested.

Lee was surprised, flattered even, but Ai was simply…

“My dear girl!” Lee began. “While I am honored that you seek me to further your education in the taijutsu arts! You are not yet ready!” He said.

Ai looked up at him with saddened eyes, “am I not worthy sir?”

“Not at all! You are a great student, but you are too young for such a technique!” Lee said.

Ai felt rejected, “too…young?” She asked and shook it off. “But sensei! Do I not have the power of youth on my side? Wouldn’t now be the perfect time to teach me the move?”

“Ai, you have the power of youth but you also have the beginnings of a young seedling. You still have so much to learn before I can teach you such a technique. In order to run on your hands, you must understand how to first stand on your own feet,” Lee said.

Ai was confused at that analogy.

“You must first learn to crawl, then to stand and walk and run, and once you understand how to do that, then you may begin to learn how to walk with your hands,” Lee said and demonstrated by getting on his hands and balanced his body to be still. He smiled at Ai, “once you understand the basics, you will have any technique at your fingertips!” He gave her a thumbs up and then he began heading out, on his hands and knees.

The awestruck child watched with admiration at the man. “Oh Lee-sensei! I completely understand!” She said. “I will be patient and learn the basics!”

As the girl was in mid-administration, a boy walked over and pushed her down. Ai fell and turned sharply, “hey! Knock it off Senji!” The girl shouted.

The Hyuga boy smirked and crossed his arms, “sorry but you squawking was giving me a headache,” he said and stood over her. “Besides you look much better with your face on the floor. It spares the rest of us from seeing your ugly whiskered face!”

Ai noticed Senji was completely over her with both feet on her sides. She smirked and moved her legs spread and was able to spin herself and knock Senji down, making him fall and she got back on her feet. “Ha! You fool! Maybe if you paid attention in class instead of moping around, then you would learn something for once and not be stupid as to hang over a fallen opponent!”

The boy activated his byakugan and began chasing after the girl. Ai was able to keep out of arms reach of him and the older students who remained just shook their heads at the kids’ immaturity.

Ai led Senji out of the dojo and began running out of the city part of the village and headed to the park.

The sky was already dark and as they headed out of the city, it only got darker. The girl reached the park and just as Senji began to charge at her. Ai was quick and was able to jump out of the way, flipping backward and after a few flips, she stopped at the edge of the fence on the inside of the park. There was a big distance between Senji and Ai now. The girl stuck her tongue out, blowing raspberries. “What’s wrong Senji?! Scared to keep coming for me?” The girl taunted.

The Hyuga began charging. “I’ll show you what the power of the Byakugan is!” As soon as he got close, he slowed down and stopped, deactivating his byakugan and looking scared.

Ai smirked, “what’s wrong Hyuga? Scared I’ll beat you again?!” Ai asked.

Senji slowly raised his hand, pointing at what was behind her, slowly backing away.

Ai turned and she saw a man she’d never seen before.

“You two kids are out late,” he said, standing on the fence and then dropped down. Ai began to get away from the fence, backing away. The man smirked and said, “no worries kiddos, you won’t be harmed…much,” he said and the man lunged out to grab the girl, who began backing up and running, but another man popped out, blocking her way.

Senji had a similar thought but was also blocked. The boy used his byakugan again and winced as he was still new to using his eyes. The man reached and grabbed the boy, successfully. “Senji!” Ai shouted and managed to dodge being grabbed initially, and she began running, only to be grabbed and subdued.

The girl screamed and began trying to struggle away from the hold. The man held out a green orb and said, “hush now. You’ll be joining your mother soon Uzumaki Ai,” he said and held it out to her. The child’s black eyes widen and she began struggling like crazy, even with her chakra being drained. The man noticed that the girl had a lot of chakra energy, especially for a child.

The boy was already unconscious.

He stopped and smirked, “looks like my future daughter is more powerful than I originally thought. Perfect,” he said.

“Future daughter?!” Ai asked.

“I already have your mother in my grasp. He’ll be more willing to become my spouse once he sees I have you,” the man said.

Just as the man was about to reach out to knock the girl out, he sensed another close by and charging out.

Hyuga Hinata charged in with her byakugan. Ai smiled. “Hinata-san!”

“Let the kids go!” She said and began to charge at the stranger. He was able to grab and pin Hinata fairly easily. “You’re the Byakugan Princess Hinata Hyuga,” he said and cupped the woman’s face. “You’re beautiful but the only thing I need from you is your eyes,” he said with a bored expression.

Ai was forced to watch as this man gouged the woman’s eyes and placed them in a jar to preserve them. Hinata’s screams would forever haunt Ai’s mind and the man turned to the still conscious eyes. “Good news, your future husband will be able to keep his eyes after all,” he said.

The girl shook with visible fear and she let out a scream before she was knocked unconscious.

Toneri smiled happily as his plans seemed to be working out just fine.

Or at least, this part of the plan was working.

He summoned a few large birds and as his puppets carried a child, they soon began heading back to his lair.

Sasuke was heading back to Naruto’s home when he witnessed Naruto being knocked out and held against his will.

He activated his sharingan and charged in, drawing his sword and going in for the fight.

As the man carrying Naruto took off, the blonde began to wake up and began starting to fight back. Naruto managed to free his arms and summon shadow clones to help free him, and then he was able to join back to Sasuke who was dealing with a slew of shinobi. Of course, Sasuke could handle himself, but having an ally was better than none

The two heroes began to fight off the ninjas after them, and only when they defeated all of the ninjas did Toneri appear before them.

They both went on guard.

“The final day is fast approaching, before then…” Toneri spoke. Sasuke went in for a charging strike, but Toneri vanished and then reappeared, floating in the air. “…before then, I shall return for you Naruto.” He soon vanished.

Before they could even react, a large meteor came striking the back of the Hokage Mountain.

Sasuke and Naruto both were stunned quiet for a moment before they both had the same thought.

Where was their daughter?

Kakashi sat grimly at the Hokage’s office as he sat before Shikamaru, Sakura, Sai, Naruto, and Sasuke. “Hinata Hyuga was found dead at the park early this morning. Before then, witnesses say two children were seen running in the park and a few men abducting them. We believe Hinata died trying to retrieve the children back.”

There wasn’t a single soul who didn’t feel a chill crawl down their spines. Naruto was gripping his fist tightly. She died trying to protect Ai and her own little cousin was taken as well.

“There’s something else regarding her death,” Kakashi spoke. “Her eyes were gouged out.”

“You mean her byakugan was taken?” Shikamaru asked. Kakashi’s nodded. “Your mission is to rescue the abducted Uzumaki Ai and Hyuga Senji. Shikamaru. You’ll lead this four-man team. I’m also granting Sasuke’s request to join the mission.”

Sasuke was silent but he nodded his head in appreciation.

“Shikamaru, put your hand out,” Kakashi ordered.

“Huh? What for?” Shikamaru did as he was asked and a yellow circular light appeared on his palm. “what's this?”

“A top secret clock,” Kakashi answered. “Only the five Kage possess it.”

Naruto looked over uneasily and asked, “so what’s this clock keeping track of?

“It’s counting down the time under Earth’s destruction.”

The ninja gasped, but Sasuke remained quiet as usual.

“What I don’t get it? What does this clock have to do with Ai and Senji’s rescue mission?” Shikamaru asked.

“Toneri kidnapped the kids, and he might also be the one manipulating the moon,” Kakashi answered.

“What makes you think that?” Sai asked.

“Honestly? It’s a hunch,” Kakashi answered truthfully.

Sasuke stepped up, “Is it wise to have Naruto on this mission?” He asked.

Everyone turned to him and Naruto growled, “Excuse you?! That’s my daughter that bastard has!”

“Mine too, and don’t forget Toneri is after you as well,” Sasuke repeated.

That was a fun fact Sasuke didn’t share with the class. “He’s after Naruto?” Kakashi asked.

“He said something about me becoming his spouse or whatever. That guy is a creep and he has my child! I’m going on this mission!”

Kakashi sighed and said, “don’t let your emotions rile you up too much Naruto. If he gets out of line Sasuke, you have permission to get him back into it.”

Sasuke smirked a bit and nodded once more. Naruto growled and said, “fine let’s just go rescue the kids and avenge Hinata’s death!”

Well, that piqued Sasuke’s interest. Naruto never used the avenge word in years. The squad soon headed out.

Chapter Text

The team each flew on one of Sai’s beast scrolls, soaring through the air. Though Naruto and Sasuke were sharing a beast, with Naruto in the front and Sasuke behind him. He didn’t feel comfortable with Sasuke so close and behind him but they were on an important mission so he kept his feelings quiet.

“We’re approaching the last citing of the kids. Sasuke, can you use your sharingan to scout out any abnormalities?” Shikamaru asked.

“I don’t see anything yet,” Sasuke said.

“Okay, we’ll split up then, Naruto you stay with Sasuke,” Shikamaru ordered and they soon went in different directions.

Sasuke and Naruto headed west and soon both landed on the ground. Sasuke jumped off first, followed soon by Naruto.

Sasuke took a few steps around, looking. “I don’t sense any chakra disturbances or invisible barriers or boundaries around here.”

Naruto put his arms behind his head, “as if you would know about boundaries,” he grumbled under his breath as he walked.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and walked over to Naruto, getting in front of him. “Hey! What’s with you,” Sasuke demanded.

“Shove off. I need to find my daughter,” Naruto said.

Sasuke grabbed him by the shoulder, “our daughter Naruto. Or did you forget that it takes two to make a baby?”

Something within Naruto snapped. He laughed hysterically and turned to Sasuke, “you sonvabitch! You don’t even realize how much pain you’ve caused me and you wanna act like you’re Father of the Year?”

“I’ve already told you I didn’t assault you like that. It was with a needle,” Sasuke tried to argue.

“IT’S STILL ASSAULT ASSHOLE!” Naruto was pissed and he threw a punch, but Sasuke also caught his wrist. Naruto tried with his free hand but Sasuke was blocking that. It began a sort of dance of blocking hits and throwing punches. When Naruto was panting, he also had tears in his eyes. Sasuke had a single bead of sweat running down his face.

“It wasn’t…it wasn’t just an assault Sasuke. It never was,” Naruto said and straightened out.

“So tell me then, what was it?” Sasuke asked, trying to understand.

“You impregnated me when I was eleven years old. Do you know how hard that was to deal with? Not only just the physical aspect of a child being pregnant but what you put me through emotionally and mentally?!” Naruto shouted. Naruto stepped closer and closer to Sasuke and pointed a finger at him. “It took a lot out of me to not only hid my pregnancy but to make sure I could keep up with my health and make sure my baby was safe. Yes Sasuke, mine, because I didn’t know how I even got pregnant in the first place!” Naruto screamed at him. It was years of pain he had been holding in.

Naruto was panting, feeling the tightness in his chest loosen a bit, but his heart was racing. “I was okay with the idea of me raising a baby by myself. I love my daughter. But then,” Naruto stopped to wipe his eyes since the tears were falling unwillingly. “But then I find out that you, someone who I had considered a friend and teammate, was the father of my so-called miracle baby….that fucked with me so badly that my heart literally stopped working. I had to have open heart surgery Sasuke! Ohh! And when I wake up…I find out that my best friend, who is the father of my child, had KIDNAPPED MY BABY!” Naruto shouted in his face, the blonde’s face was so red that it almost looked purple.

Sasuke just stood there and let Naruto unleash his load on him. He knew he deserved it. Sasuke tried to speak, but Naruto cut him off, “you stole away five years of my baby’s life from me. FIVE! She didn’t even like me until a few months after she began living with but not without the girl crying at night begging for her father who was in jail for all of the bullshit he did!”

Sasuke looked away and knew what Naruto was saying was the truth and he needed to hear it. It hurt him to see Naruto so distraught and he was thankful that he had control of the Kyuubi because he was sure it would have been unleashed during his ravings.

Naruto’s face broke and he collapsed to his knees, holding his face, “and what’s worse about all of this…I can’t even hate you.”

That one surprised Sasuke. He knew Naruto wasn’t a hateful person but describing his pain just now, he was expecting the blonde to proclaim his hatred of him.

But that would only be too easy and Naruto wasn’t a hateful person.

Sasuke approached the distraught Naruto slowly and knelt in front of him. He waited for a moment and then pulled the blonde into a hug. Naruto was silent and he didn’t try to push Sasuke away, but Sasuke didn’t budge. “Do whatever you wish to me Naruto,” Sasuke said. “Hit me, hate me, choke the life out of me, I’ll endure it. But you need to move past this pain. It’s not healthy for you.”

Naruto reached over and punched Sasuke square in the jaw, and then again to make him let go. Sasuke sat in the snow and Naruto looked at him with anger in his eyes. “I’m allowed to feel whatever I want Sasuke! You have no right telling me how I should fucking feel.” Naruto looked away for a moment and stared down at Sasuke, “I wish I can make you feel the pain I went through. If you even knew even a fraction of what I’ve been through, I might consider moving past my anger toward you.” Naruto soon began walking away. “I’m going to find my teammates. There’s nothing over here,” Naruto muttered and stalked off.

Sasuke sat there for a moment before he stood up. He looked longingly at the blonde and knew he had already hurt him and his actions were overall not forgivable.

For now, they just needed to find their daughter and go back to him and stop the world from being destroyed after all.

When the team regrouped, they began their search in the sky once more, this time with Sasuke flying with Sakura. The three shinobis knew something was up when Naruto returned to the group first and Sasuke followed behind with a few punches to the face. Sakura quickly healed Sasuke and she was flattered that he would ride with her, but Naruto remained stoically quiet.

Sasuke blinked and noticed a disturbance, “there is a strange chakra I sense inside a cave. It looks like a possible secret entrance.”

“A secret entrance,” Shikamaru repeated.

The group headed in and they soon found a hidden glowing spring. “This must be it,” Sasuke declared.

“This must be the start of the entrance,” Shikamaru stated as Sai tested the water. “This water is strange. You don’t get wet with it,” Sai stated as the water vanished from his palm.

“I guess we have to dive in,” Naruto said and was ready to dive. Soon, they all jumped into the water and swam deep. They could see yellow balls and the further they went in, the deeper in memories everyone fell…

Chapter Text

Sasuke opened his eyes as he stood in the old shopping area of Konoha. This wasn’t right. This area had been destroyed and restructured after the village was destroyed. He walked around, remembering the area. Though he wasn’t sure what he was seeing.

Then he heard a crash and looked over, seeing a younger Naruto falling to the ground.

And he saw himself, at the age of eleven as well. Sasuke barely remembered this moment, as many days blurred together back then, when he was seeing only monotony and holding his pain of loneliness.

Sasuke watched the scene play out.

“Hey watch where you’re going dobe!” Younger Sasuke said with annoyance.

Younger Naruto barked a bit, “excuse you! I was leaving the store!”

Older Sasuke looked at the ground and saw the pregnancy test. His eyes widen. How did he not notice that sooner?

Younger Sasuke got up and picked up a back. “Painkillers?” He read and younger Naruto quickly scurried to pick up the other box before he saw it. Young Naruto grabbed it and swiped the box from Sasuke’s hand. “Not polite to look at someone’s items like that!” Naruto shouted.

Sasuke smirked, his way of laughing, “you still use children’s painkillers? Weak medicine for such a weak loser I guess,” he said and walked passed him and went inside.

Older Sasuke sighed at himself. “You idiot. You should have looked closer,” Sasuke belittled himself and watch as younger Naruto let out a huge sigh of relief. He was so glad Sasuke hadn’t noticed the pregnancy test. He wouldn’t know how to cover that one up.

Naruto pocketed the test and shoved the painkillers in his grocery bag, and speed walked away from the shop.

Sasuke found himself being dragged to the same day, but just an hour later…

And Naruto took the pregnancy test and it was positive. He watched as the boy agonized over the result and tried to wrap his mind around the idea of a baby.

Sasuke wanted to reach out and touch the boy, to offer some comfort, but his hand only went through the blonde crying child.

Time moved so quickly and he watched Naruto’s growing belly expand in a matter of seconds when it finally slowed, Naruto was in bed, crying in pain, struggling and trying to hold back his cries by screaming into his pillow.

Sasuke wasn’t there to witness it in person, but he knew this was Naruto when he gave birth to Ai over eight years ago. He watched as the boy struggled on his own to bring forth life into the world. Sasuke watched young Naruto move into a better position to give birth. He watched with a shared agony as Naruto cried out as he felt the baby drop within him.

Sasuke mournfully watched as the eleven-year-old Naruto pushed their child out of his small body.

Because Sasuke could only watch. He hadn’t been there for him when he needed the support most.

Blood soaked his bed and sheets, and as Sasuke tried to reach out again, in a pitiful attempt to give support, he saw Naruto snap his eyes open, as though he could see the Uchiha. “You did this to me!”

Sasuke’s eyes widened and he backed away. Could this Naruto see him?

The scene around him began to shift and laboring Naruto was suddenly standing before him, holding his pregnant belly, blood soaking his thighs and legs, standing before him. “How could you do this to me Sasuke?! I’m just a kid!”

Sasuke backed away, fearfully. He stopped when he felt something behind him. He turned and saw Naruto once more, standing there was a newborn Ai in his arms, still attached by the umbilical cord, and Naruto as pale as a ghost. “You made me a parent. You left me alone.”

“Naruto, I’m so-“

“YOU DON’T GET TO APOLOGIZE TO ME!” The boy shouted angrily. “You’ll soon understand my pain Sasuke,” he said, and as though on command, Sasuke felt an overwhelming pain overcome him as his body shifted to a younger version of himself and he began gagging and vomiting on the floor. He went from nineteen to eleven years old in a manner of moments and his stomach ballooned to a large size. The Uchiha fell to the floor, panting through the most unimaginable pain in his body.

As Sasuke de-aged, Naruto aged up, and the baby he had been holding was gone…or at least wasn’t in his arms anymore.

That baby was in his stomach now.

“You wanted a child, now you get to experience having that child,” 19-year-old Naruto spoke down to him before he left the apartment, not even turning his head back.

Smaller Sasuke withered in agony as he was experiencing the pains of difficult labor and fell to the floor, holding his swollen abdomen and screaming in bloody murder.

Naruto was happy as he held his baby girl in his arms. The child had recently learned how to clap her hands and was giggling loudly as Naruto held her up and then pulled her close.

“Whose girl are you?” Naruto asked the baby.

She gurgled in response.

“That’s right! You’re my girl! You’re papa’s girl!” Naruto said and kissed the top of her head, only him to realize the baby was now a literal baby doll.

Naruto blinked in confusion and a young child was facing him from behind. “I’m Daddy’s girl.”

Naruto turned and saw six-year-old Ai.

Oh no. Naruto walked over and said, “I know you love your daddy but can you love me as well?”

“No! Only Daddy!” Little Ai screamed. As she screamed, the tranquil world Naruto had been in was disturbed and all he could see was Sasuke looming over him like a disconnected God. His Sharingan and Rinnegan are in full view and activated. Naruto covered his eyes but he was suddenly falling to the ground and it seemed to be a nonstop drop as memories of his life flashed past him. Moments in his life that he shared with Sasuke…

The time he attacked and disguised himself as him to talk to Sakura…

…their bell test…

…their first real mission in the land of waves…

…countless other missions…

…the time Sakura and Sasuke discovered his daughter’s existence…

…the Chunin Exams…

As Naruto remembered those days, he noticed Sasuke always watching him. He was always there, even when he didn’t seem to care, he was there.

And then, the day he was sick…

Naruto crashed and landed on his bed in his apartment. He groaned and felt a cold hand on his forehead and he turned to see Sasuke. “Yep. You have a fever,” Sasuke spoke and proceeded to care for the blonde.

Naruto knew Sasuke had cared for him that day, but watching him being cared for tugged at his heart. He shook his head, “that doesn’t mean he cares about me. Anyone can take care of a sick person. It’s a profession after all,” Naruto said to himself.

What he didn’t know was what happened after the sunset.

Sasuke was still caring for Ai as she had a fever and once she had settled, he carried her to Naruto’s bed and settled beside him, leaning over the blonde. “She looks like you,” Sasuke said quietly. “You’re lucky, you have a family member now. I wish I had someone still.”

Naruto’s eyes widen as Sasuke said that. The Uchiha leaned in and kissed the baby.

This was before he even knew Ai was his…

And Sasuke leaned in and kissed Naruto on the forehead, knowing it was okay to do so since they were alone. “Rest well Naruto,” Sasuke said quietly and settled in, nestling next to the blonde, who was unconscious at the time but had just experienced that tenderness.

Naruto lay there as Sasuke and their child in his arms.

Though as Naruto tried to get up, he found himself sitting in a hospital bed. He was confused as he saw Sakura, Granny Tsunade, and Sasuke holding Ai.

“Sasuke!” Sakura cried out, reaching out and hugging him.

Only Naruto was Sasuke…so did that mean…?

Naruto looked at Sasuke with a saddened expression, hugging his daughter. Naruto tried to push Sakura off him and reach out for Sasuke and Ai, only to suddenly find himself on shackles.

“You’re under arrest for assault of a minor!”

He saw Kakashi and some masked man. Naruto didn’t know what was going on, but he quickly realized that this must have been Sasuke’s point of view…

He was shoved out of bed and soon sitting in an interrogation chair, being yelled at. Naruto looked down at the paper before him. It was the DNA that proved Sasuke was the biological father of Uzumaki Ai.

Why did his chest ache? Of course Ai was his daughter. He knew this!

Naruto felt his body pulse and a wave of pain course through, and he closed his eyes for what felt like a moment but was soon standing outside and in his arms was a fussy baby. Why was he looking over Konoha?

“Sasuke-sama,” someone spoke. Naruto turned and saw four strangers kneeling before him “let us depart for Orochimaru-sama,” the man with two heads spoke.

Naruto’s widen and he immediately wanted to break away from this. No! He would never abandon Konoha.

But Sasuke had.

Naruto tried to run, tried to escape this nightmare, but he was soon falling again…falling into the abyss….

“Naruto! Naruto wake up!” Sakura began smacking him away, but it didn’t phase him. They all had been under a power genjutsu meant to relieve their old memories, but with Sasuke and Naruto, the wires got crossed. Sasuke had already woken up in a pained state. He was sitting up as Naruto was the last one still trapped under the genjutsu. For some reason, Naruto wasn’t waking up. Sakura had restored to slapping Naruto across the face hard. Sasuke went over and grabbed her wrist. “Stop! He’s hurting enough as it is!” He said in a panicked voice.

Sakura, along with Shikamaru and Sai were surprised to hear that. Sasuke pushed Sakura away and looked over Naruto.

Sasuke could see his chakra shaking with his Sharingan. He should be awake by now. Sasuke leaned in and began listening to his heartbeat. His eyes widen and realized his chakra was disrupted because he was in a cardiac arrest and it stopped beating. Sasuke went to work and began to make his hands electrified and began to pump Naruto’s chest, making him jolt. Once the boy’s body settled, Sasuke leaned in and began CPR on him.

Naruto began coughing and opened his eyes, only to see Sasuke relieved to see him. “Sa…?!” Naruto tried to speak but Sasuke merely embraced the blond, holding him close. “Shh, you’re okay, I have you,” Sasuke held him close.

Naruto was confused and he looked over to the team, who looked awkward and Sakura just looked upset.

Sasuke pulled away and held Naruto stood up, but Sasuke was quick to help him stay steady. Naruto just was confused. “What happened?” He asked as he held his hand.

“We were under a powerful genjutsu,” Shikamaru answered. “Sakura was able to wake us up. Thankfully Sakura is resistant to genjutsus.”

Naruto was about to ask more, like why Sasuke was above him when he was waking up, but he then realized Sasuke was still holding onto him. He gave Sasuke a look that made him let go and take a few steps back. Naruto straightened himself out and coughed a few times. “Let’s just get going. Ai and Senji need our help,” the blonde spoke and they began heading out.

Chapter Text

The group continued onward and before they knew it, found a separate spring. It glowed a bright blue color.

“It’s like the last one,” Sasuke pointed out and he kept an eye on Naruto. The blonde was quiet.

“Everyone be ready for a fight,” Shikamaru said before he, Sakura, and Sai jumped in.

Naruto was about to jump in as well but paused when Sasuke remained unmoved. He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, what’s wrong? You’re acting strange,” Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke looked bothered and he looked at Naruto. The pains from the last genjutsu are still on his mind. “It’s…in the genjutsu dreams before…”

Naruto frowned, “what is it?”

Sasuke sighed, “when you went to the store eight years ago, to buy a pregnancy test…what made you do it?”

Naruto was a little frazzled by the question.

Sasuke clarified, “boys don’t normally get pregnant. So what made you think you were?”

Naruto pondered about that for a moment. “One of our senseis was pregnant and I heard she had similar symptoms as I did,” Naruto admitted. “Why did you…why ask now?”

Sasuke shook his head, “it’s nothing,” he said and jumped into the water.

Naruto crossed his arms at the behavior. He didn’t understand it. Why was Sasuke acting so…concerned? Was that the word? Or maybe nosey?

Naruto took a few steps forward, ready to jump but he soon heard someone say his name from behind.

The blonde jumped and got into a fighting pose, seeing Toneri before him. “I said I’d come for you. For you to come to me — it’s flattering.”

“Where’s Ai and Senji you creep?!” Naruto asked and Toneri approached closer. “Don’t worry, the two kids are safe. They’re sound asleep in my castle,” he said.

“Return them at once!” Naruto demanded.

“I’m afraid that depends on your answer my dear Asura,” Toneri spoke.

Naruto froze at the name. Asura? That was the younger son of Otsutsuki Hagoroma. Naruto remembered when the Sage of the Six Paths told him that. So how did this guy know that?

“Huh? Asura?” Naruto repeated in question.

Toneri looked at Naruto lovingly, “Naruto, let us be married.”

Naruto made a disgusted face, “look I don't know what your deal is but I ain't getting married to anyone, especially you,” he said. “Just give me back the kids. They're innocent in all of this.”

A green dome soon formed Naruto and Toneri, and an image was soon shown. It was a large bed with Hyuga Senji and Uzumaki Ai sleeping peacefully. Soon another Toneri approached the bed. He went over and touched the girl’s head. “You created a very powerful child Naruto. Her chakra reserves are beyond that of even an adult. It took a while to drain it from her, but I managed,” he said and looked.

“Don’t touch her!” Naruto shouted.

“Relax. She is perfectly safe so long as you come to me Asura,” he said. “I have the Byakugan, and with the procreation jutsu, we can sire stronger offspring. Offspring of the Otsutsuki Clan.”

Naruto’s eyes widen in horror. “Are you serious?! I would never-“

“If you don’t, they will,” Toneri said. “When they get older of course. Senji is of the Hyuga Clan, and much like his parent before him, he too is also intersex,” he said. “And your daughter is female. I don’t need a jutsu to make her pregnant once she’s of age. I can wait 10 years,” he said. Naruto’s eyes widened with horror and he wanted to vomit.

No one was going to touch his daughter in such a way!

“So why do you want me so badly?” Naruto asked.

“I am of Hamara’s blood. You possess chakra belonging to the son of Hagomoro’s Asura — the son Hagomoro chose as his successor to his power,” Toneri declared. “You possess the sixth sage’s chakra capabilities.”

“So can Sasuke! He’s a reincarnation of Hagomoro’s son Indra!” Naruto proclaimed.

“I considered him, but it turns out you’re the more attractive one to me,” he said and cupped Naruto’s whiskered cheeks. “And you’ll do anything to make sure your daughter is safe.” Naruto didn’t even notice the green dome had vanished around him. He just gritted his teeth and growled in anger. “You bastard!”

Just as Naruto was about to throw a punch, Sasuke jumped in, having returned to check on Naruto since he noticed he hadn't followed after them.

“Stay back!” Sasuke said as he stood before Naruto and defended him.

Soon another fight broke out but Naruto was able to land a finishing blow, revealing Toneri to be a puppet. “The next time we meet, it will be the real me,” Toneri’s voice echoed from the puppet. “I expect your answer then Naruto.”

Sasuke turned to Naruto who just looked annoyed. What they soon noticed was how Sasuke was not only protecting Naruto but how he was currently holding Naruto with his arms wrapped around his waist.

As soon as they both noticed they shared a blush on their faces. Sasuke let go and cleared his throat. “Let's get going,” Sasuke said and the two ninjas took off...

They traveled a while, coming to an underground artificial world. They flew off once more, with Sasuke riding with Naruto once more. Naruto didn't comment.

They soon found an abandoned town that looked ancient. They all landed and separated once more, looking around the area. Sasuke began heading into a building but didn’t notice a cobweb a little too close to his hair. He snapped his head when he heard Naruto gasp and hurried out. “What’s wrong?” Sasuke asked as he was ready to pull his sword out, only to see Naruto on his bottom and looking a little embarrassed. “I slipped on a stair,” he said.

Sasuke relaxed and put his sword down. Naruto looked over and saw Sasuke with the spiderweb in his black locks. He began to laugh and gestured for the Uchiha to come closer. Sasuke walked and when he knelt, Naruto reached up and began pulling the cobweb out of his hair. “You’re messy,” he said with sudden ease at his heart. It seemed like looking at Sasuke didn’t hurt him as much anymore. Maybe yelling at him earlier helped relieve his grief?

Naruto finished picking off the cobwebs and Sasuke pulled Naruto up to his feet. The two men felt a jolt and a flush went to both of his cheeks.

They resumed their search of the area, but it wasn’t in silence.

Instead, they just began talking.

“Naruto.”

“Hm?”

“When you were under that genjutsu. Did you see any of my memories?”

Naruto froze for a moment but nodded, “something like that. It mostly felt like I was in your body going through the motions,” Naruto answered. “Why? Did the same thing happen to you?”

Sasuke nodded. His hand moved to his stomach and said, “I experienced childbirth…your childbirth experience I mean,” Sasuke clarified. “How you gave birth in your old apartment, and how much pain you were in,” he said. Naruto blanched quite a bit after hearing that.

Sasuke continued, “I made you go through that alone. I can’t say I'm sorry enough,” he said. “But strangely enough, I am glad I got to experience it.”

Naruto shook his head, “why do you say that? Childbirth was one of the most painful things I went through.”

“Because I understand why you hate me so much,” Sasuke said.

Naruto rolled his eyes, “I don’t…I don’t hate you alright?!” He still walked beside Sasuke. “I’m mad you left me alone and took Ai all those years ago, but I don’t hate you Sasuke.”

The Uchiha walked and they soon began jumping on top of rooftops. Sasuke hopped over and Naruto kept up with him.

The two seemed to be in sync with each other.

“Do you regret ever having her?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto stopped walking. He had a serious expression on his face. He paused and said, “sometimes. It’s never easy having a baby and to be a kid and have one, it was…I was…I shouldn’t have done it but I’m glad I did. But there are days when I just wanted some help and those were the ones that make me regret it.” Naruto began walking again.

Soon though, they decided to take a short break inside one of the buildings. Naruto made instant ramen for himself and Sasuke, and the two ate in relative peace. That was until Naruto stood up and began walking.

“Where are you going?” Sasuke asked.

“Nature calls! I’ll be right back,” Naruto said as he turned to go downstairs but something blinded him and the Uzumaki began to overreact. Sasuke watched the blonde spin around the room before he comically fell down the stairs.

He got up as Naruto fell with loud thuds. “Naruto?” Sasuke spoke in concern.

Naruto winced and pulled the spiderweb off his face, landing on his back. “Another spiderweb,” he said and sat up, wincing loudly. Sasuke leaned in, “did you get hurt?”

“I think I hurt my back a little bit when I fell,” Naruto admitted.

Sasuke helped him up and back up the stairs. “I have some ointment in my bag,” Naruto said as he sat down. He began removing his black jacket and revealing a plain white shirt. Sasuke went to his bag and searched for the ointment, revealing a few hidden photos of his Ai and himself from when she was younger. He didn’t comment but found the small container of medicine. He grabbed it and walked over. Naruto lifted his shirt to a big, revealing a large red spot where it would surely bruise later. The blonde took the ointment, opened the container and put some on his fingers, and proceeded to try to put the cream on his back.

Sasuke watched as he struggled and shook his head, “here, let me,” he said and took the container.

Naruto sat still as Sasuke sat behind him, putting the medicine on his back. They sat in silence as Sasuke worked. Naruto moved to look at him, “thanks a lot,” he said quietly.

Sasuke finished and as he was putting the container back in Naruto’s bag, it tipped over and revealed the photos.

Naruto’s face shifted and he turned serious. “We need to wrap this up and rescue Ai,” he said as he went over and repacked his belongings. Sasuke reached to help him, and his and Naruto’s hands touched. They looked at each other for a moment. Naruto kept his hand moving and finished picking up the photos.

Sasuke looked away from Naruto for a moment.

“Hey, Sasuke!” It was Sakura’s voice that echoed in the small room. Naruto almost jumped out of his skin when he heard her. “We need you to help us check this thing out,” Sakura said and saw Naruto holding his chest. “Oh no! Don’t tell me it’s another heart attack,” she groaned.

Naruto felt his eye twitch, “no I’m fine. Just a little spooked was all,” he grumbled with some annoyance.

Naruto saw the picture of his daughter in his hand and his heart sank. He knew what he would have to do to make sure she was safe and untouched. He put the photo back in his bag and followed Sasuke and Sakura out of the building. He saw the two of them together standing side-by-side, and he sank lower.

Why did he feel…angry seeing them so close like that?

Chapter Text

Toneri stood before the two unconscious children. His plan to give one of the a karma seal was going on. He had selected Ai, but as he tried to implant the power, her charka rebuffed him.

He winced but saw her seal begin to glow from her abdomen and for a moment, he thought he’d seen Kaguya herself within the girl.

Toneri lifted her shirt, only to reveal a green leotard. He blinked as he didn’t sense anything else from her. Not like before.

So he turned to the boy. He was a Hyuga and he didn’t have a subservient seal on his forehead that would seal his Byakugan.

Perfect.

He took the boy’s left hand and began making a karma seal on him. The boy winced but the seal took hold. He would have to do. He didn’t think anyone would happen to him, but to have a backup was always a good idea.

When he finished, the boy stayed as asleep but he held a small Diamond shape in his palm.

Toneri stared at the kids. He never saw himself as a fatherly type, but these kids would be special. He knew he could mold their young minds to his liking.

A smirk grew on his face. “Soon, you will give me more children Naruto,” he said.

The group of shinobi came across more ruins akin to destroyed and worn-out statues. They searched the area, with Sasuke finding a path leading further in.

As they continued, they soon came across a temple of sorts and there was some old writing on the wall. “What does it say?” Naruto asked.

Shikamaru stepped up, “it’s very old writing. Ancient…oath…crossing the path of humanity just as all else,” he began reading aloud. “The fist of the reborn moon. The Tensei eye will destroy mankind.”

“What does that mean?” Sakura asked.

“Maybe this Tensei eye is making the moon move,” Shikamaru answered.

“So Kakashi-sensei was right and that the kids’ abduction and the moon are connected somehow,” Sakura said.

As the team was rambling, Naruto heard a voice call out to him. “Asura.” He snapped his head up, and soon the area began to shake around them, revealing a hidden passage.

They venture down, with Shikamaru holding the lantern and leading the way. The area was thick with dust and decay, as mummified bodies were shown. “What is this? A crypt?” Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke soon snapped his head, “someone’s here!”

Standing before them was a man with long wavy hair and white robes. “Is that you Asura-sama? I can sense his chakra,” the man moaned and he looked at Naruto. “Yes, I am certain of it. Asura-sama,” he said and approached the blonde.

Naruto was ready to fight, but Sasuke stepped in front of him. “Stay away from Naruto.”

On a closer examination, it appeared that the man didn’t have his eyes, as though they had been carved out, and soon a blue light emerged from the corpse’s mouth, making an explosion of sorts, but what it really did was make Naruto pass out.

Sasuke was quick to catch him. “What did you do to him?!”

“The tenseigan has been revived…” the corpse began to crumble away, and yet his voice remained. “It has to be stopped, or Otsutsuki will…”

Sasuke carried Naruto out of the cave and everyone else followed. As the team’s only medic, Sakura had to make sure Naruto was okay. He was weakened but he quickly gained back consciousness. “Naruto, are you alright?” Sakura asked.

“Yeah. Just a little lightheaded,” Naruto muttered, not noticing Sasuke lingering a little too close to him.

They soon began heading out even more and Sakura helped Naruto lay down. “Whatever that thing did, it’s left your chakra weak,” she commented.

Sasuke sat next to Naruto and was observing his chakra with his Sharingan. “Your chakra was almost drained just now and your heart still is a little weak from earlier.”

Naruto opened an eye, “my heart? What about it?”

“You had a heart attack earlier. While under that genjutsu,” Sakura answered. Naruto’s wondered more and he groaned. “Oh come on heart! We’ve already been through this!” Naruto said and Sakura held him down by his shoulders. “Let me do a quick exam on you. Who knows whatever that light did,” Sakura stated and her hands began glowing.

Naruto wanted to get up and just reassure her that he was okay, but Sasuke was also backing up Sakura.

As her hands hovered over his chest, Naruto smiled suddenly.

“What’s so funny?” Sasuke asked.

“It’s just…this is the first time Team Seven has been united since the war. It kinda feels like old times,” Naruto said.

Sakura checked over his heart, which feel normal, and so she lowered to his abdomen and felt a heavy pull of chakra. Perhaps it was the Kyuubi she was sensing? No…it was Naruto’s chakra. Still, it was concerning.

“Naruto, I’d recommend you rest for a bit,” she said.

“Huh? But Sakura I feel fine! Really,” he said but he soon watched as she was pulling out a kit and had some prefilled syringes. “If you don’t rest on your own, I’ll make you rest,” she said with annoyance.

Naruto paled and tried to laugh it off, “is that really necessary? I’ll rest! I promise!”

Sasuke touched Naruto’s shoulder to make him look at him. Naruto turned his head and he was met with a spinning sharingan. Naruto’s eyes widen before they rolled back and his body went limp. Sasuke caught him and laid him down gently on the mat and rested his head on the pillow.

Sakura sighed, “I had it under control Sasuke, you didn’t need to knock him out,” she said.

“Naruto would have fought the medicine,” Sasuke spoke. “He’s stubborn when it comes to his own health.”

The woman put her case back and said, “so you and Naruto…what’s the deal?”

Sasuke looked at her as his eyes returned to normal. “Why do you care?”

“Look, you and Naruto always seemed to have this bond between you, and you have a kid together through some time travel bullshit. It’s annoying to deal with as an observer. Now you’re clinging onto him as though he’ll be taken away from you. What gives?” Sakura asked.

Sasuke remained quiet, not wanting to admit to anything. He just stared at Naruto.

Sakura knew though. She always fucking knew…

“I see…I can’t deny it anymore. You’re in love with him,” Sakura said coldly and knowingly.

Sasuke doesn’t acknowledge her comment.

“I’m right, aren’t I? You’re in love with Naruto. I guess if you have a kid with someone it can happen but-“

“Long before…long before I knew…maybe even before she was born…I always acknowledge Naruto’s presence,” Sasuke admitted. “I knew that it was just a crush, so I tried to keep a distance. When my clan was killed, I felt an empty void within me for a long time,” Sasuke spoke. “Now, I’m allowed to feel things again that I haven’t in a long time. Even if Naruto doesn’t feel the same way, I just want him to know that I’m here for him.”

Sakura looked uncomfortable. “So you’ve been gay this entire time?”

Sasuke looked uncomfortable for a moment. “No. I’m not attracted to men and I’m not attracted to women either. It’s more like I love Naruto because we understand each other on a deeper level than most…I guess on some level it’s a romantic love, but sexually…”

Sakura felt more guilty as she remembered what she did years ago. She shook her head, now wasn’t the time to even say anything about that. “So you were never attracted to me,” she stated the obvious.

“You were a teammate to me. That was it,” Sasuke said.

“And you raped your other teammate.”

Sasuke glared at Sakura, “I never touched him sexually when we conceived Ai. I injected him with my seed and performed a jutsu. Naruto knows that.”

“It’s still assault Sasuke,” Sakura said. She let out a chuckle, “I can’t believe I was jealous of him because he carried your baby. I always thought…always wanted to carry your baby and to be your wife. I get so angry looking at Ai because in some other life, she should have been mine,” Sakura admitted.

“You were obsessed with me,” Sasuke said. “It was annoying to deal with but you’re intelligent and deserve someone who will love you. I am not that person.”

“Naruto deserves that as well,” Sakura spoke coldly and got up.

Sasuke was silent and remained at Naruto’s side for the next few hours.

Chapter Text

Sasuke had nodded off and when he woke up, Naruto wasn’t in his cot. It seemed everyone was getting some rest, but Sai was awake keeping guard. Sasuke approached him, “where’s-“ before he could even ask, Sai pointed to his right. “Said he needed to get some air.”

Sasuke looked over and saw Naruto sitting on the ledge of the cliff. He was looking out in the distance, but he wasn’t actually seeing. He was thinking.

The Uchiha approached Naruto, his footsteps seemed to echo to the blonde, but he didn’t turn to acknowledge him.

“How are you feeling?” Sasuke asked.

“Not much better than before,” Naruto admitted. That wasn’t good. Naruto held his hand out and tried to form a Rasengan, but only a swirling gust of wind came and he couldn’t form anything else. He couldn’t gather chakra. “Something is limiting my chakra. Even Kurama doesn’t know what happened,” he sighed, placing a hand on his stomach where his seal was located.

Sasuke moved and sat next to Naruto, though there was a respectable amount of space between them. The blonde lowered his head and shook his head in frustration, “damn it! It’s like the first time all over!”

Sasuke looked over and knew what he was talking about — the first time Ai had been taken from him. He remained silent. If someone had taken Ai from him while he was with Orochimaru…he’d kill anyone who even thought about it.

“Ai is a strong child. She’ll be fine,” Sasuke said.

Naruto sharply turned his head, “she’s in danger and you’re saying she’s fine?! How can you be so dumb?!”

“Ai has a strong mother coming for her,” Sasuke commented.

Naruto’s cheeks burned a bright red and said, “now isn’t the time for those weird comments! I already have one creep trying to make me his husband! I don’t need another!”

Sasuke smirked, “I’m not offering Dobe. If you want us to be married, you have to propose.”

Naruto covered his face, “just because I love you that doesn’t mean I have to propose!”

Sasuke snapped his head, his smirk gone. He had been messing around but…

“What did you say?”

Naruto knew he had fucked up. He covered his mouth and shook his head, “nope! I didn’t say anything!” The blonde began to get up and walk away.

Sasuke got up and chased after him. “No! You said you loved me! I heard you!”

“I never said such a thing!” Naruto said as he covered his ears. Sasuke sped up and he wrapped his arms around Naruto, “stop! Please! Talk to me,” he said.

Naruto jumped a bit and settled. He looked uneasy. He sighed and turned his head to Sasuke. How could he look at the man and not feel hatred for all that he’s caused? Why couldn’t he just hate him and just be done with him for the rest of his life?

Naruto moved to look Sasuke in the eye and the first thing he did was remove his head wrapping. Sasuke’s hair was much longer and it covered most of his face. He moved his hair out of the way and stared at his rinnegan. He flinched and pulled away from Sasuke, looking away. “I can’t stop these complicated feelings but you should know…” he said and moved a hand to his chest. “I love you Sasuke. I think I’ve loved you for a long time,” Naruto said.

“Since when?” Sasuke asked.

“Childhood I guess? No that’s not it…I think since that time you took care of me and Ai when we were sick and injured,” Naruto corrected himself. “I mean, when we were young kids, we were so much alike and I remember thinking that I wanted to extend a hand of friendship to you, but we ended up becoming rivals,” Naruto said with a small smile. “When I became pregnant, my priorities shifted a bit but I was still your rival! Even when we became Team Seven. Those were the best days of my life,” Naruto said.

Sasuke took a step closer and said, “I know I can’t ever fully apologize for what I did to hurt you, because my actions are unforgivable, but know that I will work hard every day to make it up to you.”

Naruto laughed, “you idiot! I forgave you already! Just stop!”

Sasuke blanched a bit, “you forgave me? You can’t just do that! I hurt you! I took Ai away from you for years! I impregnated you! How could you just forgive me so easily?!”

Naruto stared at Sasuke with the most obvious expression. “It’s because I love you. That’s why I’m able to forgive you.”

Sasuke walked over to Naruto and the two stared at each other for a while. “Naruto,” Sasuke spoke quietly but was soon cut off by the sight of Toneri — the real Toneri.

Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto. “Toneri,” Sasuke growled. “Where are my child and the Hyuga boy?”

“Silence! I came to hear Naruto’s answer,” Toneri said.

“Naruto won’t go-“ Sasuke was cut off when Naruto pushed his headband into Sasuke’s hand. The Uchiha was stunned, but he saw Naruto’s expression: grim but serious.

The jinchuriki walked away from Sasuke. Naruto approached the light-haired man and accepted the hand Toneri offered, climbing on board.

“Naruto? NARUTO WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Sasuke demanded.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, and a hand wrapped around Naruto’s waist. “He’s made his choice Uchiha Sasuke.”

“I’m sorry Sasuke, this is goodbye,” Naruto said solemnly.

Soon they began floating off on the disk-like device. It sped off quickly, and Sasuke hurried after him. “Stop! Give Naruto back!” Sasuke shouted as he hopped in the air and activated his sharingan, ready for an assault but Naruto stood before Toneri, his arms out wide as though to protect him. “STOP SASUKE!”

Sasuke didn’t listen and the move he was getting ready for was ready. It pierced through Naruto. Sasuke stopped, shocked, and pulled the sword out, leaving Naruto coughing up blood. Toneri grabbed Naruto and looked at Sasuke, “seems all you ever do is hurt him.”

The gap between Sasuke and his pursuit widened and one of Toneri’s lackies began their attack. Sasuke snapped out of it to dodge the moves and eventually was caught by one of Sai’s scroll beasts.

Sasuke cursed himself, but also in anger, unleashed a painful wail. “NARUTO!”

Toneri carried the injured Naruto in his arms. His bleeding stopped but he was weak. He walked inside his palace and carried the unconscious male to a makeshift medical bay area. His puppets went to work to heal the young man.

As the men did that, two kids poked their heads into the door entryway. Ai and Senji had been awake for a while and they were allowed to roam around.

“Is that…?” Senji asked before Ai ran into the room. “NANA!” She cried out and went to the side of the bed. She was distraught as she saw so much blood soaking his body. Toneri patted her hair, “do not cry Ai, your mother will be okay.”

“But who did this to him?!” Ai asked, demanding an answer.

“It was Uchiha Sasuke,” Toneri said truthfully.

Ai felt her world shift and she turned to look at her mother. Naruto was pale and soon the puppets got into her view as they began removing his clothes to look at his injuries.

Toneri escorted the girl out gently, “let us work on your mother.”

Ai stood rigid as Senji looked at the girl. “Well…hey at least he is alive still! Let’s just let him deal with it!”

Without even a second thought or hesitation, Ai turned and punched a wall, making a fairly good size dent in it. Senji paled, his eyes following her arm and to Ai’s covered face by her bangs.

“How could Father do this?” She asked in a quiet voice.

She gritted her teeth and pulled her right fist away from the wall and she looked at Senji. The Hyuga boy’s eyes widen and he backed away in fear. He’d never see eyes like hers…her normally black eyes were red, with a single comma in them.

“What…what happened to your…?”

Ai activated her sharingan for the first time.

The girl looked at Senji and the boy shivered with fear. He could sense her killing intent in her.

She looked over and saw Toneri grabbing Ai by the neck, his eyes glowing. “You ought to know better than to think you can kill me,” he said and tightened his hold. Ai struggled, kicking and trying to free herself. She gasped and Toneri slammed the girl to the ground, making her cough heavily and taking gasps of air.

“Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid like that again,” he told Senji. The boy was a little nervous as Toneri spoke to him. “It’s just as I told you before. You are now my son. You obey me. Make sure your sister stays in line,” Toneri spoke before he went back into the room.

Senji went to Ai and watched her struggle. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, but her sharingan was still activated.

The Hyuga’s anger took hold of him and he kicked Ai in the stomach, making her cough some more. “You heard our father. Stay in line,” Senji spoke coldly, grabbed her by her hair, and began dragging her away from the medical bay, away from Naruto.

…

…

…

Earlier…

“From now on, you two will be my children,” Toneri spoke to the two kids.

“But I already have my Nana and my Daddy!” Ai shouted. She and Senji had just woken up and this was the man that had kidnapped them earlier.

Senji was also angry that he and been abducted. “I have my Aunt Hinata and Auntie Hanabi and my Great Uncle Hiashi at home! I can’t stay here! I’ll be in big trouble for being late.”

Toneri summoned a monitor and showed the kids what he had done to the Hyuga Clan. Ai covered her mouth and eyes, their screams and blood would forever haunt the child.

But not as much as it would Senji.

Senji watched as everyone he loved was slaughtered. Hiashi…Hanabi…Hinata…all gone.

Senji was no stranger to losing a family member, after all, he’d lost his father a few years ago during the war. He fell to his knees and began to sob.

Ai walked over to try to offer some comfort, but Toneri beat her to it. “Your clan is gone. This is a pain I am familiar with as well. I am also the last of my clan. The great Otsutsuki Clan. However I can offer you a new family,” he said. “I’ve already given you a way to become powerful. As my son, you will become one of the strongest people in the new world I am building.”

Ai began backing away from them. He was talking about the destruction of their home — of the entire planet!

“Senji! I know you’re a jerk but come on! He’s talking about destroying the world!” Ai shouted.

She was ignored.

“You’ll be the heir to my new world. My son, once I marry Naruto, you will be officially adopted as an Otsutsuki,” Toneri said.

The boy looked away and looked uneasy, “but…I’m a Hyuga,” he said. “My dad was a Hyuga.”

“And you shall inherit a new title — you are Otsutsuki Senji, the Byakugan Prince,” Toneri said.

Senji looked at Ai, who merely stared in disappointment and sadness. The boy turned to Toneri. There seemed to be a silent acceptance of his new role as heir to the new world.

Senji hugged the man, and Toneri smiled, “that’s my boy.”

Ai had to look away, and she only looked outside the window to see fragments of the moon breaking apart and heading toward the blue planet she called home.

“So we’ve been on the moon this entire time?” Sai asked.

“Yeah. That secret cave was a hidden entrance that connects Earth to the Moon,” Shikamaru answered.

Sasuke paced around, unable to do much else. It’d been three days since Naruto went to that man and he had been furious ever since. How could Naruto just do that?! How could he leave with that man?!

Shikamaru grew irritated with Sasuke, as did everyone else, so he decided to step up.

“Hey! I don’t care what your relationship with Naruto is but you know he wouldn’t abandon us for nothing!”

Sasuke stopped and listened to Shikamaru for a moment.

“I will bet that he did this to save the kids. He wouldn’t otherwise,” Shikamaru said.

“Yeah, and you probably ruined that plan by stabbing him in the chest when he was already having heart problems.”

“SAI!” Sakura shouted and smacked him on his head. “He feels bad enough already!”

Sasuke began leaving the small camp area and took a breath. He never did well in teams and all he wanted to do was go off on his own to get his daughter and Naruto back.

He began heading out, only to be stopped, “hold it!”

He turned to see Sakura standing there. “If you think leaving on your own is smart then you’re a bigger dummy than Naruto!”

“How about you stop insulting Naruto and let’s go save him and the kids,” Sasuke said.

“We need a plan,” Sakura said and behind her, Shikamaru and Sai were coming out.

Sasuke began walking, “we have a mission to save my daughter, a boy, and now…Naruto. I know he’s still alive. He’s too stubborn to die,” Sasuke spoke. “We find that castle and I’ll be sure to kill the bastard who took everything from me.”

Chapter Text

Naruto was standing in a dark void. He couldn’t feel or see anything. He had a similar feeling to this before.

When his heart stopped beating during the war — when he technically died. It was strangely calm. He knew was peaceful and he wondered if this was finally it for him.

Kurama soon came before him, “quit being dramatic Brat. You’re not dying,” the demon said. “It would be really bad if you were. Luckily for me, I can keep you alive,” he muttered sleepily.

Naruto was happy to see Kurama but he wasn’t happy overall. He sat down in front of the cage. The demon opened an eye and asked, “why are you moping around?”

“I don’t know to be honest. I can’t seem to wake up yet. It feels like I’m supposed to meet someone or something,” Naruto said.

“Well the Uchiha stabbed your chest so you’re body isn’t healed yet. He stabbed you in the heart.”

Naruto lowered his head and sulked, remembering that moment. “Oh…right.”

“Nana! Nana, please wake up!”

Naruto’s eyes widen as he looked around. “Ai? Is that you?” He asked.

“She’s been crying for you for hours. It’s annoying,” Kurama mentioned.

Naruto looked up, listening to his child cry for him. It’s twisted to think this, but he was glad she was worried about him. Some part of him worried that she didn’t care about him.

“Alright, I need to wake up and get the kids!” Naruto said.

Kurama shook his head, “didn’t you hear me? Your body is weak right now. You were stabbed in the heart. You won’t be waking up feeling good so you need rest,” Kurama stated firmly.

“Goddamnit Sasuke! You just had to stab me didn’t ya?!” Naruto shouted in the air.

“Yeah and you might wanna heal quickly because that Toneri guy has been snooping in your thoughts and he ain’t happy,” Kurama said. “You’ve been dreaming about Sasuke again.”

Naruto blushes madly and said, “whatever! I can’t control my dreams!” He was just the last person I saw before going unconscious is all!”

Kurama scoffed and said, “keep lying to yourself.”

Naruto huffed and crossed his arms. “So how long will I be unconscious?”

“Considering I’m repairing a vital organ, another day at least,” Kurama said.

Naruto sighed and got up. “I guess I wander around since I can’t do anything else,” Naruto said as he began walking.

The further away from Kurama he got, the less at ease he felt. He did keep walking until the cell-like surroundings faded and he was bad in the void.

He stopped and soon saw coffins appear before him, but they soon turned into thousands of people. They all resembled each other. Naruto was a little freaked out, but soon a man stood before him. It was the same man who showed himself before —the corpse man with no eyes.

“Forgive me for this, but we are the descendants of the main branch of Otsutsuki Hamara.”

Naruto gave an annoyed expression. That kind of talk sounded similar to the Hyugas. “Okay sure…but why can I see and talk to you? And why me?

“Nearly all of the Otsutsuki have been slaughtered. This includes the ones you know as the Hyugas on Earth,” the man spoke knowingly. Just as he spoke those words, four ghostly figures appeared before Naruto.

Hiashi, Hanabi, Hinata, and of course Neji.

Naruto’s heart skipped a beat. He knew about Hinata’s death, and Neji’s death years ago, but he didn’t know Hiashi and Hanabi.

So that meant…

“Senji…is he?”

“My son is still alive,” Neji spoke and walked to Naruto. The two men stood staring at each other. Neji was a young parent as well, having been assaulted in his youth and conceived Senji from that. It was a pain they shared. “But he’s being corrupted. I can’t save him,” Neji said solemnly. “Naruto, as one father to another, save my son — save the last of the Hyugas.”

Naruto felt tears running down his face as Neji spoke to him. He knew he had entrusted his son to him before, to watch over him back in the war…but to take in his boy…

He would do it.

“I’ll make sure Senji knows about you and your love for him,” Naruto said and looked at the spirits before him. “All of you will not be forgotten.”

The man approached Naruto again, “you must stop Toneri in his plans to destroy the world by stopping the Tenseigan.”

“But how? I gotta have something to work off of,” Naruto said.

As the men spoke, Naruto felt himself fading off. He felt jolts in his body, and he was suddenly thrown back and forced to wake up.

…

…

…

“Naruto? Can you hear me?”

“Nana! Please wake up!”

“Uzumaki-san?”

Naruto began coughing and opened his eyes to see Toneri leaning over him with a relieved expression. And he suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around his head. “Ai-chan?!” Naruto said as the girl was smothering him with tears in her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re awake Nana! You were so hurt and your heart stopped beating a few times!” Ai cried out. Though as she was still clinging on, a strange woman approached and removed the girl. “There there Ai-hime, your mother is awake now,” she said and Ai struggled against the woman.

Senji was standing beside Toneri, keeping his eyes down and he looked uneasy.

Toneri cupped Naruto’s face, “I’m glad you’re awake Asura,” he said and leaned in, kissing his forehead.

Naruto sat up and blinked in confusion as his brain was trying to process what he’s learned. He felt his chest wrack with pain and he opened his robe, which he assumed Toneri changed him into, and saw the wrappings. There were a lot of them and it was packed in thickly around his chest. “You were stabbed in the heart. I suppose it is a good thing you are a jinchuriki. Anyone else would have died from such an injury,” Toneri smiled at him.

Naruto looked at his daughter, who was fussing about, and then at Senji, who seemed too upset to look Naruto in the eye.

“Let me have my kids,” Naruto said. The woman put Ai down and he wrapped his arms around her. He hugged his daughter close and then looked back at the boy. He reached his hand out to Senji and pulled him in. The boy sensed the need for comfort and climbed on the bed, Naruto hugging the two children close to him.

Toneri only smiled a bit wider, “such a loving mother. I knew selecting you was a perfect choice,” he said and sat down on the bed and stared at Naruto. “I know you will not be well for a few days, but I hope to have the wedding ceremony before long,” Toneri said.

Naruto looked at Toneri and had almost forgotten what he had agreed to. He held his kids close, “no rush,” Naruto said under his breath.

Toneri laughed some more, “we’ll have it before the moon crashed to Earth. And then we’ll be put into a stasis until the earth can rebuild.”

“Stasis?” Naruto asked.

“Deep sleep. You. Me. And our son and daughter,” Toneri said.

Naruto looked at the kids and said, “I understand. Please, allow me to rest a bit more.”

“I understand,” he said and winced himself, holding his eyes. That didn’t go past Naruto. He made a gesture to the maid, and she nodded. “Come along children,” she said. “I shall make you both some dinner,” she said.

Senji looked over and climbed off the bed, going to the maid. Ai didn’t want to leave Naruto alone, still cling to him.

The blonde placed a hand on her head, “I’ll be fine Ai. Really I will be. I just need some more rest,” he reassured her.

Ai looked uneasy but she was soon lifted and placed on the ground by Toneri gently. Ai walked toward the maid and soon the woman closed the doors and Toneri and Naruto were left alone.

The white-haired man soon climbed beside Naruto on the large bed, climbing into the right side. The blonde made it clear to scoot away from Toneri, not wanting to be close, but the Otsutsuki man wrapped his arms around Naruto from behind. “Don’t scoot so far away from here,” he said and pulled Naruto in close to his chest.

The blonde was quickly panicking in his head. This was very uncomfortably close. The blonde had never been so close to anyone while he slept…

A memory of Sasuke sleeping next to him flashed in his mind.

Naruto’s eyes narrowed a bit at the thought. What he wasn’t expecting was to be shifted onto his back and Toneri was leaning over him, holding his wrists down.

“What are you-?!” Naruto asked before the man leaned down and kissed Naruto forcefully. The blonde’s eyes widen and he moved to push the other off. “Whoa?! Hold on?! Why did you kiss me?!” Naruto asked.

“Because we are engaged,” Toneri said. “And I want a night with my beloved Asura before our deep slumber,” he said as he opened Naruto’s robes a bit more and revealed his body. He touched Naruto’s abdomen, his hands ice cold to the touch. “You’re so warm~”

Naruto flinched and said, “Hey! I’m still recovering here! Stop!”

Toneri pulled away, removing his yellow slash and opening his chest, removing his robes. “I won’t impregnate you tonight dear Asura~”

“My name is Naruto you prick!” Naruto shouted. “Quit calling me Asura!”

Toneri’s blue eyes glowed with anger. He closed his eyes, “of course, how rude of me,” he said and just as he lowered his hand, his other one threw a punch, hitting Naruto square in the jaw. Naruto collapsed on the bed and held its jaw, with Toneri over him. “I’m sorry for striking you,” he said. “I just didn’t appreciate your tone,” he said and touched Naruto’s face again, his thumb tracing one of his whisker marks. “Let me make it up to you Na~ru~to~” He leaned down and kissed Naruto on the lips and began trailing his kisses down, making sure to avoid the injured chest and suckled on his neck for a bit. Naruto tried to pull away again, even throwing a punch but he was rebuffed and held down. “You’re still quite the fighter, even now as your body is weak and your chakra is low,” he said.

Naruto was panting heavily already, “you bastard…I don’t want this!”

“You came to me of your own will Naruto, this is part of our wedding,” he said and held out a green orb in his hand. “I don’t want to hurt you, unlike that Uchiha, so I’ll make this easier for you,” he said and the orb went inside Naruto’s body — making him scream in pain before his body went limp for a moment and his eyes lost their spark.

He was still conscious, but he wasn’t in control of his body. Naruto merely just laid there. Toneri looked pleased and admired his work. “This is how a good spouse should be. Pliant. Obedient. Beautiful,” he said and kissed Naruto’s lips once more.

And Naruto unwillingly returned the gesture.

Toneri smiled against Naruto’s lips and resumed, lowered his garments off more, and loomed over the blonde.

“You’re mine Naruto.”

Chapter Text

Toneri thrust his hips forward, his member into Naruto’s body. The blonde holding his knees up, moaning a bit as his body rocked with pain. His body was drenched in sweat, pale and flush, taking staggering breaths.

The white-haired man held Naruto’s hips, holding him up. He unleashed his load inside of him, the fifth time he had done so. Toneri was inexperienced in the way of having sex, as there was no one around to reference or practice on, so he was thrusting blindly inside the blonde.

Naruto was no expert either, and under mind control, he was just ordered to hold his legs apart.

Toneri smirked as though he was a sex god, looking down at Naruto. “Maybe I should impregnate you~ you have plenty of my load inside you,” he said as he pressed a hand against Naruto’s abdomen, pressing hard enough to feel juices seep out even as his member was still inside his. Naruto let out a moan in response.

“Would you like that? To wake up and be swollen with my child in a new world?” He asked. He leaned down and resumed his thrusting. “I’m not going to do that to you, my sweet Naruto. We’ll have plenty of time for children later. For now, let us enjoy our moment right now,” he said and let out another load into the blond, and sealed it with a kiss.

Naruto mutely moved as Toneri commanded of him, returning kisses and moaning only when he couldn’t hold in his pain.

It was just as he was feeling pain increase that he felt his senses coming back to him. His mind control snapped and Naruto was now painfully aware was what was happening to him. His eyes widened and soon changed to red demonic slits.

Toneri was too late to pull away as he saw the change. He thought he was in control and he tried to summon a green orb to absorb the demon’s chakra, but Naruto quickly grabbed the man’s raised wrist, snapping it in half. Toneri screamed, but that was quickly silence as Naruto thrust his sharpened fingers inside Toneri’s throat through his neck.

“Never…again,” Naruto said and moved his hand. Naruto’s body glowed an orange-yellow color and his body formed in the same form as the one he was in the war.

Toneri’s head rolled back before it completely. Naruto shoved the man off his body and threw it against the wall.

Naruto was silent as he stood up and went to wash himself of the disgusting filth inside his body.

His body calmed down and he went to the nearby washroom. His chakra calmed down and he was back to his normal form, using the sink to hold himself up.

Naruto hated how sickly he looked. He was pale and weak. His burst of chakra just now was Kurama stepping in. He was glad to have him inside him, but now he couldn’t even walk without his help. He was panting and his vision was shaky. His chest still hurt and that was evident by the red spots forming in his bandages.

Naruto turned on the skin and began washing his blood-soaked hand. His mind was numb at the moment, working more on auto-pilot.

He finished cleaning and looked outside the window, seeing the moon crumble and whatever chakra was being used to hold this land together.

His kids…

Naruto burst into a run out of the room as he began to shift into his fox form. “Ai! Senji! Where are you?!” He closed his eyes to sense the kids, and he was determined to get safe and off this destroying rock.

A little bit before…

The children ate their food in bitter silence. Ai merely picked around her food as she lost her appetite a while ago. Senji seemed to be relishing in his new role as an Otsutsuki and he showed that as he bossed the marionettes around. The dolls obeyed and reacted as such befitting the role of a servant.

Even now as they were sitting at the table and Senji had dropped his cup of water on the ground and a doll came and cleaned. He smirked and said, “yeah, clean it up!”

Ai slammed her hand on the table, so sick of the boy’s awful behavior. “Stop it Senji! You’re being a bully!”

“Who cares what they think? Remember what Father said, these are all just dolls whose sole purpose is to serve us. And who cares what you think,” Senji said and continued, “it’s clear I’m Father’s favorite.”

“He’s not your father Senji!” Ai shouted. “This man killed Hinata-san and the rest of your family! Aren’t you mad?! Upset? Why are you taking this so easily?!”

Senji looked away, and it seemed like it was the first time he was vulnerable. “You know nothing about me! Don’t pretend that you do!”

“Then tell me so I can understand!” Ai said. “I don’t know exactly why you’ve always hated me, but I know you’re not okay,” Ai said, showing a level of maturity that was above her.

Senji paused and frustration overwhelmed him. He tightened his fists and said, “I was never wanted,” he said.

Ai narrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean you weren’t wanted?”

“I mean I was a mistake that shouldn’t have been born!” Senji cried out. “My father…before his death…” the boy winced at the memories of his father, Neji, at first he thought his father loved him, but then he overheard a meeting one night…

“I wished I’d never given birth to him!”

“I wasn’t loved by anyone. Hinata was kind to me but she…she was like everyone else in that Clan. They looked down at me and always gave me such a pitiful look. I hated it and I hated them!” Senji admitted. “I wanted someone to love me…like how everyone loved you. I mean, even your name means Love! How is that even fair?! Everyone loves you and you didn’t even do anything to deserve it!”

Ai listened and thought about her parents. Her Daddy…her Nana… did love her. And so did the people around her. She never even considered someone else who would be alone. In that, she was a spoiled child.

She got up and walked over to Senji. She felt bad for him, for having such an upbringing, but that didn’t stop her from saying the following: “just because you’re sad and hurt, that isn’t fair to take it out on others.”

Senji looked at Ai, and the two kids began fighting once more. Punches and kicks were thrown, with Ai using Rock Lee’s fighting style and Senji using his Clan’s fighting style.

Their eyes activated with their respective Kekkei Genkai — Sharingan vs Byakugan.

Just before they exchanged more blows, they felt a large wave course through the area. And soon they watched as the marionettes collapsed and became lifeless.

“What just happened?” Ai asked as she looked around.

“The chakra that moved the puppets…it’s no longer flowing,” Senji said with fear.

As they stood around, they felt the world around them shatter. Ribbons of cracks began to spread and soon the palace that housed them split the two kids and they began to descend.

They screamed and Ai shouted, “Senji!” She extended her hand as they were still within arm’s reach. The boy began running out and reached his hand out, but as their hands connected, Senji pulled the girl in and used her to jump into the platform, making her free fall in the air.

It was just as they stared enough into the eyes did Ai understand something.

There were evil people in the world.

The girl screamed as she fell, but they soon went quiet as her body went cold and the impending death awaited her. “I’m going to die…”

A pulse…

“…die…”

Another pulse…

“DIE!”

She slipped into unconsciousness as her body pulsed like a large heartbeat throughout her form.

Brown-haired turned white and a purple charka surrounded the girl as she stopped falling suddenly, as though she was free floating.

Senji watched as the girl fell but he wasn’t expecting her to be floating and change so dramatically. Her eyes snapped at Senji.

“SENJI?! I’M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT!” Ai shouted as she proceeded to use the fallen pieces of the moon as stepping stones, going back toward the collapsing building.

Senji realized he fucked up badly.

The only thing that kept Ai from killing the sole Hyuga was that Naruto came in and was able to hold her. He had to tackle the girl down in his Kurama form.

Ai continued to reach and crawl out toward Senji, her sharingan evident. Naruto quickly grabbed Senji and they began heading away from this cursed place.

Though as the moon was crumbling behind them, Naruto knew he had failed his mission. They needed the moon. He looked back between the kids and the moon.

And he made his choice.

He quickly transported the kids to the nearest large area that hadn’t started to collapse and he put the kids down. “You two need to find Sasuke and the other,” he told them.

Ai looked at Naruto, her chakra flaring but Naruto didn’t seem affected by it. “Nana! He tried to kill me!” Ai pointed to Senji.

Naruto winced but he hid it, “now is not the time for this childish nonsense! Either one of you! The moon is going to collapse! Our planet will die!”

Senji was wise enough to keep his mouth shut.

“So how do we fix it?” Ai asked with a pleading expression. 

“There needs to be someone with a large amount of charka who can hold it together,” Naruto stated. “And right now, that’s someone is me,” Naruto said and as he turned to look at the destruction of the palace, Ai took Naruto’s hand. “Nana! Don’t go!” She begged.

Naruto turned and knelt to his child. Patting his head, “I need to do this Ai. Not just for you, but for everyone we love at home,” he said.

“BUT YOU WERE GOING TO BECOME THE HOKAGE!” Ai shouted at her parent.

Naruto smiled a bit, “I’m sure I would have become a great Hokage in another life. But my priority is to save my children,” Naruto said and looked at Senji. He smiled at the boy but Senji looked away.

“You both are the future and I know it will be a bright one with you two in it.”

Naruto kissed his child’s forehead, his hair returned to normal and her sharingan was gone, revealing her onyx eyes as they soon filled up with tears. “Please don’t go, Nana. I promise to be a better daughter for you! I’ll eat ramen every day!”

Naruto hugged his child and looked at her. “You’re already the best daughter I can ask for,” he said. He looked at her seriously and hugged her once more. “I need you to listen to be very careful Ai. I have some words of advice for you. Don’t be picky... Eat lots and grow strong...Make sure that you bathe every day and stay warm... Also... Don’t stay up late... You need lots of sleep...and make friends...You don’t need a lot of friends...Just a few... Ones you can really, really trust...I wasn’t very good at it, but keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard...Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses...So don’t get too depressed if you can’t do something well...Respect your teachers and upperclassmen at the Academy...Oh, and this is important... It’s about the Three Prohibitions for a shinobi...Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money...Put your mission wages into your savings account...No alcohol until you’re twenty... Too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation...Another Prohibition is men…All you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women... so it’s only natural to take an interest in boys...but just don’t get hooked on bad men...find someone just like me...” Naruto smiled at his child. “Ai, from now on, you’re going to face lots of pain and hardship...be true to yourself...have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true...those were the words my mom told me.”

Ai looked at her parent with tears running down her face.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, “I’ll be watching over you and I’ll keep you safe. I love you Ai. Remember, you were named Love because you will always know that you are and will forever be loved.” Naruto reassured her.

He had to let go and as he turned, he sensed his comrades.

“NARUTO!” Sasuke shouted, leading the group. He rushed over and as he approached, Naruto looked away. “Sasuke…take care of our daughter,” he said and vanished. Sasuke went to go after him but he felt two small hands holding his. The girl was distraught and she clung to the only person she was close to.

In that mere fraction of a second, the moon that had collapsed was being forced together by a warm orange chakra. Sasuke looked away from Naruto and old habits died hard. He picked up his child and began to run to go back to Earth.

‘I’m sorry Naruto…I love you…’ Sasuke thought to himself as he chose their daughter’s safety over going to his love.

Naruto wouldn’t have chosen him anyway.

The other shinobi grabbed Senji and they made their escape as the moon was being united as a whole.

Chapter Text

As everyone arrived home days later, Sasuke carried Ai as she slept against his shoulder. She soon began to wake up, she looked up and saw a bright full moon. “Dad…did Nana..?” She asked.

“Yes, he’s still up there,” Sasuke said as he looked up.

She looked a little closer and she could see the slightly darkened shape of a fox on the moon where once a rabbit was. She smiled sadly at the sight. “I miss him already.”

“Me too Ai,” Sasuke said. “But you’ll know that he’s always up there and he’s thinking of you every single day.”

“I want him here with me,” Ai said and laid her head back down against her father. The two walked in silence, with Sasuke soon within sight of the village. The sound of cheers could be heard as everyone was relieved that the moon wasn’t falling and the meteorites had stopped falling.

Sasuke put Ai down and the girl turned to him sharply. “Dad, are you going to stay in Konoha with me?” Ai asked solemnly.

Sasuke thought for a moment, “if you’ll have me.”

Ai’s eyes widen and she nodded, hugging him close. Sasuke placed a hand on her head and continued to look at the moon with deep affection. It never looked so beautiful before.

A few weeks later…

Ai sat in her class with some impatience. She held some papers and had a few things rolled up around her. She had been working on her project and she couldn’t do it without —

Sasuke appeared in front of her.

Ai pouted a bit, “you’re late!” She said.

Sasuke was wearing more casual clothing and he had an eyepatch covering his rinnegan. “Sorry Ai. I’ll try to be early next time.”

Ai shrugged and looked around. Many girls had their moms and dads with them, and it made Ai miss her Nana more. She placed a hand on her necklace, hidden under her shirt. Sasuke knew his child was grieving. They both were. Naruto wasn’t dead but he wasn’t here and it was implied that she would never see her mother again.

Soon the teacher walked in and called the class to order. “Okay girls, we’re here to give our presentations!” She said and everyone settled in. Sasuke went to sit next to his daughter. She turned her head when she heard some of her classmates gushing over her father. They used to gush about her mother similarly.

She hoped she wouldn’t even be like that with boys.

A few of the girls went ahead of Ai, and it wasn’t until Ai’s name was called did she and her father stand up. Ai followed her father down with her posters in hand. Sasuke helped Ai set up her posters and as soon as they were up, Ai held out her paper.

“My birth name is Uzumaki Ai, but I used to go by Uchiha Ai when I was younger. That is because when I was little, my father raised me,” she gestured to Sasuke. “This is my father Uchiha Sasuke. He is a shinobi for the Konoha,” read off. “He only does super important missions. When he is not on missions, my Father likes to go on walks and has begun training me in the Uchiha jutsus,” she said and pointed to a crudely made family tree. Before she even said anything, one girl spoke with her hand up. “Wasn’t the Uchiha killed off by one of their own?”

Ai froze for a moment and she looked at her father briefly. She knew some of what happened but she didn’t feel confident enough to answer it.

“Sora! That is rude to ask!” The teacher said, even though she knew it was true. Everyone did.

Sasuke took a step forward, “my brother did kill our family. It’s something rather sensitive to our family. Please respect that.”

Sora zipped her lips and lowered her hand.

Ai cleared her throat. “Right so…uh…” Ai said as she turned around and as she was trying to continue her presentation, she retracted a bit. She looked at the other poster and saw the photo she had picked out with her and her Nana when she was a baby, one of the few he had and was kept hidden with the Third Hokage.

She turned back to her classmates, “my mother’s family is impressive too! See!” She said and showed the Uzumaki tree, which only went up to her grandparents. “My grandfather was the Fourth Hokage! He and his wife Uzumaki Kushina had a baby named Uzumaki Naruto! And Uzumaki Naruto is my mother!” She sounded so proud and puffed her chest out. “Uzumaki Naruto is one of the Heroes of the World! And every day he is protecting our world from the moon! If you look up at the sky and see the image of a fox, that’s him!” Ai said.

Sasuke smiled at his daughter for her taking pride in her mother.

Though what followed was unexpected.

Everyone laughed. “We knew you were related to Naruto-san but to be his daughter is ridiculous! Did he adopt you?!”

“You even called him your mother! You know he’s a male right?

Ai’s face began to turn a vibrant red and she didn’t know if she was feeling embarrassed or angry.

“You’re such a liar Ai! You’re not the child of Naruto! I don’t even think the guy next to you is even your father! He’s way too young!”

Ai was shocked and growled, “THEY ARE TOO MY PARENTS! YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS YOUR PARENTS AREN'T AS COOL AS MINE ARE!”

Sasuke put a hand on Ai’s shoulder to calm her down, but he didn’t say anything to the ignorant girls.

The teacher stepped up and clapped her hands, “okay everyone, settle down,” she said and turned to Ai. “Thank you for your presentation Ai and Uchiha-san,” she said. Ai and Sasuke bowed and they soon sat down in their seats after taking the posters down.

Ai made sure the picture of her and Naruto wasn’t damaged and put it into her jacket pocket.

Sasuke walked beside Ai. They had just gone grocery shopping and the two were quiet. Sasuke decided to break the silence, “you know, it seems so mundane, right? Going grocery shopping,” Sasuke began. “But when you stop doing it, you kinda miss it.”

Ai blinked and raised an eyebrow, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think this is the first time we’ve gone grocery shopping together,” Ai said. Sasuke was used to eating out so the last few weeks had been nothing but take-out and whatever was left in the fridge. So this was a massive grocery haul.

Sasuke smiled, “I mean when I was younger and lived on my own back when I was a genin,” he said. “I used to hate grocery shopping because it was boring. It’s not so boring when you're with someone,” Sasuke said.

“I used to go grocery shopping every week with Nana,” Ai said depressingly. “Did you know what the last thing Nana made for me to eat was?” She asked Sasuke, knowing he didn’t know the answer. Sasuke shook his ‘No.’

“It was pancakes,” she admitted. “He made me breakfast that day. They were burnt on the edges and he smothered them in syrup. His eggs were okay though,” she said. She blinked a few times, trying to hold back her tears and she was doing okay just of it. “I would give anything to go back and eat those pancakes again.”

Sasuke walked in front of Ai, kneeling before her. She saw the look of anguish on his face as she felt in her soul. He hugged his daughter and while Sasuke didn’t shed tears, Ai did for him. “I miss him…I miss him so much Daddy,” she admitted.

“I know and I do too,” Sasuke said. “Someday, we might see him again and when that day comes, you’ll be a stronger person,” Sasuke said.

She wiped her tears and said, “I don’t think I’ll ever be stronger than him. He’s the strongest person I know!”

“You will be Ai. I know you will. And you’ll make us both proud,” Sasuke said and grabbed his bags again. “When we get home, I can make you those pancakes if you want them,” he offered.

“Eww! No way! You make them all healthy and yucky!” Ai said and the two shared a laugh as they walked home.

Sasuke sat alone in the living room that night, drinking some sake. He didn’t like drinking but tonight felt appropriate. Ai was sound asleep after the two made a mess in the kitchen making dinner, which was a nice change of pace from just Sasuke bringing home take-out food.

But he avoided ramen like the plague.

Ever since they returned to the village without Naruto, everything seemed gloomier. They held a mass funeral for the slaughtered Hyuga Clan, and Senji was the sole survivor of it. He began being reclusive to everyone and he hadn’t been to school.

Sasuke knew what the boy was going through, but when he tried to reach out, he was met with silence.

He would keep trying…

But right now, he was just basking in the moonlight from the window.

“It shines brighter than it ever did. It’s almost like a second sun,” Sasuke spoke to himself.

“Thanks! I’ve been trying to keep the pieces together for a while now!”

Sasuke jumped and pulled out a kunai but was stopped when he saw Naruto smiling and standing before him. “Hey.”

“Naruto?” Sasuke asked. “Is that you?” He asked.

Naruto smirked, “well kinda. I’m a clone. I just wanted to see how you and Ai were doing.”

Sasuke looked uneasy, “we miss you but that’s obvious.”

“I’m sorry but I’m trying to find a way to keep the moon together without my chakra but it’s gonna require a lot of glue,” Naruto joked.

Sasuke laughed a bit. “You should probably keep it quiet. Ai might wake up and she’s still grieving. I think it would set her back if she saw your clone,” Sasuke said. “Want some sake for the road?” He asked and offered a large bottle.

“Nah. Can’t exactly afford to get drunk right now,” Naruto admitted.

“Ah, gotta keep the moon together,” Sasuke said.

“Actually I’m pregnant,” Naruto smiled.

Sasuke shatter the bottle of sake with his grip and the liquor dropped to the ground, creating a large puddle.

Naruto began laughing and said, “the look on your face! No! I’m not! Toneri never did the jutsu so I’m fine.”

Sasuke blinked and asked, “did Toneri rape you?!”

Naruto frowned and nodded, “yeah. Ya know, a stab in the heart was just the thing to weaken me,” he said.

Sasuke’s eyes dropped and he stared at the ground. “I’m sorry Naruto…about everything,” he said.

“Yeah well, when I get back, I’ll be sure to give you a piece of my mind for all of the bullshit I’ve been through,” Naruto said. “I do have a favor to ask though,” he said, and from his bag, he had a red hand-knitted scarf. “I made this for Ai. They had some yarn up there in the ruins of the old palace. It’s not the best thing ever made but I hope she likes it,” Naruto said.

Sasuke nodded and said, “I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“Thanks, Sasuke,” Naruto said and he turned his back.

Sasuke reached out and held Naruto close to him. The clone froze and said, “you should let go before Ai sees this.”

Sasuke let go and said, “come home soon Naruto.”

“I’ll try,” Naruto said and his clone poofed away.

Sasuke smiled sadly and turned, seeing Ai in her pajamas at the bottom of the stairs. “Was that…?”

The Uchiha held out the scarf and said, “your Nana made you this,” he said.

Ai walked over and accepted the scarf. She smiled, “it’s warm like him.”

Sasuke smiled and said, “it’s time for bed Ai. Go upstairs,” he said.

“Can you sleep with me in the same bed tonight?” Ai asked.

Sasuke nodded and followed her upstairs. Ai was still young and she still needed comfort. She was just a child.

Sasuke remembered what it was like when he was eight years old…and he never wanted her to ever feel that sort of pain.

Sasuke scooted onto the bed beside his child. It reminded him of when they used to share a bed when she was an infant and toddler. He missed those moments with her.

“Good night Ai,” Sasuke said.

“Good night Daddy,” Ai said and let out a yawn. “Good night Nana,” Ai said as she was falling asleep.

Sasuke closed his eyes. “Good night Naruto,” he said quietly.

The moonlight seemed to glow a little brighter in the window seal as it cascaded down on the two Uchihas.

For now, all was calm.