As The Leaf Turns

Sixteen: A Marriage in the Works and A Traitor is Returning

Now that he had the ring, Iwashi had to propose.
That wasn’t as easy as he wished, and he was still a little unsure when it came to Tenten. His normal behavior of a confident chuunin flew out the window at the mere mention of her name and without some help he would never be able to ask her to be his wife.
'And why would she want to,' he quipped to himself. It was obvious that Tenten was meant for stronger more eloquent men, and Iwashi was a weak, stuttering fool whenever she was around.
The day he planned to invite her to an expensive dinner and pop the all-important question, Iwashi was awash in self depreciation and ready to throw in the towel.
He stood in the hallway of the Hokage tower and stared at the little box in his hand.
“I’d say that is the look of a man on a mission to give his life for his village. You look like you are about to throw yourself into a volcano, Dude.” Naruto said, coming up behind him and slapping him firmly on the back.
“Oh, um Uzumaki-san, I didn’t see you there.” Iwashi said snapping the box closed and looking up.
“It’s called being a Ninja. I finally got all that stealth stuff down, ya know?” the blond joked as he made note of the little black box, the man’s flustered appearance, the light sheen of sweat over his face and the fact that, this time, Tenten was nowhere to be seen. “So, you are going to get hitched, huh? Who’s the lucky girl, cause Tenten is gonna kill her if it isn’t her.” He joked some more.
“Why do you say that?” Iwashi said not believing the young Jounin would say such a thing.
“Because Tatami-san,” Naruto began, copying the other’s use of the more formal family name. “She happens to be in love with You. I know the girl and you have lit her candle.”
“I have?” Iwashi asked, still shocked by the familiar way that Naruto was speaking to him, regardless of titles.
“Yeah. She spends more time talking about you than about the kids in her class. And I know she loves them. Hell, I love those guys. Iwashi-kun, you are a brilliant man, a talented ninja, and you got looks. Girls like that, ya know? I’d go for you, if I wasn’t already taken,” he said, winking conspiratorially at the other. “And if I wasn’t afraid of Tenten. You got a lot going for you, don’t spend your whole life being afraid of this. Go for it, I promise you won’t be disappointed. And if you don’t, I have to listen to her griping at Sasuke about how she wants you to. He don’t need a best girlfriend crying on his shoulder right now. We got a kid to raise and it takes a lot of energy. Besides, when she is over, he ends up all angsty and stuff. So give me a break. Go and sweep the girl off of her feet and live happily ever after, Okay???”
Iwashi stared at the smiling blond as he turned and continued down the hallway in the direction he had come from. It was the breaking point for the distressed ninja and he burst into laughs.
Just then, Misumi, a special Chuunin, came running down the hall.
Iwashi-kun! Hokage wants to see you right away. Come on, haiku, haiku.” He said, pulling the confused man behind him.

Itachi had his orders and even though Kisame was sick he was expected to carry them out.
He was slowly making his way to the village once again, this time in the dead of night, to capture the Kyuubi and bring him back to the Akatsuki family.
He stood at the edge of the forest that marked the border to the Fire Country and sent a silent message to his younger brother.
“I have heard that you are stronger, Sasuke. Kill me this time. It is time for me to die.”


“Ah-choo!” The tiny baby looked up at the woman carrying him across the room when the sound erupted from her suddenly.
Sasuru whiped her nose absently, and smiled at him in her arms.
“Sorry, little Koibito. I must have caught a chill somewhere. Now, let’s get you changed and back to bed. Daddy and me were busy and we don’t get a lot of time together these days. Now, hold still.” She said, laying him on the changing table and stripping off the wet diaper.
“You look real sexy standing there like that.” Naruto said from the doorway.
Sasuru turned her head and smirked his way. “You’d say that if I was covered in baby puke and wearing a rice sack.” She said.
“Well, it would be true.” He admitted slowly.
“Naruto, could you just get me a bottle of that special formula that Tsunade gave us? I want to get him back to sleep fast.” She said, pointing out the door and turning back to the small child. “Your Tousan is a Hentai. Can you learn that? Dobe is Hentai.”
The baby gurgled and wiggled his arms in the air as she pulled a clean diaper around him and adjusted his sleeper.
Sasuru had put him in the Kyuubi Killer jammies on purpose, only to find that the demon thought they were fitting for the child and wasn’t the least bit irritated by them, and that just added to her frustrations.
She could easily get Naruto worked up, but the Kyuubi was another story, and it was a small goal that had worked its way into her mind.
Somehow, either as Sasuke or Sasuru, the Uchiha wanted to see what limits the trapped demon could be pushed to before it got upset with her and stopped condescendingly referring to her as a cute little vixen.
Naruto would tell her, she was sure, but so far nothing had bothered the beast.
The creature thought everything she tried was just plain adorable and inventive and it got a thrill out of Naruto being all hot and bothered by the things she did to him.
That was the worst part.
When Sasuke or his counterpart upset the blond it was candy to the demon.
So, what if the Uchiha started doing whatever she/he could to please the demon bearer and let it sink in to the demon?
Sasuru lifted the baby and smiled an evil smile.
“Here ya go, Sugar. I got it all warmed up for you, too.” Naruto said, coming through the door just in time.
“Oh, thank you, Naruto-kun. You are such a good father. Here, why don’t you sit down and feed him, and I’ll give you a massage? Your shoulders look all tense tonight.”
“Um, sure. Sasuke are you feeling alright? I mean, I heard you sneezing before.” Naruto asked, sitting on the chair and taking the baby from the dark haired beauty.
“I’m fine. And thank you for being concerned. Here now, doesn’t that feel better?” she asked, pressing expert fingers into the tight muscles of the blond’s back.
“Yeah, it feels great. Thanks, Honey.” Naruto said, knowing how Sasuke hated those cutey pet names he was using and trying to get a rise out of him.
“You’re welcome, Baby.” Sasuke said, shifting back to male as he leaned closer and reached out to add friction along the strong muscles of Naruto’s arms.
“O-kay. Now. Who are you and where is My Sasuke?” the blond asked, turning as much as the arms running over him would let him.
“Dobe, I am Your Sasuke. Now, will you just let me give you some attention for a change?”
Naruto scrunched up his face and settled back onto the chair, concentrating on feeding the baby as much as he could while this strange Sasuke Clone was lavishing attention on him for no reason.
It was so freaky it was uncomfortable and Kyuubi was giving him some strange ideas, too.

:::In answer to the request for information at the end of last chapter, Gennai and Inaho are the partners of Kumugi who dropped out of the first test of the Chuunin exam when Ibiki posed the possibility that they could fail and never again be able to take the tests. This took place in Vol. 5, chapter 43 pages 133 and 134.
Tanzou and Minoji were the partners of Shibire who decided to open the scroll and read it in the second exam, thereby eliminating them from the final test. This happened in Vol. 7, chapter 60 page 111.
Hope that clears it all up.



Next Chapter is Promotions, Weddings and Conceptions – Ninjas Make the World More Interesting.
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