Bloodlines

Chapter 4
A Lizard named Ramen.

5 years later

The popsicle gleamed wetly in the sunlight, staining small fingers and the flushed cheeks of the little boy a brilliant purple. Haku happily licked it off the underside of his arm, giggling as a big dollop dripped onto the large white paw of his current babysitter. Akamaru cheerfully licked it away, and then proceeded to clean the sticky face of one Uzumaki Haku.

Somewhere inside the Hokage tower, his father was busy helping the Hokage along with his uncle Kiba with something he was sure was incredibly important and probably really boring. Akamaru had agreed to keep the four year old company, along with his melting popsicle.

When the sweet treat was no more than an empty stick, both Akamaru and Haku stared at it mournfully.

“All gone.” Haku tossed the stick away, before resting his chin on his sticky palms. Haku glanced up at the tower, but knew his father had said they could be awhile.

Heaving a great sigh, and debating finding someone to buy him another popsicle (he had seen Lee nearby doing pushups), Haku kicked at the grass, poked at his toy kunai set and watched as Akamaru curled up to nap beneath the nearby tree.

His father had left him with plenty to do, a set of scrolls and colored paint given to him by Sai, a picture book about insects he used to find interesting bugs to show to Uncle Shino. All things you had to sit down to do, and Haku was feeling restless. He was debating giving Akamaru the slip to watch the students at the training grounds when a group of strangely dressed ninja passed by.

The blonde kunoichi with the huge fan was the only familiar face, and he called out to her excitedly.

Temari was always bringing objects and strange toys from her home in the desert for Haku to play with. The last time she had promised him a sand lizard, and he had been eagerly awaiting her return since fall when she had last been in the village.

“Ah, Haku-kun!” She exclaimed as he barreled into her legs.

“Did you bring it? Is it here? I already picked out a name for it and everything!”

He began looking in her weapon pouches, wondering if she had it hidden there.
The other ninja stared down at the tiny raven haired boy searching the sister of the Kazekage with such familiarity. Temari however, was long used to such exuberant greetings.

“Well, what have you done to deserve it?” She asked, crossing her arms and staring down at him. Instantly the little brow furrowed, then the dark eyes brightened.

“I learned two more seal signs!” He showed her a passable Tiger and Bear, before grinning up at her triumphantly. Temari smiled back.

“Pretty good, kid. You’ve been practicing.”

She nodded at one of the men, who came forward with a small perforated box. Eagerly Haku took it pulling off the lid, and gazed down in wide eyed awe at the tiny green lizard that stared up at him.

“Well, what do you think?”

Haku stared back up at her, mouth still agape.

“He’s amazing!” He finally managed to squeal.

“So what’s this great name you picked out?”

“Ramen! It’s my dad’s favorite food.”

He touched the small creature’s tiny head, giggling at the sensation of tiny claws as it crawled onto his arm.

“Take good care of him and keep practicing.”

But by then Haku had all his focus on his new pet, manners forgotten. Temari turned to her brother, who was watching the boy like most watched a rare exotic animal. A hat and robes hid his appearance, the very obvious sand gourd left in their rooms so he could talk to the Hokage without undue notice.

“Naruto makes cute kids, against all odds. I’d say it was the Uchiha kid’s genes, but Haku’s too much like Naruto for that.” She joked as the procession continued to the tower. She noted Gaara’s lingering gaze over his shoulder at the little boy currently trying to teach his new pet to come to its name.


Haku loved his new pet. Ramen seemed content to hide out in the collar of his shirt, tiny claws prickling his skin whenever it shifted or moved to peek out at the outside world.

He showed Akamaru, who sniffed at it with some interest, then went back to sleep. Soon, even the heat had his new pet hiding in the shadow of his collar, and Haku thought for sure he was about to die of boredom.

He was staring blankly at his sandals, watching a line of ants covering the goo left over from his treat, when a shadow fell over him.

“Your dad not done yet kid?”

“Shikamaru!!!” Haku leapt from the ground “You’re back!!”

“Yeah, well, it was a boring mission anyhow.” Shikamaru replied, yawning.

“It was troublesome.” Haku nodded knowingly, the bored look on Shikamaru’s face disappeared into laughter.

“Yep. As troublesome as they come.”

“Look, Temari gave me a present!” Haku quickly pulled out his lizard; it glared balefully up, before skittering back to its hiding place.

“A good pet, doesn’t shed like a dog, get too loud like a bird or leave mice on your pillow like a cat.” Shikamaru complemented. Haku nodded.

“And I can scare girls with it! I’m gonna name it Ramen.” Haku announced. “Cause my dad says Ramen is the greatest thing in the world.”

Shikamaru stared down fondly at the little boy. “Yeah, I guess to him it is. Wanna go get some? We can bring a bowl back for your dad.”

“Yeah!! Let’s go!”

Naruto was angry. No, perhaps angry was too soft a word for it. He was pissed.

“Don’t give me that look Naruto. Trust me; I am working on ways to keep them from forcing this.”

“He’s too young. He shouldn’t start Ninja training for another two years! Why can’t they just let him be an ordinary kid for a while?”

Tsunade’s eyes were hard as she gazed at him over her clasped hands.

“He is not an ‘ordinary kid’, Naruto. Every sign points to him as being every bit as talented as his Sire and his Uncle. A genius shinobi. He will need some advanced training; the Elders are right in that area. You have to accept that.”

Naruto scowled back, fists clenched at his side. Behind him Shizune cleared her throat, a group of people stood at the door, clearly waiting.

Tsunade shot a look of clear irritation at her, then sighed.

“Look brat. No one is doing anything yet. We still have time to find a suitable alternative. Now go find your kid and go home. We will talk more about this later.”

Still seething, he passed the group of Ninja without a second glance, vaguely recognizing Temari. Outside, he found his son and one Naru Shikamaru sitting staring down at something green.

Closer inspection revealed a small lizard sitting on a pile of noodles.

“I don’t think lizards eat ramen Haku-chan. Maybe bugs would be a better idea.” Shikamaru was saying.

“Who would eat bugs? Uncle Shino wouldn’t like Ramen much if he ate bugs, besides Dad says everyone likes ramen.” Haku poked a noodle closer to the lizard. It just licked its eye in clear disinterest. Haku’s small lips pursed into an o of amazement at this.

“That’s right kiddo, if they don’t like ramen there has to be something wrong with them. What’s with the lizard?” Naruto asked, catching his son as he threw himself happily at Naruto’s legs.

“It’s my new pet! I named him Ramen!” He pointed at the lizard. Shikamaru just shrugged.

“Ah, Haku. . . that’s great.” Naruto said eyeing the new ‘pet’. “How ‘bout you take Ramen and start for home?”

“Sure!” Haku chirped, scooping the lizard up and skipping some distance down the road .

“I give the poor thing a week.” Naruto sighed. Shikamaru laughed.

“It’ll give him something to do while you’re gone. You have a mission in a few days right? I saw Sakura on the way here.”

“Just a stupid body guard thing. I should be training, I’m behind as it is. . . I want to make sure Sasuke pays attention next time I see him. I have plenty to say to him after I kick his ass back to Konoha.”

He turned to stare up where Haku was showing a passerby his new pet.

“Stupid Teme and his stupid genius super sperm.” He growled.

Miles away, deep in the dark corridors of Orochimaru’s lair, Sasuke stood over the dead body of his mentor. Blood and gore splashed the room, and the head of the pale man-snake gaped at Sasuke’s feet. The copper stench of blood is nearly overwhelming.

He passed Kabuto in the hallway, frozen in shock. He barely glanced at him as he passed.

“Which one are you?” The usually firm voice wavered in uncertainty. A flash of the Sharingan eyes and Kabuto knows.

“ I've taken over.” Sasuke says simply, but his eyes are dark and unfathomable as a cave’s black still waters.

“Your experiment with my offspring. You will forget it. Continue. ..” The dark eyes darted to where blood was oozing out the door.

“And what he suffered will be preferable.”

As quietly as he had come, Sasuke disappeared down the hallway. Standing in a pool of his former master’s blood body shaking, Kabuto put a hand to his own abdomen. A small smile formed under the flash of his glasses.

A tiny white snake slithered through the gore to curl around Kabuto’s ankle.

“Worry not master. You will live on.”

He watched with hate filled eyes as Sasuke’s shadow slipped into the darkness of the corridors.