All The King's Men (formerly I Want You So Bad)

Chapter Five:

I've been trying to find my way back home

I

He dreamt often of endless sheets of bronze satin. Soft and smooth, it flowed over his heated body, torturing him with wind swept caresses and long forgotten kisses. Limpid pools of lapis-lazuli shimmered in the darkness drawing him into their depths, making him forget that he was only human and that he could drown if he stayed within them for too long. Shimmering fields of sun dappled golden silk slid enticingly through his fingers, urging him to grasp and hold tight. Caught in the passions of this maelstrom of rich blue and dark gold, Sasuke was a helpless victim in this strange eroticism that had his every nerve singing in anticipation and naked want.

Just as he threw himself forward to become one with the chaos, the cry of child snapped him out of his slumber and away from the dream of his lover's embrace.

Dark eyes stared up the dark beams and white tiles of his bedroom ceiling sleepily as Sasuke waited to hear if the child would call out again. Less than a minute later Miki's voice sounded over the baby monitor calling for his Otosan.

Yawning broadly, Sasuke rolled to his feet, grabbing his discarded robe from the foot of the bed as he pushed his feet into his bed slippers before he stood up. Unintentionally, his eyes fell on a pair of pale orange and cream slippers peeking out from under the bed and Sasuke felt his heart clench.

It's been over two weeks since Naruto's squad was due back in the village. No one had heard from them in the two months prior to the end of their mission and with this delay, the Hokage worried over their fate. With no answers or Naruto coming in, the Hokage sent retrieval Squad to bring them in.

A squad consisting of Inuzuka Kiba, Aburme Shino, and Hyuuga Daisuke was the team sent out to pick up Naruto's trail.

That was two days ago.

They lost communication with Aburme that afternoon just as he was sending out a distress call. After that, the line went dead. The Hokage only waited that long for Sasuke's unit to return from their weeklong mission.

Sasuke would have left immediately, the more they delayed the colder Inuazki's trail became, but his children needed to see him and his unit needed at least a few hours of rest in a real bed before taking off for what promised to a very deadly mission. An advance team of ANBU medical nins had been sent ahead with an escort unit to bring back the Konoha ninja, Sasuke's unit would rendezvous with them at halfway point and take over the search for Naruto. With luck, his trail would be easily picked up and they would find him within a matter of days.

For the now, his duties as a parent to be more important than any mission and as Naruto had said often enough, the children were more important than their own lives. Naruto would have never forgiven Sasuke had he went out on another mission without spending at least on day with their children. And he was glad that he had come home. He really missed the noise and happiness that followed his sons like clouds.

Quietly, Sasuke entered his children's nursery and he quickly stepped over to one of the two cribs in the center of the room where one of the twins was awake, whining piteously for his Otosan.

Miki was rubbing fitfully at his left ear while tears gathered in his dark brown eyes. Sasuke was worried about a possible ear infection but Sakura assured him that Miki was just recovering from a slight fever and that he would be fine in a matter of a day or so. Sasuke gathered the baby into his arms and immediately the little boy laid his warm face on his father's cool chest with a small whimper.

With the baby tucked in one arm, Sasuke made a quick turn about the nursery to check on his other sons before returning to his bed with the sleeping baby.

Sleep returned easily to him once he was back in his bed for a few precious hours of sleep. He would not let his family down by failing to bring home his children's mother.

Morning came all too soon and before the sun had cleared it's highest point, Sasuke's Unit was well into Grass Country. They reached the rendezvous point to find that both Naruto's unit and the three trackers had been heavily injured with a few with a life threatening injures. The leader of the medics had been able to get an idea of what happened to Naruto.

Naruto had been captured.

*.*.*

Running swiftly on silent feet, Naruto quickly darted over the prison rooftop just barely missed being shot in the back by the guards that were trying to stop him. He slid down the angled tin roof before putting charka into his feet just at the edge to keep from tumbling over the edge. At the last second, he grasped the edge, using the momentum to swing his body down and under the lip of the roof where he planted his body into the eave created by the roof's overhanging ledge and the wall.

Overhead he could hear the guards calling out to another who did not stop and went tumbling to the hard ground. From his vantage point, Naruto saw the man had fallen on his neck. He was dead. That meant there were six more on the roof and about twenty still alive inside the prison that were trying to restore order after the riot Naruto had caused.

He had to thank that gang of idiots for helping arrange his distraction and subsequent departure for this lovely bit of paradise.

Seriously just because he was smaller in height and weight, it did not make him rape material. People should not judge another based on appearance. He shocked the group of six thugs that entered his unlocked cell shortly after lights out.

Were they not listening when the warden put the word out that Naruto was a soldier of the Daimyo from Wind Country when he tossed him into general population? Of course, the fool had been expecting some light entertainment in the form of Naruto getting the hell beaten out of him or worst, which was why his cell was left unlocked. Pity for them Naruto had other ideas for the night, but he made sure to welcome and take real good care of his new friends before stepping out to handle his business.

What he wouldn't give for his shrinkin and kunai. All he had to work with a couple knives he picked up from the kitchen and machete he stole from a guard. His hands and feet were good enough in most instances, but the trouble was becoming thick and he needed to clear certain spots in a hurry as he made his way to the rooftop. Now that he was outside, stealth was his number one priority since the guards had guns and were not afraid to shoot him in the back if he appeared in the open courtyard. He waited until he heard the guards move off before slowly crawling down the wall and the melting into the shadows at the base of the building. He crept along the side of the wall until he reached the rear of the prison, that faced the open rice paddies and he made his move.

A simple cloaking jutsu covered him as he skimmed over the watery ground. His destination was the bamboo thicket just north of the prison. Once there, Naruto would travel west until he reached the Doushin River and he would follow that towards Sound. Crossing the river would put him half a day from the Valley of the End. Naruto would be back in Fire County and home within five days. He only hoped that his unit had made back to the village and that they were all safe.

Three days later, he had just crossed into Sound when he realized that he was being followed.

Cursing his damnable luck and his lack of stamina, Naruto hurried to put more distance between him and his followers. He was trying his best to conserve his chakra for when it came to getting back into Fire Country, but it looked as if he was going to have put up one hell of a fight due to the number of people he sensed coming behind him. Naruto had started to jump into a tree when he was felt pulse of chakra he had not felt in more than a year. Disbelief rushed through him but all doubt was pushed aside when he felt it again.

A slow smile made its way onto his tired face and blond haired man collapsed wearily against the tree he had been preparing to disappear. A short bark of laughter escaped him as Naruto recalled the last words his husband had said to him shortly before Naruto had left the gates of the Uchiha district.

"That bastard," Naruto chuckled to himself. "I should have known he would have come."

Sasuke had promised him that he would bring him home again.

II

Home, his love was finally home and Sasuke wasted no time in showing his gratitude as he worshiped his husband's body.

A curtain of golden silk brushed the sides of his face as the beautiful man moving over him collapsed against his chest, sobbing softly into his ear as Sasuke's powerful thrusts surged into his body, touching him deeply as the friction caused by his heaving body sensually rubbed his heated arousal against their taunt stomachs.

Strong fingers grasped the hair at his nape jerking Naruto's panting mouth to Sasuke's where he was devoured with each shaking breath. He grabbed at Sasuke's shoulders, whining and begging for what the bastard was not ready for him to have just yet—the long, slow, powerful stokes into his rectum, the constant hits to his prostrate along with the rubbing of his arousal all were leading towards his bliss! Oh, if only Sasuke would touch him! Naruto really wanted him to touch him least he go mad from this pleasure.

Last night after reaching the village, Sasuke left his husband in the ANBU medical wing before going to prepare his report. While he was away, Anko was summoned to debrief Naruto before turning him over to medical team who gave him a clean bill of health. Naruto came home to find his family in bed, a small supper waiting for him in the kitchen, and gifts from his children who were excited to see their mother again.

The next morning, Naruto awoke to the feeling of hands moving all over his body, a hot, persistent mouth left a rapidly trail of open mouth kisses from his neck down his torso as those greedy hands pushed open his sleeping robes. Jet silk slid over his torso and slipped through his grasping fingers as the man above him devoured his burning desire. Naruto nearly came off the bed when his manhood was engulfed in that talented mouth of his husband.

God, it had been too long since he had been touched like this. There had been far too many lonely nights when there had only been heated memories of wild, passionate embraces to see him through the worst of coldest night when his heart ached for the comfort of another in his bed.

Had he been a weaker man, Naruto would have given in to the temptation to seek comfort in another, except his husband had long ruined him for others. No one could touch him the way his lover could, no one could make him so wanton in his desire that he would forget himself in his need to please and to be pleased by this man. His body shook and trembled pathetically in his husband embrace as frantic tears streamed down his face when his lover finally moved to complete them.

It was heaven. It was hell. Their bed was wreaked from their spent passion. The bed clothes had been pushed to the floor, the fitted sheet was torn away from the corners of the mattress by clawing hands and the lovers harsh rutting.

Naruto was sobbing now, harsh, gasping breaths pouring out his lips as his bliss ran high. Sasuke's pleasured grunts were muffled against Naruto's neck. It was all either could to remain quiet in the predawn hours with their boys still asleep.

A sharp cry tore from Naruto's lips as he released his passion between their jerking bodies. Sasuke groaned at feeling of his erection being squeezed in that warm, tight vise but he did not come. He forced his body to stop moving as he willed his blood to cool off. He wanted this to last longer.

After several quiet moments with Naruto breathing heavily in his ear, Sasuke resumed his task to find his own release. Naruto's hands left the torn sheets to hold on to the man that was dragging him back up that hill.

Some where in between the grunting and sobbing, Naruto found himself sitting up with his legs locked around his husband's waist and his arms clinging tightly to Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke's long hair stuck to their sweat slick bodies, Naruto's hair clung to his face and the back of his neck and shoulders. He was lost, utterly and completely lost. Naruto raised his face from where it was buried in Sasuke's shoulder, to look down at the man who was both his anchor and his destroyer, before he clamped his mouth of Sasuke's, sealing their cries as they were fully connected as one body, grasping desperately to each other in their quest to find bliss in the other's skin.

Naruto awoke again in the late afternoon. He was camped out on one of the comfortable plush sofas in the family room with an open book lying on his chest. His eyes snapped open to the patterning sound of little feet running through the halls. There were plenty of giggling that accompanied the heavily little slaps against the hardwood. Naruto did not move from his position except to remove his book before quickly settling back down with his eyes at half-mast, watching for the young terrors to make their appearance.

He did not have to wait long, Miki and Itachi came tumbling into the room with Dai and all three were giggling in delight at whatever mischief they had created. Dai bent down and tried to pick up Itachi but stopped when he noticed that the two toddlers were staring at something on one of the sofas.

Dai look up, blinked twice before letting out a happy cry as he took a running leap onto Naruto chest.

"Kaa-san," the boy shrieked merrily when he caught expectedly in the air. Naruto laughed as he crushed the laughing child to his chest. He leaned down to nuzzle the boy's soft curls before pressing a kiss to his crown.

Happy giggles poured from the little boy as he basked in the affection that was being showered upon him. Naruto snuggled the boy for another moment before turning his attention the two small dark-haired little boys standing at the room's entrance and he smiled gently.

Yuudai, happy and content on Naruto's pillow, looked at his little brothers and waved them over. "Itachi, Miki, Kaa-san is home. Give him a hug." He cried merrily.

Instead of coming forward, the twins stepped back. Miki grasped Itachi's hand, and Itachi stuck his thumb in his mouth and was staring up at Naruto with curious, yet fearful eyes. Not that he could blame them of course, he had been gone during one of the most important years of his toddlers lives, the twins did not know he was their other parent. He looked different from them and Sasuke, he was even different from the man in the photographs that were in the house. Naruto was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger to them.

He admitted to himself that it was going to take sometime before the twins and Hiro (dear God, what happened to Shiro-chan?) become used to him again and see him as their Kaa-san. And it wasn't as if he would not have the time to devout to his children. His darling Baa-chan had given him an extend holiday, three months to rest up and recuperate before he would be allowed to take on his next assignment.

Still there was no time like the present to get to know his children again. With that though, Naruto smiled brightly at the two little boys (he did not miss the sudden look of mistrust that appeared their dark eyes) and introduced himself, "Hello, boys, I'm Naruto. What are your names?"

Miki looked from Naruto to Yuudai then back before he let out a terrified scream of "Dada!"

Naruto could only wince as the child continued to scream and his brother burst into tears. Beside him, still giggling like mad, Dai was rolling around on the couch like a little monkey and to make things worst, Sasuke came running into the room looking flustered and panicked thinking the worst had happened. Through it all, Naruto stared on helplessly and somewhat bemused.

Man, forget what he said earlier, Naruto was ready for his vacation to be over right now.

III

Three months had seen a many changes in Uchiha family lives since Naruto's return.

After a month and a half of ambushing his babies, Naruto was jerked out of his sleep beside his demon of a husband by a cry of 'Kaa-san' in the middle of the night. Hurrying to the nursery, Naruto was greeted by sight of awake Itachi who had tears streaming down his little face.

A bad dream had woken up the little one and he was in desperate need of comfort. They fell asleep in the rocking chair in the far corner of the nursery, bundled in a soft, but warm blanket Naruto kept in there just for that purpose.

From there it almost as if he'd never left. All the boys are calling for him, dog piling him, and coming to him for comfort or just a random hug.

The I—Ramen is seeing it's favorite customer plus eight more often than not despite Sasuke's growls. Nor was any public park safe from the terror of Naruto with his boys. But that was the way it was meant to be in their family, happiness, laughter, warmth, and unconditional love. They were finally a family again.

Also during that time saw the marriage of Haruno Sakura to Iwa Hiroshi.

As promised, Naruto was singing at the reception. It was late into the night and most of the elder set had left long ago along with those that had to return home to their children. Sasuke and Naruto had footed the bill for the ballroom and their personal interior designer had outfitted the place to look like an elegant old palace.

Naruto stood on stage in his formal dark robe, his hat long gone, leaving his brushed down close-cropped hair shimming in the candle light. He was trying to sing a traditional love song much to the horror of those still in attendance.

"He is so bad that it is funny," Sakura whispered from her place behind Sasuke.

They were the only ones still seated at the main table. It was littered with empty bottles of wine and sake and food. Hiroshi is dancing with his sister, or at least they are trying to dance, but each time Naruto hit a sour note, the speakers squeak thus causing everyone to cringe.

Sakura has her arms draped lazily over Sasuke's neck with her chin resting on his right shoulder. She was a little tipsy, he was not because he would be damned if he gave his husband an excuse to start drinking. No matter what people though, a drunk husband was not an attractive one never mind one with a hangover.

Finally, the song came to a blessed end and the shinigami laid it to rest, Naruto came bouncing from the stage over to them with a proud smile on his face. Without a word, Sasuke held out a glass to his husband, Naruto down with relish.

"Man, singing is thirst work," he cried breathlessly. He dropped down in a chair next to Sasuke and propped his feet on his lap. "Is there anymore of that chicken left?"

"Maa, Naruto, why did you have go ruining our song?" Sakura pouted. "Now whenever I hear it, I am going to think of alley cats and chalkboards."

Naruto grinned at her as he took the plate Sasuke offered him. "That was the point." He sniggered, "It's our song: Mine, yours, and the bastard's. It is to remind us of our youth and adventures, not for you to get your freak on with your husband."

"We sang that god-awful song in an attempt to steal Kakashi's mask." Sasuke deadpanned.

Both Naruto and Sakura burst out laughing then. The wild stuff they had done as children when they let Naruto talk them into it was embarrassing and hilarious to reminiscence about now, but when they were kids, it was just fun.

They settled into a companionable silence. Naruto had moved on to the delicate nori rolls while Sasuke and Sakura watched people dance. Hiroshi joined them briefly before being pulled away by his friends for another silly game. The photographer came by to snap their photo before moving packing up for the evening. Kakashi and Kurenai joined them before wishing them a fond goodnight before leaving.

All-in-all Sakura's wedding was a smashing success. There had been a few hiccups such as Rock Lee crashing into the temple trying to stop the ceremony and the reception. Ino had been cruel and disparaging in her barely concealed envy and later she was escorted out of the hall after harassing Sasuke and Naruto.

Neji had made an appearance but left soon after the first toast to return to his children. Before he left, though, he sought a private audience with the new couple and presented them with the deed of a house purchased in the Uchiha District. When they tried to protest, Neji told them that it was only a small bit of gratitude he offer the woman that returned his children to him.

Shikamaru and Temari left hours later along with Choji and his wife. Kiba, who had been on eggshells around the Uchihas since Hinata's mental breakdown, offered a quiet congratulations to the new couple before going home. The list of others was long and heartfelt. The Hokage stood proud as any mother throughout the ceremony and her speech at the reception dinner was warm and heart breaking.

Iruka had danced with the bride and was cajoled into take as many photographs with Naruto as possible. His wife, a lovely, quiet woman stood with all the other wives offering Sakura all-sorts of advice that had the younger woman's face stained red for hours.

Naruto dance with every lady in the room, even Tsunade who was as stoic as they came could not help but be charmed by the mischievous imp and took a twirl around the dance floor.

The night ended with two couples standing at a small fork in the road. Sakura and Hiroshi would be leaving for their month long honeymoon in the morning, Sasuke was leaving for a two-week mission the following day and Naruto would begin his first day as Jounin Instructor to a new batch of Genin a few days after that.

Tears gathered in Sakura's eyes as she bade her former teammates good-bye for the last time that night. Naruto chuckled merrily as he caught her up in a bear hug and spun her just a bit. Hiroshi and Sasuke shook hands and then turn to task of pulling their spouses apart.

Sakura was the only woman Naruto had ever loved. She was his first love, his third kiss (on the cheek) and his dearest friend. He was happy for her, really he was. There were so many things that could have torn them apart to make them the worst of enemies, but somehow they, the three of them, had beaten the odds and here they were.

Tenderly, lovingly, Naruto cupped Sakura's face between his palms and stared deep her eyes. Once upon a time Naruto would have done anything for this woman. For her affection, he would have fought a thousand battles, to stop her tears he would have braved any danger, to make her smile he would sacrificed his pride. Once he could have done anything just claim her as his own. A slow, sweet smile graced Naruto's lips as he bent forward to press a kiss to Sakura's brow. Her small, callous hands reached up and grabbed his wrists. She trembled slightly, from the cold or suppressed tears, Naruto didn't know.

She understood what he was doing and she had a half a mind to tell him to stop that things were not going to change, that she would still be his best friend, his sister—that she was still Haruno…

A breathless chuckle tore way from her trembling lips. She raised her face to his and with a quick push up on her toes, Sakura pressed a chaste kiss to Naruto's grinning lips before pulling away to stand with her new husband.

"You are still the Number One Surprising Ninja, Uzumaki Naruto." She laughed merrily. Oh, how she loved him.

"Good-night, Sakura-chan," Naruto held his hand to Hiroshi. "Welcome to the family, Hiroshi."

The other man, who was tall, slender and bookish, returned Naruto's cheerful smile with one of his own. "Goodnight, gentlemen. See you in a month."

"Hey, hey, Sakura-chan, don't forget that we are having dinner at your house when you get back. So don't get knocked up, yeah?"

Sasuke was certain that only reason Sakura fell to capture Naruto was because of how tight her wedding kimono was around her legs and her sandals. That she almost had him too but her legs got tangled in her under robes and in the next second she was falling and would have fallen on her face had Hiroshi not caught her around the waist.

After round of good-byes, the contented Uchihas started towards their own home. Naruto never found his ceremonial hat, his hamaka laces were undone, his sandals were in his left hand and Sasuke was at his side. Everything was right in his world.

Their own wedding had not been that spectacular or lavish. It had been him, Sasuke, and Akihiko with the owners of a small inn in Rice Country. They were married with innkeeper and his staff as witnesses.

Neither had wanted a large or formal wedding with all it's pomp or ceremony. They had wanted something that was quite and simple and very informal.

The smile on his face drew Sasuke's attention to him. Slowly reaching out, Sasuke took Naruto's left right hand and entwined their fingers.

"What are you thinking about, Dope?" He asked quietly.

Naruto gave their hands a slight tug before bringing them to his lips to kiss the back of his husband's hand. "Us and how cheap you are."

Sasuke let out a short bark of laughter. Naruto's smile turned into a grin that promised nothing but trouble for the rest of walk.

"So you are saying that you are not happy with something that I have done in past, love?"

Naruto snorted, "Of course not. You have been the soul of generosity. I am very happy with you, Bastard."

The merry twinkle in his blue eyes told him that the game was afoot and Sasuke was more than eager to play. "So what displeases you about my "character"?

"Do you remember our wedding feast, Sasuke?"

This time a gaming grin pulled on Sasuke's lips. "I recall our wedding night rather well."

"Hentai."

"If you wish."

Naruto laughed, "What the hell are you going on about? I am talking about our lack of a proper wedding feast."

His husband's response to that inanity was a chortle. Naruto tried to glare at him, but honestly, he couldn't believe that he had said it either. It was the kind of complaint a woman (or an effermant gay man) would make and as far as Naruto was concerned, he wasn't anywhere close to being an effermant anything.

"Flaming—"

Naruto quickly turned on Sasuke ready to throttle him he finished that…

Sasuke did not even try to hide his smirk. "…queer"

He was livid. "You're dead, Uchiha." Naruto growled, "You're fucking dead when I get you home."

"Of course, dear."

Naruto would have shrieked but that would just be giving the bastard more ammunition, so he contented himself to punishing Sasuke when he got him home.

IV

Two days later found Naruto in the Shinobi Academy with Iruka. Naruto was introduced to his team that morning and now getting Iruka's perspective of them since he had spent the last three years as their instructor. Naruto had given his team the specifics for their first team exercise for the following morning along with the ominous warning of not to eat the next morning. He was going to administer the now infamous Bell Test to his lucky students. Kakashi had laughed uproariously when Naruto had told him, while Kurenai and Akihiko stared at the masked man worriedly before he explained the survival test to them leaving them to wonder about the man's sanity. Naturally Kakashi defended himself by pointing out that the Third Hokage had developed the test and that both Jiraya and the Fourth had administered it to their Genin and apparently their (and Kakashi's) students had survived and they turned out fine, (he ignored his wife's not so sublet cough of 'Orochimaru') and he went on to praise the method. Kurenai did not roll her eyes at her husband; she just picked up the tea tray from the center of the middle of the coffee table and went to the kitchen.

She called out to Naruto asking if he and Akihiko would be staying for supper, she was serving roasted fish and steamed cabbage rolls. Naruto politely declined, he had to get home to his boys, plus he had a early day in the morning but he gave Akihiko permission to stay and at Isoka's bequest (his rather obnoxious begging), Naruto said that Akihiko could stay the night as well and go fishing with Kakashi and Isoka much to both of the boys delight. As he walked out of his uncle's home, Naruto heard Kurenai ordering Kakashi to go bathe because he smelt like sweat and wet dog and she did not want that scent in her dining room.

Naruto returned to his own form of chaos that included a review of his sons' lessons and pouring the stack of documents Sasuke had left for him to review.

The Daimyo was ill, and due to strange sickness that ravaged his clan, he was without an heir, officially.

As he read his children their bedtime story, Naruto's mind drifted over to the document hidden in his husband's desk. The seals and bulls on the thing could not be faked, nor was Tsunade's warning to him.

The older members of the Council still did not trust Sasuke, and that included Tsunade, yet she, unlike the other members of the of Council, had a personal stake in the Uchiha household. She officially adopted Naruto, making him her heir and accepting his children as her family. They were her family; she did not include Sasuke.

That left Naruto reading over Tsunade's missive to him with cold eye and disaffected heart. Naturally, Sasuke did not open it, although he was quiet aware of the Hokage's notes to his spouse as well as the feeling of those Council members he had failed to win over, purchase outright, or kill without raising suspicious. He knew that Naruto was pretending to be their agent, their bribe of course being the title of Lord Hokage.

Naruto tossed aside Tsunade's missive and turned his attention to his household accounts and his social calendar. He would abate Tsunade's fears in the morning, while giving her just enough bait so she would not suspect him of double-crossing her, after all he still needed the information she provided him about the elders' movements and her plans to neutralize Sasuke if she ever felt that he had become too great of a threat.

It was too late in the evening for him to be fretting about the petty machinations of Konohagakure's political elites when he to deal with little, yet important details of his family's daily life. He met with the housekeeper, the steward, the head gardener, and the head chef. Accounts needed to be settled, new linens were to be ordered since Sam was moving into his own bedroom, Sasuke wanted to extend the children's outdoor play area, and a space was needed for Rai's birthday celebration. Their social director was scheduled to stop by the following evening. In addition, there was Uchihas annual spring ball that needed to planned. It was the social event of the year and this year would extra special since they would formally be introducing their heir to social elite of the Fire Country.

Naruto wished his staff a goodnight and then set about signing receipts and signing off on purchases, before going to bed.

The next morning, Naruto was racing through Team Seven's training ground with a merry smile on his face as the two little Genin tried to trap him in the trees. With a quick turn, Naruto managed to dart behind the boy and girl to go back to pick off the loud mouth little boy who refused to work with his teammates.

It took the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon, but Naruto's first training exercise with his group of Genin did ended on high note. The little brats learned towards end to work together—and all three managed to get tied to the post. They even stuck up for each other to the end when Naruto threatened to sending all back to the Academy.

Feeling proud of his little band of rugrats, Naruto decided to treat his team to a late lunch at Ichiraku Ramen as he gave them their training schedule for the following week, barring all assigned D-Rank missions. Once his Genin were fed, Naruto sent them on their way and he went home to deal his excited brood with Ichiraku take out and red bean ice cream.

He was roughing housing with boys in the garden; Isoka had come over for dinner so it was a packed night. That evening, Naruto lay in bed with his boys as they watched a movie and Rai happily telling him everything he wanted for his party. He wanted a small circus that Sasuke would most likely scoff, but he would still write the damned checks despite what Naruto thought because the bastard spoilt the children horribly when it came to holidays and their birthdays. Naruto promised that he and Otosan would talk about it. Knowing that promise as good as a yes, the little boy settled down with his Kaa-san, and they both finished watching the kid friendly film before everyone fell asleep.


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