A Sacrifice for Another

Chapter 21

The next day, Naruko awoke with a clear mind and was wide awake and well rested. She stretched her arms out and got up out of bed. She took a quick shower and went back into her room and changed into her usual olive green camisole with her blue jean short shorts. She split her hair into its usual pigtails. She made her bed, gathered her ninja tools and woke up Haku. She walked into the kitchen after that.

There, she found Neji and Christina already eating breakfast, and a half asleep Temari leaning over a bowl of cereal.

"Hey guys! Nice morning huh?" She said, getting the cereal and a bowl out of the cabinet for herself.

"Well, looks like someone slept well. You've never been a morning person Naruko-chan." Christina said.

Naruko decided to tease them once again. "Yeah, I had a great night's sleep. Though I bet you two were up all night having se-"

"Shhh! Haku!" Christina said quickly, pointing at the sleepy boy who was rubbing his eyes.

"Having what Kaa-san?" He asked, sitting down at the table, still rubbing his eyes.

"Nothing! Nothing! Don't worry about it Haku-kun!" She said, patting her son on the head, smiling nervously.

"Kaa-san, why do you always get so flustered when I ask about what you are teasing Auntie and Uncle about?" He asked.

"What! I don't get flustered, ttebayo!" Naruko said, nervously rubbing the back of her head.

"Naruko! This is the final threat! You keep making comments about me and Christina-hime like that, and I'll tell Haku exactly what you're talking about. Won't he get some interesting thoughts when he thinks about you and Kakashi dating now?" Neji said, a smirk on his face.

'Damn bastard! Why does he always figure out how to play me in just the right way to get what he wants! My precious Haku-kun is too young to find out! Especially with me and Kakashi dating now, and what if I decided to have more kids? God that would be awkward.' Naruko thought. Then she sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll stop with the jokes."

"Good." Neji said.

"I still want to know!" Haku whined.

"Haku-kun, you'll find out when your older, you can wait for that day, don't worry, mmkay?" Naruko said, sitting next to her son, setting down her own cereal bowl and another she had made for him.

"Okay Kaa-san." He said slightly sadly.

"Ne, Haku, are you gonna watch your Kaa-san and all of your Aunts and Uncles in the Chuunin Exams today?" Naruko asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah! Baa-chan said she would take me! I'm excited! Although, she'll probably be able to cheer louder for you than I can." Haku said.

"Yeah, I got my natural loudness from my Kaa-san." Naruko said.

"Haha! Oh, Kaa-san! One week, while you were gone, Baa-chan took me to the park, and I made a bunch of friends there!" Haku said.

"Really? Who did you meet?" Naruko asked.

"Oh oh! I met this nice girl named Ayame-chan! She's only a year older than me! And then, Itachi showed up! And I met his cousin, Shisui, he's the same age as me and Itachi! Oh, and I met this girl named Michiko-chan, and her twin sister, Mikoto-chan! And then, I met this other boy named Karura! And then we all played together! It was so much fun!" Haku said.

"I'm glad to see you made some more friends Haku-kun." She said, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Well, I think it's time we leave, don't want to have to race there and claim you were being chased by bulls, eh, Naruko-chan?" Gaara said, standing up. Everybody laughed at that, well, except for Haku, who didn't get it.