Konoha's New Number One....Baby?!

Can't

It's four in the morning and no matter what position he turns to he can't seem to sleep. His head is full. His eyes are open.

He wants to go see the twins.

It's been so long. Too long.

Naruto kisses Keyori before lacing up his shoes and slipping out the front door- the eyes of Tsuchikana watching him leave.

Outside is balmy. All cool breezes and light mosquito buzzing. He likes it. The peaceful quiet.

A beige front door looms in front of him before he even registers it, nodding absently to the hidden Anbu guarding the door.

Inside is warmer, more so than outside, and Naruto walks down the corridors softly. Taking in the muffled sound of voices. Listening to the sound of pages turning.

The door to the right is open and so he peeks in. Watching.

Shizunda is by the window, page by page turning in his hands, reading the book with warm words, eyes trailing slowly across each sentence.

His back is toward him but the intended audience is clear. Samehara lays upon her stomach by the door. Idly tracing patterns into the carpet.

The scene warms some place within Naruto. Makes him see something he hasn't seen in a while. A childish innocence not ruined by war. By bloodshed and abuse.

But then again, they have seen things that the average child would never have had to, couldn't have had to.

"Naruto-San?"

A smile. "I am here."

"How long?"

"Not very."

Samehara sits up and Shizunda closes his book and turns to the door with wide eyes and a even wider grin.

"What are you doing here?" Shizunda says, coming to sit next to Samehara on the floor. "Shouldn't you be busy as the interim Hokage?"

"I should," Naruto agrees. "But I won't be the actual Hokage until the winter of next year comes. Don't worry about me, how have you been, is the house to your liking?"

Samehara pats the floor nexts to her and tilts her head left to right. "It's great. But," and there's that word she likes. "It's too quiet here, none of the anbu will talk to us except for the one that smells like apples-"

"-Bear-san, Samehara."

"And even then he lets us do most of the talking. When are we allowed to go outside? It's been forever since I felt the sun."

"I know," and he does. He knows all to well. "There are too many unknown variables right now. Too many to know how exactly we can play our cards. Y'all aren't safe, and no," he pinches their legs. "It's not just you, it's everyone as well, children, adults, shinobi, kunoichi, the Hokage, me. The war is affecting all of us, it may not be right now, but it will and I can't guarantee your safety."

A sour look crosses over Shizunda's face. "Like how you guaranteed our safety before?"

Naruto breath hitches in chest and he gets this look on his face that makes the boy regret opening his big, fat mouth in the first place. It doesn't belong there, that look, not on anyone's face, but certainly not Naruto's.

"Naruto-san I didn't mean it-"

"It's okay Shizu." It's not, it's clearly not, but Naruto doesn't stop talking. "I didn't protect you as well as I should have, as well as I have been entrusted to by a well meaning friend. I did everything I could and I still failed to make sure that y'all were okay. It's never going to be the same and I know that but please, please know that I'm sorry, know that I'll do better to protect and watch over the both of you because like it or not y'all are important to me and I hate to see y'all hurt."

There is silence after that, thin and dead, wrapping them into stillness. Shizunda didn't know what to say after that, Samehara however, did.

The girl scooted closer and puts her head on Naruto's arm with a sweet slowness, unhurried.

"We know what's happening out there, we do, and what we also know is that there is a certain ball of sunshine and laughs that's going to fix it, make it better, make it so that the next generation can live in peace, make it so that they won't understand the meaning of war and suffering, of hurt and pain. That person will not be invincible, nor will that person solve every problem, but that person will do their best, as they always do," Samehara is looking up at him, bandages still wrapped around her head. "Because that's their ninja way."

His hands are shaking by now and his eyes are awash in emotions. Samehara did a good job. Shizunda was proud. The boy leaned his head onto Naruto's other shoulder with nary a word, holding onto his shirt and just listening.

"I...I won't fail you, either of you, because that's my ninja way."
____________________________________

The quiet dawn is approaching. Breaking over the horizon with colors of beauty.

Feeble and weak the rays of morning filter in through a window, lighting the carpet in a swirl of warm caramel.

Up and up it sweeps, coasting over a crib of light blue and a bed of brown and mint green.

The bed is empty. The covers fitted around the mattress as if not being touched in ages.

When Keyori wakes up it is not to the face of Tsuchikana. It is of the face of Anbu. 

The man is gone, and so, as the dawn approaches, quiet and beautiful, the weak and feeble morning rays filter onto an empty bed with an even emptier crib.

Merry Christmas -or Christmas Eve- to everyone!!!!

I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to publish and I can only ask for forgiveness. I have a nasty habit of procrastinating and apologize for the wait.

Thank you to everyone for always reading my story and just know that y'all are awesome and I hope that y'all enjoy Christmas tomorrow.