To the Past We Go

Nocturnal

Naruto sat up from the couch he was sleeping on and glared at another sleepless night. Between him grieving for Hinata and the two little monsters that slept in the other room, he had gotten little to no sleep in the week that he had been able to take his children home. He looked at urn that held Hinata's ashes and sighed. "I really wish you were here. I don't know how to do this. I can't do this alone. It's two against one and I don't know what they want. I'm not sure you'd know either, but we could've figured this out together."

   Naruto got up from the couch and put the blanket and pillow he was using back in the cabinet with the other extra pillows and blankets. Usually he'd leave them there so that he didn't have to keep putting it up and them back out again, but his parents were coming over that day and he didn't want to receive the pity looks he'd get once they realize he's sleeping on the couch because the bed he shared with Hinata was too big and lonely without her.

Naruto made his way to the room Boruto and Himawari were in. They were both sound asleep and as healthy as could be, even Boruto. Naruto sighed with relief. He was always worried about the two. He would often get so worried and scared that he would just sit down in the rocking chair and watch them to make sure they were both breathing properly. It would happen maybe a little too often, but it would help him calm down.

   Naruto answered the knock at the door to see his parents. He smiled warmly at them as he stepped aside so that they could enter.

   "Are you guys sure you're ok with this? I don't want to burden you guys with this." Naruto looked at his parents with concern.

"Naruto, we've got this. They're our grandchildren and we want to do this. And you need us to do this." Minato assured.

"I don't-" Naruto began.

"You look like death." Kushina added.

"Now go to our house and sleep, eat, take a shower, just take the day off and care for yourself." Minato ordered.

"Alright, but, just so you know, they're nocturnal. So get ready to look like this." Naruto motioned at his face. "I've looked like this since day one."

"Ok, now go! Out! Turn yourself into a human again." Kushina practically kicked Naruto out of his own house.

   "Alright, alright, I'm going." Naruto laughed and waved as he walked away. "Thanks."

Shortly after Naruto left, the twins started crying. It was as if they could sense their father leaving them in their sleep.

"That's our cue." Kushina walked towards the babies room and picked up Boruto while Minato picked up Himawari.

   They fed them, the crying continued. They patted their back and softly bounced up and down, the crying continued. They changed their diapers, the crying continued. The played peekaboo, the crying continued. They rocked their cribs back and forth, the crying continued. They did everything they could think of, yet the crying continued.

   It wasn't until 30 minutes later, that Minato remembered when they first saw the twins. "Maybe they want each other."

"Worth a shot." Kushina silently prayed that it worked as she place Himawari in Boruto's crib. Much to her and Minato's relief, the crying ceased.

———

Naruto had been inside the Namikaze household only once before. Back at the academy, his class had a field trip to see where the great Fourth Hokage and his wife had lived. They weren't allowed to go inside, but a few kids had told him they would be his friend if he could sneak inside and bring back an item for each of them.