17 Chapter Seventeen: Kushina II
[A/N: Note that Naruto is almost 2 years old at this point while Shikamaru is 2 years and a few months old. So read their dialogues in a baby tone making skewers of the words, but for reading comfort I will write their dialogues in full but still in a childish way, meaning grammar be damned xD. Also Kushina will add chan as the suffix to all the kids, it's mainly to go with her personality.]
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August 30th, Year 67, Namikaze residence. (Almost a year after the Death of Danzo)
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"Shika, can Nii-cham play with us?" Naruto-chan's voice echoed through the kitchen as he called out to little Shikamaru-chan, who had come over to play. Meanwhile, I was also there, preparing lunch for the two toddlers and their lazy older brother.
"No, Naruto, Nii-san is napping. Nii-san said naps are important," came Shikamaru-chan's almost mature reply. It was adorable how he tried to mimic his big brother.
I was delighted to see how well Shikamaru-chan was becoming a good playmate for Naruto-chan. Perhaps they could forge a strong friendship akin to that of brothers. Lost in my thoughts about their future, I kept an ear out, curious about their conversation.
"What is impotant mean?" Naruto-chan asked, his innocence evident. It almost made me burst out laughing, but I managed to stifle it while lowering the heat on the stove.
Shikamaru-chan seemed to ponder for a moment before responding to Naruto-chan. "Important means something good for you," he explained, nodding to himself.
Did I mention how incredibly cute they were? Well, THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY ADORABLEEE!
Naruto-chan, being just 22 months old, still couldn't grasp the meaning fully. However, instead of getting frustrated, Shikamaru-chan did his best to find a way to make Naruto-chan understand. His eyes wandered around the room until he spotted me cooking ramen, and a look of understanding dawned on his face.
With a serious expression, he turned to Naruto-chan and said, "Napping is Nii-san's ramen." He spoke with conviction.
I could barely contain my laughter at Shikamaru-chan's cleverness. Well, with his brother being Kuro-chan and his father being Shikaku, it was no surprise that he turned out to be smart.
"Ohhhhh!" Naruto-chan finally grasped the connection, his eyes sparkling. He nodded vigorously and exclaimed, "So, nap is Nii-cham's ramen? So, ramen mean impotant?"
To this, Shikamaru-chan nodded solemnly, confirming Naruto-chan's understanding.
The boys returned to their coloring books while I finished preparing the dish and brought it to the table where they were seated. Curious about their drawings, I observed them closely.
Naruto-chan, being the energetic baby he was, attempted to draw a ball that Minato had given him a few days ago. On the other hand, Shikamaru-chan embraced his Nara lineage and sketched three clouds. As I watched him, I couldn't help but chuckle, recalling what Minato had shared about Kuro-chan's first day at school.
Apparently, the little rascal boldly proclaimed that his dream was to become a cloud. That was my boy! —a mischievous prankster in the making.
Naruto and Shikamaru noticed my presence and turned to me. I gave them both a gentle hug and a kiss on their foreheads before saying, "Can you please wake up your big brother, boys? He needs to eat too, dattabane." However, I froze at the end of my sentence, realizing that my verbal tic had resurfaced once again.
"Okay, Mama! Come on, Shika, let's go wake up Nii-cham for ramen!" Naruto-chan exclaimed with excitement. He hopped off his chair and onto the floor, dashing off to find Kuro-chan, and Shikamaru followed suit.
I watched their departure in silence, sweat dropping at my slip-up.
Rats! I had been trying so hard to lose that verbal tick. Damn it! That was already the fifth "dattabane" of the day... booo...
|| Stupid human! As if you could ever change that irritating habit of yours… Tsk, I still can't believe you let your kit anywhere near that monster. Thought you would have learned by now… Stupid human. || Mr. Grumpy Tails spoke from my mindscape, his disdain evident.
Inside, I sneered at him mockingly. "Aww, is the almighty powerful Bijuu still afraid of an eight-year-old boy?" I teased the big furball, knowing it had been complaining about Kuro-chan for ages.
|| Tsk... Stupid human. One day, you'll understand... the horror you brought into this world... Don't come to me for help when that day comes. Now, don't disturb me. I'm going back to my nap. || The Kyuubi concluded with a threat of impending doom before retreating into slumber, as it always did.
Amusingly, I couldn't help but find it funny to compare Kuro-chan and Kyuubi, as both of them cherished their naps almost as much as each other.
The thought brought a snicker to my lips, just as an excited Naruto-chan attempted his best to explain to Kuro-chan why his naps were impotent-*Chuckle* I mean important.
Suppressing another laugh, I watched as Kuro entered the kitchen with two toddlers clinging to his back, muttering, "Troublesome babies..." all the way while the toddlers laughed and giggled as they found hanging on their big brother's clothes a fun game.
I chuckled and instructed Kuro-chan to wash his face before eating. He complied, albeit with some grumbling. The toddlers followed suit, washing their hands at the sink.
We then enjoyed a pleasant meal, where the two toddlers bombarded Kuro-chan with questions. Kuro grumbled with each bite but answered each question with care, ensuring the boys understood the topics thoroughly.
Witnessing their interaction warmed my heart. The little boy I had seen grow up before my eyes, whom I had treated as my own son, was now behaving like a responsible big brother.
They really grow up fast… Don't they?
After the meal, Kuro-chan played with the two toddlers before getting them settled for their afternoon nap. Which Kuro-chan was very adamant about being super important for the toddler's growth. Not that we objected, but we all knew that he was simply trying to normalize napping through the babies.
And just as Kuro was about to take a nap himself, I stopped him.
"Just a minute, Kuro-chan. I have something for you," I said, smiling.
Kuro-chan regarded me suspiciously. "Don't tell me you've developed another one of those useless seals... What does this one do? No, don't tell me... Let me guess... Hmm. It automatically sucks up trash and sends it somewhere else randomly? Wait, it changes diapers automatically, complete with automatic wipes and powder for the baby's bottom? Actually, that could be really useful. Please tell me you've made that!"
Feeling a bit embarrassed by his nonsense, I bonked his head to hide my embarrassment and snapped, "Shut up, brat! Do you think I use Fuinjutsu for these trivial things?" Although I secretly thought that an automatic diaper-changing seal sounded like a worthwhile seal to invest some time in.
"Aww... so no automatic diaper changer 3000? Bummer…
And you really need to stop hitting me so much, Aunt Kushina... I know my IQ is sky-high, so a few hits won't bring it down too much. But still, you should learn some self-control," he grumbled while rubbing his head.
I almost felt the urge to hit him again, but remembering what day it was, I decided to let him off the hook... for now.
"Hmph! Just sit here and wait. I'll be right back," I replied, heading into the room to fetch the presents I had prepared for Kuro-chan.
Ensuring everything was in order, I returned with a smile to find Kuro-chan lazily keeping an eye on the sleeping toddlers. It was heartwarming to see him taking his responsibility as an older brother seriously, even if he didn't show it often enough.
I smiled and called out to Kuro-chan, "Kuro-chan, come here. I have something for you." He looked at me curiously, then sauntered over, laziness evident in his movements. His eyes fell upon the items in my hand, and he seemed genuinely surprised.
"Is that... a sword?" he asked, his tone filled with astonishment.
"Well, actually, it's a Wakizashi, it's a gift from me and your Uncle Minato." I clarified.
He nodded and took the blade, examining its edge and the intricately detailed scabbard. "This is beautiful... but what's it for?" he asked, gratitude shining in his gaze.
I chuckled at his clueless expression and reminded him, "Huh! You must be the only kid who doesn't remember his own birthday!"
Realization dawned on him, and he let out a sigh. "Sigh... it's that troublesome day again. So, I guess Mother told you to keep me occupied the whole day so she can throw another party?"
"You got it!" I gave him a thumbs-up for guessing correctly. Well, being too smart has its downsides. He won't even get to enjoy the surprise.
"Such troublesome women..." he muttered.
I bonked him on the head again and asked, my smile sweet but not reaching my eyes, "Did you say something, Kuro-chan?"
He quickly shook his head, trying to avoid another hit, and grumbled in a low voice.
Amused by his antics, I presented him with the second part of the gift—a stack of books on Kenjutsu.
He looked at me inquisitively, and I decided to answer him straightforwardly. "Remember when I told you that I would teach you my personal style of Kenjutsu?"
He nodded and replied, annoyance evident in his tone, "Yeah, you told me three years ago that I was too short to learn Kenjutsu, and you would teach me once I became a Genin or turned thirteen, whichever came first."
I couldn't help but laugh at his response. "As smart and lazy as you are, I doubt you wouldn't intentionally fail your classes just to delay active duty until the last possible moment."
Caught red-handed, he grumbled, "I'm not that bad... I was just planning on failing twice... It's not too much... Right?... What a drag..."
Ignoring his grumbling, I continued, "Well, you've surprisingly grown tall for your age, and your physical condition is more than adequate. So, I've decided to start teaching you now. There's no point in waiting for another three to four years when you're perfectly capable of wielding that Wakizashi already," I said, observing the boy who had already reached the height of a preteen.
He nodded in agreement, and we discussed a timetable for his training under me. After our discussion, I made some chai tea for Kuro-chan, knowing how much he enjoyed it.
We then talked about everyday life, mainly about his school, the new friends he had made, and playfully teased him about his little 'girlfriend'.
It was immensely entertaining to watch Kuro-chan give me the most annoyed glare and grumble "troublesome" until I could no longer contain my laughter.
Eventually, I shifted the conversation to a more serious tone and asked, "So, she has been a Genin for over a year now, huh? Don't you want to graduate early and keep up with her?"
Kuro looked down at his tea and shook his head, showing a mature response. "No, it's fine. She has her own path, and I have mine. We're best friends, and we don't need to spend every second together to maintain our friendship. Besides, we still spend a lot of time together."
I smiled at his mature outlook. After all, he was Kuro-chan.
But.
"You know, you don't have to pretend with me. You can go meet Izuna-chan before your party starts. She should be done with her training for the day," I said mischievously, a playful smile on my face.
He gave me another annoyed look, glancing at the toddlers, and asked, "Will you be okay with them?"
I laughed, "I can take care of those two easily. I'll get them ready and bring them straight to the party. You can rest assured."
He sighed and walked towards the boys, giving each of them a tender kiss on their forehead. "See you guys soon," he said with a smile before heading towards the door.
I smiled at the heartwarming scene.
As he opened the door, I could swear I heard him say, "Thanks for all the love and support, Aunt Kushina…"
Well...
Kuro-chan was truly a sweet child, wasn't he?
I smiled happily and savored my tea, watching the two little angels sleep peacefully. Hopefully, they would grow up to be as dependable as their big brother.
Inside my mindscape, I could sense the Kyuubi snorting but not contradicting me. I could only hear a soft voice whisper,
||Maybe... maybe...||
…
…
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Well we all know that kuro is a softie. But damn, aren't the brats lucky?
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