A Senju's Family

Chapter 9 🌟

Image above is of Shin Uchiha's hideout for visuals!

Warning: this chapter is over 28k+ so I hope you enjoy it!

Feel free to read in parts lmfao I'm so sorry for this much writing

••Third Person POV••

A weight off of his body, off of his head, a pressure lifted from his eyes. He felt a hindered times lighter than ever before and yet-

Why was it so hard to open his eyes now?

As Daisuke struggled with the thought he failed to notice the cold atmosphere he's been subjected to amidst his sudden consciousness.

"Daisuke."

His eyes snapped open, but when they did, he realized that he wasn't in the hospital room he expected to be in. No big soft blankets were covering his small frame, no anything!

Instead, he found himself on a beach?

At night? With the moon out?

He blinked up at the moon, both confused and entranced by the twinkling stars illuminating the dark skies.

What was going on?!

He then paused, wait, hadn't somebody called his name?

He whirled around, honestly a bit terrified at this point. Where the hell was his mom and what the hell was he doing on a beach instead of a hospital room?

To his utter bewilderment, a woman who looked like a carbon copy of his mother stood before him.

She was a bit shorter than his mom and had sleek bangs on her forehead whereas his mother's hair was parted down the middle.

Who on earth?-

"Daisuke, you don't know who I am, do you?" The woman smiled softly, bending to her knees to face him properly.

He shook his head, feeling both comforted and confused by her presence.

This woman who knew his name looked almost identical to his mom, the teeny tiny disparities between the two of them making it look like a game of spot the difference.

Of course, he knew that she was not his mom, but they must be related somehow right?

She seemed familiar to him, and it wasn't even because of her resemblance to Haru.

The woman before him reached out a hand and touched his cheek, holding it in her hand. Oddly enough he didn't flinch away or anything, feeling comforted by the warm gesture.

"My name is Luna, I'm your grandma!" She exclaimed with a small chuckle. Daisuke's eyes bulged out of his head at the news.

G-grandma?!

But his grandma's were gone! Both of them! His mom told him so!

However, he couldn't deny that the woman in front of him was the same woman he'd see in old pictures his mom would show him.

So it really was her?!

"Grandma?" Daisuke questioned with widened eyes, earning a slight nod from the Senju herself.

The word sounded foreign coming from his lips, as he never really had somebody to call "grandma" regularly.

"That's me! I'm your mom's mom!" She giggled at the thought, letting her free hand run through her ethereal pale hair.

Daisuke watched curiously as her long locks almost looked like they were glowing due to the moonlight bouncing off of it, just like his mom's hair would.

Daisuke tilted his head as he stared up at his self-proclaimed grandmother.

Hm, his mom's mom. That's so weird! For some reason, it didn't ever click that his mommy would have one herself!

"But you're so young! Shouldn't grandmas be old?" Daisuke innocently asked with a small sweatdrop.

Luna's eyes widened, and she threw her head back in laughter, amused by her grandson's words. Daisuke's jaw subtly dropped at the gesture since she somehow managed to look even more like Haru when she laughed.

Her laugh diminished into small giggles, and she shook her head as she turned back to look down at her grandson.

"Well, I am a little older than I look. I promise." She chuckled, letting her hand gently drop from Daisuke's face.

He frowned a bit, suddenly missing the warmth her hand provided him.

"You said your name was Luna, like Runa?" Daisuke mumbled curiously. She smiled at the question fondly and nodded.

"Just like Runa! Your big sister was named after me you know." She chuckled, letting her chin rest on her elbow.

"And you were named after your grandpa, it all worked out considering those eyes of yours." She mused, looking at him fondly.

Huh? Did he have the same eyes as his grandpa or something?

"Those eyes indeed, Yuudai will never let you live it down." A very deep voice claimed, spooking Daisuke in surprise.

Daisuke's eyes widened and he turned his head to the side, letting his jaw drop at the sight of the giant wolf stalking their way.

Now the wolf was honestly identical to Isamu, Daisuke realized this quickly.

However, there was a giant scar slashed across one of the wolf's eyes and an overall threatening aura that even Isamu couldn't compare to!

Daisuke, admittedly a little scared by the wolf's appearance, dashed into Luna's arms. To her surprise, he managed to find safety in her presence despite just meeting her.

He knew very well that this was his grandma, not only did he recognize her from pictures, but her chakra was very similar to his mom's as well. Therefore, she'd protect him!

Luna's gasped, arms automatically curling around her grandson who hugged her tightly and burrowed his face in the crook of her neck.

She then felt her own eyes start to well up with tears.

'Oh.my.god. I'm holding my grandbaby!' She internally squealed, emitting a cool attitude whilst literally dying from cuteness on the inside.

"Daisuke? It's alright honey, look it's my summoning wolf! He's a friend!" Luna gently expressed, letting Daisuke slowly greet the large wolf on his terms.

Daisuke perked up at this, summoning wolf? A friend?

He slowly twisted whilst still in Luna's embrace, shyly eyeing the giant predator who sat down across from them. "What's his name?"

"Isao, y'know he looked after your mommy when she was little. So he's a good wolf!" Daisuke's mouth formed into a little "o" as he nodded, blinking curiously at the large summoning creature.

"So he's like Isamu? Isamu looks after me all the time too." Daisuke asked shyly, tilting his head a bit. Isao couldn't help his reaction, letting his bright red eyes light up at the mention of his only son.

"So he's doing okay?" Isao gruffly asked, looking off to the side sheepishly when Luna giggled at his gruff exterior.

Daisuke nodded excitedly, becoming a bit more comfortable in his surroundings as his grip on Luna began to loosen.

"He's the best! He always hangs out with me!" Daisuke exclaimed, now comfortable enough to completely turn to Isao.

The wolf's expression softened as he got a proper look at Daisuke's face.

"So you're the brats youngest huh? Time flies." Isamu shakes his head, earning a light laugh from Luna.

"Right?! Oh my gosh I feel so old!" She squealed, leaning over and pinching Daisuke's cheeks.

Daisuke flushed a soft pink at all of his grandma's affections, shyly accepting all of the warmth she had to offer. Isao watched Luna coo over him with a small sweatdrop.

His master hadn't changed a single bit.

"Grandma so you took me to the beach? Like a surprise?" He wondered innocently, earning a small chuckle from the red-eyed woman.

"Not quite. This is a special place where we get to talk on our own while you're asleep! Isn't that cool?"

Well, that was the watered-down, nice way of putting it.

Luna could only ever go through with this process of connecting to her daughter and grandkids when they're in near-death situations, a perilous state of unconsciousness.

She did it a handful of times when Haru was younger, using every ounce of chakra she could muster to get a few seconds worth of time with her daughter.

And now it was time for her to do it with her grandson, Daisuke. He was still knocked out from his surgery and has yet to wake up. She had to warn him, and guide him in the safest direction possible!

She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't! Even in death!

"So you're visiting my dreams?" Daisuke asked curiously, now tilting his head and looking like a literal puppy.

Luna had to physically hold herself back from attacking him in hugs and kisses for the second time.

"That's one way to put it." She smiled, trying her hardest to not squeeze his little cheeks and squeal like a madwoman.

A second voice spooked him out of asking more questions.

"Hey don't hog up the kid Luna, he's my grandson too." A deep voice scolded. Luna's smile dropped to a little side glare as she registered her husband's appearance.

She just wanted some alone time with the baby!

It was not fair! He already got to meet Katsuro all those years ago during the war!

Daisuke's eyes widened at the sight of Yuudai, yet another man he recognized from framed pictures in the Uchiha household.

Uncle Shinji?! No....this man looked younger than uncle Shinji, and he also had his hair down rather than picked up in a long ponytail that his uncle often donned.

If this wasn't Shinji, then it had to be his grandpa!

"Daisuke look! This is your grandfather!" Luna smiled, a small twitch in her eye as a Yuudai smirked at her.

"Grandfather? God, how old are we?" Yuudai sweatdropped, crouching down as well to get a good look at his youngest grandkid as of right now.

(He still had another on the way with Shinji's new baby!)

Daisuke still seemed a tad bit confused at the situation he's been faced with as he blinked curiously at the man before him.

"Eh? Don't tell me you don't recognize me either kid! Damn, Haru must've just stuffed pictures of us in a box or something-"

"Don't curse in front of him!" Luna scolded, red eyes glinting dangerously at her husband as he instantly put his hands up and surrendered.

"He lives with Haru, it's not like he hasn't heard the words before-"

"And who's fault is that?!"

"Not mine! You act like I raised the kid and taught her how to cuss!"

"Your genetics pre-disposed her to that potty mouth!"

"Potty mouth?! What is she five?! She's a grown-ass woman-"

"I SAID LANGUAGE-"

"Grandma?" Daisuke practically squeaked, clutching onto her dress in concern. She looked even more like his mom when she was mad, and that was not a fun sight to behold.

Luna's features immediately softened, and she looked right back down at Daisuke with a sweet smile. "Sorry honey! Everything's fine, your grandfather is just a dummy." She giggled, bopping Daisuke's button nose with her finger.

Daisuke curiously turned to Yuudai. So this man was his grandfather? He sure looked a lot younger than Himawari's grandpa....

Yuudai rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself over how Luna was acting like a "psycho" and that Daisuke should run away while he could. Isao sent the Oshiro a stern glare.

Some things really never change, even after death.

Daisuke suddenly lit up amidst his grandparents' childish bickering, whirling around back to Luna and tugging at the skirt of her flowy dress.

"Grandma! What color are my eyes? Are they red?!" He asked hopefully.

Ever since Haru explained to him how the operation would work, he was excited to see the color beneath his rinnegan.

He hoped they would be red like his mom's and older brothers, but he was just so sweet he wouldn't mind dark eyes either.

He really really wanted red eyes to match his mom though.  

"Huh? You don't know what color they are?" Yuudai asked with question marks floating above his head.

"My mom told me that after my surgery my eyes would feel a lot better, but they wouldn't look the same anymore. Not until I learned to use them." Daisuke claimed, shrugging innocently as he uttered the words.

Yuudai smirked, placing a hand on the young Uchiha's shoulder. "Well Haru was right kid, come take a look."

Daisuke trailed behind his grandfather curiously as the Oshiro took a hold of his little hand and led him over to the shore.

Luna pouted as the two walked off side by side. "He's stealing him." The blue silk lines around her body only furthering her gloomy mood.

"Luna, you know I hate him but he's just holding his hand." Isao sweatdropped at his master's sulky state.

"Well, will you look at that, your eyes are just like mine!" Yuudai smirked, picking up Daisuke and showing him his own eyes through the reflection of the water.

Daisuke's eyes widened as he stared at the unfamiliar reflection of himself.

His eyes weren't red, nor were they onyx black he expected. Instead, they were a sparkling light blue, with small specks of a brighter blue and mint green melted together.

"They're blue?!" He squeaked out, surprised by the turn of events. So he looked like uncle Shinji and his big cousin Reiji! And also-

He twisted back around to look at Yuudai who was holding him up with a proud smile on his face. Their eyes were identical and there was no denying it!

"I don't care how many Uchiha crests you slap on this kid, he's an Oshiro." Yuudai teased, wiggling his eyebrows at Luna.

Luna rolled her eyes at her husband as she walked towards him, her long dress flowing along with the breeze with every step she took.

"Yeah well this is the first kid besides Shinji who kinda looks like you, stay humble." She childishly claimed, sending her husband a sharp look before taking Daisuke from his arms.

Daisuke was quick to accommodate his grandmother's hold, leaning his cheek on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her neck.

She was .2 seconds away from breaking down in a mixture of sobs and tears at this point

She wished they could all stay like this forever, with Daisuke sitting snuggly in her grasp and her feet dipped in the cool moonlit waters, but she knew that time was running out and fast.

"Daisuke? I need you to listen to me alright?" She claimed, to which the boy raised his head from her shoulder slowly.

Her tone had changed to one of worry, and Daisuke was quick to notice.

He nodded obediently, starting to wonder just why her smile fell from her face. Now she looked worried, maybe even a bit anxious.

"The next time you open your eyes it's going to be a little scary. Bad guys are going to try and bother you. But you're a strong and smart boy, you'll be okay. I promise." She started, looking at his face seriously.

Daisuke's eyebrows knitted together in concern. "But what about my mom? Is she okay?!" He asked, almost immediately fearing the worst.

He didn't know Haru had gone out to look for Runa and Haruki. All he knew was that his mother had always told him that to get to him, a bad guy would have to go through her first.

"She's fine Daisuke, in fact, she's on her way right now to help you! With your big brothers and sisters and even your dad!"

"But why do the bad guys want to bother me? Is it because of my eyes? I don't know why people always want to hurt me because of them" He asked sadly, bringing a small hand up to cover one of his eyes again.

By the way, he bowed his head, Luna could tell that he was used to hiding his eyes and it came as a reflex for him. The sight tugged at her heartstrings and she felt herself frowning before she even realized she was making that expression.

Luna then sighed, glancing up at Yuudai as she tried to find the right words to say to her grandbaby.

"Hey, your eyes are special, I think you have the most special eyes in the world! They're beautiful when blue, and they're beautiful when your rinnegan is activated. Don't you ever let anybody tell you otherwise okay?"

Daisuke nodded, head still bowed but listening nonetheless. He let his forehead rest on Luna's shoulder as she continued to talk to him.

"When you wake up, things are going to be scary. But everybody is on their way to help you because they love you and you need to stay strong and win against the bad guys, right?"

Daisuke perked up at his grandmother's words, starting to see this as a mission.

He always wanted to feel strong and show other people he was strong, maybe this would be his chance! He could beat the bad guys!

As he nodded along, Luna sighed, letting Yuudai walk up to them and wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"Time is running out, We can't stay here forever but just remember I'll always be with you in your heart and protect you from there alright? We'll both be there." Luna claimed shakily, her voice wavering as she realized time was truly starting to run out and she only had a few seconds with his left.

Daisuke looked up at her with a small frown, noticing that a single tear had streamed down her cheek as she looked down at him.

She looked so much like Haru you at that moment that Daisuke almost automatically reached up a little hand and went to wipe her tears away with the sleeve of his sweater.

However, although he saw Haru in her actions, he knew that the woman holding him wasn't his mother. She was his grandmother, and with that in mind, he smiled up at her comfortingly.

"Don't cry, grandma! I'm strong I promise! You'll see! You too grandpa you'll both see!" He exclaimed, hoping that they would believe in him and his strength.

When he first started at the academy, due to his small stature and unique eyes, he was the target of teasing from the other older and bigger kids.

It was tough on him, only having Himawari to rely on as he faced people who constantly put down his worth based on his looks alone.

Of course, the bullying ended once his older brother Katsuro caught wind of what was going on. Katsuro was only a kid himself at the time but had already graduated from the academy alongside Masahiko and Reiji.

The three older boys made it a point not to mess with Daisuke (And through what means? Some bones were broken and some phone calls were made) but Daisuke still felt a little bad about the whole ordeal even to this day.

If he wasn't so small and didn't look so weak and weird (As he often called himself much to Himawari's complaints) then maybe he wouldn't have been picked on in the first place!

From the day Katsuro defended him for the first time and onward, Daisuke's had the strongest urge to prove himself to the world, to show that he was actually strong!

Now he wanted to show his grandparents too!

Daisuke honestly thought that Luna was sad because she was worried about him, not because she didn't know when the next time she'd see him was.

Luna and Yuudai both smiled at him, and even from behind them Daisuke noticed the big wolf Isao shaking his head with his mouth stretched into a (poorly hidden) grin as well.

"Tell your mom we love her lots okay?! And we love your siblings too!" She urged softly, giggling a bit when Daisuke nodded enthusiastically.

"And I love you too alright? We both do!" She smiled, placing a hand on his cheek lovingly.

Daisuke was just about to respond, just about to tell her to not worry about him when his eyes suddenly snapped open.

He awoke with a gasp, and he found himself breathing heavily. The lights are almost blinding as he stares up at the oddly shaped ceiling above him.

Where is he?!

"Finally, he's awake." Daisuke's head slowly turned, fear locking his bones into a frigid state and preventing him from even raising his head.

He gawked at the freakishly pale man standing before him.

Oh, so this is what his grandma was warning him about.

••Runa's POV••

My body feels numb and frigid all at once. I can't move, frozen in place at the sight of the bright red words "Not a match" glowing onto my face.

So numb, so stupefied by the words my eyes continue to run over, I don't even realize that I have hot tears streaming down my flushed face.

"Well....it looks like Haru definitely isn't your mom." Suigetsu insensitively states by my side. I could swear my heart starts to beat slower and slower the more he speaks!

"But I dunno, you look nothing like Karin. I could've sworn I saw some Haru in you! Maybe Sasuke's genes are just that strong." He claimed dumbly, tapping his chin with his index finger.

I don't even have it in me to turn my face to the side and glare at him.

Move! Move and say something! Deny it! Why wasn't I wrong?! I wanted to be proven wrong!!

"God, what's so great about him? Haru still had another kid with him even after he got with Karin? I'll never get it." Suigetsu just couldn't shut up, continuing to spout nonsense.

His mumbling struck a special chord in me, one of realization.

He had a child with another woman, me, and yet my mom- the woman who lied to me still stayed with him and had Daisuke?!

"M-Mr.Suigetsu." I murmur, eyes shaking as I glare down the words printed on the screen. It felt like I was being mocked, slapped in the face with the truth via a stupid DNA test.

"You said that my mom and dad got back together...so were they together when I was born?" I ask, voice shaking as I try to get my words out coherently amidst my brain's messed state.

Suigetsu tenses up as if he suddenly realized I was standing right next to him. He turned to me awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Huh? Well yeah, they had your sister didn't they?" Suigetsu responded, unknowingly making everything so much worse within seconds.

"So he actually cheated on her," I whisper, face contorting into a hurt mess as I let my head fall into my hands.

Suigetsu takes an awkward step backward as I cry into my hands, and only panics further at the sight of my tears falling to the ground.

"Uh, anyway...I gotta go!" He suddenly laughed nervously, dashing away as a means to avoid dealing with my current state.

I don't know how much time I spend standing there, crying into my hands right across from the screen with those taunting words. "Not a Match."

I'm furious! Distraught!? Scared!? Confused!? Maybe it's all of the above! I don't even know at this point.

My head is aching already, my eyes feel sore from my new Sharingan activating itself due to the sheer emotions coursing through my body, and I'm just tired of it all.

The one time I wanted to be wrong, the one time I wanted somebody to prove me wrong I'm faced with this! This!!

My worst fucking nightmares have come true.

I'm not my mom's daughter...

And everybody I've ever known has lied to me about it!

Unbeknownst to me, right outside of the doorway of this lab stood a stressed-out Suigetsu and bothered yet confused Naruto who had just stumbled upon this entire mess.

"I was actually there when she was born! She's Haru's kid Suigetsu! Ever since all those years ago you all always manage to mess things up." Naruto groaned, dragging his hand over his face in annoyance.

Suigetsu looked shaken up himself, glancing inside the room I'm in before turning to Naruto. "I'm just as shocked as you! Who the hell would cheat on Haru?! Sasuke's crazy but not that crazy,"

Naruto couldn't help but roll his eyes in exasperation.

Suigetsu wasn't getting it, that DNA test had to be faulty, HE WAS LITERALLY A WITNESS TO MY BIRTH!!

"No just listen to me! Haruki and Runa are twins! Those results are impossible!" Naruto exclaimed through harsh whispers, an irk mark appearing on his forehead as Suigetsu remained as clueless as ever.

"Well either way this isn't my business! I gotta go!" Suigetsu exclaimed, not wanting to fall deeper into the web of this newfound Uchiha family drama.

Naruto reached out an arm in a weak attempt to keep Suigetsu around to face the mess he created, only to be left alone in the middle of the dim hallway.

His hand twitched before he let his arm fall to his side.

"Damn that Suigetsu." Naruto mentally grumbled to himself, already taking a deep sigh as he knew this would be a difficult situation.

He slowly turned his head to the side, staring at my small figure that was trembling from how harsh my cries were.

He cringed in concern, God he had no idea how he was going to convince her that this was all one big mistake-

"Hey um...Runa?" A voice hesitantly asked, somehow managing to shock me out of my weepy state.

I don't stop crying, hell, I think it'd be impossible to get me to stop crying right now, But I do manage to raise my face from my hands.

Not even bothering to fix my bangs that have fallen over my eyes, I slowly turn to face Naruto. I stared up at the seventh Hokage through the wisps of my dark locks, almost feeling numb as he came closer.

"Your mom was looking for you and asked if I could come get you. We need to go and rescue your little brother right?"

Of course, I hear the 'my little brother' part, I really do, but a scowl forms on my flushed face at the sound of the Hokage continuing to lie to me about my mom. A liar is what she is.

"You lied to me, Lord seventh." I claim shakily, feeling my heart rip apart the longer I stand there.

"Why would I go and listen to someone who's not even my mom?!" I'm done with the people who've lied to me all my life!" I exclaim, glaring up at him with tears still streaming down my cheeks.

Naruto's jaw drops subtly, his blue eyes set on my dark ones as they went from their dark hue to a glowing red in a matter of seconds.

He then walked towards me, leaning over and grabbing a small mirror that was perched on one of the lab desks.

What does he think could make this better? There's nothing that could stop the storm from brewing in my head.

I stare at my reflection once he turns the mirror to face me, feeling myself grow even more distraught with my appearance.

Is that what he's doing? Rubbing it in my face? The fact that I'm nothing like her? I know those aren't his intentions, he's a good person, the best Hokage, but my heart just feels tainted.

"Was this supposed to help? I'd rather not look like him at all." I murmur bitterly, reaching a hand up to my Sharingan-clad eyes.

"Runa I think this is all one big understanding, you should talk to Haru and she'll explain," Naruto claimed seriously, letting his hand that was once holding up the mirror fall to the side.

"Explain what? That she's been lying to me for years? That the reason she doesn't have time for me is that I'm just not as important to her?!"

The Seventh Hokage's eyes widened. "Runa, that's just not true at all-"

"Not true?! How do you expect me to believe that with a DNA test slapping me right in the face?!" I practically screech in an explosion of emotions, overwhelmed with so many mixed sentiments I barely know what to do with myself.

Naruto's expression faltered, glancing back at the screen before sighing. "Runa, you're just going to have to trust us on this one, there must be some mistake with that test. I wouldn't lie about this."

He sounded genuine in his words, he really did. However, how the fuck am I supposed to ignore a whole ass DNA test?! Everything so far has lined up too perfectly.

My mom's distance from me, the red-haired woman, the journal entries showed me my parent's rocky relationship, the secrecy about my birth, how am I going to ignore all of that?!

On top of the DNA test?!

I almost start feeling suffocated by the room, feeling an overpowering urge to just get out and get some fresh air. This is all way too much!

I clench my jaw, turning away from the Seventh Hokage and stepping out in the direction of the hallway.

"This has nothing to do with you, Lord seventh," I say through gritted teeth.

Before I could take another step, Naruto's hand on my arm stopped me in place. I whirl around, an agonizing look on my face that almost has Naruto stepping back himself.

However, he fails to let his shock show. Instead, he masks his worried features with a smile intended to comfort me.

"What is it?!" I ask shakily, just wanting to get away from here, away from that computer screen specifically. Plus, the way that he's looking at me makes me want to shrivel up in a corner and just be left alone forever. If he tells me this was a mistake one more time-

"Nothing to do with me huh? Well, it just doesn't work that way. I've told Boruto the same thing time and time again. To a Hokage, everyone in the village is family."

Oddly enough, my gaze wavers at the mention of Boruto.

If he were here right now, I'd probably be able to talk to him.

Not Haruki, she'd deny everything and side with my mother like the perfect daughter she truly is.

Well, perfect daughter my ass, she turns into a fucking lapdog whenever I have something to say about mom's unfair treatment regarding us.

'Give her a chance!' 'You aren't being fair to her!' 'She treats us the same!'

God, whenever I think about it I realize how tired of her shit I truly am.

I can't wait to prove her wrong!

Not Cho-Cho either, she probably wouldn't be as serious as I'd need her to be.

Not my brothers either, the perfect sons. If Haruki's a lap dog they're my mom's guard dogs. It's ridiculous really, how blindly loyal they are to her without batting an eye at any of her wrongdoings.

Not my uncle or cousin, hell they'd probably side with her too. They're her family after all, not mine.

and definitely not my parents, but that's self-explanatory.

Boruto would listen to me, maybe even understand me despite having that thick skull and a stupid look on his face all the time...

Funnily enough, he's always understood me the most. Even as we'd claw at each other and fight over the littlest of things, he's just always...gotten me? And I think he'd get me now...

The thoughts are fleeting and I don't give myself enough time to think about just why Boruto's name gave me an odd sense of comfort amidst all of this chaos.

Instead, I fix a glare on my face, my eyes still glowing brightly with my Sharingan in full effect.

"So what?! Isn't that just a convenient excuse?! Dad's away from the village so much he forgot his own daughter's face! And I'm supposed to be the one who looks like him!" At the thought, I almost let out a crazed laugh.

That's so so funny! He saw me and almost stabbed me, and yet he saw Haruki and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

What a happy family!

Naruto could tell I was close to losing my shit at this point, but before he could say anything to try and defend his best friend, I whirl back around and rush out of the room in fear of breaking down if I spent one more second there.

As expected, the Hokage and close friend to both of my parents follows after me. He tried calling out my name and caught up to me with ease, yet he didn't manage to stop me from bulldozing my way through the hallways and towards the opening I saw the group heading towards earlier.

Eventually, we both reached the exit and made our way outside.

I felt myself tensing up from the second I caught sight of her long white hair.

To make matters worse, she was standing with my father, looking up at him all giddily as if everything was perfect and as if they actually loved each other.

My glare hardened as my eyes bore through the ground beneath me. I couldn't convince myself to look at her, feeling like if I did so I'd end up in an even bigger puddle of tears.

Angry tears? Sad tears? Hell, probably both with the way my head is spinning in circles right now.

This woman who raised me was really a liar all along. That DNA test proved it!

And now she's standing a couple of feet away from me. gazing up at my dad. the man who cheated on her. with a stupidly sparkly look in her eye.

I just can't do this right now.

My Sharingan glowed a red hue even as I forced myself to look down at the ground.

My mom didn't even notice my arrival with Naruto as she was too busy talking to my dad and uncle Shinji with her back turned to us.

"So what are you two gonna do when you get home? Dump your twenty kids at my house?" Shinji snorted, raising his eyebrows at my dad who glared at him from the side.

Sheesh, I always wondered if the two got along, Now I can't be so sure they do.

My mom was quick to slap Shinji's arm and roll her eyes at him. "Shut up! And no, if I'm dumping them anywhere it's definitely gonna be Ino's place. Sakura needs to rest. Poor girl is pregnant and dealing with your nonsense daily."

My father looked more than done with their bickering, also looking like he was familiar with the sibling duo's small jabs at one another. He stood in between the two with an unimpressed look in his gaze, that being some of the most emotion I've seen in him all day.

If I hadn't just found out that my entire life was a lie, I might've found the sight funny!

"Mom? Why would you 'dump us' anywhere now that dad is coming home?" Haruki asked with a small sweatdrop, intervening as she heard Shinji's claims.

The sibling duo paused for a second. Then Shinji exploded in a laugh that resembled what I'd imagine the cackling of a witch to sound like, and my mom's cheeks bloomed a bright pink.

(Sure she was blushing, but the glare she was sending Shinji's way had me thinking she was turning red out of anger rather than embarrassment)

"N-no I'm not dumping you guys anywhere! Shinji's dumb and you should know better than to listen to him!" My mom exclaimed, and I could've sworn I saw my dad pinch the bridge of his nose.

He looked so done with everyone. And by everyone I mean Shinji and my mom.

A few floating question marks appeared above Haruki's head, but she nodded nonetheless and returned to whatever conversation she was previously having with our cousin Reiji.

Masahiko and Katsuro were quietly listening to Haruki and Reiji's conversation, the four kids forming a small group to themselves. I sighed, my head still bowed and my hair still covering my eyes.

Have I always felt this outcasted from them? Or is it just the revelation of my mom being a faker that has me feeling extra sensitive?

Everyone seemed to be immersed in their own little worlds and it wasn't until Cho-Cho looked up and noticed that I appeared that suddenly all eyes were on me.

Fuck.

"Hey Runa over here!" Cho-Cho exclaimed with a smile, waving me over to stand by her side.

I watched through my wispy dark locks as my mom almost immediately turned to me, her head tilting a bit at my downcast appearance. It was my father who addressed me first, surprisingly seeming more bothered than my mother.

"Where were you two? We don't have time to waste." He said in his usual cold demeanor. Sure he wasn't as loud about his displeasure as most people would be, but he's clearly unhappy with the way Lord Seventh and I appeared late.

God does he always talk like he has a stick up his ass?!

I scowled at him, not even hiding the annoyance on my face anymore.

I'm tired, I'm officially tired of him.

Is he cool? Yes, very. Is he an asshole? Yes, a big one.

I don't understand how my mom could defend him so much all the time!

"Hey don't look at your dad like that. And you, don't talk to her like that." My mom was quick to voice out her orders to both me and my father.

She obviously didn't know about the bomb of information that was just dropped on me, so I couldn't blame her. But seriously? Don't look at your dad like that? My god, somebody give me a break!

"And what'd I tell you about walking off? I had to get Naruto to find you, no more of that alright? We can't afford to waste any more time than we already have." She quietly scolded, taking a hold of my arm as I tried to walk past her.

Why didn't you come get me yourself?

The silence was loud, so loud that Haruki's conversation with the boys died down as a result. The four of them turned to us curiously, sensing the looming tensions which were starting to appear.

"Hello? Am I talking to a wall?" Mom went on to ask after my lack of a reaction. She gently tugs at my arm so I could look up at her, or show any sort of reaction at the very least.

Again, I force myself to stare into the ground, wanting nothing to do with her or her words. I don't want to look at her, it'd just be a slap in my face since now I know just why we're nothing alike.

The air between us began to grow tense the longer I stayed silent, and I could practically feel the eyes of everybody else burning through me.

From the corner of my eye, I manage to catch a look at Haruki. She's standing perfectly still, staring at me with furrowed eyebrows.

Oh if she gets involved I'm officially going to lose my fucking mind!

"Look at me when I'm talking to you Runa." My mom ordered sternly, snapping me out of my thoughts and growing tired of my silent treatment.

Well, silent treatment was one thing, but I wasn't even giving her a single glance, much less anything to say.

I turn my head completely to the other side to avoid her prying red eyes (Also to avoid bursting into tears, but that's not important.)

"What's wrong?" She asks, this time with worry as I have yet to react to her in even the tiniest of ways. I refused, continuing to stare at the ground beneath me and away from her.

She then bends down, reaching up her other hand to take a hold of my shoulder so that I'd be forced to face her. The action sends me in a panic and I immediately rip myself away from her.

"Don't touch me." To my luck and surprise, my voice manages to stay stable as I address her properly for the first time. I'm still looking away, not willing to test my emotional strength in such a tense state.

With a clenched jaw, I walked away from her and avoided her burning gaze filled with millions of questions. After a few moments of silence, she scoffed in disbelief, red eyes widening in shock that I had just acted that way.

"Runa Uchiha I do not have the time for your attitude right now!" She calls with a raised voice, starting to get even more annoyed with my behavior herself.

"You never have time," I murmur bitterly to myself, making sure to turn my face from her so that she doesn't catch a single glance of the tears streaming down my face.

Shinji, who was close enough to hear my snide little comment, let his jaw drop at my attitude. He then whistled lowly, glancing between me and my mom with raised brows.

"Shit, did I miss a family episode?" He snorted, raising his arms defensively at my mother who sent him a fierce glare.

"God- the attitude in that little girl is making me go crazy." She muttered with an irk mark, having half the mind to walk up to me and pop me upside the head out of frustration for my attitude.

She doesn't though and restrains herself fairly quickly. She promised herself to never go 'Temari mode' as she liked to call it on any of us so...

Sasuke watched the interaction with an arched brow, not appreciating the way I just rudely dismissed my mother.

He was always naturally the stern parent, and the Uchiha never took any sort of disrespect from Katsuro or Masahiko when they were younger.

He was the one who taught them how to act in line and how to respect others (Although Masahiko didn't really need that type of parenting, Katsuro was more of the wild child)

His attitude with us girls was a bit different, he was soft with us, but was still definitely a strict father for us even when we were little. (Haruki and I had him wrapped around our fingers though, or so my mother claimed)

According to the boys, Mom was always the chill parent in comparison to dad.

She was always the one to let little things slide and coddle all of us no matter how badly we behaved or no matter how badly she wanted to scream at us. Well....That was until I came along I guess.

Although I'd have to agree that there is not a single bone in her body that could ever stay upset with any of us for too long, I definitely test her limits every once in a while.

Today was definitely one of those days.

I've heard rumors of my mom's upbringing from gossip coming from older women out in the markets and shops.

I've heard the same women speak of her parenting style and always say the same thing. 'She's like that with her kids because of how she was raised." Or 'If she was actually raised right as a little girl, maybe she'd know how to parent her own kids.'

The snide little comments always got to me, but I didn't really think about them much until now. My mom's childhood is something she never really went into with us.

All she ever told us was that our grandparents passed away when she was very young, and that our dad was her best friend from childhood. She always kept her life before us as vague as possible.

I couldn't help but wonder about those women who'd gossip about her from time to time.

They're probably just old, bitter, and bored with nothing better to do. But I can't help but wonder, how the hell was she raised?

Little did I know, she was so desperate for parental love as a little girl. Once she became a mother herself Haru herself realized that her babying nature must've stemmed from those times.

Even now as I walked away from her, her eyes softened a bit in sadness rather than anger. However, the anger was still outweighing the sadness by a long shot-

"Did you see that babe? I told you she's been acting out." She whispered to my father so that I wouldn't hear her complaints.

I don't hear them as she's too far away from me regardless, however, I could easily make out that she's complaining about me by the way she glances over every once in a while.

He agreed silently, dark eyes glancing between the two of us in confusion. 'What the hell happened?' He thought to himself, confused by my sudden shift in attitude.

He was just about to tell me something, to help discipline me for the first time in how many years now?

Oh, I dare him to try and discipline me out of nowhere after seven years of avoiding me-

However, he was interrupted by the seventh Hokage quickly walking up to him with widened eyes.

"Guys, I know we have to go get Daisuke, but something really confusing just happened," Naruto muttered quietly so that the rest of us kids wouldn't hear.

My mom turns from dad and Shinji to face Naruto, her eyes narrowing at the worried look on his face.

"What now?" She sighed, mentally exhausted by today's draining events.

Naruto gulped, glancing wearily at me before directing his gaze back at Haru.

"Suigetsu took a DNA test for Runa and the results showed that you two aren't related," Naruto claims hesitantly.

Dumbstruck, my mom tilts her head at Naruto as if she were going over his words over and over again.

"Are you kidding me?" She scoffs, whirling around to face me with a look of disbelief plastered all over her face.

"Why would you want to take a DNA test?"

Her scrutinizing tone just gets to me and angers me in a way I don't think it ever has before because before I know it I'm spewing out words with zero filter.

"Why did I take a DNA test? Because our relationship was so shitty I had to make sure we were even related in the first place." I seethed, crossing my arms over my chest as I glowered up at her.

She looked winded by my words, as if someone had just punched her abdomen and didn't give her the chance to get up and take a breath.

"What? Runa are you being serious?!"

"Dead serious, and I don't want to talk to you."

I could practically hear Haruki's brain start to fire off

"My god- Is this about our argument earlier?! I told you to stay home and cool off! Of course you didn't listen, so we'll talk about this when we get home as we should've ages ago."

I scoff, rolling my eyes at her. I could've left the simmering argument there, I really could've. However, the overwhelming urge to bite back and respond to her won me over.

"We'll talk? About how you've lied to me my entire life?! And then what?! You just expect everything to fall perfectly into place?!"

Her eyebrows furrow, as I continue to let my thoughts flow right past my lips.

"You know what? let's not even get into that right now, how about when the fuck are you ever gonna make time for me to talk?! Hm?! Because if it isn't going shopping with Haruki or babying Katsuro and Masahiko, it's being at the hospital with Daisuke.

I don't fit into that equation! You've never given me space to fit in!" I accuse with teary eyes.

Naruto's face fell into a soft frown, listening to my troubled thoughts as I voiced them out passionately.

Shinji slaps his hand over his mouth at the sudden argument that's exploded out of nowhere.

Normally, I'd laugh at his expression, but right now I'm feeling wayy too fired up and upset to find joy in just about anything. 

The air around us turns cold, causing little goosebumps to form on my arms as the breeze begins to pick up speed. It was all too much, the crying, the cold, the hostility in the air, all of it!

"And you aren't even discreet about it! Nobody in that village looks at me and treats me like they treat the others! Why?! Because I don't look like you?! And that's a whole other problem! Why have you lied to me all these years?!" My voice shakes as I speak, and my mother immediately takes a step towards me to try and stop my crying, but I don't let her.

"You lied! You lied to me over and over again a liar and I hate you! I hate you for making me feel like this! Why am I not good enough for you huh?!" I ask, heat constricting in my chest the longer I look at her.

I didn't mean that, I don't hate her, I love her so so much that's why this all hurts so much-

Her jaw drops in shock, stunned by my harshness. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Haruki stand up with a clenched fist. But Katsuro is the one to hold her back from getting near me.

My mom looked frozen as she stared at me, crestfallen by my hostility and the fact that all of her wrongdoings as a mother have been shoved in her face in such a harsh way.

She then opened her mouth to speak, to try and start the process of fixing any of this, but I don't want to hear any of it.

Instead of listening to her like I probably should've, I cut her off before she could utter a single word in her defense. 

"Just leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you anymore, let's just find Daisuke and leave!" I say tiredly, backing even further away from her and separating from the group.

With my back turned, I didn't notice the way her eyes started to gloss over with tears. However, Haruki did in fact notice. And her features were quick to morph from worried to downright distraught.

She was just as tired of my shit as I was of hers.

It looked like she wasn't the only sibling who was bothered by my actions. In fact, Katsuro who's the one holding Haruki back speaks up.

"What the hell are you on Runa? Whatever Dna test you took had to have been faulty. I literally remember you looking like a rat when you were born-"

"She did not look like a rat! She was cute like a kitten! Don't be a hater." My mom offhandedly spoke, waving off Katsuro who shrugged at her denial.

"Looked like a rat to me. In fact all of you did. Even you Hiko." Katsuro grumbled, sending us all nasty side eyes much to Masahiko's deadpanned expression.

Reiji tilted his head "You weren't even one yet when he was born though?"

"I don't need to see him to know he looked like a rat,"

My mom scoffed with glassy eyes, using the backs of her hands to wipe at them.

If this had been any other day she would've laughed at Katsuro and his side eye, but she was clearly still stunned by my confrontation with her.

Plus....to her we really did look like baby kittens!

"Runa, I don't know what the hell Suigetsu was on when he gave you that DNA test. But one, he's an even bigger idiot than Shinji sometimes. And two, I promise that if you were to take one again it wouldn't show the same results." My mom said, slowly standing from her crouched position from when she wanted me to face her initially.

My father subtly eyed her in concern, always feeling on edge whenever her tears were involved in a situation. His concern was carefully masked, hidden between the two of them in some sort of secret message only they understood.

I didn't notice it of course, still turned from the two of them and walking off in need of some proper space.

"Runa, we could handle all of this after we help Daisuke. We can't afford to stand around." My father spoke, alerting me of the rest of our issues. Our very urgent issues! 

I let out a shaky breath, using the backs of my hands to wipe away at my eyes as well.

Right, Daisuke is out there—

Literally kidnapped by those monsters!

I bite my inner cheek out of habit and run a stressed hand through my hair, slightly tugging at the roots as I try to control my rioting emotions and shut off my sharingan.

With my back turned to my family, I failed to see Masahiko's concerned glances directed my way (Albeit his expression was subtle at best, but still). I missed Haruki's eyes shifting nervously between my mother and me, and I missed Katsuro hesitating In stepping towards me to help out.

He was a bit confused, did he intervene? Would that be big brotherly-like? He had no clue.

On the flipside, my mom was looking like a mixture of all three (To her credit though, she was far more expressive than Masahiko). She hesitated in stepping out to me, not sure of how she should handle this.

She's never dealt with something so severe, how does she fix this?! What could she say?! What would help?! She didn't know, she was clueless and stressed.

Stressed enough with Daisuke, but now with my current state she was at her wits end.

She was just about to turn to my dad and ask him to help her. She was lost at this point and hoped that he'd figure out how to get to me. However as she turned, the flash of a foreign sharingan appeared in the corner of her eye.

Her sensory abilities flared, better than anybody else's in the group, she was the first to react.

The flash of the sharingan was right behind me, and she knew it before everyone else.

"Runa!!" She yelled out, and for a second I thought she was about to scream out of anger at me, but instead I was faced with her dashing my way and grabbing the collar of my shirt.

It all happened so quickly I could barely process just how it all went down.

One second I was just standing with my back turned to her, the next she was roughly throwing me behind her. I fell backwards, landing on the ground in a total state of shock. What the hell?!--

I looked up only to then feel My eyes bulge out of my head when a black mist appeared and my mom was stuck in the middle of it right where I was once standing.

Then, within the blink of an eye, she was gone

I'm not given a moment to react, still blinking dumbly at the place I was once standing before my father appeared by my side with his sharingan flashing threateningly in search of any residing enemies.

Oh— he looked pissed.

"Haru!" Naruto exclaimed, appearing right beside Sasuke as well with a thoughtful expression. The two immediately shared glances, but my brain wasn't even letting me dwell on it as I was stuck staring at the place mom just disappeared from.

Haruki grew frantic, running over to me and practically throwing herself on me. "They almost took you!" She gasped fearfully, holding onto me tightly. I look at her in surprise, not expecting her to embrace me after that showdown with our mother.

"They-they took mom!" I exclaim, dazed out of my mind and in shock.

Why the hell are these people doing this?! Damnit! I knew I should've listened to Orochimaru back in the hideout!

Haruki was panicking, holding me so tightly that her nails were starting to dig into my arms. Everything was messing her up, the chakra of Orochimaru's hideout, my fight with mom, the fact that Daisuke has been taken, and now the fact that mom's been taken too!

"I-I know." She whispered, widened eyes looking around in peril as she used her sensory jutsu to the best of her abilities. Of course, in her startled state she was far less successful than she would've been given any other environment.

She was just freaking out, there was no other way around it.

On the other hand, I think I'm in too much shock to get to her level right now.

Masahiko's stoic expression morphed into a scowl as he made his way over to us and our father, his naturally sharp eyes narrowed to slits with every step he took.

"Dad, enough wasting time. They've been toying with us this entire time." He muttered quietly. Our father agreed silently, the father-son duo sharing the same thoughts.

"You know, Daisuke may already be dead and they may already have the rinnegan in power." Orochimaru claimed, to which I whirled around in shock.

Was he just watching all of that from the sidelines?!

How didn't I notice?!

"No, if that were the case he wouldn't have bothered trying to take Runa. Daisuke is not weak." My father said sternly, the seventh hokage nods by his side.

"Honestly it might even be a good thing that Haru was taken, now she's with Daisuke and could protect him." He thought out loud. Haruki visibly eased up at the news, her grip on my arms loosening just a tad bit.

"Let's go. I'm done waiting around. I'll take everyone there." He muttered darkly, the enemy taking Haru being the straw that broke the camel's back for him.

Haruki and I looked at each other with widened eyes and before I knew it she was standing up once again, turning to my father curiously.

"Dad? Umm....How are you gonna do that?" She mumbled, not really knowing how to talk to him comfortably.

He didn't even turn to us, walking out into a distance where he had the space to do whatever he had planned. "My Visual Prowess just came back." He was blunt in the way he spoke, earning a scowl from me.

I remember him being so much nicer when I was little...

Before I could get lost in my thoughts once more, A gigantic, humanoid avatar made up of my father's purple chakra surrounds him, to which Haruki Cho-Cho and I all gasped in shock.

The boys on the other hand stayed neutral, all already familiar with the monstrous display of strength.

Ugh, he's cool! He's also mean, and a cheater, and I don't like his attitude. But he's so cool!

"Your visual prowess was diminished? That explains things." Naruto deadpanned to his best friend.

"You have no right to criticize. Everyone, get on." My father ordered, standing in the middle of this giant figure of chakra. I paused, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the entire ordeal.

It was as if the man could sense my emotions and listen to my thoughts, because at my hesitation the seventh hokage turned to me. He could tell that I was feeling conflicted with the sudden turn of events.

So many heightened emotions couldn't be healthy, and at some points he felt like I was getting ready to pass out just because of how much mental shit I was putting myself through.

He sighed to himself, he had to get me on the right track.

"Runa, listen to me." Naruto ordered softly, kneeling by my side so that he could make direct eye contact with me without having to look down. My eyes snap over to him in surprise, not expecting him to confront me once more. 

"I wasn't lying to you earlier, Haru loves you more than anything. Whether she's your mother by blood or not, nothing could take her love for you away. We'll figure this DNA test out but don't worry, she's your mother and she loves you unconditionally."

I stare at him in silence, taking in his words with a weakened heart. Then, a sudden wave of memories flooded through my head.

••Runa's Flashback••

It was a calm summer morning, birds were chirping, flowers were fully bloomed, and the sun bright was blaring down on the Uchiha household.

Runa was around eight years old, a star student in the academy, and had the personality of a little firecracker.

The Uchiha princess couldn't wait for a day like this, a day where she could go outside and play in her Freshwater spring that connected into an even bigger lake which was located right in her backyard!

...She swore up and down she wasn't as spoiled as she sounded!

The cool and crystalline waters have been calling Runa's name for centuries now, and she was aching to dive right into the stream.

However, at only eight years old, Haru wouldn't ever let her go out there on her own. Normally, this wouldn't have been an issue. Haru and Runa loved going to the spring together ever since Runa was little, but recently things had started to change.

Daisuke, Runa's six-year-old little brother began to grow sicker and sicker. As a result, Haru rarely had time left in her days to spend alone with Runa!

Every time Runa would run-up to her asking for a moment alone with her, Haru would respond with a kiss on the forehead and hurried apologies and she had to tend to Daisuke instead. Or she'd be training Haruki before Runa could even ask...

Runa understood, sure. At eight years old she didn't blame her younger brother for his worrisome condition. However, the seed of slight bitterness and jealousy had already been planted in Runa right under everybody's noses.

Especially because of the whole Haruki situation.

Haruki wasn't sick like their little brother was, how come she gets so much extra time with their mom?

So here she is now, in her pajamas perched on her window seat, looking out into her exponentially large backyard overlooking the city.

The type of sight people would pay millions for was Runa's everyday view.

To her surprise, her bedroom door suddenly opened.

"Mom?" Runa mumbled with a startled look on her face as Haru entered her room wearing a black bikini and a pair of strappy sandals. Her long white hair was done up in two dutch styled braids, and she was holding two towels in her arms.

One red towel, and another light purple one.

"Runa! Look at the sky, isn't it perfect for a day out in the springs? Get dressed we're going." Haru exclaimed, walking further into her room with an excited look on her face.

Runa gawked at her mother, she didn't even ask to go out to the springs today because she assumed her mother would say no, but to be approached by Haru first?! Was she hearing things correctly?!

"H-huh? But what about Daisuke? And Haruki?" Runa asked, standing up from her plush seat with excitement bubbling in her chest.

"Haruki is over at auntie Ino's house and Daisuke is having a play date with Himawari! It's just me and you." Haru casually responded, plopping down on Runa's bed and putting down the towels.

Runa was supposed to go to Hinata's house today alongside Daisuke, but Boruto recently came down with the common cold (which he received from Runa)

She was fine now, gone were the runny noses and coughing that she had to endure—

But now it was Boruto's turn.

Sigh, Haru knew it was a bad idea to let them watch a movie together!

As much as they argued, they always insisted on sitting together (and would always consequently fight over the popcorn)

"Oh...so we're really gonna go to the springs?" Runa asks once more for confirmation, hope swirling in her big black eyes. It only took Haru to nod once for Runa to dash from her spot by the window and scurry into her walk-in closet.

She heard Haru's laugh but didn't care, quickly finding one of her bathing suits and slipping it on as quickly as she could. "Are you ready?" Haru hummed, standing up from the fluffy queen-sized bed to face her eager daughter.

Runa nodded with a bright smile, taking the initiative in holding onto Haru's hand and dragging her out of the room and down the stairs so that they could get to their destination faster.

Her heart was beating with enthusiasm, this would be the first time in literal weeks that she would have a moment with her mom, she couldn't wait!

"Hey slow down I need to put on your sunscreen!" Haru laughed, using her strength to slow Runa down and get her to stop. Runa pouted, not wanting to waste a single second, even if it was for proper skin protection from the bright sun.

Runa pouted as Haru sat her down and took out the bottle of sunscreen from her tote bag, shaking it lightly before beginning to spritz it all over the eight-year-olds pale skin.

As Haru worked her magic on herself and Runa with the sunscreen, the young Uchiha princess took a sneaky peep at the inside of her mother's tote.

She found a bunch of enticingly cold cans of soda packed together, only furthering her excitement.

If there was one thing Runa loved to consume as a little kid, it would be soda. Seriously, it was starting to become an addiction.

"Alrighty, we're good to go! Don't run, you might hurt yourself." Haru softly warned, pressing a quick kiss on Runa's forehead before standing up to her full height and walking in the direction of their huge springs/lake area.

Runa followed along obediently, practically bouncing up and down on the way there. Haru said no running, so jumping around didn't matter right?

By the time the mother-daughter duo reached the springs, a permanent smile was plastered on Runa's face. Haru held back a chuckle of amusement, carefully letting go of Runa's hand to set down her tote bag filled with treats in the sitting area.

Runa was quick to get out of her sparkly flip-flops and dip her feet in the cool water, smiling as she eyed the brightly colored spring.

"Remember, don't jump in without me." Haru warned from over her shoulder as she set out drinks on the table. Runa pouted, sitting down obediently on the shoreline of the springs.

There was a little stepping area where she currently was, one where you could dip your feet and stand in the water without plummeting through the water's deep depths.

Well, deep depths was quite the exaggeration. Haru could walk through most of the spring with her head above the water with ease, but for a child like little Runa, the deep waters were just a little intimidating.

Haru finally returned to her daughter, snorting as Runa immediately latched to her side. "Alright wait here a second." Haru chuckled, descending into the deeper parts of the water.

Runa frowned as she was left in the shoreline, her feet still dipped in the water cautiously. Haru then stood up to her full height, to which the water circled at her waistline.

"C'mere, as long as I'm here you'll be perfectly fine," Haru claimed, holding in an amused look as she reached out her arms for Runa.

Runa couldn't help but sweatdrop at her mother, has she gone crazy?! Was she expecting Runa to swim to her?!

"Mom no! Carry me!" Runa ordered, reaching out her arms towards Haru but making zero effort to step further into the water.

"Seriously? You gotta learn how to swim!" Haru laughed giving in and holding onto Runa who clung onto her for dear life (Despite claiming she was so mighty earlier)

"As my mom, you're supposed to hold me forever! That's your job!" Runa exclaimed, looking down at the springs sandy floors through the clear water.

"You're right. I promise I'll always always be here for you alright? Especially when you're scared."

"I'm not scared! I'm nervous! There's a difference mom."

Haru snorted at that, quirking a brow at Runa. "Really? So you're not scared of me just letting you go?-"

"Don't you dare!" Runa screeched, holding onto her tightly in peril, only to pout at her mom's laughter.

"Don't you ever break your promise! Or else...."

"Or else?" Haru asked, amused by her daughter's facial reactions.

"Or else I'm gonna be sad!"

Haru chuckled at Runa's reasoning, pressing a big kiss to her daughter's cheek affectionately. "I love you so much! Don't you ever forget that okay?"

Runa nodded knowingly, resting a cheek against Haru's shoulder. "I love you too mommy."

••Runa's memories fade••

"Runa? You're crying again." Haruki whispered by my side, looking awfully concerned.

"Oh, I guess I am," I murmur, wiping at my cheeks with my gloved hands. She and Cho-Cho shared a look of apprehension, but I was too stuck in my thoughts to really care or notice.

It doesn't matter if she's my mother by blood or not. She's my mom regardless. She was the one who raised me, and watched after me, and loved me, and—

And I just stomped on all of it!

A hand on my shoulder tore me from my thoughts, leading me to look up with widened eyes. There stood the Seventh Hokage who was smiling down at me.

"Runa, Let's go rescue your little brother and your mom."

••Haru's POV••

Runa hates me—

Weird little monster with the sharingan—

Teleportation jutsu—

Daisuke!

What the fuck is happening?!

My eyes snap open, only to then squint harshly at the bright light filtering through the room.

What the hell?! Am I in a cave? What's with these white stones covering every surface of the walls and ceilings?

I look up again once my eyes have adjusted to the lighting, only to gasp lightly at all of the stalactites curving downwards from above.

Yep, definitely a cave!

Weird place, fitting for a weirdo like Shin...

What am I doing?! I need to get to work! Daisuke must be here, and the fact that Shin isn't in the same room as me must mean that he's busy somewhere else.

Oh he's dead when I get my hands on him!

I sigh to myself, knowing that I can't afford to sit and thinking about the literal breakdown I just witnessed my own daughter go through since I've suddenly been transported into this vacant room.

She didn't get trapped in that teleportation jutsu with me, did she?!

Now alert and very tense, I looked around cautiously, sighing in relief only when I confirmed she wasn't dragged into that teleportation jutsu as well.

God what an absolute shit show!

I gotta focus and find Daisuke, freaking out over Runa can come after I make sure he's alive.

I waste zero time squatting to the ground and setting my palm on the floor, closing my eyes and activating my sensory powers to its fullest potential.

'These are the same guys who captured Masahiko' I think to myself, blood boiling at the realization.

There are dozens of those Shin kids circling the outside of this room, and even more of them surrounding the cave in general.

Daisuke's alive and nearby, maybe in another room? I have to figure out the layout of this weird crystallized looking cave. The older shin is currently with Daisuke, so that means—

I scoff out a smirk.

Idiots left me alone here, I'll show them.

Raising my hand from the ground, I calmly maneuver my hands into the Ram sign and sigh. "Crystal style." I whisper, snapping my eyes open when the dozens of clones are individually and unexpectedly pierced by my crystal spikes.

I made sure I didn't wound them fatally, only inhibiting their movements so that they wouldn't become a bother when I fight their leader.

Naruto wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I killed one of them, hmph.

I immediately stand up from the ground and lunge towards the exit, dashing outside and towards the location I knew Daisuke and Shin were.

My eyes narrow when I see the entryway I was looking for, that's where my baby is!

But of course, things are never this upfront or easy for me—

Five of those child-like Shin clones appeared before me with their sharingans on full display and weapons unleashed. They surround me with the full intention to stop me in my tracks.

What the hell is this, kindergarten?

Heh, this isn't my first time handling five kids at once!

I roll my eyes, swiftly using the 'Ram' sign and signaling my chakra to shoot out of my arms. In turn, a multitude of bright red crystal spikes instantaneously formed and spiked outwards creating both a barrier and an offense technique.

The five clones probably saw an attack like this coming, so I wasn't surprised in the slightest when they all quickly jumped and maneuvered their way around the crystals.

The kids skillfully dodged, I'll give them that much. However, with this attack I didn't need to touch them.

A small smirk tugs at my lips once more. Hehe, I haven't done something like this in so long!

"Crystal style, poison mist jutsu," I announce calmly, a mirthful glint in my eye.

They may be clones of that Shin freak, but they're still just kids. Their tolerance to poisons shouldn't be able to take an attack like this.

I was right, my crystals secreted an odorless, colorless gas that held sleep-inducing toxins. I was careful to not use too much poison, as such potent poisons have the power to kill full-grown adults if used improperly.

They drop like flies, all simultaneously and fairly easily.

"Sorry kiddos but even Sasuke doesn't impress me with those shitty eyes, Sharingan's are only cute on my kids," I say with a small snort.

Is this not supposed to be more of a hassle?

Given the fact that I know my son is in that room, I don't give myself the time to stop and look around this intricate arena/Cave styled hideout. Instead, I dash forwards with narrowed eyes, muscles pushing onwards as I appear inside the room within a second.

Mother instincts tuned to the extremes, I hear alarm bells ringing in my head the closer I get to the room.

He's okay, he has to be okay right?

He's my son, of course he's fine!

The speed in which I get to the door is almost ridiculous, it all goes by so fast that I looked like I used a teleportation jutsu. Flashing into the room seems to be a better term for it.

Chills run down my spine once I enter the room, and the air around me turns bitterly cold. Before I know it, I'm paralyzed, staring down at--

My-

My baby?

He's on the ground with his back sprawled out, a small pool of blood puddling at the side of his head. My eyes focus on the obvious wound stemming from his forehead which had the blood dripping down.

I stare at him, unmoving, before slowly tilting my gaze upwards.

There he stood, the self-proclaimed Shin Uchiha. The bastard was accompanied by a bunch of those child clones, and he had a sickeningly smug look on his grotesque face.

The child clones were quick to surround me, raising their weapons once more and pointing them threateningly. On top of that, by using his visual prowess Shin has a bunch of blades pointed in my direction as they float through the air.

"Haru Oshiro Senju, I wouldn't have had a problem with you if you stuck with that name." He mused, sending me a creepy, toothless smile. I stared at him, still unmoving as I took in everything.

"You have no right to bear the Uchiha name, and neither do your children. Sasuke has only proven to be a bigger disgrace to the clan because of you. The descendant of the second Hokage."

What makes you think I wanted the Uchiha name asshole?

I don't give any fucks about whatever he intends to blabber in about, Akatsuki this, Sasuke that. All I care about is the little boy lying on the ground.

My little boy.

"In order to revive the Akatsuki, I will kill Sasuke and take his sharingan. He does not deserve to carry on the uchiha name. The one who does is me. Uchiha Shin!"

"Why is he bleeding?" I ask bluntly, pupils shaking as a crazed feeling starts to bubble up within me. Shin remained unfazed, realizing that I was barely listening to his words beforehand.

Shin smiled, revealing the toothless expression much to my own distaste.

"I checked to see if he had the rinnegan, I intended on taking the eyes and using them to further my goals. Your children do not deserve those eyes, only I do."

A scoff rips through my chest, tearing through the piercing silence which filled the room.

He deserves those eyes?!

Is he kidding me?!

"He's weak and fragile, barely knew what to do with himself when he opened his eyes. That's when I knew he was worthless, probably won't ever get the sharingan at his level," Shin claimed almost arrogantly.

I don't know what divine force holds me back from ripping his shitty eyes out, I really don't.

Maybe it's because I'm more focused on Daisuke rather than the clown standing before me that I find myself reeling back from exploding in anger.

All I know is that this idiot fell for Daisuke's post operative eyes. That means it was a success!

But that also means Daisuke was defenseless...

I bite my inner cheek, red eyes darting back down to my baby who remained on the cold hard ground. I can't take this!

I honestly don't care about the kids surrounding me, nor do I care about the multiple blades floating all around my body. My brain is screaming at me to rush over to Daisuke and pick him up, so that's exactly what I do.

For some reason, Shin allows this to happen. He stops the kids from attacking, and he doesn't use the blades to pierce through my skin and stop me. Maybe it's because he doesn't see Daisuke as a threat or a necessity that he lets me pick him up.

Either way, if he tried to stop me, I would've killed everybody in this room.

Maybe he knew that, he seems to have an obsession with the Akatsuki. Maybe to some degree he respects my past as a member and knows what I'm capable of.

I don't let myself ponder over the fact as I drop to my knees and carefully pick up Daisuke, wincing at the sight of blood trickling down his beautiful clear skin.

Oh my poor baby! He's cold to the touch, but I could feel his chakra and I could feel his chest slowly rising and falling with every breath he took. Okay, he's okay!

My hand instinctively runs over his thick dark hair, smoothing over his silky locks and pushing them out of his pretty little face.

He's perfect, the perfect baby boy with the perfect face. But that wound, the blood dripping from his forehead—

Oh my god I'm going to kill somebody

I really am, I feel my blood pumping with the same bloodlust I once felt as a teenager, and a look of pure hatred etched itself on my face as I tore my eyes from Daisuke and looked up at Shin.

However, I'm stopped by the unexpected happening. "Mom!" Daisuke's weak voice shook me to my core. Startled by the sudden turn of events, I looked down at Daisuke, only to gasp out loud.

His eyes—

My jaw drops when his eyes open, mesmerized by the sight of his beautifully colored eyes.

Of course, his eyes are beautiful with or without the rinnegan! But oh my god—

His eyes are blue!!

The same world famous Oshiro clan eyes that I unluckily missed out on.

They're absolutely breathtaking!

There's a swell of pride that bubbles up in my chest, absolutely thrilled to see the rare eye color on one of my own kids. Honestly since it was such a recessive trait, I didn't think any of my kids were going to have them.

Hell, I'm fifty percent Oshiro and didn't get them! What would the odds be for my kids who had the domineering Uchiha gene making up 50% of their genetics?

It was even a surprise when Hanako was born and opened her eyes for the first time, revealing her pretty blue shade. Which says a lot considering the fact that Shinji is 100% Oshiro.

The fact that he has those eyes, the same eyes of my father (and although I hate to admit it, Shinji's eyes) only adds extra sprinkles to the cake representing my love for him.

He's so perfect, in every single way! I love him so so much! (Granted, the reaction would've been the same if he had inherited Sasuke's dark eyes or my red ones hehe)

Daisuke was a fighter when he was a baby, and he's definitely still a fighter now. Even as his arms tremble, he pushes himself up so that he isn't leaning on me entirely. The act snaps me out of my stupor.

I can fawn over Daisuke later! I have to be serious for now!

Now that he's awake, I use the back of my hand to wipe away some of the blood that ran down his temple, using the moment to analyze his wound further.

Oh thank god, it isn't a deep gash at all!

"I-I tried to fight but I can't use my eyes!" He whispered the eye part, knowing he shouldn't talk about his rinnegan out loud as he looked up at me in worry.

I wince at that, holding him to me just a bit tighter. If I had known that Daisuke would've been subjected to a literal kidnapping right after his operation, I would've never consented to it!

Daisuke is by no means a weak kid, if anything, he's beautifully gifted and a quick learner. He has the smarts, he has wit, he's light on his feet, and he's an amazing young ninja in training.

A true prodigy.

It's a real shame that his eyes hinder him in such horrible ways, constantly messing with his chakra flow, overwhelming his body in the most unlikely circumstances, and serving as a curse, not a blessing.

Damn that Kaguya.

Even with all of its faults however, Daisuke was no stranger to using his rinnegan.

Although I was hesitant (and extremely protective) Naruto and Kakashi insisted on helping Daisuke train with his rinnegan as soon as they could.

Admittedly, I hovered over every single training session and immediately stopped them as soon as Daisuke showed even the tiniest signs of illness. It was for good reason though!

Could I ever catch a break?! He was just so little when they started his training!

Naruto was the best person Daisuke could ever have in a teacher though. He was always so good with him, so patient, and so understanding. (Of course he wasn't Sasuke, but he was the best thing Daisuke ever had in a teacher with Sasuke's absence.)

The two of them grew an amazing bond together, and it's because of Naruto that Daisuke knows how to control his rinnegan.

Even if it's just a little bit.

However, due to my decision in letting Daisuke go through the operation, his main line of defense was completely shut off. Daisuke was left with nothing, his rinnegan gone, and his chakra in reserves.

God I practically set him up for failure!

Looking at him now, he was still in his pajama set that Sakura and Shizune probably helped him change into after his operation, and my eyes caught a peek of bandages wrapped around his torso beneath his shirt.

My jaw clenches at the sight, I should've been there with him! None of this would've happened if I didn't leave Daisuke's side damnit!

"Shh it's okay, mommy's here." I whisper, wrapping my arm around his waist and placing my hand on the back of his head so that he'd look away from the bloodshed I'm thinking of inflicting on these freaks.

"Well, isn't this touching?" Shin mused, his gravelly voice filling my head with disgust. I've never hated something or someone within the first five seconds of meeting them, and I knew Danzo at one point in my life.

"I am the only one Who deserves to carry out Itachi's wishes and carry-on the Uchiha name!" He exclaims almost proudly, earning a loud scoff from me.

"Are you kidding me?! This is Itachi's nephew! Itachi would've killed you if he were alive and saw what you were doing!" I say, knowing damn well Itachi wouldn't have put up with any of this.

Is this guy not an Itachi fanboy?! Is he not listening to himself?!

The self proclaimed Shin Uchiha couldn't be more wrong! Sasuke was everything to Itachi, and these are Sasuke's kids! Itachi would've loved them so deeply, and there's no doubt in my mind that he would've made an amazing uncle.

Plus, even if he didn't love Sasuke so much...he loved me too! What the hell is wrong with this Shin guy?!

"Fuck, I don't even like this clan! But I have never been more proud to wear this god forsaken crest than right now! I am a Senju and Oshiro by blood, but I am an Uchiha by marriage!"

"And that makes me more of an Uchiha than you will ever be! God grandpa if you're listening please forgive me," I whisper at the end, pinching the bridge of my nose at the thought.

Grandpa Tobirama still loves me....right?

He ignores me, still going on about his goals or whatnot. God what a fucking idiot!

"My goal is to revive the Akatsuki and stir up conflict throughout the world once more." He reaches out his arm, and suddenly all of the blades that were floating around me join together at his missing arm.

My eyes narrow, watching as the blades formed a pseudo-arm.

Huh, not a bad ability.

I was about to respond but Daisuke's small voice broke me out of my glare. I turn to him with raised rows, features suddenly softening.

"He told me mean things about papa." Daisuke whispered, to which my gaze snapped to him in surprise.

"What? What'd he say?" I ask, rubbing soothing circles up and down Daisuke's back.

Daisuke looked hesitant, glancing back at the adult shin who had that same smug, almost prideful look on his face.

I scowled at that, placing my hand on Daisuke's cheek and turning him back to me.

"It's okay, tell me what he said. He won't hurt you with me here." Softly coaxing him to speak comfortably, even in that monster's presence.

"He-He said papa was the reason uncle Itachi isn't here anymore. And that I was a mistake." Daisuke frowned, looking up at me through worried eyes.

My blood turned cold. Talking about Sasuke, even hating Sasuke was one thing.

But nobody, and I mean nobody talks about my baby like that.

"Daisuke, listen to me carefully. I'm gonna need you to keep your face snuggled here alright? And hold on tight." I murmur, holding the back of his head to the crook of my shoulder and neck.

The last thing I'd want for him to see is the bloodbath that's sure to come out of this, I don't take any threats or negativity against my kids lightly.

My eyes narrow once more, and with Daisuke's innocent eyes firmly tucked away in the crook of my neck I let out a deep breath.

"This ends here, Shin."

••Runa's POV••

This thing flies!

The giant purple thing my dad created with his eye powers literally flies!

This is so crazy!

The journey to finding my mom and Daisuke has been silent for the most part, much to the tension lingering in the air.

I come to realize amidst the silence that Masahiko really is just like dad. Glancing at him now, I almost let out a laugh at his posture as it was identical to our fathers.

Katsuro and Reiji were by Hiko's sides as well, with Katsu crouching down and eyeing the territory below us whereas Reiji controlled some of his ravens to fly ahead.

Speaking of ravens, uncle Shinji was leading the pack as well. He wasn't inside the giant chakra thing my father created, but instead he was standing on top of a huge raven he summoned!

Of course he was also in the air, but Uncle Shinji opted to use his summonings so that he could track any possible enemies from below himself.

"Mom's okay, I sense her chakra. So is Daisuke." Masahiko claimed, wind flowing through his white hair and pushing it out of his face as he ran alongside the rest of us.

Katsuro visibly eased up at the news, nodding with a small smirk. "You know I didn't think mom had it in her."

"Yeah, me neither." Masahiko mumbled moreso to himself rather than for the sake of replying.

Reiji then perked up, turning to my father seriously. "Sasuke, we're here," He claimed, pointing down at the intricate white hideout space.

Shinji turns around to face us whilst still on his raven and sends a thumbs up to Sasuke. My dad nods, and before I know it we're all heading downwards to run in on foot.

"So this is Shin's hideout." I say, earning a nod from Haruki who was running by my side.

"This place is creepy." She mutters in response, looking around curiously. Both of our long locks flow back in unison due to the speed we're running at, and I sigh softly.

This is all just so crazy! I need to stay alert!

My father was the one running ahead in front of everybody with Naruto and Shinji on either side of him. The boys all ran in unison as well, effortlessly falling into an arrow shaped formation in which Masahiko was at its peak.

On the other hand, well Haruki Cho-Cho and I were all a little bit behind hehe.....

"They're coming!" My dad warned. His words tore me from my thoughts and my eyes widened, seeing as multiple of those Shin clones came out of different sections of the cave and started running our way as well.

"What?! Three of them with the same face?!" Cho-Cho gawked, "These are clones!" The seventh hokage responded, staring ahead seriously.

"Lord seventh, I'll handle them." Masahiko was curt and sharp in his tone as he ran a bit ahead of the group towards the barrage of enemies.

He had already defeated, seriously wounded, and even killed so many clones, and he had a bone to pick with them after escaping.

They fought him alongside the adult shin while he was wounded and exhausted, this wouldn't be the same.

"Masahiko, don't kill them. They're children and we need answers." Naruto ordered cautiously, eyeing the young Uchiha who held a perfect resemblance to his mother.

Masahiko raised a brow, still staring ahead. "Is that an official order?"

Lord seventh felt his eyebrows raise the slightest bit.

God- Masahiko really was his fathers son and it showed.

"Yeah, official orders." The seventh hokage claimed. It was almost as if the words themselves were a switch that had been flipped as Masahiko's speed increased by a tenfold. If I had blinked once, I would've missed it all!

Masahiko flashed his sharingan (His eyes went from red, to a glowing red! Creepy!)  and unsheathed this sword. My jaw dropped as he effortlessly fought against three of the clones at once, his bright red sharingan glowing brightly with every step he took.

"Big brother is amazing!" Haruki gasped, smiling widely in admiration. I nodded silently, agreeing with her immediately.

He wasn't even using jutsu, and he worked so effortlessly!

"Haha attaboy! I'll help him out here, the quicker we beat those younger clones out here the less we'll have to worry about inside." Shinji spoke, his wildly long hair flowing with the breeze as he ran.

"I'll stay out here too, this shouldn't be too difficult." Reiji softly spoke, unsheathing his own sword and bringing up his free hand. I watch in awe as he whispers a jutsu to himself, and his katana coats itself in a sparkling cyan crystal.

Whoah! That's amazing!

Katsuro clicked his tongue, nudging Reiji with his elbow even as they ran side by side. "Well I wanted to land a punch on the guy who took mom and Dai, but I'll stay out here too I guess." He smirked, activating his own sharingan as well.

It's a good thing that everybody was suddenly deciding to stay out here, since the number of clones was adding up really quickly.

Even the seventh hokage created his own shadow clones to go and fight these Mini Shin's!

Hm, with so many people fighting here, I want to go inside and help mom!

My mind is made up quickly when a clone comes at me to attack, but I swiftly dodge their advances and rush ahead, running faster than before as I leave Haruki and Cho-Cho behind.

"R-Runa!" Haruki squeaked out in surprise, using her crystal jutsu to defend herself against the clone I just dodged.

I speed ahead, turning my head and glancing back at the fight scenes I'm leaving behind. "Sorry Ruki! I'm going to mom!" I yell out, ignoring the seventh hokage's call for me and pushing myself to run even faster than before.

Naruto clicked his tongue, worrying about me going in there myself. He wanted to stay out here and make sure the boys didn't go overboard (as they sometimes tended to) but with me running ahead and inside, he didn't know what to do.

He turned to Sasuke seriously. "Sasuke! Go with her! Let us handle these guys!"

Sasuke didn't even respond, running ahead himself and going after me.

"Eh?! What about me?!" Cho-Cho freaked out, looking around and noticing that everyone else was doing their own thing and fighting the Shin clones.

Naruto positioned himself in front of her and smiled charismatically, "Didn't I tell you? I'll protect you!"

On the flipside, I jump down one of the entryways and enter a weird looking hallway. I don't dwell on it for too long, pushing my legs onward as adrenaline pumps through my veins.

I need to help mom!

However, with my adrenaline hazed mind and everything going on, I failed to notice a trap planted in the ground that was hidden from plain sight. I gasped, bracing myself with my arms as I awaited the attack only to hesitantly open my eyes when the attack never came.

I looked just in time to see a black fire engulfing the ninja weapon trap.

What the?!—

My eyes slowly widen when I notice my dad standing right there, staring down at me blankly.

"Dad?!" I can't help but blurt out, stepping back in surprise.

He walked forwards silently, not even addressing my surprise. I stood there feeling like an idiot, still processing everything as he walked ahead.

"What's the matter? Let's go." He ordered bluntly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

My look of awe quickly reverted to a scowl. God he's such an asshole! Mom is so sweet, and he's so cold!

What the hell does she see in him?! Sure he's cool, but he's just so—

Ugh!!

I follow behind him regardless, knowing that fighting right now wouldn't solve anything.

We eventually reach the fighting zone, and my jaw drops at the magnitude in size of the cave.

This place is huge! And the water is red? Odd.....

My eyes darted around in search of my mom, only to gasp once my eyes finally caught her. It's times like this I thank my grandpa for being from the Oshiro clan, our eyesight is amazing!--

Oh...Wait...He's not--

Forcing myself to move on from the very awkward thought in my head, I look up to my mom once more. She's standing there, carrying Daisuke with a very intense glare on her face.

"Mom!" I exclaimed in worry, noticing the blades wedged into her arms. She seemed to have gotten them while protecting Daisuke as he was clinging on to her like a little koala.

My voice snapped her out of her anger ridden state, and she turned to me in surprise. Suddenly, Shin Uchiha appeared from a couple feet behind her as she was distracted and raised his arm, getting ready to use his telekinetic blades to cause some serious damage.

He was cocky about it too, smirking as he uttered the words "Nobody escapes from my sharingan."—

He wasn't given the chance to even finish, as my father immediately used his giant purple chakra warrior looking thing to attack him effortlessly.

Jeez I really gotta know the name of that jutsu and how to do it myself!

"Runa?!" My mom gasped, completely ignoring Sasuke and running over to me, hauling me her hold with her free arm.

I cringed as she ignored the blade's wedge in her body, but embraced her back nonetheless. "I'm sorry," my whisper is so quiet and understated that I don't even think she heard it at first—

I was very wrong.

She did hear me and somehow managed to tighten her arm around me, hugging me close to her. She smiled at me too, telling me everything I needed to know.

I was already forgiven for my little outburst, but I feel like I probably didn't deserve her forgiveness so easily.

I literally told her I hated her!

Related to me by blood or not, she's my mom.

"Stay still." My father's voice broke me out of my little bubble, and I twisted around in my mother's arms to look at him with raised brows.

Ugh

Suddenly black flames incinerated the blades that were wedged in my mom's arms, to which I gasped in surprise. My mom chuckled, waving off my concerns easily.

"Thanks babe! That shit was annoying," she snorted as if she wasn't just impaled by a bunch of deadly weapons.

I stared in fascination as her wounds began to heal up automatically (Although Haruki had the same ability, I've never seen it used so quickly!)

Is she even human?! Is my dad even human?! Is the seventh Hokage human?!

You know now that I'm thinking about it, is Auntie Sakura human?! She punches uncle Shinji with such strength I don't even know how he's still alive!

"Where's Shinji? I wanted him to see the nutcase. You should've heard him Sasuke! He wanted to revive the Akatsuki! Although I miss Dei, I don't think he would appreciate waking up to me being older than him." She deadpanned, talking directly to my dad.

"He's outside." I quietly responded for him, wondering to myself just what the hell the akatsuki was.

I've heard the name a million times today, and all I know is that my mom and uncle Shinji were former members. Hmm when I go back home I'll have to investigate!

As my mind wanders and wonders over 'the Akatsuki', my eyes scan around the cave out of curiosity. I tilt my chin upwards, gawking at the sight of the high ceilings.

There were giant, no, massive shards of bright red crystal spearing and spiking upwards and in all sorts of directions indicating that there was a big fight that took place.

"You did all of that?!" I ask In shock. My mom looks up and nods with a shrug "Oh yeah, I haven't let loose in a while! Didn't even get to use my wood-style though."

She sounds disappointed?!—

She's definitely not human.

"Did he hurt you anywhere else?" My father asked seriously, to which she rolled her eyes.

"Oh my god calm down babe I'm fine! He only managed to hit me because he targeted Dai! I ripped out like five of his eyes though hehe." She smirked deviously, earning a deadpan expression from my father.

God....their dynamic is still so weird to me!

Wait—

Oh my god I'm the worst big sister ever!!

"Is Dai okay?!" I ask worriedly, reaching out my arm and gingerly touching his soft hair. Daisuke tensed at my touch, but quickly realized it was me somehow. He eased up, comfortable with my presence.

"Hm? I bet he's a little spooked but he's just fine. I didn't let Shin touch him at all." Mom says, rubbing comforting circulars on Daisuke's back.

It took a moment, but he slowly lifted his head from my mom's shoulder, opening his eyes and revealing a brilliant cerulean blue shade.

Even in this shitting lighting, his eyes held hundreds of little ocean-colored reflections, just like Uncle Shinji and Reiji's did.

My jaw dropped at his sparkling eyes, earning a chuckle from my mom.

"Babe look! They're blue! And I really thought he'd get dark eyes" She laughed lightly, smiling up at my dad cheekily.

My dad's gaze softened as he crouched down by my mom's side and took a good look at Daisuke's face. 

Daisuke, ever so the shyest kid ever, took a tentative glance at our father before tilting his head.

"Oh-" Daisuke then turned to my mom with a sheepish look on his face "Is that papa?" He whispered, thinking that the rest of us couldn't hear him.

Oh he's just the cutest! I just wanna pinch his cheeks and—

Oh god, what am I gonna do when he gets older and loses the chubby cheeks?!

Cry....a lot....losing his chubby cheeks will destroy me!

My mom nodded, letting go of Daisuke and nudging him in our fathers direction. "Mhm, he came to save you too! And fight the bad guys!" She claimed, sending me a knowing look as Daisuke blinked up at our dad.

A small part of me worried. Daisuke is so sweet and cute, what if dad doesn't reciprocate his affections? He'd be so upset!

To my utter surprise, my dad's look softens?! HUH?!

"Are you feeling alright Daisuke?" My father asked, placing his hand on my little brother's shoulder.

Daisuke's eyes widened, and a sheepish blush overtook his totally pinchable cheeks. He nodded determinedly, and I held back a big 'awee' at the sight of his fluffy hair bouncing with his head movements.

Daisuke hates being babied, but he's just too cute not to be!

"Mhm! Mommy was really strong too! She used her crystals to fight and it was crazy! She told me to not look but I peeked a couple of times!

And I couldn't use my eyes, but she promised me that I could soon! At least my head doesn't hurt anymore!" He exclaimed excitedly, eyes glittering much like Haruki's would as he spoke to our father.

I faltered, frowning a bit as I watched Daisuke gush over what just happened to dad. If anyone missed dad, it must've been Daisuke.

The poor kid didn't even have memories of him since he was only two when dad left!

He's always been so accepting and sweet of everything, never questioning our fathers love and always looking up to him.

At least he could say he's met him now, finally!

"That's good, so you feel better now?" Sasuke asked, earning a confident nod from Daisuke.

"Yes! I was a little scared, but my grandma and grandpa told me that you and mommy were coming to help me! And they were right!" He exclaimed, a big smile on his cute little face.

Both my mother and father paused, my mom even going as far to turn Daisuke around to face him properly.

"Your who and who told you what?" She asked with raised brows.

"Grandma and grandpa! On a beach before I woke up! Oh! Grandma told me to tell you that she loved you." He answered innocently.

My mom's jaw dropped, stunned by the fact that her mother managed to visit Daisuke in his dreams whereas I sat in confusion.

Uhh.....is my grandma not dead? She can visit dreams? What?!

My dad sent my mom a knowing look before standing up to his full height.

"We'll talk about this later but for now"— he turned around, facing Shin who was on the ground and motionless.

"God is he not dead yet?" My mom muttered under her breath, to which I froze in shock. Dead? Are we not just taking him to jail or something?!

Isn't killing a bit much? I thought my mom would feel that way the most out of anybody!

"With that leg, you shouldn't be able to move anymore. We'll be examining you thoroughly back at the leaf." My father claimed, swiftly unsheathing his sword and walking towards Shin.

I twist around in my mom's arms, watching the confrontation curiously.

Suddenly, one of the younger clones runs towards my dad and Shin, standing between the two and protecting Shin. My dad's expression doesn't change at all, staring down at the two with his sharingan.

"Move. I have no qualms with you." My father warned. I furrowed my eyebrows, eyes darting between the two of them in concern.

"I will not move. I will protect father." The young Shin replied, his tone as monotone as could be.

My father sighed, readjusting the sword in his hand. The silver blade glinted dangerously in the light, and my heartbeat sped up at the rising tension.

"I'm not as soft as Naruto." Sasuke scoffed, swinging down his arm so that he could get rid of the boy in front of him. I gasp, watching as it all went down in slow motion.

Instinctively, the words "Stop it dad!" Fall from my lips, not wanting that boy to be killed at all!

His arm froze right before the blade could slash through the boy's neck, and my small sigh of relief didn't last very long as I noticed just what happened right after.

The older Shin basically used the younger one as a puppet, stabbing his telekinetic blades right through the kids chest. I gasped out in shock, seeing as he also managed to stab my father in the act.

"Sasuke!" My mom gasped as well, quickly letting go of Daisuke and me and dashing over to him. I watch in a state of frozen stupor as she kneels by his side and immediately wraps an arm around his shoulders, placing her own hand over his wound.

Using his telekinetic abilities, Shin almost immediately has his blades all float in the air and point towards Daisuke and me. I gulp down a wave of fear and quickly take hold of Daisuke's hand, making sure he's close to me.

If those things shoot towards us, I'm gonna have to protect Daisuke!

Shin glowers down at my parents, smiling arrogantly. He thinks he has them beat, he's confident that he does. And the thought of him holding that over my mom & dad has my blood boiling.

Who does this man think he is?!

"The tables have turned, as expected, you all are weak! It's because worthless parental feelings have oppressed you. That's why everything's turned out this way."

My mom rolled her eyes, before attending to Sasuke once more and holding onto him tightly. "Weak? give me a break. I was fighting you with one arm and ripped out five of those wretched eyes. What the fuck did you do? Stab me once? Talk about amateur hour."

....Has my mom always talked like this?!

I impulsively take a step forward to check on my dad (Although he's a little mean, he's still my dad) but I'm instantly stopped by a barrage of those blades falling right in front of me, halting my steps.

"Do not move, you cannot escape my Sharingan," Shin ordered, smiling at Daisuke and me. Daisuke clung to my side, holding onto my hand tightly as we both stayed put.

Oh my god, what do we do?!

"Hey! Touch them and I'll make you eat your own left eye asshole!" My mom warned loudly, and by the way she was speaking, she almost made it sound like she's done that to somebody before--

Nah, she hasn't right?!

He ignores her, (Probably the smarter option since angering her further seemed to be a risky move) and looks down at my father once more.

"You are a disgrace to the Uchiha. I will carry out Itachi's will and revive the Akatsuki." He claimed. My mom rolled her eyes again, and I caught the way her hand softly ran up and down dad's back.

A tiny part of me screamed, Like.....Is she comforting him right now? Eek!

I still can't believe she's a taken woman!

"You don't know how many times he's repeated that load of shit today." She muttered to Sasuke, unimpressed by Shin.

She then twisted around and turned to us, making sure we were okay.

"Don't worry my babies! Something like this isn't enough to defeat me, much less your dad! You can trust us!" She smiled casually as if a blade wasn't just pierced through my dad's chest and a monster with a million eyes wasn't standing above her.

How could she be so chill at a time like this?!

She then stood up, staring at Shin straight in the eye without an ounce of fear in her body. "You wanted to revive the Akatsuki, but how are you going to do that when you can't even handle two members?"

Shin's face contorted into one of confusion.

"Wha-?" Before he could even complete the damn word, my uncle appeared out of thin air, a beautiful blue crystal surrounding his body in some sort of teleportation technique and he had a really scary smile on his face.

He kinda....He kinda looks like mom!

Faster than I could even blink, Uncle Shinji Kicks the life out of Shin in one swoop, roundhousing him and knocking him to the ground effortlessly.

"What a joke!" Shinji laughed, shaking his head with a mirthful glint in his incredibly colored eyes. My father then stood up as good as new, glancing my way to make sure Daisuke and I were doing alright.

All of the blades that were surrounding Daisuke and me dropped to the ground at once, and we both took the liberty of running over to our parents.

"Mommy! Is it over yet?!" Daisuke asked, running up to her and wrapping his small arms around her waist, blinking up at her hopefully. She nodded, smiling down at Daisuke.

"Mhm! I'm pretty sure it is." She responded, pinching his cheeks lovingly as he hugged her.

"Mom, Dad! You guys good?!" We all suddenly hear the voice of Katsuro from afar, and we turn to see the rest of the group running our way.

"Nii-san!" Daisuke exclaimed, tearing his arms away from our mom and dashing over to Katsuro. Our older brother had no complaints, picking Daisuke up and hugging him tightly out of relief.

"Hey his eyes are blue!" Reiji exclaimed with a smile, ruffling Daisuke's hair as the latter rested his cheek on top of Katsuro's shoulder. Haruki gasped as well, sparkles and hearts floating around her at the sight of our baby brother's adorable eyes.

"Hey Naru, I think we're good here." Mom claimed, nudging his side with her elbow once he approached her. "It's over, Shin." My father spoke, standing by both my mom and Naruto.

Shinji ran a hand through his ponytail and smirked at the damage he caused Shin. That was....surprisingly easy!

We all watched with slight apprehension as the younger clones approached Shin and surrounded him, all of them facing us with their blank faces. Oh shit, are they gonna keep on fighting us?!

"All of you." Shin started, to which I tensed up in trepidation. The clone's faces were as blank as ever as they waited for Shin's Commands.

"Do it!" Shin finally ordered. To everyone's surprise (Including Shin himself) The young clones committed an act of betrayal, all stabbing him with their ninja weapons instead of attacking us like they were ordered to.

What is going on?!

"What...are you...doing?" Shin asked, shock evident on his face. Haruki gasped, automatically reaching out and clutching my dad's cloak.

"We are to dispose of old, useless flesh. That's what you taught us, Father." One of the young clones claimed, still speaking like a little robot due to his lack of tonal variation.

"You-- I'm the original!" Shin exclaimed, still surrounded by all of the clones who betrayed him.

"Your visual prowess is weak now...father. From now on we will evolve. That is the most logical thing to do."

My mom scoffed by my side, taking my hand and pulling me behind her. "God, why can't we just ever take a normal win? What the hell is this?" She muttered, sharing a serious glance with Shinji.

We all watched as a whole lot of clones appeared, so many fucking clones. There had to be hundreds!

"Hey hey! There's still this many of you?!" Naruto exclaimed, stepping up to the front of the group to where Sasuke was in surprise.

Shin himself looked shocked by the number of clones, even asking "When did this happen?!"

"We made more of ourselves. We don't need you anymore, father."

"There are some pretty chubby ones too!" Cho-Cho exclaimed, coming up by my side as we both gawked at the sheer amount of clones. How the hell are we going to fight so many of them?!

In a flash, Naruto created multiple shadow clones and ran in to fight the young clones. My mom and Shinji shared yet another glance before my mom turned around to face us kids. "Haruki, take care of Daisuke. Runa, Cho-Cho, you two stick together. Boys you all do your thing." She ordered sharply before turning back to Shinji.

"Let's do this." She sighed, raising her arms and stretching out her back. Shinji smirked, tilting his head on both sides and cracking the bones in his neck.

"Oh? It's been so long I wonder if you remember how." He snorted. She rolled her eyes, slapping his arm before the two of them rapidly signaled identical hand signs. "Crystal Style! Heavenly Wings!" They both commanded.

My jaw dropped as two giant crystals grew from my mom and uncle's backs, resembling two pairs of intricately crafted sparkling wings. My mom's were colored red with a purplish Fuschia reflection whereas Shinji's was light blue with a mint green reflection.

Whoah!

The two of them dashed upwards towards the sky, and all I could do was stand there like a fish out of water as I gawked at the two of them. My mom's 'wings'

She stared down at the sea of clones with narrowed eyes before slowly raising her hands and performing yet another hand sign.

Giant portions of the crystals on her back disassembled into blades that took the form of kunai, and I watched in awe as she shot them out like projectiles, tactfully hitting an entire barrage of clones beneath her.

Suddenly there was a much bigger clone (And like....how the hell did that happen?!) and I looked at it in worry. How were we supposed to take it down! "Susanoo!" I heard my father yell, as he jumped upwards and enwrapped himself in that giant purple chakra warrior-looking thing.

"Sasuke don't kill them!" Naruto yelled in worry much to my father's dismay.

Ohh so it's called a Susanoo!

So wrapped up in watching the fights, we all failed to notice the small one-eyed monster that Shin had used earlier to do most of his dirty work creep up behind us.

Consequently, Haruki, Cho-Cho, and I were all completely caught off guard when it appeared right behind our backs with its teleportation jutsu in full effect.

Haruki was the first to react, however, she wasn't fast enough in pulling me away as Shin was targeting me specifically. "Runa!" She screeched in worry, lunging over to try and grab me but it was to no avail, before I knew it I was suddenly in another portion of the cave!

Granted, I could still see my family from where I was teleported to, they're all just really far away.

"It's time to check, are you the one with the rinnegan? If I got a hold of that eye this could all turn around for me." The oddly shaped Shin clone smiled. I gulped in fear, hurriedly backing away from that thing.

Rinnegan? Aren't those the eyes Daisuke has!?

The Shin clone doesn't give me time to process anything, as he manipulates an entire hoard of those telekinetic blades from earlier and points them in my direction.

I freeze at the sight, heartbeat stopping and breath hitching.

What--What do I do?!

Paralyzed by the sight of multiple blades flying in my direction at such intense speeds, I clench my eyes shut out of a desperate reflex and look away. I'm too stunned to do much else!

Naturally, I exert chakra out and all around me since in such dire situations I haven't learned how to control it.

A few moments pass, and then a couple more, and then even more-

How come I haven't been hit yet?

I slowly pry my eyes open, honestly afraid of what I'm going to see. To my surprise however, the blades are long gone, instead, a wall of purple crystal has appeared in front of me.

My eyes widen immensely, blinking at the glittering purple crystal with question marks floating all around my head.

I slowly tilt my head upwards and note that the crystal even went as far as to curve upwards to protect me from the barrage of weapons sent my way.

On the other side of the crystal, I could see where all of the blades jabbed through, not powerful enough to pierce through the hardened sparkling rocks.

Who?!-

I look over at my mom only to find her very busy fighting off the enemies, and I look towards my sister, but she's so far away that I don't think she's figured out where I was yet.

Plus, my mom's crystal style is red, and my sister's is white....so this wasn't either one of them?!

I turn back around to the crystal that just saved my life.

Was this....was this my doing?!

No, I thought that was impossible?

I don't have the chakra nature to create crystal style! I was always told that water & Earth-style was a requirement, but as of right now I only have fire and lightning release!

Even Katsuro and Masahiko are unable to use crystal style, and they already have the element of water so they're halfway there!

And...

I thought my mom wasn't related to me by blood.....

However, there's no other answer for what just happened!

Unless my mother somehow caught wind of what was about to happen to me and managed to simultaneously create a crystal shield for me whilst fighting those insane Shin clones, I'm at a loss for answers!

My mind is a boggled mess, there is no way in hell I should've been able to do that! Crystal style is a technique that originated from my

grandfather's clan on my mom's side, BUT A DNA TEST TOLD ME I'M NOT RELATED TO HER!!

"Runa!" I hear a familiar voice yell, and suddenly my father is right in front of me with his Susanoo still activated. He wastes no time hauling me into his arms, Sharingan flashing dangerously as he scans the area around me.

Noticing the purple crystals, his eyebrows raised.

"You could use crystal style? Since when?" He asked, looking down at me expectantly. I stare up at him, still in shock from the progression of the most recent events.

"Since right now?" I respond, my words sounding more like a question than an answer.

Well for one, he looks proud of me? Do my eyes deceive me? Is he sort of smiling right now?!

And two....

HOW DID I DO THAT?!

I don't even process my dad picking me up and carrying me over to where the rest of my family was, still too dumbfounded to make much sense of anything.

But I- Crystal style- But my mom and I- But we aren't-

Huh?!?!?!

"I have crystal style?" I ask out loud, and my father raises a dark brow.

"It looks like you do, maybe the adrenaline activated it. Your mother got her wood style the same way." He claimed. I nodded slowly, not even listening to the way Naruto successfully diffused the situation with the clones.

"Runa!! What happened?!" I heard my mother's voice gasp as she landed a couple of feet away from us, her crystal wings breaking up into thousands of glittering tiny pieces before she walked up to us.

"She unlocked her crystal style, I think she's in shock." Sasuke claimed, gently letting me down to the ground. My mom's eyes widened, blinking down at me in surprise.

"Seriously?! How?! That's amazing!" She exclaimed, kneeling down by my side and taking my face in her hands.

I blink up at her, not knowing what to say. Seriously, what the hell do I say?! There's so much to say!

She must've noticed my struggle, because she smiled softly and pinched my cheeks before letting me go entirely. "Don't stress it for now, let's get you some rest at home and we'll get to talk all about it after."

I nodded silently, letting her ruffle my hair and subsequently watching as she walked off to talk to my father.

Haruki rushed up to them, addressing our parents with her big sparkly eyes. I couldn't hear her exactly, but I just know she was asking something along the lines of our father coming home.

My mom laughed, a good sign I suppose. And my dad placed a hand on Haruki's head before saying something. Again, I couldn't hear, but if I had to guess by the look of excitement on my sister's face, I'd say that he told her he was indeed coming home.

I sigh a bit to myself.

Maybe some much needed sleep will help me out a bit after all.

••Back In Konoha••

"Daisuke you need to tell me if you get headaches! You're right out of surgery!

Masahiko young man I do not want to see you overworking yourself like that ever again!

And Katsuro! No more tattoos!

Runa the second we get home I need you in your bed and asleep, you've been through wayyyy too much today.

And Haruki! You too! Shower then bed for both of you, got it?!"

Ah, that's the mom I know.

Katsuro of course was the one to whine over our mom's orders. Slinging his arm over her shoulder and resting his head against hers as we all walked towards the gates of our hometown.

"Mom I wanted a piece on my back! Please?! Dad said yes!" Katsuro exclaimed, pulling out all the stops as he tried to woo over our mom's opinion.

She faltered, easily returning to her 'soft parent' role and not the insane kunoichi we saw hours earlier.

"....Maybe for your birthday?" She offered, to which a mischievous smirk spread across his lips. "You're the best mom!" He exclaimed, hugging her tightly before returning to Masahiko and Reiji.

She sweatdropped, glancing over at Sasuke sheepishly. "...Do you still think I'm too soft on him?"

"Yes."

She bowed her head almost immediately, sulking lines forming all over her at my dad's blunt response. He smirked a bit in amusement, walking by her side as he eyed the rest of us.

"We're finally here." Uncle Naruto smiled, walking up to the gates as the rest of us followed behind. Daisuke was as sleepy as ever, letting go of my hand and stumbling over to our mom who instinctively picked him up and perched him on her lap.

My eyes brightened at the sight of the gates, wanting nothing more than to just head home and relax a bit.

My eyebrows raised at the sight of two familiar faces waiting at the gates, however. It's auntie Sakura and Hanako!

"Daddy!" Hanako cheered, letting go of Sakura's hand and rushing over to Shinji excitedly. He picked her up and tossed her in the air lightly, laughing as she squealed excitedly at his arrival.

Ah, they're so cute! I remember me and my dad were kinda like that once...

"Girl, when are you due again? We need to go drinking, and soon." My mom mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose as she approaches Sakura.

The pink hair medical ninja laughed, shaking her head at my mom. "I fired like six people today because of what happened at the hospital, trust me I need a drink too." She claimed, placing a tired hand on her swollen belly. My mom chuckled, re-adjusting Daisuke in her hold.

"Speaking of hospitals, we gotta go check out Dai right?" my mom hummed tiredly, to which Sakura nodded. "Yep, we didn't get a chance to check over everything after his operation so we need him to come in again."

"Alright, I'm gonna head to the hospital with your dad and Dai. We might be back really late so try to get some rest alright?" She asked, eyeing all of us individually.

My brothers nodded almost immediately, setting off in the direction of our house as they tried to avoid the fangirls who already showed up at their arrival. How did they even know the boys arrived?!

It's like they have trackers or something!

Yikes!

Haruki and I nod as well, much more lethargically than the boys though.

How were they not tired at all?! Haruki and I look like two walking zombies!

My mom blew the two of us kisses before she grabbed onto Sasuke's hand and walked off with him, leaving Haruki and me to ourselves.

".....I can't believe he's home," I murmur, earning a solid nod from Haruki.

"I can't believe you have crystal style. I'm glad you're gonna endure mom's training with me."

"Is it really that bad?!"

"It's worse than you think." She chuckled lightly, shaking her head at me.

"But we're sisters, we'll get through it together." She hummed, hooking her arm around mine and hauling me in the direction of our home.

I bite my inner cheek, a muddled confusion still taking a hold of my brain. Why the hell did that DNA test turn out negative??

•••Third person POV•••

Haru was the first to walk in the Uchiha household's grand entrance with a sleeping Daisuke in her arms, followed by Sasuke who's dark eyes glanced around the familiar entryway with recognition.

"I hope you didn't forget your way around here." She snorts, smiling grinning at the way he rolled his eyes at her childish comment.

Haru was quick to notice that the lights in the living room were on, which was odd.

Normally Haruki and Runa were responsible whenever it came to little things like turning off the lights whenever they'd leave a room or whatnot, maybe Katsuro just rummaged around and forgot?

It wasn't a big deal regardless, and Haru walked further along down the hallways towards the living room before immediately smiling at the sight before her.

Haruki and Runa were both sprawled out on the couches, with Runa curled up in one corner and Haruki rested sparingly in the other.

"I think they waited up for you." Haru smiles, nudging his side with her hip. Sasuke tore his eyes away from her to look at his two girls who were both sprawled out on the spacious couches in a deep sleep.

His eyes softened, almost in awe as he looked at them. They've changed so much, and yet he still saw them as his little girls from all those years ago.

Haru glanced between Sasuke and the girls before smiling "I'm gonna take Dai to bed alright? Why don't you take them to their rooms?"

Haru didn't really give him a chance to refuse or accept the suggestion, quickly scurrying up the stairs with Daisuke cuddled up and in her arms.

Sasuke quirked a brow at the sudden situation he's been faced with.

So...does he wake them up or--?

He took a tentative step towards his two daughters, noting how neither one of them looked close to waking up any time soon.

He then sighed to himself.

Maybe he'll just carry them upstairs? He used to do that all the time when they were smaller, and Haru just did that with Daisuke...Yeah! He'd carry them!

Sasuke was initially hesitant when he went to pick up Runa first, not knowing whether or not this method would keep her asleep. If he knew anything about the elder of the twins, it would be that she was just like Haru in that she enjoyed her sleep.

He felt like he messed up with her enough times today to last a lifetime, the last thing he wanted to do was bother her any further!

Lord he felt so unbelievably out of his fatherhood game-

He had to stop being a coward, he realized, knowing he probably looked like an idiot standing there with his arms hesitantly reaching out to his own sleeping kid.

He took a deep breath before hooking his arms under her legs and back and it was to his genuine surprise (And relief) that she barely made a fuss.

If anything, she shifted around a bit but her eyes remained shut, and her head rested peacefully against the crook of his shoulder.

He felt silly doing so, but Sasuke held his breath as he waited for her to startle awake. He doesn't know how long he stood there for, all he knew is that he felt like he was holding a 110 pound ticking time bomb in his arms.

However, to his genuine relief once more, Runa didn't do much else besides lean in closer to him in search for the warmth he provided.

Sasuke felt the corner of his lips tug into a small smile at the sight of her doing so, noting once more just how much her little face has changed.

Of course, he was in awe of how much she's grown up earlier but now in the peaceful comfort of their home, of course he took advantage and analyzed the girls with even more care.

Runa's long black hair flowed behind her as Sasuke slowly made his way over to the staircase, and he couldn't help but let his gaze follow the numerous pictures lined up on the wall which connected to the staircase.

His eyes zeroed in on a picture of him and Haru from when they were both little kids in the academy. Sasuke doesn't know who took the picture, he could only assume it was his mother.

Haru had her hair done up in two big pigtails that his mother skillfully laced bows in that morning, and she was smiling brightly at the camera with pink cheeks. Sasuke on the other hand, well, he looked less than enthusiastic taking the picture.

The current Sasuke almost let a smile slip through his lips at the sight of his younger self looking away and blushing because of a smiling Haru, life felt so much more simple back then.

He slowly ascended more steps up to the second floor of his house, eyes shifting from picture to picture.

Most of the photos were of his kids (He couldn't help but notice the abundance of pictures dedicated to Runa and Haruki) And there was definitely a considerable amount of pictures featuring the boys as well.

Before he could stop and stare at yet another photograph however, Runa shifted a bit in his arms; to which he froze and looked down at her in a state of subtle panic.

As panicked as a man like Sasuke could look, if anything his eyes just widened the slightest bit-

"Dad?" Runa's softly voiced out, eyes fluttering open slowly as she lulled back and forth between being asleep and being awake.

Sasuke, at this point, was in a full state of internal panic. (Now his eyes were widened even a bit more, although to the average person his expression could hardly be considered the face of a panicked man)

Sasuke was quick in finding his way to her room before she could even blink once more, taking her by surprise when they both suddenly appeared in the center of her bedroom.

"Hey, everything's alright just go back to sleep." Sasuke sighed, looking down at Runa to meet her squinted gaze. She didn't look mad or upset, just really confused and disoriented.

"But we wanted to see you when you came home." She whispered groggily, eyes still spending more time closed than opened at this point.

Sasuke sighed lightly and gently rested her down on her (Very comfortable looking) Bed.

"It's late right now, you and Haruki need rest." He claimed, watching as a little pout tugged at her lips. "Will you be home when I wake up?"

He paused a bit at that, a sudden wave of guilt running through his chest when he noticed the hopeful look in her eye.

He knew it must've been tough on the girls not having him around, but he genuinely thought he was doing the right thing by going on this mission.

And although in reality, he really was doing the right thing, he hurt his daughters in the process.

He always thought that since the girls had Haru that she'd be enough but, it's becoming achingly clear that this wasn't the case.

"Yeah, I'll be here." That was all she needed to hear before letting her eyes finally droop closed, submitting her body to the sleep that was calling out her name.

Runa got under her covers and nuzzled into her soft sheets and pillows, sighing happily in her newfound comfort knowing that her father was there.

Sasuke looked down at her with a small smile, and reached down with his free hand to brush her bangs away from her closed eyelids.

Her eyelashes rested against her high cheekbones naturally, Sasuke couldn't help but notice that she even slept the same way his mom, Mikoto would.

Sasuke wasn't blind by any means, he knew Runa looked just like him, and consequently just like his mother. However, maybe it was because he just loved seeing all of Haru's traits in his kids that he could make out all of the tiny similarities between the mother daughter duo.

Sasuke eventually separated from Runa, knowing that he still had one sleeping daughter to transport back into her own bed.

When the Uchiha went downstairs to pick up Haruki, he almost let out a small laugh at the sight of her. Unlike Runa who was curled up in a little ball, Haruki had fallen asleep in a much more unique pose.

Her legs were leaning upwards on the backrests of the couch, and she was upside down because of it. How did she manage to actually doze off in this position? He had no clue.

Regardless of how Haruki ended up this way, Sasuke picked her up just as carefully as he did with Runa, noting how her white hair fanned out all around her in big curls and waves.

Luckily, Haruki showed zero signs of waking up like her sister did, and Sasuke noted how it was probably because of how tired she must've been from today's events.

He was so careful in scooping her up in his arms that he didn't even realize he wasn't breathing until he reached the staircase that led to her room. He was a bit quicker this time around in comparison to when he carried Runa in fear of waking her up somehow.

He succeeded in keeping her asleep, and almost chuckled at the sight of her room decor once he opened the door.

He didn't expect anything else.

Her room literally looked like it belonged in a castle rather than the traditional style Uchiha household much to Sasuke's own amusement. He walked over to the center of the room where her bed was located, stepping through her fluffy white rug to reach her sleeping place.

He then froze, immediately recognizing the stuffed toy she had carefully perched in the middle of all of her pillows.

The toy was worn out, a little rough around the edges, and has clearly gone through ages of play-time and pretend tea parties, but it was still front and center on her bed nonetheless.

Haru told him multiple times via letters that Haruki was attached to the teddy bear he had gotten her as a baby, and whatever twinge of doubt Sasuke had completely washed away at the sight before him.

Sasuke's gaze softened as he slowly let Haruki down on the bed, only to feel his heart lurch at the sight of her naturally reaching over for the teddy bear that was neatly perched in between the rest of her pillows.

He couldn't help but linger for a few moments, eyes trailing along the walls of her room before letting them fall on her once more.

He was happy to see her, he really was. His heart swelled with pride and love whenever any of his kids were around, but he couldn't help but feel a looming sense of failure deep within himself.

He's failed her as a father, and as a ninja.

He didn't know how long he stood there for, regrets piling up on his consciousness the longer he watched her. It was when she twisted around a bit (Teddy bear still clutched tightly to her chest) that Sasuke felt as though it was his time to let her be.

He turned his back to her, and with one last glance, strolled out of the bedroom.

He then trailed through the second floor hallway to Daisuke's room with a raised brow, expecting to find Haru there. His suspicions were right, despite having spent time with both girls individually, Haru had him beat with how long it took her to put a kid to bed.

Daisuke was already asleep from what Sasuke could tell.

Daisuke was one of the kids who inherited Haru's incredible (and mildly concerning) sleep schedule, so it didn't surprise the Uchiha one bit to see his son knocked out asleep.

A smile tugged at his lips and he backed away from the doorframe, opting to take a quick shower and freshen up so that the mother-son duo would have a bit more alone time.

He wasn't surprised once he returned however, already expecting to see Haru in the same seated position as before. She'd sit there forever if she was allowed!

••Haru's POV••

He's asleep, I know that, but I can't stop myself from tracing the tip of my finger along Daisuke's little facial features. He's honestly as cute as a button, with perfectly smooth skin and a bone structure to die for, he has the face of a doll!

His eyes were closed, showcasing his thick and naturally long lashes that rested upon the heights of his cheekbones.

Hehe, and I made him!

I watch him fondly as his chest rises and falls with every sleepy breath he took. Getting him in bed was easy, Daisuke is a fellow lover of nap time and nighttime like I am but separating from him was a whole other ordeal.

Since he was cuddled up to me as I carried him, he whined a bit once I pulled away to let him get comfortable in bed on his own. So I had to resort to sitting on his bedside until he rendered himself into a deeper sleep.

As I trace over his face fondly, I catch a peek of the bandages covering his chest from beneath his pajama shirt. I naturally frown a bit, shoulders slumping at the sight.

He was so little, he didn't deserve any of this at all. If only I could take away all of his pain, deal with it myself so that he wouldn't live with such burdens.

I sigh, retracing today's events in my own mind.

Seeing Daisuke's natural eyes, his eyes without all of that chakra stored into them tugged all of my heartstrings.

He has such pretty blue eyes! And he looked like a puppy!

Of course he's beautiful with or without his rinnegan, but seeing him without all of that chakra pressure accumulated in his eyes for the first time was something I'd never forget.

His big sparkly blue eyes, the same ones my father had. Hehe I guess Sasuke made a good call in naming Daisuke after him!

Ah I always wanted them growing up! At least one of my babies had the luck of inheriting them, I'm gonna have to deal with Shinji's teasing though, hmph.

He was so weak and fragile when I saw him in Shin's hideout, I'll never forget the look on his face when I first laid my eyes on him in the grasp of those little demons-

No, it's fine, they were children as well.... The rage I had in me in that moment was blind to age though-

"How're you feeling?" I jump up a bit at the sound of Sasuke's voice, and slightly twist around to face him. He's leaning on the doorway, watching Daisuke and I with that familiar but sadly rare look of softness in his eyes.

"You scared me! Don't just appear out of nowhere like that!" I scold lightheartedly, smiling when he rolls his eyes at me.

I outstretch my hand and wave him over, wordlessly gesturing that he comes closer.

Sasuke agrees and walks over to us, cloak long gone as he's washed up and changed into a more casual set of clothes.

He doesn't sit on the side of the bed with me. Instead, he remains standing with his dark eyes trained on his son who he hadn't seen since the boy was merely two years old.

"Isn't he the cutest?" I smiled, looking up at Sasuke expectantly once he stood by my side to gaze down at him.

His eyes softened immensely, eyes tracing over his sons features that had changed over the process of him simply growing up.

"He looks like you." Sasuke noted, and it was very true. Just like Haruki and maybe even Masahiko, Daisuke's bone structure was very reminiscent of me when I was his age

Or so I've heard from anybody who knew me when I was small.

Of course, his black hair and purple ringed eyes weren't traits he received from me, but anyone who really knew me well enough could easily look past those features to pinpoint just how much he looked like me.

Sasuke honestly liked the fact that Daisuke took after me, it just made Daisuke that much more adorable- (Though he'd never tell me that, I wouldn't let him hear the end of it, ever.)

"That's your way of calling him cute right?" I asked teasingly, smiling up at him.

"Yeah, I guess it is." He mused in his own way before rolling his eyes at the stupid grin that formed on my lips.

"He looks up to you a lot, and Katsuro too since he knows you two are so strong." I claimed with a small smile.

"I haven't been there for him." Sasuke claimed rather regretfully, showing me a side of him that was so rare to those who knew him.

"No, you haven't been there. But that hasn't taken away any of the love he has for you." I replied, frowning at the way Sasuke tore his gaze away from me.

He didn't believe me, honestly thinking that I was only telling him this to make him feel a little better about his absence in the family.

"Seriously! he always brings you up whenever he wants to train. Says he wants to be strong like you. His older brothers too, but you're just a little extra cooler to him I think." I giggle, grabbing his hand and tugging him closer to us.

At his silence, I go back to looking at Daisuke.

"He's gonna have a tough time learning how to do things without his rinnegan." I murmur, tracing the contours of his cute face.

"What are you thinking about doing now?" Sasuke asked, looking at me curiously.

"Me? More like we. You're his father Sasuke, I'm not a single parent and neither are you, it's time we start making decisions together again." I say, blinking up at him expectantly.

He stares at me for a moment, and I stare right back as I slyly admire his perfectly sculpted face. Luckily, he doesn't realize that I'm blatantly ogling at him and mistakes my heart eyes for expectancy.

"'I'll be back home more often." He admits with a small sigh.

"It's not fair to the girls or Daisuke that I'm always away. And it isn't fair to you either."

Huh, him having that little one on one with the girls must've changed something in him.

"Hey don't beat yourself up, you weren't just eating shit and going on vacation without us. You were fighting alien freaks on other planets to find a cure for Haruki." I say in a feeble attempt to ease his worries.

"Well, I could do that and be around at least a little more often."

"Yeah, I think you can." I chuckle, shaking my head at him.

Sasuke's silent for a short while, and I start wondering if he's gonna respond at all. After a short while of peaceful quiet, he speaks once more.

"Daisuke wants to be a ninja right? He's always trying to train?" He asks. I nod slowly, raising a brow at him.

"Yeah, what are you getting at?"

"I want to train him myself."

My eyes widen exponentially, blinking up at him in surprise.

"I mean- that'd be great since you're the only one who could train him properly with the rinnegan and all that. And I wasn't kidding when I said he looked up to you. But-" I stop myself, looking down at Daisuke worridley.

"He can't travel with you, not anytime soon. I know you'd take good care of him but he has a lot of training and healing to do before I'd be comfortable with him being away." I admit with a frown.

Sasuke's hand on my shoulder takes me by surprise, and I look up at him once more. "That's fine, I'll just train him whenever I'm home. Runa as well." Sasuke claimed.

My eyes lower at the mention of Runa.

God, why has my entire life with her just felt like one big fuck up?

"How do I fix things? I know you're gonna be around more and that'll be help but what if I permanently fucked her up?! I don't want her to have mommy issues, I have them and look at how I turned out-"

"You turned out perfectly fine for everything you've been through. And as long as the girls have you in their lives, they'll be okay too." Sasuke said, shutting me up mid-rant.

"You really mean that?" I ask, looking up at him hopefully.

"I know it, tomorrow's a new day and we'll deal with everyone's problems then. Right now let's just get our own sleep."

I sigh, nodding along. He's right, I haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks because of Masahiko's old issue! And as much as I'd like to deny it, fighting today for the first time in over ten years really tired me out.

I turn back to Daisuke and brush his hair away from his face one last time before opting to stand up and finally leave him alone in his bed.

"I hope he sleeps well." I murmur, pouting a bit as I take Sasuke's hand in my own.

Sasuke doesn't respond, instead following after me in the direction of our bedroom.

"Shit I gotta take a shower." I grumble to myself, flinging our shared bedroom doors open with a sigh. Sasuke's eyes pan around the room, recognizing the small changes I've made throughout the years.

I don't really give him the time to stop and stare though, since it suddenly occurs to me that this is our first night home together. In seven years.

A devious smirk appears on my face. About that lingerie from earlier today....

I whirl around and place a hand on his chest, smiling up at him innocently. He knew better though, he knew damn well what the glint in my eyes meant.

"Hey why don't you let me freshen up a bit? Get some rest!" I offer excitedly, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of his lips and scurrying to my bathroom that's connected to my own walk in closet.

Hehe time to look for that outfit!

••Third Person POV, the Next Day••

From the day he was born and throughout his thirty-three years alive, Sasuke Uchiha has always been an alarmingly light sleeper. Today is no exception.

It was around seven in the morning that Sasuke awoke to the sounds of a doorknob twisting and turning as quietly as possible.

His arms were wrapped tightly around Haru, and her bare back was pressed up against his torso as she slept as peacefully as ever.

None of this really surprised Sasuke at all.

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed at the door, sharingan flashing brightly amidst the bedroom darkness as he assessed the situation at hand.

Huh? Runa?

Once he realized it was his daughter who was standing on the other side of it. Well, whatever it was that she wanted, he'd have to get the room ready, and quick.

He had zero hesitation in lifting up Haru, knowing damn well she could sleep through a tornado with ease and that a bit of up and downs wouldn't wake her up in the slightest.

Of course, he took a moment to appreciate her beauty. Her bare chest slowly falling and rising with every breath she took, her clear skin glowing from the moonlight bouncing its rays off of her, and her pearly white hair flowing downwards in silky locks.

Ah, and she was all his. Life was truly good to him sometimes.

The thoughts were fleeting of course, since he knew his daughter was still on the other side of the door for whatever reason. He let Haru rest on the couch they had lining one of their bedroom walls, using the furniture to his advantage so he could sit her up and clothe her.

It still managed to amaze him after all of these years, how immersed in sleep Haru would let herself become sometimes. He's pulling her arms through sleeves and slipping her into undergarments and shorts, how hasn't she budged at all?

He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, it's not like this was new at all.

He's changed her and carried her around after their nights together probably hundreds of times, but he could just never get over how un-alert she truly was.

Damn....Would she sleep like this during missions when they were younger? That's so dangerous-

"Mom?" Sasuke heard Runa's voice softly call out from the other side of the door, snapping him out of his thoughts. His eyes widened the slightest bit, what did she need?

With Haru officially appropriately clothed, Sasuke was quick to rip off their bedsheets and toss them in a laundry basket inside of their shared bathroom.

A very necessary act considering what went down hours ago.

He then made his way over to the door, opening it with raised brows. Before him stood Runa who's eyes were a puffy red showing signs of having recently cried.

"Oh-I forgot you were here." She murmured with pinkened cheeks, rubbing her eyes and stepping back. Sasuke's eyes softened, leaning against his door frame as he looked down at her.

She was still a bit disoriented from waking up so early and stumbling over to her parents bedroom, Sasuke noted.  "Runa, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday."

She seemed to wake up a bit at that, looking up at him curiously. "I'm sorry for everything, you never deserved to be pushed aside like that. I-" He paused, finding the correct way to convey his emotions.

It was hard for him, Runa could tell. "Your mother and I love you more than anything, and we didn't show you that." The words fell from his lips quietly, but confidently.

Runa blinked at him in surprise. She honestly never expected to hear those words from her father of all people. Not because she thought he hated her, but more like she thought he just didn't have it in him to voice his feelings out like that.

She bowed her head sheepishly, playing with the ends of her hair as she thought over her fathers words. "It's okay dad...I love you too." She admitted sheepishly.

Since she didn't look up, she didn't see the small smile that tugged at the corner of her fathers lips. He didn't want to push any sort of interaction between them, so instead he stepped aside.

"You wanted to see Haru right? Come inside."

She glanced up at him in surprise before rubbing at her eyes and shrugging to herself.

It was wayy too early for critical thinking in her books!

So she wandered into the familiar bedroom. If she was confused about the lack of sheets on the bed and Haru laying down on the sofa, she didn't mention it.

Instead, she went straight for the sofa and crawled next to Haru's side. Sasuke watched quietly as Runa twisted around and cuddled up to Haru's side, letting her eyes droop a bit once she found comfort.

He watched them for a few moments, heart growing fonder and fonder at the sight of Haru naturally holding onto Runa protectively even in her sleep. He sighed lightly to himself before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

It'd be best if he left them to fix things themselves.

••Haru's POV••

My eyes slowly flutter open, and although I expect to see the absolutely beautiful sight of my husband's bare chest right next to mine, I'm instead given the sight of my little Runa snuggled up into my side.

And we're on the couch?

I gawk at her, wondering if I was just dreaming up this scenario or not.

Whoah whoah whoah.....How the hell did I go from naked and with Sasuke to this?!

Runa's in a deep sleep, clinging onto my arm and using it as a pillow. I hurriedly glanced at myself since I knew damn well I did not dress myself back up after my night with Sasuke, only to find that I'm indeed changed.

And the sheets are changed?!

Currently donning one of Sasuke's huge shirts and a pair of small shorts, question marks float above my head.

Did I just sleep walk in the middle of the night and change into this?

"I changed the sheets. And you." Sasuke's voice sounded, spooking me out of my sleep hazed thoughts.

My eyes widened at the sight of him all dressed up and ready for the day, standing in the doorframe of our master bedroom as he watched my reaction.

"What? how?!" I whisper yell in hopes of not waking up Runa who looks extremely comfortable.

"You're a heavy sleeper." He didn't explain much else, walking over to me and landing a kiss on my forehead before walking off and out of the room.

I blink in surprise before slowly turning back to Runa who was still holding onto my arm. My expression softens as I look down at her and I gently use my free hand to run a hand through her hair.

She doesn't react at all, still very much asleep. 

"Runa?" I ask, using the tips of my fingers to softly trace over her pretty features. For a couple of seconds she remains as still as a stone, still completely dozed away.

However, It didn't take long until she was fluttering her striking eyes open and looking up at me in surprise. "Mom!" She squeaked out, blushing brightly and sitting up quickly.

My eyebrows rise to my hairline as I watch her fumble around and fix up her hair. Uh- What is she going through?!

It is way too early to be acting so crazy! For either one of us!

"I'm sorry about yesterday." She mumbled guiltily, bowing her head at me in shame.

Oh.

I instantly frowned, bringing her into a tight hug.

"You didn't do anything wrong- well, leaving the village like that was pretty bad hehe. But I don't blame you for any of it, you were confused and anxious, I would've done the same thing if I were your age."

"R-really?" She sniffled, looking up at me through her thick lashes. Oh my god has she been crying?!

Fuck fuck fuck I'm 100% giving her mommy issues!

Despite my internal worries for her, I can't help but laugh, knowing that if I were the one in her position at that age, I probably would've done something a little worse...

"Seriously, if anything I'm the one who's sorry. I haven't been the mom I wanted to be for you." My words are genuine, and I could only hope that they get through to her.

"N-no you are a good mom. I was just insecure." She whispered the last part before trailing off, not knowing how to open up properly.

A frown tugs at my lips.

Insecure?

"What do you mean by that?" I question, raising a brow at her. She stays silent for a few moments, wondering whether or not she should divulge her feelings to me.

I give her the time to think to herself, not wanting to push her into saying anything she didn't want to say.

"I've always wanted to be like you." She suddenly admits, a small blush coating her cheeks. My eyes widened as I looked down at her, but before I could say anything, she continued to talk.

"But I'm not, we aren't very alike at all. And Haruki is just like you, everybody always says so. Sometimes I feel like Haruki is your daughter, and I'm just her sister." She admitted, her eyes directed firmly to her lap as she analyzed her nails, doing anything in her power to try and distract herself.

"Which is ridiculous! Last night while you were at the hospital with Daisuke, I got a letter from Suigetsu explaining his mistake at the DNA lab so...I know you're really my mom. I should've never doubted you." She muttered guiltily.

I sigh lightly, letting my hand glide through her silky hair one last time before taking a hold of her chin and tilting her head up so that she'd look at me.

"Runa, the villagers who have made you feel that way in the first place are all idiots." I blandly state. Her eyes widen at my blunt tone, and although I find her little face to be the most amusing thing ever, I let myself go on.

"Those people don't know me or our family at all, they just know that we're related to the founding hokages and treat us differently because of it. But they don't know anything. Anybody who's close to us would know that you're just like me." I claim, smiling a bit at her thoughtful gaze.

We have the same hard head, that's for sure.

"You don't have to be my clone to be my daughter, hell, you don't have to act like me either. You're perfect the way you are, and you're my daughter just like Haruki is. There's nobody that could take that away from you."

I could only hope that I can get through to her this way. The fact that she ever felt like that in the first place has my heart plummeting to the pit of my stomach. How do I deal with something like this?! How do I fix this?!

Being a mom is so scary sometimes, how did Mikoto ever do it? How would my mom have done it?

I wish I could ask them, I really do.

I often find myself wishing they were both here, still breathing the same air as me so that they could just guide me in the right direction. And it's always for the tiniest, most insignificant things too.

Like all the times Katsuro would catch colds during the winter when he was little. I had not a single clue when it came to dealing with it!

God I was helpless! when I was little and had colds, there was nobody really there to pick me up and feed me medicine or help me get through it!

By the time Mikoto took me in, I was already a little older and hadn't really gotten sick, so I never saw how she dealt with it!

Or Masahiko whenever he'd cry during the nighttime. I don't know how many times Sasuke walked in on me crying right next to baby Masahiko on the floor or his nursery because I just didn't know how to calm him down.

By the time Runa and Haruki came around, I was far more experienced, but still.

Life would've been so much nicer with Mikoto and my mom....

"You're everything I could've asked for in a daughter, you and your sister both. Do you know how badly I wanted a little girl?

When I found out I was having you I was so excited, and didn't even get me started when I found out Haruki was hiding right behind you." I chuckle, remembering my reaction to being pregnant with twins.

I was positive my body would never recover!

Runa smiles a bit at that looking down at her lap as she took everything in. "I'm not a perfect mom and I know that, but I want to be the best for you. And I'm really sorry I wasn't." I apologize again with a sad smile, tearing up a bit myself.

She didn't notice my tears, thank god, as her head was resting on my shoulder and she was staring down at our laps.

"You know, when I was little your grandma would always comfort me like this." I muse, continuing to stroke my fingers through her long dark locks.

She stays silent, listening to my story carefully.

"She was so amazing Runa, so pretty and smart. And so kind too, she was everything to me."

"Dad's mom?" Runa softly questioned, cheek still smushed against my shoulder as she spoke.

I nodded, busying myself with her hair as I spoke. "Yeah, she was one of my mom's best friends." I hum rubbing my hand up and down her arm comfortingly.

"And even your dad told me how much he thought you looked like her, and he was proud. So am I, you're perfect to me! You remind me so much of her and it warms my heart every time I think about it." I admit through an honest smile.

"Dad was proud?" She mumbled out the question, to which I immediately nodded. "Hell yeah! You look just like him, of course he's gonna be proud!" I laugh, ruffling her hair lovingly.

She blushes at the comment, turning away from me in a weak attempt to hide it. I decide to lend my mercy to her (Teasing could always come another time!)

"Alright, I'll go make breakfast and call you down when it's done. Take a nap or something, the sheets are fresh and clean!" I chuckle, picking my hair up in a loose bun.

"Yeah that's weird, why'd you guys change the sheets?" She asked innocently, blinking up at me as I got up and adjusted Sasuke's shirt on my body.

I paused, turning to her awkwardly. "I....spilled wine on the old sheets."

"At seven in the morning?!"

"Don't judge!" I scoff, flicking her forehead and smirking once her attention turns to the sting rather than the suspicious sheet changing and 'wine' scenario.

I go to stand up once my massive bulk of hair has been successfully tamed, only to gasp out in shock when my legs quite literally give up on me. They feel like jelly!

Now dramatically sprawled up on the floor, I stare up at the ceiling in disbelief...

Last night When Sasuke told me I wouldn't be able to walk in the morning, I didn't think he was being serious!!

I should've known! Last night he was insane! The red lingerie definitely did something to him--

"Mom?!" Runa squeaks out, standing up from the couch and hurrying over to me in a panic. "Oh hehe silly me! I'm so clumsy!" I exclaim with a strained smile, wincing as I sit up and slowly stand up to my full height.

God I'm so fucking sore--

"Wait mom! I think I see something on your neck." Runa frowns, leaning towards me with narrowed eyes amidst her worry.

I immediately slap both of my hands over my neck and smile nervously "Really?! That's funny hehe maybe you're just seeing things!"

"No, I'm sure I saw marks! Almost like someone was holding your neck!" She exclaimed innocently with concern. My eye literally twitches as I try to maintain my smile.

I'm going to kill Sasuke!

Whirling around before she could try to investigate any further, I go to the mirror (Trying to walk as normally as possible) and hesitantly uncover my neck.

Oh. My. God......

I'm gonna have to cover my neck in makeup for weeks!

Lost in the way my chest and neck area looks (Luckily, Runa hadn't noticed the hickies trailing down beneath my shirt) I don't realize that Runa's gotten up from bed and followed me to the mirror.

"Did someone try choking you?!" I hear her screech from behind me, pointing at my uncovered neck in a newfound panic.

I blink at her dumbly.

Well, yes, but not in any way you should know about.

"Y-yeah! I think yesterday when I was fighting that Shin guy managed to grab my throat or something and it bruised." I claim, waving off her worries with a strained smile.

She nods in understanding much to my relief, I wouldn't know how to act if she suspected Sasuke was the reason for these markings. Scream? Cry? Run away from the home until further notice? Probably all three hehe

"Damn and you don't really bruise that easily mom, Shin must've grabbed you really hard." Runa mumbled in concern. I choke out a cough and wave my arms around in denial.

Oh god I really hope she doesn't remember this when she's older

Luckily, the topic is eventually let go...For now.

"Is dad staying home today? Or is he leaving again?" She asked as I left my mirror to freshen up in the bathroom. She took my place, sitting down on the wooden floors and fixing up her dark silky locks.

"Oh he's staying! He might have to leave again tomorrow, but he'll be coming back way more often!" I respond from behind the bathroom door, turning on my sink to brush my teeth and wash my face.

....And put on concealer.

Runa didn't respond, thinking to herself as she used her fingers to brush through her own hair. I on the other hand-

Well I'm struggling.

WHY and HOW do I have markings all up on my thighs?! It's a miracle Runa didn't notice them holy shit!

Once I'm done with the professional cover up job, I walk out of the bathroom and smile at the sight of Runa already laying down on my bed, appreciating the new sheets and magnitude of soft pillows.

"I'm gonna take a nap." She claimed, already turning over on her stomach to get even more comfortable than she already was.

I could leave her in peace, but of course, since she's my daughter it's only right that I tease her just a little!

"Alright, I'll call you downstairs later for breakfast. Remember I love youu!" I sing-song, teasing her with a big smooch on the side of her forehead. As her mother it's in my rights to embarrass her just a little hehe!

"I love you too mom." She groans, looking away from me with a blush.

I can't help but smile at her, everything is starting to fall right back into place.

••••••••

✨Hellooo my lovely readers! Let me know what you thought of this chap!

✨There's so much to go over, what was your favorite part of this chapter?

✨How did you feel about Luna, Isao, and Yuudai seeing Daisuke?

✨Omg how did you guys feel about Runa and the DNA test? Poor baby girl was going through it, thoughts on how she reacted?

✨Did you catch how Runa was thinking about Boruto? Opinions? 👀

✨Lmao how did you feel about all of the Shinji and Haru moments in this chap?

✨Omg, what do you guys think about the progression of Sasuke and Runa's relationship?

✨Aw omg and Runa's flashback with Haru! What were your opinions?

✨What did you guys think about Daisuke Shin and Haru?

✨Haru and Shinji teamwork is back ahh! I've missed Haru showing off fdjkndmsk

✨And Omg, Runa's new power revealed! She unlocked crystal style! Do you think she'll be able to use it efficiently? Or was it a one time thing?

✨Omggg what'd you think about SasuHaru this chap? They're so in love ♡

✨Would you like to see more of Sasuharu? More of Haru's POV? Let me know!

✨And What'd you think about Haru and Runa at the end there? They're so cute lmao

✨Finally they're bonding! Thoughts and opinions?

✨And omg, now that Runa and Haru are getting better, what on earth could be the conflict between Haruki and Runa in the future? And predictions?

✨Also, Haru finds out about how Sasuke treated Runa next chap, how do you think she's gonna react?! LMAO

🌟As always I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Tysm for reading and I hope to see you all next chap!!