Broken Hearts, Shattered Dreams

[11]

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and Naruto soon would have to go to his new kingdom. None of his friends and family were looking forward to this event as he would have to leave and not be home except for the weekends or if it was an emergency. Naruto too, was troubled by this. He thought of his poor son, who had just now got his mother back, only to lose his father for significant amounts of time. The boy was tough though, he'd pull through. He was his father's son after all.

Ino was not taking their last full days together very well though. She loved every minute they spent together, true, but she couldn't help but feel dejected. She wanted to rule by Naruto's side, be his queen, but she knew that Hikaru needed guidance and the children had to be protected. Sakura was strong but she couldn't protect them like Ino could. Sasuke was sure to try to take his revenge one day and Naruto couldn't be around all the time. Despite Hikaru warming back up to Sakura, Ino was still his mother, she was the one he ran to when he had a problem. Truth be told, he would probably always resent Sakura a little bit, but he would one day trust her fully again. Time heals all wounds and all that.

Naruto was both psyched and downtrodden at the same time. He was excited to see his kingdom, even though he had no idea what to expect. Maybe one day he could take Ino to their new home, probably once Hikaru was grown and could protect himself. He frowned to himself. His son was mortal. He was immortal. He and Ino would have a long life while his first child would die before him. Nothing saddens a parent more than knowing that their child will pass on before them. Ridding his mind of such troubling thoughts, he turned to more pleasant things. He smiled as he thought of his friend Lee, the new Toad Yonnin. Lee deserved it so much, more than anyone.

Sakura had come to live on the Uzumaki estates with her children. He tried to be objective about this. He didn't really want to have Sakura around, but after Sasuke's little display at the wedding, he couldn't leave her or her innocent children with that monster. Juugo and Karin it seemed, loved their new home. They were able to act like children here, not mindless Uchiha drones, and they absolutely loved Hikaru. Having an older brother was such a novel idea to them. Hikaru loved having younger siblings, they seemed to hang on his every word and action. Annoying at times, how they idolized him, but it was no different than how Konohamaru used to idolize him.

He was so lost in thought, reminiscing about the past and thinking toward the future, that he didn't hear his wife slip in the room or feel her climb onto the bed until her arms were around his neck and her tail wrapped around his. She pressed herself into his back and sighed, feeling the ever-present warmth that seemed to radiate from him. If she was ever lost in a blizzard with him, she'd never die of frostbite. She nipped at his ear with her fangs and bent to whisper in his ear.

"Let's take a walk dear. You need to clear your head and we need some time alone. Let Sakura watch the children. You and I need to talk."

He nodded and took her by the hand, leaving to find Sakura. They found her and the kids out back, the ever stoic Genmaki watching while he half dozed and Sakura sat against the side of the house on the grass. Hikaru, to Naruto's surprise and fatherly pride, was teaching Juugo and Karin his vulpine taijutsu. Having no natural affinity for bestial nature, the two small children were more rolling around than running on all fours, but it was entertaining to watch. Hikaru would demonstrate with no flaws since he was very proficient in this style, but Juugo and Karin, having been trained in the Uchiha style since they could walk, were too inflexible for it. Although, watching Juugo try to run with his ass in the air because he wasn't flexible enough to bend his legs properly made even Genmaki chuckle. This was what the children needed though, they needed each other. Sakura finally seemed to notice the two demons standing by her and she smiled up at them.

"Hey. What are you two doing out here?"

Ino returned the smile and looked back at the children.

"We're going for a walk and wanted to let you know. We'll be back later on, so if you want to take the kids for lunch, there's money on the counter. Tonight, I'm going to make Naruto whip up some of his barbeque and try a recipe that he learned when he got the old Kyuubi's knowledge."