Naruto: Legacy Undone

The man paused at the doorway before he finally entered, almost hesitant. "We...did not know you were returning."

"Koutou-sama gave no announcement." She offered by way of explanation.

The man nodded. "It is...good to see you home again. Sasuke will be overjoyed to see you."

"I've missed him." She confessed.

If he noticed the fact that he was not included he gave no indication as he took his place at the head of the table. Reaching for the steaming pot of jasmine tea that had been simmering in front of Itachi when she arrived. "How...was your time abroad?" He asked, fishing for small talk as he served himself.

"Productive." She answered curtly. "I learned much. Naruto-kun learned even more."

She caught the look he offered out of the corner of her eye.

"There was no warning before you left. One day you were here, the next night you were gone."

"It was best to keep my leaving a secret." She looked at him. "For security reasons..."

He trailed a thumb over the rim of his cup. "Much has changed..."

"Has it?"

His lips thinned, eyes narrowing.

There was a tense silence between father and daughter, thick with unspoken sentiment.

She took another sip of her tea. "I didn't think so."

She placed the cup into its proper place, stood and left the room.

-0-

The door flew open and cracked against the wall, an irritated looking blonde standing there.

"Rochi!" Akane screamed, delighted as she ran into the home where a pale snake sannin smiled a wide, fanged smirk as he knelt down to pick her up as she came close.

"There's my little morsel." He chuckled low in his throat as he lifted her, Tsunade stepping into her own home.

"This is breaking and entering you inconsiderate mother fff-" Dan's hand was suddenly clamped around her mouth, choking down the word. Their precious, innocent daughter was very much in earshot after all.

Behind him there was a loud bang as Kyofu slipped off the stool she'd been sitting on, startled expression turning to the back of her sensei's head. "You said she invited us here for a celebration!"

Ryoko was looking at the tea she'd been drinking and wondering if it would be better to apologize profusely or just dump it all on Orochimaru's lap and call it even...

"Oh she did." The serpent drawled, before tilting his head in a very serpentine manner to look behind the blonde woman and her husband. "Its not every-day little Naruto-chan comes home after all. It calls for a celebration!"

The steaming pot Ryoko had been about to chuck at the back of her sensei's head, slipped from her grip and landed on the counter with a clatter. "Say what now?"

The blond chose that moment to step into the house, bags in hand with Shizune following. "Hey what's wro-" He blinked. Then waved and smiled. "Hi guys!"

-0-

The door slid open with a crack slamming against the wall at the end of its railings.

Itachi smiled

The cry of her name was just a second earlier than the massive hug that knocked her from her sitting position to land flat on her back, Sasuke's face pressed into the crook of her neck.

She laughed and smiled, genuinely, since she first stepped foot in here.

"You're back! You're back!" Sasuke repeated hugging her tighter.

She craned her head down, kissing the top of his head, her hair tickling her nose. "So I am."

She held him close for a few more seconds. "They tell me you're about to graduate the academy."

He pulled away, smirking in a way that was far too like their father for her liking. "Yeah. Rookie of the year too!" He gloated.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, shifting her position to reach her feet. "So you think you're good enough to throw a kunai straight now?"

He blinked for a moment before narrowing his eyes and smirking. "You were supposed to practice with me!"

She chuckled.

His smile turned mischevous. "To make up for it you'll have to teach me one of your Jutsu!"

Her smile was gentle.

She could have survived his hate. She could have shouldered the burden of it for the rest of her days.

She was so grateful she didn't have to though. "As long as you teach me what you've learned since I've been gone. I'll show you as many jutsu as you want Sasu-chan"

He glared.

She laughed.

-0-

Kotaro was not an imposing young man, even though the armor added to his shoulders and chest, at five seven there was simply little that could make him physically overwhelming as far as intimidation went.

That's not to say however, that the Daimyo's nephew didn't command presence. He strode into the Court as though the palace was his own, and many a servant and nobleman scampered clear of his path as he shot across the room like an arrow head aimed at his cousin.

Kurotsuchi watched him approach, struggling to keep the displeasure from her gaze.

Out of the Daimyo's entire family, she mistrusted him the most.

"Cousin!" Takechio cried, smiling as he stood. Kotaro knelt as his cousin and the heir to the country descended the stairs to approach.

"Takechio-sama I have-"

"How many times must I tell you. We're family cousin. Stand up." Takechio demanded, reaching down to pull Kotaro to his feet.

"At least once more." The shorter man responded blandly, returning Takechio's disgruntled frown with a deadpan stare.

"Your sense of formality will see your hair grow grey before its time." Seeing no real response or riposte forthcoming Takechio sighed, quickly being reminded why his cousin's visits usually turned out to be such boring things. "I take it there is buisness you'd rather discuss in private."

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