"Troublesome," Shikamaru said when he's third attempt at knocking was interrupted by Naruto storming out of the door.
"What's up?" Naruto asked.
"Kurenai-sensei is in the hospital, it's time," Shikamaru explained. He then felt Naruto grab onto his shoulder and instantly found himself in front of the hospital. "That was weird," the Nara said. Naruto rolled his eyes at his friend as the two raced to the maternity ward. Upon arrival Naruto noticed he was the last one there and was thankful he'd managed to make it back today. Team Asuma, Shino, Hiruzen and Anko had taken seats in the waiting room and Naruto grabbed an empty one by the Aburame.
"Naruto," Shino greeted.
"Shino," he greeted back. After that, Naruto couldn't really recall too much about any other conversations as they all waited for news. He wondered how Asuma was managing and if he'd be a good, supportive partner for Orochi-chan. As he sat in the waiting room, much of pending changes to his life were starting to feel more real. He was going to be a husband and a father soon. He wasn't scared, which surprised him. Not that he felt ready but he had so many people to lean on for support that he was confident he could manage.
A little over an hour later and Asuma returned to the waiting room to announce the arrival of Mirai Sarutobi. It was another twenty minutes before the young men of Team Kurenai were allowed to see their sensei and her new born. As they were ushered into the room, setting eyes on a clearly tired and elated Kurenai holding onto her little girl, it was Shino that spoke what they all noticed.
"She bears a striking resemblance to you, Sensei."
"I suppose so but I see a lot of Asuma in her, too," Kurenai replied softly. "I'm glad all three of you could be here for this new addition to our family. When I see the three of you, there are so many characteristics of yourselves I hope you can impart on Mirai-chan. Asuma and I debated back and forth but I couldn't pick between you three so I hope you'd be fine splitting duties as Mirai's godfathers."
"Of course, Sensei" Naruto answered with a beaming smile.
"It would only be right," Shino said.
"It wouldn't be troublesome," Shikamaru agreed.
"Excellent. I know with the three of you helping to watch over her she'll be a very happy and well protected little girl."
"Yea, we'll have her whipping S-rank genjutsu before she leaves the academy."
"Uzumaki Naruto, you will not teach Mirai-chan any S-rank techniques before she becomes a Chunin, do you understand me?"
"What if it's a light S-rank? Like barely S-rank?"
"Do. You. Under. Stand. Me?"
"Yes, sensei," he replied as his two teammates laughed at him.
"Don't you two laugh, I expect restraint from each of you as well. No advanced tracking and assassination techniques, Shino."
"But they will be incredibly useful, why?"
"Don't care, wait until she's out of the academy. And Shikamaru?"
"What could I possibly do?"
"Oh, I see how you manipulated Choji and Ino to get them into shape. No neuro linguistic programming until I say otherwise."
"What a drag," Shikamaru said but relented under the stern glare of his sensei. "Fine, I won't but you have to admit of the three of us, Naruto was the one to most likely teach her something inappropriate."
"Affirmative," Shino agreed.
"Well, of course," Kurenai added, causing a depression cloud to form over Naruto's head.
"I'm not that bad," he whined, which caused another round of laughter. Naruto soon joined in, soaking up this perfect moment hoping it'd last.
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Zetsu awaited for his potential new tool. If it were hot or cold the being couldn't tell, didn't care. He was the divine will of Kaguya, her true child, and his only goal was to facilitate her return. He thought turning the two sons of Hagoromo against each other would be something she'd approve of. He thought tempting Indra to give into his darkness would be how the boy developed his own Rinnegan. He'd been wrong. And in his error, in his shortsightedness, he delayed the return of his mother. Madara showed him, the Rinnegan needed both halves of the Sage's lineage and likely the strongest or purest expressions available.
The Senju were all but dead, same for the Uchiha. Nagato was a powerful Uzumaki, the only reason he managed to wield those eyes, but said eyes were sealed away. Zetsu was in real danger of failing his mother. He suspected he needed not only Sasuke but the container of the Kyuubi and someone with the medical knowledge to transplant the DNA of the one into the other. He'd ordered Shinno to kill the two boys never expecting the man to succeed. His hope had been to weaken them so he could abduct them but Shinno had proven wholly useless.
So, now he planned to tempt one more frail being to do his bidding. It was so easy. These humans could play at being high minded but in the end, it was their desires that ruled them. If he knew what they wanted getting them to act as he wished was child's play. An entire culture built on deception and cunning and yet they could be swayed by such meager ends.
Zetsu didn't react when he heard the grass rustle, he'd sensed the approaching shinobi. The moonlight formed a glint on his eyeglasses as he removed the hood from his cloak. "Zetsu, I presume," the smug boy asked.
"Kabuto Yakushi," Zetsu acknowledged. Kaguya's Will and Orochimaru's former top spy stared at each other for several moments, neither wanting to cede the smallest advantage to the other. Kabuto was the one to break the silence.
"You were very discrete in your request I meet you but I fail to see why you'd bother. I was ordered to do one thing and your head gets me back to where I want to be."
"Does it?" Zetsu asked. "Even if you and your group could defeat me, I think you'd find some surprising changes once you returned to Konoha. And as long as Uzumaki Naruto exists you'll never have your Orochimaru back; she'll always be his." Zetsu felt the anger well up in the boy, being reminded of the person he surely hated most in the world.
"And what could you possibly do about that? Or should I be asking what I'd need to do to receive your aid?"
"What I want is very simple. I need a living tissue sample from Uzumaki Naruto implanted into Uchiha Sasuke and time to oversee the effects of said procedure. To accomplish that and remove the Uzumaki permanently, I would give you the means. The boy may be powerful for his age, for this age but he is nothing compared to the legends of the past. Do you know the Edo Tensei, Kabuto?"
"Yes. Orochimaru allowed me to learn a version of it." Kabuto did not take comfort in Zetsu's smile as the man formed the ram sign and tree roots emerged from the ground, carrying with them a casket. Zetsu calmly walked over to the casket and opened it. Kabuto looked unimpressed at the fossil. "And who might this be?"
"The real Uchiha Madara," Zetsu informed the spy. Kabuto looked at Zetsu in disbelief.
"But it is," Zetsu reassured the medic. "Agree to work with me and I will give you Madara himself and with him, under your control, you will not fail to kill the Uzumaki. What do you say?" Zetsu asked but assumed the answer was obvious.
"All this for me just so you can get Uchiha Sasuke-kun? Seems pretty suspicious, Zetsu-san. There's also the problem of my not having a reason to return to Konoha nor having any information on Sasuke's mission assignments."
"I'm sorry, Kabuto, I assumed you were clever. If entering into your own village and abducting one Jounin is too difficult for you then I've come to the wrong person," Zetsu responded, adding some menace to his voice.
"Now, now, threats are unneeded. I'd be happy to help and rid myself of that red-haired blight," Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses. Zetsu looked upon the boy smugly as he'd never get to enjoy whatever small victory he claimed over the Uzumaki. As soon as the procedure was complete, he'd eliminate Kabuto.
"Good. Since your squad is so diligently tracking me, I will lead you back to Konoha. I expect you to take care of the rest." Zetsu and Madara's corpse sank into the ground without further word. Kabuto wasn't surprised the former Akatsuki didn't hand over Madara just yet. The medic didn't mind, he was patient. He'd get his hands on the legendary Uchiha and then use the man to remove Zetsu and Naruto. He knew Orochimaru would be furious, at first, but he'd make her see reason; make her see how far she'd strayed from her true self and then things would return to normal. It was just a matter of time.