Bloody Rose

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. This is mostly a modern Suki x Naruto chapter, but it will also explain other things about the present era and show a bit of the past as well. With that being said, I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of Bloody Rose and for those of you interested, feel free to check out my other stories.

Chapter Notation: When the timelines collided, the new timeline was completely reset. Anyone who isn't Suki in the modern era has no memories of the previous timeline. The original Suki is still living in the past and she remembers everything. Because she shares a soul with the Modern Suki, she is able to get glimpses of what is going on with her. The same is true of the modern Suki, but she doesn't fully understand why.

Chapter 22

Naruto Uzumaki was a man with a foot in two worlds. One being the Leaf and the other being the Whirlpool Village. His father was Hokage and his mother was originally from the Whirlpool Village. Which left him stranded right in the middle of things.

"Hey, kid." Jiraiya grins at him, startling him from his thoughts. "Where you going?"

He loved both villages, but there was no denying there was still a lot of bad blood between them. They were allies, but they were allies out of necessity more than anything. The bloodlines had been too split for them to risk another war. Few were entirely happy about the tense alliance that had developed over the years, but few were willing to break it either.

Well at least that was how Jiraiya had explained things to him. Jiraiya was his Godfather. Naruto affectionately referred to him as Pervy Sage because he really, really was a pervert.

Naruto grins at his mentor. "Just heading over to see Suki." The Toad Sage had a way of dispelling almost anyone's darkest thoughts with a smile and well, Suki definitely did that for Naruto too.

The white haired ninja was a complex individual. He was always doing 'research' for his erotic books, but Jiraiya was also a good man with a heart of gold. A powerful ninja who was not to be underestimated. It was just he also happened to be a pervert.

"Ah right." He beams at him and places a book in the other ninja's hands. "Well you two kids are engaged now, right? This book has lots of tips for your wedding night."

Naruto twitches at that. "Pervy Sage! We don't need any help with that!" He flails around wildly.

Why did he have to be so embarrassing? Wait. What was Jiraiya doing in the Whirlpool Village anyway?

"I don't know about that." Naruto jumps when he realizes someone was behind him. "According to Suki, she found chapter 38 of the most recent book rather intriguing and she claims that you seemed to enjoy the enacting as well." Wait. What?!

The blonde whirls around, only to see Itachi. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that and I really doubt that Suki would read Pervy Sage's books!" Sheesh!

Well actually, on second thought…it would explain a lot. Suki did seem to know some stuff that he didn't' think most people their age would. Their 'courtship' had been a complicated one, but once they got over the 'Academy Stage' as her older brother so annoyingly called it…things had slowly changed.

"You're so annoying!" Those were the words that usually started or ended every Academy fight they had.

"Eat this." By the time, that were placed on Team Seven though, Suki had shocked him by offering Naruto food during the Bell Test.

The two of them competed over everything. Who was faster. Stronger. Who was smarter. Who could eat the most Ramen the fastest. Slowly, things had begun to change. He had started to see her as more of a beloved rival than a hated one.

Not long after that, the battle with Haku had happened. When Naruto thought that Suki had died, he snapped. That was the first inkling that he had that they were more than friends, but he had pushed it to the side.

They had butted heads as often as they got along over their various missions in Team Seven. Though everything changed on Suki's 16th birthday when some creep hit on her and Naruto got angry enough to throw a Rasengan at him. After Suki angrily drug him off for threatening one of the guests, they had fought. Hard. Somehow, they had ended up kissing and the rest was history...

"Itachi!" It was Suki.

Damn it. She had obviously heard her brother say that. This wasn't going to end well.

"I told you not to tell him I read those!" Naruto blinks at that.

Jiraiya throws his head back in laughter. "Well there are benefits to dating the smart ones." He nods at her approvingly. "Always happy to help my customers out and glad the kid benefited from it."

Suki shook her head as she sauntered over to Naruto. "He acts like a child half the time, but it can be cute." How she could saunter when she was blushing as red as a tomato was beyond him, but she pulled it off beautifully.

Before Naruto could defend himself though, Suki kisses his cheek. "In private though it's an entirely different matter." Oh. She was doing that purring thing with her voice. That was usually a good sign.

"Are you even old enough to be buying those books?" Shisui appears out of nowhere and the blonde twitches.

Suki's family was disturbingly stealthy, even by ninja standards. They could seriously just pop up out of nowhere and there were so many of them that it was hard not to get embarrassed by at least one of them on a daily basis.

Minato sighs as he shakes his head back in his office. "I don't know what I'm going to do with him." He honestly didn't, Kakashi supposed.

"His loyalty to the Leaf Village is without question." Kakashi smiles at his former Sensei. "Though so is his loyalty to Suki." He had seen that much himself.

At first, the two of them had bickered like cats and dogs. Though he had known better. Much like how Kushina used to chew Minato out, that was just a strange version of foreplay. The two were inseparable now.

"Well, Suki did agree to be trained in the Leaf Village." He shakes his head. "When the time comes, I'll appoint him Hokage and they'll simply move here." Minato was right. She could always travel back and forth to see her family when she liked. "I will set up locations for them to come and go as they please, using the Flying Thunder God Technique."

It seemed like the best solution. The idea of separating those two left a rather bitter taste in Kakashi's mouth. He didn't want to see their relationship ruined over their divided loyalties.

As far as Kakashi could tell, Suki's heart belonged to the Whirlpool Village and Naruto. It was really only the blonde that could convince her to settle in the Leaf. Though Kakashi suspected that it might have been far more difficult to do so without Minato's technique.

"Where is Kushina, by the way?" Kakashi smiles at him.

Minato chuckles at that. "She's out looking at cake designs." Ah yes, for the wedding. "They're getting married in a few months and the women of both our families are already planning everything."

Well, Kakashi probably should have expected that. "In that case, I believe that I'll go and see Rin and Obito." He smiles at his Sensei. "They might need some help." Yes, his two teammates had ended up marrying each other.

Kakashi was frankly quite happy with his lot in life as a bachelor. He didn't see that changing, but married life did seem to agree with those two. Hopefully, it would do the same for Naruto and Suki.

"Yes, that would probably be a good idea." The Hokage nods his head in approval.

Kakashi nods and with that, he swiftly takes off. The Leaf was still flourishing, Minato notes. Unfortunately, the memory of the war between at least some of the Uchihas, Hyugas, Whirlpool, and Leaf refused to go away.

It had been a bloody war. That was only to be expected, but it made it difficult to be allies with them. Still, the Hyugas and Uchihas were too spread out now. That had saved everyone from further carnage in the end.

"The familial ties are too strong amongst the Noble Clans of both villages to risk it." He suspected that was why Madara had taken his family to the Whirlpool Village in the first place.

Perhaps the man or his wife had known what was coming. In any case, for now the peace was holding. He would just have to do his best to ensure things stayed that way.

Suki knew that her face was burning, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She loved her family intensely. It was just that Shisui and Itachi did love to embarrass her, especially in front of Naruto.

In the back of her mind though, she would see images at times like these. Images she couldn't explain of another version of herself. One who didn't have a family for a long time and then confusingly enough, in other instances...she did.

The woman was sometimes her age and sometimes a decade or two older. Somehow, Suki knew that it was her. She didn't ask too many questions about these strange daydreams though and because her other self seemed happy. Why bring up things like that? It would only make other people think she was absolutely crazy! Wait. She was getting off topic here.

Back to the topic of Jiraiya's books! "You technically do." She shrugs. "I'm a ninja. I was expected to kill at age twelve and I can't read an adult novel?"

Itachi snorts at that. "You mean smut." Honestly, where did her older brother get off? Suki was fully aware of his own unique taste in literature.

"Smut that you're highly familiar with as I've seen more than one copy of Jiraiya's books under your bed." She smirks as she notices that it was now Itachi's turn to blush.

Suddenly a strange chuckling is heard. One that made Suki shivers unpleasantly and Naruto looked well, freaked out. She knew that chuckle. It could only be one person.

"Orochimaru." She blinks as the Sannin comes into view.

Itachi was immediately on guard and so was her fiancée. "I don't know why you bother to come here." Gone was her brother's playful demeanor. It had been replaced by something far more wary. "Neither our Clan, nor the Hyugas would ever consent to an examination."

Orochimaru existed in a strange place. He was not a Criminal Ninja, but the man also wasn't exactly an upstanding citizen. His experimentations were allowed within reason. Though he loved to push the boundaries of what the Hokage would permit.

Minato was really too kind for his own good. Suki suspected it likely had something do with the fact that Orochimaru had once been on Jiraiya's and Tsunade's Genin Team. That was probably why he went easy on him.

"Well, one can hardly blame me for trying." He laughs.

Luckily, Jiraiya seemed more than willing to take care of this one. "Come on." He smiles at the other man. "Tsunade is probably waiting for us. She's going to take us out for drinks later." Oh boy.

May the Gods and Goddesses help them all. Tsunade was going out drinking with the other Sannin. Suki could only hope that the village was still standing at the end of the night.

That woman was her mentor, but she could drink like a fish. Tsunade was also a compulsive gambler who rarely won. Despite all this though, she was the best medic that anyone had ever seen and she did have a good heart.

"Oh yes." Orochimaru smiles at Jiraiya. "We mustn't keep her waiting." He pauses an adds. "Hmm. I wonder, if Kabuto will join us."

"Four Eyes is still really creepy." Naruto shakes his head as he wraps his arms around Suki. "Like really, really creepy." She couldn't really disagree as she snuggles back against his embrace.

Mmm. This was always nice. Being held by him like this and in other ways that he obviously, couldn't do in front of her brother.

"We should get going." She smiles at Naruto. "My parents will be waiting for us and there is still so much to do."

Naruto nods as Itachi and Shisui follow the two of them. It didn't take long to get back to Fugaku's and Mikoto's house. "There you are." Mikoto smiles as she embraces them both lightly. "Your friends sent a messenger hawk and are hoping that the two of you are up for some wedding planning later."

Suki smiles at that. "Alright." It would probably be better to get the planning out of the way anyway.

"This isn't going to end well." Jugo shakes his head at Suigetsu and the other rookies.

Well all the other rookies save for Neji and Shikamaru. They had the same opinion that Jugo did. The three of them thought this was a bad idea.

Suigetsu just grins at him. "Oh don't be like that." His sharp toothed smile never waves. "It's tradition."

Kisame nods in agreement. "Damn straight." He smirks. "Besides, it'll be good practice for when Itachi marries his little Hyuga Princess."

Right. Itachi was now openly courting Hinata Hyuga. The eldest daughter of Hiashi Hyuga and well, that had surprised everyone. Mostly because Hinata was so shy and while Itachi was on the quieter side, he most certainly wasn't.

Kisame was Itachi's best friend and well, he, Karin, and Suigetsu had always stuck close to Suki. When he first came to the Whirlpool Village with Orochimaru, hoping that the Sannin might be able to cure his affiliation, Jugo had met Suki.

Her Sharingan could control him in a way, that nothing else could and since then, he had gotten his rages under control. It had taken years, but he was free at last. Karin, Hinata, and Suki were all medics at the hospital and that's how Suki met Karin. As for Suigetsu, he had come along with Kisame.

The two of them weren't related. "Yeah. That's true." Though they sure acted like it, Jugo thinks to himself with amusement as he watches the blue skinned man and violet eyed ninja laugh with one another.

"What a drag." Shikamaru yawns. "Suki is going to be really angry when she finds out about Naruto's Bachelor Party." Yeah. That was his point. "You all know how possessive the Uchiha Clan can get when it comes to their lovers. I don't know why you want to tempt fate."

Ino whacks him upside the head. "Oh stop being ridiculous." Stars appear in her eyes. "Suki might not be a Leaf Villager, but she was still our classmate. It's our sacred duty to make sure that her wedding and everything that happens before it goes perfectly."

"For once, Ino Pig is right." Sakura nods her head in agreement.

Ino beams at that. "Exactly." Well, she beams for a moment anyway.

That was until she realized the insult that came with the agreement and as predicted, a catfight ensued. Jugo still couldn't understand women for the life of him.

"Yep!" Choji beams. "And we have to make sure there is a grand feast."

Kiba nods at that. "Yeah. The food is the best part besides the Bachelor Party." To which all the girls promptly roll their eyes. Jugo was sure that they were thinking something rather unflattering about their gender at the moment, but that didn't seem to be stopping any of them.

"We should probably get going." Hinata smiles at them.

Itachi had really done wonders for her stuttering habit. "You just want to see Itachi." Tenten giggles at her. Which only causes the bluenette to blush.

"Be that as it may, she does have a point." Shino pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Lee strikes a dramatic hero pose. Oh boy. This wouldn't end well. Jugo knew that pose all too well at this point. So he puts on a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes.

"Let's go!" He grins with a blindingly white smile. "The Power of Youth and Love shouldn't be kept waiting." Yep. Thank goodness for sunglasses, Jugo thinks to himself.

Karin shakes her head and gestures for everyone to follow her. So that's exactly what they did. Little did they know that Suki and Naruto were now having a family dinner with her parents, Itachi, and Shisui.

"I promise that I'll take really good care of her, Sir." Naruto smiles at Fugaku.

Fugaku nods at him. "Oh I know you will." For very obvious reasons.

"Really?" Now, it was time for the Uchiha Patriarch to have a little fun with his future Son-In-Law.

He nods once again. "Yes, of course." The Uchiha man couldn't resist smirking at the other man. "Because I have known you since you were a baby. I know that you'll take excellent care of her because you do not strike me as particularly suicidal or as though you wish for me to Amaterasu you underneath your belt." He smiles pleasantly, causing Naruto to choke on his ramen.

Mikoto giggles at that and shakes her head. "Don't mind him." She beams at Naruto and Suki. "He's just teasing you and I'm sure that the wedding and children will be beautiful."

Itachi shakes his head in amusement. "She just wants grandchildren." That was true, but honestly Fugaku didn't see how anyone could refuse the woman her wish when she unleashed the Bubble Eyes Jutsu on them. It was a trick that the woman had certainly passed on down to her daughter.

"That's right." Mikoto smiles happily as Shisui chuckles at her antics.

Suki shakes her head and kisses Naruto's cheek. "Don't worry." She smiles at her beloved. "I wouldn't let Father Amaterasu you, especially not down there."

Naruto sighs in relief and a few minutes later, he opens the door. It was Suki's and Naruto's friends, Fugaku notes with amusement.

"Sorry to interrupt." Sugietsu grins. "We'll just be abducting the Bride and Groom for a bit. It's time for their Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties!"

Before the Uchihas could say anything, Suki and Naruto were both drug off rather comically. The two of them were both swearing their love for one another and threatening their friends with bodily harm simultaneously.

"Well that was impressive." Fugaku blinks and Mikoto nods in agreement.

"I suppose that we should go to make sure that nothing too traumatic happens." Itachi shakes his head as he kisses Hinata's forehead.

The woman had walked over and promptly sat on his lap. It was sweet to see how well they functioned as a unit. Naruto fanned Suki's flames and well, Hinata and Itachi were each other's anchors in the massive ocean of life, he supposed.

Thankfully, the Hyugas had dissolved the Branch System years ago. Otherwise, Fugaku wasn't sure that he could have ever approved of the match in good conscience.

"Alright." Hinata gives him a stern look. "If I find out that any of those dancers, danced for you though.. I will G-Gentle Fist you!" Though the girl was really making such progress about her stuttering habit.

Itachi chuckles as he heads off with her. "Yes, Ma'am." And with that, Fugaku watches in amusement as Shisui follows suit. (Something about chaperoning).

"Well we did an excellent job at parenting." Mikoto giggles. "Both of our children survived until adulthood and found their most precious person."

That might have sounded like a low bar to most parents, but for ninja parents that was damn impressive. It was a fifty-fifty chance at best that most ninjas would live see their 20th birthday in some cases.

He nods at that. "Yes and I'm quite certain we'll do an even better job at being grandparents." Fugaku Uchiha smiles as he kisses his wife.

"I like the way that you think and I still have those fuzzy handcuffs you gave me for our last anniversary." Gods and Goddesses, did he love this woman!

Back in the past, Madara gulps as he tries to avoid his wife's Chidori. "You're being ridiculous." He was not being ridiculous!

"I am not. That boy gave her flowers!" Didn't his wife know what that meant?

Suki rolls her eyes at that. "Madara Uchiha, I love you. I adore you and you are a wonderful father, but it is time that you acknowledged that Mikoto is growing up." He did acknowledge it. That was the problem! "Eventually, she is going to get a boyfriend and I don't want you to traumatize the poor boy!"

"But it's my sacred duty as a father!" Didn't she understand how these things worked?

She shakes her head. "Madara." That was never a good sign.

When she said his name like that, it meant he might lose his martial privileges for awhile. Privileges that he rather enjoyed using.

"Well I suppose, I could cut the poor boy a break." He pauses. "Just as long as he continues treating her properly. If he upsets her though, I will Amaterasu him."

Suki smiles and kisses his cheek. "That is much better." Ah good. They could still test out how durable this desk was then.

Though one thing was still nagging at him in the back of his mind. Did Suki know what had happened to the OTHER Suki? Had she even been born in the 'new' timeline. Would she even know?

"My Love, speaking of children…do you know what happened to your other self?" Curiosity could be a powerful force sometimes.

Suki pauses for a moment and nods. "I was still born." Good. The world would have been a far less bright place without her. "We managed to save the Clan together and I'm happy now."

"I can't lie." He caresses her cheek. "I would certainly like more information, but I understand why you're being vague." He smiles and kisses her forehead. "Is she aware of you?"

There was another pause and Madara knew that he had stumbled onto something important. Though Suki was likely debating how to answer him. He couldn't blame her. Time travel could be a terribly confusing business at times.

"I think so." Suki bites her lower lip. "I get the impression sometimes she's looking at me, but we don't communicate." The implication was clear. Suki wasn't sure that they could communicate and even if they could, she didn't view it as worth the risk.

He nods at her in understanding. "Well what's important is that you're both happy." That's all that mattered in the end really.

"That's right." Suki smiles as she wraps her arms around his neck. "Though you know how you said that you would Amaterasu anyone who hurt our daughter?"

Of course, he knew. The Uchiha Patriarch had just finished saying as much. That and any decent father would say something similar really.

"Yes, I remember." He smiles down at his beautiful wife.

She shakes her head. "It'd be pointless for you to do so because I would Kirin them long before you ever summoned the first flicker of a flame." That thought made him smirk with pride.

"I don't doubt that for a single moment." Madara's smile never waves. "You truly are a Bloody Rose and that's just one of the many reasons why I love you." He truly meant that.

Madara doubted that there was another woman who could have made him feel this way and as Suki looks up at him, he knew that his wife felt the same way. Surely, she must have or she wouldn't have given him four children and she certainly wouldn't look at him like that. Like he was the center of her world.

"I love you too and I'm so glad to be your Bloody Rose." She burrows into his embrace, her eyes never leaving his. "Though don't you dare traumatize our daughter without good reason."

Madara chuckles at that. "Very well. I won't traumatize our children or their suitors without good reason." He smirks. "Though if their suitors give us a good reason to traumatize them, they'll regret doing so."

"Oh yes." Suki nods in agreement. "If that happens, we'll make them regret ever being born." She laughs softly as Madara sweeps her into his arms Bridal Style and carries her up the stairs to their bedroom before casting a Soundproofing Jutsu on their room.

Once that was done, he sets her on the bed and quickly places a DO NOT DISTURB Sign on the door. "That's much better." Before locking it and joining her. "I'm so glad that our children are all such avid readers and more than capable of following simple instructions like the one written on that door." He chuckles as he kisses her.

"Me too." Suki smiles at him before kisses. "It certainly makes life easier." Madara Uchiha loved his wife and he loved his children, but he was absolutely dreading the day when the two of them would have to thoroughly explain Kunais and Pouches to them.

Oh well. That was a matter for another day. For now, he would just enjoy a wonderful night in his lover's arms and make good use of the Soundproofing Jutsu. Very, very good use of it!