Chapter 12: Eye Opener

One breezy afternoon a certain retired shinobi was meditating on her back porch. She slowly exhaled a deep breath as she let the surrounding sounds of nature relax her tense nerves. Her nostrils flared when she felt a powerful chakra signature moving her way fast. By the time she popped one eye open there was a face mere inches away from her own. Sparkling blue eyes met with her shimmering ones as she waited for an explanation for the intrusion.

"Miyamoto Tsubaki, I presume?"

"Hai. Konnichwa, Hokage-sama," she quietly replied as she wondered how he made it past all the traps that would give any shinobi a nasty headache, even one of Kage level. "How may I serve you?""

"Oh, I just wondered if I could share a moment of your time." Naruto hopped down off of the porch railing to sit next to Tsubaki and then pulled out some scrolls. The scrolls looked familiar to the hanyou and she noticed that the seals had been broken. "My staff and I were updating the financial records when I came across these scrolls with some interesting information. It appears that during the term of the Sandaime someone decided to open up a special account...just for me. I always wondered where the funds were coming from to take care of me while I was growing up, so I did a little digging. I came across this family seal on the documents but I didn't recognize it, so I asked the Godaime if she knew whose it was. She told me it's the Miyamoto seal. Since you're the only one in your family old enough to have made such an arrangement I decided to thank you personally. Without help from people like you I don't know how I would have survived. I just want to know why you chose to help me." Tsubaki was now looking down at her hands with tears in her eyes.

"I felt I had to help you because I got a glimpse of what could have happened to my own children and grandchildren if everyone had known...about their heritage. I was disgusted by how many in the village were treating you and I wanted to be of some help. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more." Tsubaki-sama looked up at the young Hokage when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

"You did what you could and that's enough for me," he stated with a broad smile. "There's also something else I stumbled upon," Naruto continued as he pulled out another scroll. "Apparently your children and grandchildren are due an inheritance from the Third. I assume the records of this must have gotten lost in the confusion after his sudden death. What I don't understand is why your children didn't inquire about it once Tsunade-sama was established as the Godaime." Naruto frowned slightly when he saw guilt etched across Tsubaki's face.

"It's because...they never knew that Sarutobi was their father. I never told them because I wanted to protect his reputation." Tsubaki noticed the look of shock on Naruto's face so she continued to explain. "I wasn't his mistress, if that's what you're thinking. We fell in love right before his term as Hokage but...I was too young to marry at the time I conceived our sons. I decided it would be best if we parted ways so it wouldn't cause him problems once he became Hokage. I know it was horrible for me to deny my children the chance to know their father but..." The Miyamoto couldn't hold her tears back any longer. "I suppose in light of this situation I should tell them now."

"It's up to you. Besides your children, there are others who should know about this too." Naruto didn't have to go into detail for Tsubaki had a clear idea of who he was talking about. "I can arrange a meeting if you like."

"Yes. I would really appreciate that, Hokage-sama."

"Great! I'll let you know when the meeting will occur by the end of the week. By the way, domo arigato gozaimasu, Tsubaki-san! From now on you are one of my precious people," Naruto proclaimed with a squeeze of Tsubaki's hand. The Miyamoto matriarch couldn't help but feel honored to be regarded precious to the Rokudaime.

Later that week a very nervous Tsubaki and her confused descendants gathered at the Hokage's tower. Everyone was there except for Yukashii, for good reason. Across from them sat the widow of the Third Hokage's son, Sarutobi Asuma, and their son Kikai. The Hokage's oldest grandson, Konohamaru, was also there with his wife, Hanabi, who wasn't looking too happy about being there. Naruto sat between the two groups as a mediator just in case things started to get out of hand.

"I suppose you're all wondering why you're all here." The looks of confusion on most of the faces there made that clear to the Rokudaime. "Well, I'll just cut to the chase. In light of some information I came upon in Konoha records it has come to my attention that your families share something in common. Oh, to hell with formalities! You guys are related by blood through the Sandaime. I know you're wondering how that's possible, so I'll let Tsubaki-san explain." With a heavy sigh the matriarch took her cue.

"Right before his term as Hokage, Hiruzen...I mean, the Sandaime and I had twin sons , Yukashii and Geninji. I decided it would be best that no one know about this because...I was very young at the time of their conception."

"What do you mean by 'very young', Miyamoto-san?" Konohamaru inquired after getting over the initial shock of the news.

"I was...only fifteen." The room was filled with surprised gasps and mutterings. Konohamaru had such respect and admiration for his grandfather he couldn't imagine him doing such a thing.

"How do we know this is true, Hokage-sama?" Konohamaru demanded. Naruto then brought out the scroll marked with the Sandaime's family seal. Konohamaru held it up to the light to reveal the watermark. "Kami-sama...this is real..." He was holding the evidence in his hand but looked as if he still couldn't believe it. His grandfather, mother and uncle were all killed in battle, so the only living relatives he knew of were his cousin, Kikai and his father, who was of no relation to the others. He then looked up from the scroll to face his newly discovered family members. Most of them had oddly colored hair, except for Geninji, whose hair was brown like the Sandaime's was when he was young. All of them had eyes that resembled opals and they were all tall and built solid. Although the whole situation still seemed odd to him, Konohamaru was glad that his family wasn't as small as he thought it was. "Well, I guess we're going to have to arrange for an official family reunion. How's that sound, Miyamoto-san?" He looked over at Tsubaki with a genuine smile.

"It would be a pleasure and an honor." Naruto was smiling too, but more out of relief because things didn't get out of hand. The main reason that didn't happen is because most of the people there were still in shock. Much to Hanabi's consternation Konohamaru and Tsubaki agreed to bring the families together at his home the following weekend. After marrying her husband Hanabi thought she wouldn't have to lay eyes on a Miyamoto for quite some time, but now that she knew they were related to her spouse she knew she would be seeing a lot more of them. She had an expression that screamed 'why me?' as the couple left the Hokage's tower.

Later that evening Tsubaki stooped by the obsidian monument to pay her respects to her beloved and to remember precious moments they had shared. She remembered one moment in particular when he came by in the middle of the night. He was careful not to wake Tsubaki's mother as he quietly tapped on his sweetheart's window. Tsubaki had let him in while still wary of his intentions for doing something so risky. What would the neighbors have thought if they saw the Third Hokage climbing into a young girl's window?

"Hiru-kun, what are you doing here?" she whispered.

"I came to see my sons," came his stern reply.

"I already showed you their pictures," Tsubaki protested as she tried to push him back towards the window.

"That's not the same. I want to see them with my own eyes and touch them with my own hands." He made his way over to the two cribs which were several feet away from Tsubaki's bed. He quietly spoke each child's name as he brushed his fingers across their chubby cheeks and touched their downy soft locks. He wanted so badly to pick them up, but that might have awakened the sleeping infants. Tsubaki had stepped up to his side as he looked down at Geninji. "Koi, do you ever imagine what it would be like if you were my wife?" Tsubaki didn't answer. She simply slipped her arms around him in a gentle embrace. She breathed in his woodsy scent that she missed so much. She could even smell a hint of pipe smoke coming from his clothes. "Tsubaki-chan, to hell with my reputation. I still want you to be my wife." The hanyou could no longer hold back her tears as she kissed the man she loved so dearly. After she broke off the kiss she pushed Sarutobi towards her window.

"Hiru-kun, I can't marry you. Please don't ask me again." Just speaking those words seemed to sap all of her strength. Her memories fast forwarded to the last moment she saw her beloved alive. Their children were good and grown and their grandchildren were growing up fast. The Hokage's wife had passed away the year prior and the two of them had been seeing more of each other. The chunin exams were about to begin and the Third had asked to see Tsubaki in his private chambers. She thought it was to discuss her donations to Naruto's fund, but that wasn't the issue on his mind.

"Tsubaki-chan, I think it's about time we brought our families together."

"What do you mean?"

"As far as I'm concerned my original proposal still stands. Our children are adults now so there's no excuse for you to refuse me." Tsubaki was taken aback by his words. She couldn't believe he was still in love with her after all those years. Then again, she still loved him and her feelings were just as strong that time as they were in the past.

"Hiru-kun, I need time to think about this. I'll have an answer for you after the chunin exams." The Sandaime reluctantly agreed, but he wasn't going to let her leave without a kiss. To the delight of both of them that kiss became more than that when they made love for what neither of them knew would be their last time. Even in his old age Hiruzen was still strong, though not as strong as he was in his youth. However his lovemaking skills hadn't diminished at all. Tsubaki still couldn't help but giggle when his goatee would brush across her skin. Years of longing for his touch melted away in that beautiful moment. They expressed their love with such enthusiasm and passion there was no denying that their love was true. Tsubaki didn't say it then but she planned on accepting Sarutobi's proposal right after the chunin exams. Unfortunately the Hidden Leaf was attacked towards the end of the exams and the Third gave his life to protect his village and it's people.

Had Tsubaki known about the provisions Hiruzen had made for their children she would have told him yes immediately. Deep down she had always wanted her sons to know their father, but her fear of possible trouble for her beloved outweighed that desire. She realized too late that was a mistake on her part. After Naruto's discovery she got the courage to tell her children the truth before she went to her own grave. She kissed her hand and pressed it against the name of the man who still had her heart even in death.

"Hiru-kun, as you wished our families are coming together to become one. I hope this will begin to make up for the choices we both made. If you can hear me...I love you with all my heart and always will." As she turned to walk away from the monument she hadn't noticed the nightingale land next to the red rose she had left behind. She smiled to herself as the rarely sighted bird's beautiful song filled her ears. She laughed as tears welled up in her eyes. Sarutobi Hiruzen always had a habit of answering her in unexpected ways. It appeared that even in death the habit remained unbroken.

Jiendo

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I haven't decided which project I will do next, but put me on your author alert so you won't miss the next installment! Ja ne!