Resetting Our Lives

Summary: Untimely deaths and mourning spirits. A second chance was deemed appropriate. Now in a new world and in younger bodies, how will they adjust? How will they change things with their presence in this new world?

A/N: I had fun with this chapter and personally felt I should've extended it into a couple more chapters. But, it would've been dragging on if I did so I kept it packed in just one. :(

Disclaimer: I don't own avatar: the last airbender or naruto.

Chapter 6 - Practice Makes Perfect

Being the...innovative thinker that he is, Sokka had this crazy idea that we should train in preparation for the baby. His answer to not being pushed away was to be a part of it - the hype. In hindsight, it made sense. Though a considerable portion of my pride protested, great grandfather leering heated gazes through my back convinced me enough to try it out. I didn't want him doing something embarrassing like making me dance like a spider monkey in the middle of class.

I wasn't too sure about it at first - babysitting. It wasn't like anyone sane would ever want us, especially me, to hold onto their precious children. I figured there was no way that was going to happen. Then, Itachi's mother gave birth. I knew there was no escape.

"He's cute." I pointed out. "Smelly, but cute."

"He's a noisy weak pound of flesh with the most horrible smelling excrement I have ever come across in my entire life." Azula cringed her nose. She just came out of the shower and the soap definitely smelled better than this.

Oh yeah, she wasn't lying about the poop. It's like something died in there. But seriously? Weak pound of flesh? Considering the fact that it's actually an improvement is just sad. But hey, she isn't leaving. I call that progress.

"You're just angry 'cuz he peed on you." I grinned. She turned away in dissent.

Well, she'll get over it. She'll have to. We're going to have our own little pound of flesh in the house soon enough. Oh, it'll be really entertaining to watch her get through that. Being an older sibling is hard work.

But, she's actually trying hard. That's big for someone who rarely ever had to try so hard for anything, being seemingly perfect and all. So, I might as well guide her not-so-perfect highness through the motions. I suppose this is simply another one of our lessons on how to be a normal person.

...I can't believe I just admitted that to myself. Where has my pride gone?

"How about helping me instead of complaining?" Itachi pouted at us. We offered help. So, I guess he had every right to question us on whether we were really serious about that or if we just came here to watch his misery.

He was changing his baby brother's diapers. His mother needed rest and he volunteered to take care of Sasuke for the day. That was probably the stupidest thing he's ever done. At least I think so. His little brother's a freaking newborn. Like, a few weeks old. He was right to send out an SOS. There was no way he could handle this on his own.

"Don't look at me. Babies may look cute on the outside but they're little devils. Trust me. I had a little sister." I managed to hold back the choke at the end. The statement came so naturally but it still hurt.

Had a little sister. I guess I'm finally coming to terms but I just can't forget about Katara even if I have a new baby sister to deal with. A crankier, narcissistic, control freak of a baby sister that is. But, still just a kid. It's part of why I couldn't just kill her before.

I can't believe I'm describing Azula as this but she's just a sad little girl who had no actual life. Honest! I've been with her in her more...vulnerable moments. Funny how we had to kill each other first before getting to know ourselves. Life sure has a way with messing with our heads.

"Why did you even agree do this? You're rich enough to hire a maid or a nurse." Azula crossed her arms. She's in a bad mood today. Must be about being asked to change diapers.

Oh, come on. This is our first real gig. She can't blow it!

"We don't do that here. We raise our own." said Itachi.

"Train your own, you mean." With a sudden burst of impulsive retorting, I snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean." frowned Itachi.

"The only reason your father probably let us in here is because we're supposed to be famous prodigies and are among the youngest to ever enroll in the Academy next to Kakashi-sempai."

I waved my hands in exaggeration and put me and Azula on a pedestal full of hungry monsters in the background out to extort us. Which is kinda true.

Admittedly, I enrolled at the proper enrollment age but come on. We skipped two grades already. The first two years are just pure Academics anyways. Boring as hell. That's part of the reason why they let me have my weapons back. We're already handling weapons more at the third level and we're soon to be transferred to the fourth. Though, I am always told never to unsheathe space sword during spars. Understandable, seeing as most of our Academy training gear are blunted.

"That's...not true." said Itachi.

"You hesitated." smirked Azula. She held her hand out and I slapped it to seal the deal. We just owned him.

"Just help me finish up with Sasuke so we can train with Shusui." he said with a defeated pout.

"I can live with that." I shrugged.

Shisui was our classmate and he was a particularly talented kid. Also, he's nice. He actually talks to us and manages to sit through Azula's occasionally disturbing monologues without being turned off. He just thinks she's funny. Poor innocent kid.

"Taka. Be on the ready." I commanded my loyal little hawk. He flapped his wings testily and put one of his talons up, ready for grabbing. He squawked an affirmative. We were not going to deal with diaper stink if we could help it. The thing's going straight to the compost as soon as we're done here.

"This is humiliating." said Azula but she helped anyway. This was practice. She'll need a lot of that if she's to survive a baby brother...or sister. Oh spirits, please don't let it be another baby sister.

"Not even a year here yet and she already picked up tomato's temper." Fugaku groaned bitterly while remembering how he almost turned to ashes had he not dodged. Azula was one fiery little devil.

He really hadn't been expecting the sight of Minato's freaky genius brats babysitting his youngest when he came back home from work. His mind could hardly register it at first seeing as the rather...unsavory rumors about the children's mental state wasn't exactly comforting.

If only those children didn't happen to be Itachi's only friends his age who could actually match up to his genius, he probably would've pulled his son away from them. Itachi was visibly more cheerful and showed even faster improvement in his training from hanging out with the two kids. He worried that Itachi would become sullen from losing his only friends since Shisui. That was a long-standing argument with his wife that he can't ever win.

Fugaku talked to Minato about it once or twice, or, to be honest, multiple times, but the blonde man only ever reassured him that the adopted children were nothing to be worried about. Yet, the Uchiha clan head couldn't help it sometimes. That's probably part of the reason why he unintentionally pissed off the mini-wrath goddess and got burned.

"Tomato?" Itachi stopped eating and asked in curiosity.

His father paled at his slip of the tongue. He mentally reprimanded himself. If his former classmate hears of this from her wards, he'd have the Red Hot Habanero on his tail again. He didn't need that nightmare back in his life. His mother chuckled at her husband's fear of her best friend.

"Nothing important dear. So, how did training go today?" she asked to change the subject.

"Well, Azula is still great at fire techniques. She also taught me a new jutsu."

Mikoto was glad that her son finally made some friends. It was worrying how he kept to himself all the time. Granted, he could've chosen less dangerous friends but at least they were good kids. Given that Kushina was the one caring for the kids, unlike Fugaku, Mikoto wasn't too worried.

"She burned my arm three times. It's a good thing those creams she has work great on burns. Kaa-san, you never told me those beauty creams you use are burn salves."

Then again, there is that.

"Did you know they could walk on water? I tried it but it didn't work so well. They said I had to be able to walk up trees first." said Itachi.

"W-Water walking." said Mikoto. "But, aren't they only..."

At that, her mental processes strained as she absorbed that information. Okay, so the kids weren't geniuses. They were mega-prodigies. The only recorded case of anything like this was Kakashi. Everyone knew how that went. Then again, for those kids, the pattern was kind of similar after all. Only, in reverse.

Really, if it weren't for the fact that Minato was the one watching them, Fugaku would've long been convinced that they were spies.

"At this point, it's not that odd that they can do those things." Fugaku commented dully. Itachi's new friends truly were an interesting bunch. Fugaku resolved not to get shocked anymore even if he knew he couldn't keep it. He's done this for the nth time.

"Sokka also healed me. See? He makes water glow and nice feeling. But, we had to promise to stop it with the flames for the day before he fixed me. He prefers kenjutsu."

Itachi showed his parents his hands with mostly healed cuts. From this, Fugaku sighed and brought a hand to his temple. Water walking was one thing but healing jutsus were a completely different story.

There's genius. Then, there's ridiculous.

Maybe, Sasuke wasn't the best first baby to have Azula work with. Not only did the kid have a paranoid dad, he was also really clingy and very choosy about who got to hold him. He wouldn't stop crying. But, it certainly was one good challenge and if there was anything that got Azula going, it was a good challenge.

Taking care of Sasuke that one time opened new opportunities for us. He wasn't the only baby born in the year. There were more coming from the prominent clans and still counting. In a way, being the children of the hokage helped. What better way to promote good relations with the ruling power than to smooch up to his little devils?

Once word got out that we were babysitting and didn't actually suck at it, people began to be more open to the idea and indulged us. That said, most of our babysitting ventures involved caring for important babies. As in, heirs and heiresses level important. Though, most of them were still done with supervision.

Well, at least that soothed Azula's bruised pride a bit.

"So, we just stick our finger in and let him...suck?" I asked confused. This was so very awkward, not to mention creepy.

The parents didn't utter a word. They just...stared. I guess. But apparently, that was a yes because Azula was already continuing the conversation over other technical stuff. We had stuff to clarify for this baby service seeing as it was...different from the usual.

Aburame babies are weird. Actually, they are all weird. What kind of sane person would let insects set up shop inside their bodies? Uh, no one. That's the answer. Or, at least it used to be the answer. Maybe it's not that this clan in particular is weird. It's this world that is.

"How much do we feed him and when? I understand that overfeeding could lead to terrible accidents. These insects grow very fast, yes?" said Azula. She was astonishingly more into this than babysitting Sasuke. Maybe it's because the baby's quiet? But come on. She has to be just as freaked out about this as I am.

"Simply inject a very small amount only when his own chakra is running low. Why? It would imply that the kikaichuu are hungry. Otherwise, you needn't bother." explained Shibi-sama, the Aburame clan head.

He was being really chill talking about something that dangerous to his child's life. He probably does love the kid and this is probably normal to them but a little show of emotion would've been nice. Besides, shouldn't they be telling us how to feed the kid, not his insects?

The babysitting thing there didn't last for long. His parents came back early from their meeting or whatever clan stuff they had to deal with - thank the spirits! We ended up not needing to feed the kid anything in the end and I took off with Azula in tow faster than I thought possible with my annoyingly short legs.

Next on our list was some one year old from the Kurama clan that kept scaring off her caretakers, or simply, landing them in the hospital. That little detail was what really caught our attention. Nothing is more interesting than a mystery. A baby that makes maids and babysitters quit hours within their first day of working was certainly a challenging mystery.

The baby didn't seem all that difficult. She was actually kind of normal. We couldn't figure out just how this baby had such a bad babysitting reputation to the point that her parents didn't even hesitate to say yes to a bunch of kids with questionable reputations of our own in taking care of her. It wasn't like the kid was how Azula was like, being a baby version of herself I mean, that she'd turn off anyone. She was actually kinda cute and homely.

"All you really have to do is play with her and keep her calm. Try not to make her cry or anything. She has...accidents." said the frantic mother.

"The vassals will deal with all the other things. Think of it as a play date, or something. Is...Is that alright?" asked the frantic father.

The two of them oozed of worry. Azula and I had to raise our eyebrows. So...This was how overprotective ninja parents acted. Good to know it wasn't as overkill as we thought.

"Uroko, Murakumo, stop embarrassing yourselves and go already. You can't make your teammates wait for you. You're jonins for Kami's sake." chided another man. The uncle of the kid from what I gathered.

"You're right. I guess I'm just a little worried." said the woman, Uroko.

'A little?' Azula and I mentally thought to each other.

They eventually left, with lots of assurances, and left us alone with the baby in question. She really did look a bit on the sickly end, like she looked constantly uncomfortable. It was no wonder that her parents coddled her. A part of me shuddered at the thought that she could possibly end up like Toph but I doubted that was going to happen. This was a ninja society. Ninja don't coddle children. They just don't.

Yakumo became a recurring customer of sorts for us seeing as she was a very behaved baby. It was admittedly a bit of a personal mission for me since she reminded me a lot of pre-moon spirit Yue. Weak constitution and all that. The only downside was the occasional...accidents. And that's really understating it.

"W-What's happening!?" I yelled.

The floor was suddenly sucking us like quicksand. Or, actually, hot wax considering that it burned. It freaked me out enough that I accidentally made the flower vase nearby explode when I disturbed the water in it. I felt Azula feeling as panicked as I am when she discovered that she couldn't bend as a chair took her captive - arms and legs bound.

With a sharp roar, a dragon bird spirit shocked our systems by passing through us and we woke up gasping on the floor of Yakumo's nursery. The kid was no longer crying. Just...staring. I get the feeling that she saw what happened seeing as her eyes followed the spirit as it flew into nothing and disappeared.

"Are you okay?" One of the clan vassals helped us to our feet and explained to us what happened.

The Kurama clan bloodline limit was genjutsu. As in, they mess with your mind with illusions that become real. It was all so reminiscent of spirit world shenanigans that it kinda freaked me out at first. This is grade A magic shit. No wonder people didn't want to make the kid upset a lot. But, something like that wasn't enough to push us away.

I'm no water bender, officially, but I at least know that I can make water I put my hands in to glow like Katara's magic healing water. It helps with healing injuries and assures that I always have nice relaxing baths. It certainly was needed after what happened.

We had Yakumo in the bath with us, with the towels still wrapped around us I mean, because AWKWARD, and I tried to ease her up with some spirit water action. It just kinda happens when I'm in water. It freaks people out sometimes. It got me banned from a bath house at one point.

It made her laugh, as if being tickled. It was an interesting bathing experience for her and it assured us that she wasn't going to cry or anything. Spirit water always make people feel oddly pleasant. Thank the Spirits for that.

Next on our baby list was some werewolf baby - They have to be! It felt more like dog-sitting than babysitting to us. The baby kept on squirming and pawing and growling. Not to mention, he won't stop moaning and howling and teething. Then, there was the constant need for attention and petting. It was like caring for a puppy , not a baby.

"Where is he getting all this energy?" moaned Azula. She looked spent. We just spent three hours chasing the kid around and, even after that, he was still just as energetic as before.

"It must be the dog gene. Dogs never run out of energy when they feel like playing." I grumbled.

And I thought the Aburame were the weirdest. The Inuzukas ranked closely. Personally, I think that they're literally part animal. Like, one of their ancestors must be some wolf spirit or something.

"Kiba, stop that. You don't even have teeth yet."

A chiding but mellow tone descended upon the hyperactive baby. It's face bore a defined look of surprise as he was carried from his crib from the cuff of his shirt. The growling and toothless gnawing on random stuff stopped.

'Ugh, I hate her.' thought Azula. I could hear the real sentiment echo in my mind. It was some shallow bit of jealousy over how easily the matter was resolved. We couldn't make the brat listen at all no matter how many times we tried.

"I'm sorry. I guess I should've known he'd get hyper over visitors. He's very interactive." apologized the girl.

"We noticed." Azula said dryly as she wiped the drool pasting her cheek to her hair.

It was a definite upside. The dog kid had a sister who could help us. She was unexpectedly centered for a daughter of the scary Inuzuka matriarch. It was weird. I thought she was adopted.

"How do you survive dealing with that all that time?" I asked her incredulously.

She shrugged and said... "Practice, I guess. I had three pups for ninken compared to the norm so I know how to keep them little critters house trained."

Yep, this family definitely screwed with dogs. Heck, they're probably dogs in human form. They just want people to think otherwise! It's a conspiracy I tell you!

But still, as bad as that had been, nothing beat caring for our own foster mother while she was bloating up.

"Azula-chan~ Do you want to help me cook today?"

Azula and I felt a chill down our spine when Kaa-san suddenly gripped our shoulders from behind out of nowhere and said those words with a sickeningly sweet tone. The moment I heard her haunting words, I knew that she was having one of her spells.

Pregnant women are crazy. She already seemed bad before, but now, the hormones were just royally screwing us over.

"M-Me? But, Sokka's the b-better cook." Azula said nervously. And wasn't that the truth? I had to be the house husband around here because any attempts of Azula in front of the stove ended with disaster. In contrast, my trials were mostly edible.

"Oh, but Mama just felt like having one of your special curry. Like the one from last time."

At that, I felt like my throat was burning already. I remember that curry. It didn't even look or smell like curry. All I recognized were the few burnt parts that charred. Not to mention, just looking at it made my eyes burn. It was ultra spicy.

Needless to say, dinner had been a nightmare.

We talked it over once with her doctors. We were worried that it was some sickness. But, it was normal, apparently. I wanted to argue that it wasn't because my mother Kya wasn't nearly as nuts when she was pregnant but I couldn't say that. It wasn't like I remembered much about her either. We just jotted it down to her already being crazy before and that being multiplied threefold to explain the weirdness of it all.

"Kushina, the kids are tired. Maybe, we can just go out for your favorite ramen? Just like old times? Ichiraku is still open." suggested Minato.

Just then, mother dear leveled a look on him that made hearts stop. Even the spirits lingering about scattered from fear as the dark cloud of killing intent seeped out of the woman's previously sweet countenance.

"O-Or we could have curry! I'll even help Azula-chan make dinner." Minato suddenly changed his mind.

"Are you implying something about my eating habits honey?"

"Huh?"

It didn't seem to work. In fact, it made things worse. Kushina radiating that unholy aura about her. Her bright red hair flying about like that...It's like looking at the incarnation of a wrath given human female form. The red. REEED. R-Red!

"Well? Is that it? Do you think I'm fat? That I've gotten ugly?"

Oh great. As far as I'm aware, only super insecure crazy females could make such a far off judgement leap and make it stick in their brains. Apparently, pregnant ladies count too.

"That's...There's no correct answer for that, is there?"

For our foster dad, it was much worse. Leading the village was probably a lot less stressful than dealing with her lethal mood swings and odd cravings.

I am so glad that this hokage thing isn't a monarchy. I'd hate to have to deal with complicated stuff like that on top of this severe emotional trauma. Seriously, pregnant women are scary!

"This is the first time you're bringing me there, Kaa-sama. What is it like?" I asked curiously.

Today, I am keeping close with Kaa-sama while Sokka entertained Shisui with several kenjutsu tips over training. I was tempted to join them but mother was close to term. I had to keep an eye on her during her visit to see friends in case anything went wrong. Also, I was interested in meeting said friends as well as...more.

We were currently heading to one of Konoha's most important clans. The Nara clan may not be as illustrious as the Hyuuga or the Uchiha but they were well-respected. Notably, it was the clan headed by Konoha's very own Jonin Commander. From what I hear from my current parents, it also happens to be a clan of geniuses. Geniuses who were smart enough to elude the spotlight, that is.

I've heard tales of the jonin commander from Tou-sama. It seems he is a genius among geniuses and is a very skilled jonin despite being new to his position. Tou-sama also regards him with respect. He isn't too famous but he was just as lethal as any famed shinobi and had very little information on himself in any village Bingo Books, even for our own other than the things he's accomplished. That itself spoke of his prowess. There is not much danger in a known foe. In contrast, anonymity is a rather potent blade.

"Well, they have a forest forbidden to all but them and there's a lot of deer in it."

Kaa-sama thought aloud while I supported her. Her huge girth suggested that she was due soon. Only a little under a month left if I'm not mistaken. I'm actually surprised she was allowed out of the house like this. I've taken to accompanying her most of the time now just in case.

To say that I'm excited would be an understatement. I'm having a baby sister, or brother. While I'm still afraid that Kaa-sama would replace us, she reassured me that she will still care for us like her own as she always did and I've come to believe her more and more as time went on.

My escapades with Sokka admittedly allayed my mind. I was being too paranoid. Slowly, the fear of being forgotten was replaced with the fear of our incoming sibling being just as neurotic as our pregnant mother. She had her moments.

Sokka warned me that I might get a little jealous but it would pass. He said that it was normal to feel that way even now, just thinking about what was to come. I valued his judgment for unlike me, he had the experience of having a younger sibling. I can't help but think that Katara was lucky to have such a caring brother. I mean, he put aside differences and took care of me of all people. We were trying to kill each other before all this after all.

All Zuko ever did was leave me. Always leaving.

"Deer?" I asked. I had never seen such an animal. I've read about them before but it seemed so mythical at the time. It's like learning of the Earth King's pet bear all over again. They had the strangest creatures here. It took me a while to familiarize myself with common fowls, amphibians, and any other animal I could find books on.

"You'll see soon enough."

Our destination was just as Kaa-sama described. It was a simple traditional home, hardly a manor, with a large expansive forest nearby that spoke of the true capacity for wealth the clan actually had. The dominant animal population was what I deduced as deer. They looked similar to catdeers and saber-toothed mooselions but were less predatory and more docile. This species were not hunters.

There seemed to be a few people collecting the shed antlers. They waved at us upon our arrival. Perhaps a family business relating to it may be a reason. That confused me seeing as, as I am aware, the Nara are supposed to be the leading experts on medicine on this world. Why would they need to collect antlers for business?

The sound of crying children caught my attention when we entered the house. A regal-like woman who seemed to have lost considerable sleep greeted us warmly. In her arms was a blond baby likely crying for breast milk. It was likely the cause of her fatigue.

"Azula, this is Rena-san. And this here is Ino-chan, her daughter. Isn't she adorable?" introduced Kaa-sama.

The child had straw colored hair. It may have been unusual before but I've come to notice that unusual hair colors were the norm here. I actually saw a couple of purple and pink haired people before in the village.

"She seems smaller than usual." I commented.

"Yes, she was born a bit early but she's still healthy and strong." said the woman.

"Hmm." I looked the baby in the eyes and she stared at me, frozen. As soon as I stepped away, she cried. I raised an eyebrow.

I turned towards the others. There was a crying baby with a rather rotund mother that I wasn't familiar with. Likely, I never had the pleasure of babysitting the child. Then, there was a third mother with a small bundle in her arms. Seeing as it wasn't holding a noisy mess, the baby was likely sleeping.

Interesting how the child can sleep through all this racket. It's envying.

"Greetings. I assume all three of these children are the heirs to the Ino-Shika-Cho? Shikaku-sama cannot possibly have three women. I've heard he's whipped." I said to all the mothers present after a bow.

Bowing for practically everything is common here. It's a sign of respect it seems but not just to royalty anymore, it's for everyone. I really takes out the special nature to it.

I resisted the urge to say useless meat bags. Kaa-sama warned about tact and respect. Also, I avoided the mentality of babies being weak as a whole. That would make me a hypocrite. It was...difficult being an infant. Sure, my skills did not degrade at all as it was all pure skill and talent but my physical fitness was something else. I felt constantly weak and fragile, barely able to execute what I should be able to do like clockwork, it was a nightmare.

The ladies looked at me as though I was an interesting discovery. I swelled with pride inside knowing exactly the sort of things they were thinking.

"When I heard that the kids you have were geniuses, I didn't think they were this precocious." said the woman holding the only quiet baby. Her strong gaze widened into a surprised look from my previous words. She looked bemused and her eyes held a look of interest.

"Hoho. You are right Azula-chan. My name is Akimichi Uyuko and this is Choji, my little tot. I must say, you have quite the unique name young lady. Though, you really should eat more. Add a bit more meat in your bones." said the kindly fat lady softly.

Something tells me that if I comment on her weight, she'll explode on me. I have an Akimichi for a classmate. He didn't take it well. The teasing I mean. I narrowly avoided a broken bone thanks to Sokka's sweet-talking about the different kinds of meat dishes. I'll just take that as her way of showing concern. Or better yet, ignore it.

"Sokka and I come from a unique place. But, Konoha is our home now." I explained. This is a very practiced response. People ask us these sort of things all the time.

"I see. Well, since I'm the only one who hasn't introduced myself, I should probably do. My name is Yoshino and this is Shikamaru. I am the wife of the whipped husband who better not have two other women in his life." said the woman with the strong gaze. She gave me an amused smirk. I saw a bit of fire in her eyes. This was a strong woman, I knew.

The baby she held was only a few weeks old. Similar to the blond baby but more normal in size. He was still a bit smaller than Sasuke but I've seen babies suffering malnutrition before and he is perfectly fine compared to those.

He is really quiet though. Also, the kinds of spirits drawn to him are...different. He reminds me a bit of that Aburame baby. I actually enjoyed caring of that one, even if it was no challenge at all, but Sokka was just so creeped out with the whole bug issue that we never got to repeat the experience.

Tch, he's such a sissy about the most mundane things. To think, a guy who has no problem slitting throats for the sake of survival would feel unease over some flying cave hoppers? That's just silly.

"No wonder Shikaku-sama is whipped. You are a beautiful woman Yoshino-sama. I can sense a strong flame in you."

Her strong character certainly fits the stories Tou-sama relays to me. Women seem to hold a lot of power here. As it should be, really.

The woman in question smiled at me in gratitude. There was a small tint of a blush on her olive-toned cheeks. Her shoulders stiffened so she put her baby down in the crib. I went to check the quiet one as he wasn't the only one getting on my nerves. It got me curious.

His small eyes opened with little difficulty but he stared back at me nonetheless. I could tell those young but calculative eyes were examining me like I was to him. He gripped the finger I placed in front of him and then moved it away from his face with a look of mild annoyance.

I felt a small flutter in my chest. It urged me to jump about childishly and gush over the baby. I didn't though. I have more self control than that. He let go of me and gurgled for a second as though he acknowledged me. He closed his eyes and presumably went back to sleep. There was something about him that just screamed Mai for some reason. It made me feel like I found something, someone close to home.

"Looks like this one is going to grow up a smart one. Potential like this must not be wasted." I said with a giggle that I couldn't hold in.

"You think so?" asked Yoshino-sama.

She beamed at my appraisal. I nodded at her. Her satisfaction likely released some tension considering how she seemed younger and more relaxed now. From her eyes, I saw a seasoned warrior with wisdom and fire. I see now why the Nara Clan is deemed prestigious despite its dullness. They have people like her keeping them on track. I'm surprised they're not matriarchal.

"If Azula says it, then it must be true." Kaa-sama held me affectionately and messed my hair. I pouted when she did. I'm not very good at making my hair so Sokka has to tie it for me. Even if I try to fix it, I'll just make it worse.

"If I may ask, where is Shikaku-sama?"

As soon as I asked that, a familiar weary man with a silly hairstyle resembling that of a pineapple arrived with bags of what I can only assume as paperwork due to the excessive amount of papers in them.

"Kushina? Don't tell me you're here to nag me about work too." he said in a rather resigned manner. He had a distinctively Mai-like posture and feel. The only thing missing is the blatant cynicism. He looks less...threatening. And yet, I know for sure that he is far from docile when put on the field. None of these ninja ever are.

Intriguing how the elite ninja are experts at being such disarming personalities. In hindsight, there are advantages to such. It also marks their excellence in the core practice of their warrior culture. Ninja are very interesting puzzles.

"If you just finish your work properly then you wouldn't get nagged in the first place Shikaku. And fix yourself, we have guests." nagged Yoshino-sama. There's the flame I've been looking for. I've been curious about it since she was so calm when we arrived. It must be the hormones.

"You are Shikaku-sama?" I asked in disbelief. I have seen this person before. Numerous times in fact. Actually, I've talked to him before and even played board games with him while I waited on Tou-sama. I thought he was just some washed-up secretary!

"Sama?" he asked. Kaa-sama blushed.

Even though I know that he truly is a capable warrior, I just can't picture this lazy man with all the responsibilities he supposedly holds. It could be an act but I doubt that. I spent enough time with him to know that that laziness and aversion to work isn't faked.

Giving him a second look-over, I noticed the similarities in features to his child. They were almost clones of each other, to be honest. There was no denying who this man was now.

Oh spirits. This must be a joke.

"One who possess a respectable position or is a person that demands reverence for his accomplishments must be addressed accordingly." I claimed with a professional stance. My hands behind my back, feet apart, and head held high.

I can't believe that this...person...is of high rank, below only the hokage, in this village. But, rank is rank. Ninja are never as they seem anyways. There's always a little something hiding just under the surface. This is a puzzle I'd love to crack. It's practically daring me right at this moment.

"Hello to you too Azula-chan. You can still me Oji-san, you know." he said while scratching his head and looking away.

"Oji-sama it is then. You always did remind me of my fuddy duddy uncle, though less with the nonsensical talking. He was known as Iroh the Dragon. Despite the grand moniker and equally grand accomplishments, he was particularly lazy. He loved to sit around telling jokes that didn't make sense , binge playing on Pai Sho, and drowning in tea." I smugly answered. The ladies laughed while Oji-sama reddened.

One thing is for sure. Sokka and I have another child to practice baby care on. If I had to cater to his whims of caring for the unsettling little girl with the freaky mind powers he took a liking to multiple times, he has to do the same for mine.

I want to start cracking this code as soon as possible. Either test subject is fine with me. Hehehe.