Blood In The Water: A Tenten Fan Fiction (#3 In Shifting Series)

The Village Hidden In The Leaves

Reno slept like the dead, even when the household began to stir later that morning.  It wasn't until someone was poking him in the face that he woke up.  He lowered his arm to find a dark headed little boy looking down at him with wide hazel brown and green eyes that mirrored his own.  There was an uncanny intelligence in those eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked with a gravelly morning voice.

"Obito," the boy smiled.  "Are you really my uncle?  You're huge!"

Reno grinned at the boy.  "Yes, I am.  I'm your Mama's little brother."

Obito laughed at the play on words.  He was a cute kid.  He could see see both Sarah and Kakashi in his features.  Reno grunted as the boy crawled on top of him and sat on his stomach, staring down at him.  "You're a Shinobi?"

Reno was not sure how to answer that question.  The kid had some audacity to just crawl on top of him that way.  "We don't call us Shinobi in our world but I am a warrior.  I was in the military before Sissy brought me here."

"Sissy?  You call Mama Sissy?"  Obito laughed hard.

Reno grabbed the boy as he got up and then tossed him up in the air.  Obito shrieked then laughed, loving it.  Obito wrapped his arms around his neck still laughing as Reno carried him across the room to look in the fridge for more food.

"You know, it's not nice to poke someone when they're sleeping," He told Obito as he was disappointed to find that everything inside would have to be cooked.

"I know," Obito said with a grin.  "But I wanted to meet you before I went to the Academy."

Reno's brows rose, "You're already in school?  How old are you?"

"Four and half, almost five," Obito answered.  "All future Shinobi's start school at four but we started a little earlier because we're too awesome.  I've already mastered two Jutsu's."

As if to prove it, he crossed the index finger and middle finger on each hand across one another in the shape of a cross before saying, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"  Reno's eyes widened as four other versions of Obito appeared around the room.

"That's impressive," Reno answered when they all disappeared.

"Obito!" Sarah's voice came to them as she came out of the bedroom. "I thought I told you to leave him alone."

Reno chuckled, "It's okay.  I'm hungry again anyways.  Where's the other one?"

"He left with Kakashi about thirty minutes ago for a parent teacher conference.  I'm not sure what Ti did but I can only imagine."

Obito grinned, "Ti gets in trouble a lot."  He then looked at his Mama, "He made Auntie Lissa fall into the pond.  He waited until she was by it then jumped up out of the ground.  It was so funny all of us were laughing.  Iruka Sensei wasn't laughing though."

Sarah face palmed.  "I swear, Melissa is going to kill him eventually."  She looked at Reno, "Since you're up you can come with me to drop Obito off at the Academy and we can then drop by the Ramen shop and eat.  I can't wait to see the look on Mom's face."

Reno nodded his head.  She looked down at the wide gap between his feet and the hem of the pants.  She laughed, "Oh I almost forgot.  Kakashi went into town before everyone was up and found you some pants that will fit better and shoes."

Reno grabbed the new pants and sandals she offered him a minute later and went quickly to change into them.  They surprisingly fit perfectly.  He came out and looked at Sarah, "How did he know what size to get?"

"That eye of his, of course," Sarah responded as if it was perfectly normal.  "Come on, I don't want to be called in to another conference because Obito's late."

Once they were outside, Reno swung Obito up on his shoulders and allowed him to ride on top.  The boy was thrilled to be riding so high up.  Sarah smiled as she watched Reno.  He had always been such a good uncle when Anaise was around.  He would swing and play with her for hours without getting tired.  She had adored him and she knew her boys were going to adore him just as much, perhaps more since they were boys.

Reno looked around as they left the residential district behind and entered the heart of the village.  He felt like he was back in Japan as he looked at the architecture and open markets.  There were western style stores but so many vendors as well.  He was receiving quite a number of stares as they continued along.  Perhaps it was his height, he was so far the tallest one he had seen.

"They probably think you are from the Land of Lightning," Sarah said in a soft voice beside him.  "The men there are huge like you are.  Remember Killer B and the Raikage?"

Reno rolled his eyes, "I only watched the show once, Sarah.  But yeah, I remember.  Don't expect me to remember everything, though.  It was a good show but you know my tastes aren't so much towards Anime.  I only watched at your insistence."

"Ha, then you're going to regret that because it is very handy coming from there to here."

They reached the Academy without incident and Reno reluctantly set Obito down on the ground.  He rather liked walking around with the kid.  Obito hugged his Mama fast before running up to the building like his pants were on fire.  Sarah chuckled while shoving her hands into her pockets,  "He loves going to the Academy.  Iruka has him on a special lesson plan that is accelerated because he tested out at a genius level."

"I thought he looked like he was freakishly smart," Reno responded.  "It's in the eyes.  You can tell a lot about people through the eyes."

Sarah smiled at him, "You always were a bit of a freak in seeing right through people.  Hmm.  I wonder what Jutsu you might possess."

"Oh no," Reno said shaking his head. "I'm retired now that I am here.  No more fighting for me.  I'm going to find some kind of hands on work."

Sarah scowled at him, "Don't be ridiculous.  You have freakishly good skills as a fighter.  With a little Jutsu, you might be as bad ass as my husband."

"I'm tired of war, Sarah," he said with a heavy sigh.  "I just can't do it anymore.  I was going to leave the Marines once my tour was up. I've killed more people than I can even count now."

Sarah gazed up at him, feeling hurt in her heart for him.  "You should talk to Kakashi.  He's been fighting in wars since he was six years old... a little older than the boys if you can imagine."

Reno was silent.  He really didn't want to talk to anyone about it.  Yet... if anyone could understand the demons in his head it would be someone like that.  It was shocking when put into terms as Sarah had done.  He could not imagine what that would do to your mind being that young and fighting in wars, learning what it was like to have blood all over you as well as other unmentionables.  Maybe he would talk to him later if for nothing else than to form a bond with the other man.  He was family after all.  Family was different.

He recognized the Ramen shop as Naruto had gone there so many times in the show even he would know it on sight.  He speed up and almost left Sarah behind as he approached.  He pulled one of the low flaps back and then he saw her.  Anna turned as he came in and then gave a little scream before running from behind the counter and throwing her arms around him.

"My boy... Thank you Lord you sent me my son!" She was crying as she pulled back to hold his face between her hands and staring at him.  "You were the only thing I regretted leaving..."  She then turned to look at Sarah, "I'm never complaining again about you bringing people here."

Sarah felt tears roll over her cheeks as she watched the reunion.  They were finally complete as a family.