NaruHina: Technical Difficulties

Chapter Fourty-Two: The Village Hidden in the Leaves

"So you didn't tell him?," Sakura dropped her cup back to the table, "Hinata, he needs to know."
"I understand, but," Hinata shrugged, "I was just really scared to say anything. You've heard of those fathers who leave their kids. What if he-"
"He told me personally," Sakura interrupted, "That he would love his child, no matter what."
"I know, but Sakura," she sighed, "What if means there's a chance."
Haruno took a bite of her food then nodded, "Yeah. So how'd you get around saying it?"
Uzumaki blushed, "I t-told him I was," her voice dropped to a very low whisper, "horny."
"Hinata," she laughed, "That's the last thing you are."

Shikamaru held her close to him. She was curled up beside him on the couch. The two of them were waiting for Tsunade to come get her and Yoshino to come home.
"Shika," Kanai's voice came out raspy, "I'm sorry if I get you in trouble."
"It's fine," he ran his fingers through her hair then kissed the top of her head.
"No it's not," she wrapped her left arm around the front of his torso, "You've done nothing but take care of me and I always mess things up for you."
"No, you don't," Shikamaru wrapped his index finger around her belt loop. He tugged on her shorts a little bit and she looked up at him.
"Do you think we can start a family like Hinata and Naruto?," she scratched her nose and flipped her hair to the side.
It didn't work so he pushed it back behind her ear, "If you still want to when were older."
"Shika, I'm always going to love you. Nothing, not even time, could stop me," she pulled away from him and stood up.
A second later Tsunade knocked on the door. They knew it was her; no one else would come to the house after they walked through town painted red.
Shikamaru stood up and moved pass her. He pulled the door open and let the Hokage inside, a very sadened Hokage.
"I have some news," she crossed her arms, "Since Kanai burned her file, which included proof of her citizenship to the village, Otazowa is now legally considered a rouge ninja."
"You can't kill her," Nara held his arm out in front of his girlfriend to protect her.
"We won't," Tsunade put an end to whatever rant he was going to start, "She just has to become part of the village and we'll put her in a holding cell for a few weeks. No one outside of the village even knew about that small town. The people there will most likely keep their mouth shut," she paused, "And if not, Kanai's strong enough to protect us and we have Naruto."
Shikamaru felt Kanai lower his arm and she reluctantly walked pass him to the Hokage and out the door.
"You can see her in a few days. Until then, rest. You're still a little skinny," Tsunade pointed to his stomach and left the house as well.

Naruto and Hinata sat at the dining table, chowing down on curry and rice. Naruto stuffed his face, while Hinata picked at her dinner.
"Naruto," she suddenly looked up, "I lied to you."
His eyes darted up from her cooking and he spoke with his mouth full, "About what?"
"Last night. I didn't want you to," she skipped that part, "Truthfully I'm....pregnant."
He swallowed his food and smiled, "Hinata! That's amazing! Why wouldn't you tell me?!," he stood up and moved over to her, hugging her.
"I thought you'd...you wouldn't want it," she answered with her true thoughts.
"Well you were wrong," he chuckled, "I'll love it as long as it's mine....it is mine right?"
"Of course it is!," she blushed and looked up at him.
Naruto tapped her nose, "There's my Hina-chan."
Her slight frustration turned to a smile and her eyes softened, "Naruto," she sighed and turned back to her food.
"I love you Hinata. And I'll love our baby, no matter what their name is, how good of a ninja they turn out to be, or whatever else could be a concern. I was always being myself, so I'll let him or her be themself too."
"Thank you Naruto. It puts my mind at ease," she smiled a big, bright smile he hadn't seen in a while. The smile she kept just for him.
He gave his signature grin and scratched the back of his head before sitting back down and finishing his dinner. Hinata started to eat as well, feeling weight lifted off her shoulders.

Tsunade slid another form in front of Kanai and she filled it out as best she could. Things related to her parents were left blank since she didn't know much about their heritage or abilities.
"Kanai," Sakura sat in the chair next to her, "A while back, you told Tsunade-sama that you were a monster. Then Nana said that as well. What did you two mean?"
Otazowa smiled and dropped her pen, "Sakura-chan, just pray that you never have to find out. So," she sighed, "How are you and Sasuke-kun?"
"Fine thank you. What about you and Shikamaru?"
"Perfectly perfect," she giggled then went back to filling out the papers. Haruno and Her teacher exchanged glances and small smiles then the pinkete left.

Kanai was put in a holding cell. She had to stay there for seventeen days and eighteen nights. Shikamaru wouldn't be able to visit her, nor would anyone else. Tsunade and the guards were the only ones allowed to be in the same part of the building with her. Of course, the Nara family didn't agree with this, but they had to go along with it.

Nine months after the fact, Hinata and Naruto's first child was born and a week after that, Sasuke and Sakura's.
Once they were older, the two kid's talked but Salad didn't like the miniture Naruto all that much. She found him distracting.
About a year later, Kiba's kid started to take intrest in Akamaru and the other ninja hounds. She was a great companion for the white animal and he often let her ride on his back around the apartment.
Soon after that, Hinata bore another child of Naruto's. This one looked more like her which was acceptable since she was a baby girl. Now they had Boruto and Himawari and Naruto loved them to pieces.
Speaking of, Daddy Uzumaki's dream didn't become reality until Himawari was about two. Then he was Hokage and realized why Tsunade complained about paperwork so much. Of course, Hashirama's decendant taught him the ropes for a month or so, which made the job a little easier, but overall it wasn't so hard. Immediately a stronger pact was made with the Hidden Sand Village and Gaara got to visit.
The years seemed to fly by and before they knew it, the Konoha Nine had their own children who were becoming full-fledged ninjas.

Two years after Salad started school, her parents went out on a mission. They didn't come back when they were supossed to so a search team was sent to find the Hokage's friends. They were found, but the two had been defeated in battle. The Akatsuki were at their old tricks again, trying to control the world, and it cost Naruto his friends.

Salad was taken in to the Uzumaki family, not as a daughter but as some one in need. Never the less, she was treated as if she were their own. The small girl fell into a depression and missed a lot of academy days. She was taken off the rosters and told to come back when she felt like she could handle reality again.
So she did. She picked herself up, dusted herself off, and got on living like her parents would have wanted. Moping wouldn't make her strong like them, it would only weaken her. She trained with Naruto, Boruto, and Himawari, earning her a spot in the academy again. Salad didn't have to repeat the two years she had taken since her levels exceeded her current grade now.

Kanai and Shikamaru only had one child, who had taken up a rare illness at brith and died a couple months afterward. They never tried to have another baby, because both believed another child couldn't replace their lost one. For it's short life, they loved it with every fiber in their beings. Still the loss of legacy didn't dampen Kanai's fun-loving spirit. She was the same, but she just got a little down sometimes.

So, all in all, Konoha and it's inhabitants prospered. Hardships didn't make their village crumble for the citizens were strong enough to bear bad news and continue with heavy hearts that lightened with time and tears.
They cried for those they lost and cried for those they gained, but the end result stayed the same.
A village hidden in the leaves held smiles, friends, family, dreams, and-
"Boruto!," his father yelled, "Stop painting my face!"
"Naruto," Hinata laughed you used to do it, "Let him have fun. If he grows up to be like you, it'll be something the world gained."
"But," he stopped once his wife gave him a stern look, "Yeah I guess."
"Thank you," she leaned in and softly kissed him, which he turned into a longer, more passionate embrace.
"Eww!," Himawari commented from across the room.
Naruto stopped and turned to her, "I hope you'll still say that when you get older."
"I always will," she scrunched her nose and went back to reading.
"See Hokage-sama," Hinata brought his attention back to her, "Everything's under control."
"Yeah I guess," he grinned.
"Hey dad," Boruto called from behind him, "Check out my painting."
"You painted on the wall!," he moved over to see his son's face poorly drawn with his tounge sticking out. Words beside his head read Gotcha!
"You better start running," he joked with his son then started to chase him around the office.
Hinata sat down with her daughter and played with the kid's hair, smiling at her family.
"I love you Hima," she looked down at her daughter.
"Love you too, momma," she looked up from her book and smiled.
Salad came into the office and Boruto ducked behind her, using the small girl as a sheild against his father. One look from Salad and Naruto stopped in tracks, trudging back to his desk to do paperwork.
"Thanks Salad," Boruto hugged her and slightly lifted her feet off the ground.
She blushed, "No problem." She broke free and went to sit at Hinata's feet then found herself watching the miniature version of the Hokage.
Hinata looked at Salad and saw herself staring at Naruto when they were kids and things were much simpler. Nevertheless she loved her family, all of them.