Naru: Misty Eyes (A Naruto Fanfic) [Complete]

Chapter Seventeen: Family Reunion

Naru walked next to Gaara, Temari and Kankuro bickering behind them. Sasuke had disappeared at some point, but Naru was sure he'd show up again soon enough. If anything, she figured he was tracking down the rest of their team.

When the four of them arrived at the hotel the Suna nins were staying at, Naru heard a gasp. Almost immediately, she was enveloped in a familiar embrace. "Hi, Mom." Naru wrapped her arms tightly around Kohaku. She had missed her family so much, and having them here now made it sink in just how much. She heard Eito babbling in the background, so she figured Ryuu was holding him. As soon as Kohaku stepped back and Eito was handed to her, Ryuu was hugging Naru just as tightly as Kohaku had. "Hi, Dad."

"It's so good to see you, kiddo," Ryuu said. He must've turned his attention to the sand siblings after that because he added, "Thanks for finding her, you three."

"Of course," Temari said. "We wanted to see Naru too."

"Yeah," Kankuro agreed. "I wanted a rematch anyways."

"You're just going to lose again, Kankuro," Gaara laughed. Naru imagined him shaking his head as he said it. "No one can out-eat Naru when it comes to ramen."

"No kidding!" Naru turned to the new voice with a large grin. So that's what Gaara had meant by saying her parents were among others. Karasu was here, which meant that Tsuki was as well. The two of them were rarely far from each other. Naru, naturally, had called them on it not long after she and Gaara had pointed out Kohaku's feelings for Ryuu.

"Karasu! Is Tsuki here?"

"Geez, kid, way to make me feel important."

Naru giggled. She heard someone else walk up. "I'm right here, Naru. How are you?"

"I'm alright. The more important question is: Are you and Karasu engaged yet?! Or married?!"

"As if we'd get married without you there," Karasu said. The next thing Naru knew, she was settled atop his shoulders. Despite being twelve-and-a-half, Karasu tended to treat her as if she were still six at times. Still, she knew he did it endearingly so she didn't mind.

"So you are engaged!" Naru lifted her hands victoriously, swinging her staff in the process.

"Naru!" Gaara grumbled. It seemed he was standing a bit too close for comfort when she did that.

Naru chuckled a little. "Whoops. Sorry, Gaara."

The adults laughed at them before Tsuki spoke up again. "Yes, Naru, Karasu and I are engaged. It was taking him too long, so I asked."

"Well, I still said yes," Karasu replied. Naru felt him moving, so she figured he'd put an arm around Tsuki's shoulders.

"YES!" Naru barely restrained herself from making more excited gestures with her arms. She'd rather not injure her friends just because she was a bit excited. "When's the wedding?"

"As soon as you're back in Suna," Karasu said, setting her back on the ground. Naru smiled, all the more excited for her impending return home.

"There you are, Naru." Her sensei chose to make his entrance. Sasuke had found everyone then, if even Kakashi was here. "I was going to see what you wanted to do for dinner tonight, but I think that might be left to me tonight."

"As if you can cook, Kakashi-sensei," Naru snorted. "You know, it's sad that a blind child can cook better than you, right?"

"I can cook just fine!"

"No you can't, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura piped up. She sounded like she was standing next to Kakashi and trying not to laugh. "Remember our trip back from Wave? You completely burned everything you tried to make. We had to do everything if we wanted something edible."

"Oh, you are all getting it at training tomorrow."

"If you're functioning enough to do anything to us," Naru said, snickering.

"What did you do? Naru, I swear, if you reset my alarm again..." Kakashi didn't even finish the thought. He just groaned. "Out of all the genin, I had to get the early risers."

"You know it!"

"Are you going to introduce us, Naru?" Kohaku asked.

"Where'd the prissy one go?" Kankuro asked, clearly talking about Sasuke.

"No, no, Kankuro," Naru corrected him. "Sasuke is not prissy. He's brooding. He thinks it makes him seem cool."

"Hey! I can hear you, Naru!" Naru smirked. He was too easy to rile up.

"You're not very good at staying hidden, Sasuke," she said. She knew he'd be all brood-y now, but it was totally worth it. Naru turned to face her parents. "You remember Kakashi-sensei, right? He's the jounin in charge of my genin team. And the other two are my teammates: Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura is really nice once you know her, and Sasuke is just brooding all the time. He can be nice too though, not that he'd ever admit it."

"Shut up, dobe."

"Never, teme."

"Don't call her that!" Gaara exclaimed at the same time Kohaku sternly said, "No need for that, young lady."

"Sorry, Mom," Naru said with a chuckle. "He totally deserves it though."

"She's growing up so fast," Ryuu said.

"Ryuu, if you support her calling others names like that..."

Ryuu cleared his throat. "Ehem, you heard your mother, Naru... Uh, none of that now."

Naru laughed. "Yeah....." As if she was gonna stop calling him that now. Yeah, no.

"Introductions normally go both ways," Kakashi spoke up, probably trying to change the topic as much as figure out who he was talking to.

"Right!" Naru shook her head, feeling a bit silly. "Kay, you guys are gonna have to make some indication when I say your name. Cool? Cool... These are my parents, Kohaku and Ryuu Senshi; my little brother Eito; Karasu Yatagarasu; his fiancee Tsuki Akiyama; and these three are Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara. There. Everyone's introduced."

"We should head to dinner soon. Coming, kiddo?" Ryuu asked Naru.

"I demand a rematch!" Kankuro said.

"Shut up, Kankuro!" Temari snapped.

"I accept your challenge." Naru turned to face Kankuro. "Prepare to lose, Kitty."

"Kitty? Oh, come on; I thought you stopped calling me that years ago!"

"Gaara, does he still have the cat look going on?"

"Yep."

"Then, no, Kankuro. You're still Kitty."

"Um, what challenge did you just accept?" Sakura spoke up.

"Oh, Kankuro thinks he can eat more ramen than me."

Sasuke snorted. "Not a chance. No one eats more ramen than Naru."

Naru smiled. Maybe all of them knowing each other wasn't such a bad thing.

"Oh, it's on. I challenge you too, ya Duck!"

"What did you just call me, Kitty?"

"I called you a Duck. Why? Are you hard of hearing?"

"You're going down."

"I'd like to see you try!"

On second thought, it might end terribly. Naru shrugged to herself. At least she was getting ramen out of it.