Aspirant

Sasuke Uchiha frowned at the woman approaching him. A serenely pretty woman, but never a beauty, his cousin who snarled more than she smiled. His mother, the boy reflected, had smiled, even in the face of his fathers' darkest moods, had loved them all despite the icy exteriors her husband and sons wore, Mikoto had smiled and loved them. Even as Amaya sat beside him, the last Uchiha by name thought about his mother. When he knew he had been neglecting his Clan Head for several minutes, the raven haired boy turned and spoke quietly.

"Uchiha-sama, I apologize, my memories . . ." He trailed off. The gentle half smile that overtook his elder cousins' face warmed him a little.

"I remember all the people dear to me every day, Sasuke, never think I would belittle you for it." Cuddling discretely into the fierce womans' side Sasuke probed

"What did you need to talk to me about?" Despite being surprised that Sasuke was cuddling into her, the newly installed head of the Uchiha Clan continued grimly

"I want Iron Steel to survive Kakashi and I, Sasuke. Aisha and Akashi and Katsuro have every right to it, but I want properly taught students to continue it." Sasuke processed this. The Uchiha Iron Steel Partnership Style was his by right. But . . .

"You want me to partner with Sakura, don't you?" A hand stroking his hair. "Mmm, I want to motivate her to be the best, and she is at the right age to train as a proper wife candidate." Sasuke was confused, and would have 'hnned' except Amaya continued blithely "She wants to be accepted, be useful. She doesn't belong to a Clan, her parents are her only family, and she has the potential to be amazing, the best kunoichi her age."

"Mmm, I want to motivate her to be the best, and she is at the right age to train as a proper wife candidate." Sasuke was confused, and would have 'hnned' except Amaya continued blithely "She wants to be accepted, be useful. She doesn't belong to a Clan, her parents are her only family, and she has the potential to be amazing, the best kunoichi her age."

"She wants to be accepted, be useful. She doesn't belong to a Clan, her parents are her only family, and she has the potential to be amazing, the best kunoichi her age."

Sasuke scowled, aware that he was like his cousins' husband in that he didn't want to share her time or her attention, never wanted to be anything but her favourite. He had just found her, and now he had to share! Naruto, he could understand, even if he was a Dobe, Sasuke could have shared his family, because Naruto was more interested in knowing Kakashi, and he wanted to know everything about Amaya. Sakura was a girl, and would only ever want more of Amayas' attention, if she knew what was good for her, the bitch wouldn't sniff around Kakashi, the boy thought vindictively.

A hand stroking his hair again, the angry thoughts overtaken by the tune the young mother hummed, Sasuke sighed. He was too old to be soothed like a toddler! A civilian toddler, no less! Huffing, he said flatly "I'll try, tomorrow." A kiss on his head, a ruffle of his hair. "Wonderful, thank you, Sasuke." Drifting off to the house, Amaya left her Clans' Scion to his grumbles.

"I'll try, tomorrow." A kiss on his head, a ruffle of his hair. "Wonderful, thank you, Sasuke." Drifting off to the house, Amaya left her Clans' Scion to his grumbles.

"Wonderful, thank you, Sasuke." Drifting off to the house, Amaya left her Clans' Scion to his grumbles.

He wasn't alone for long. Kakashi approached him, a copy of Icha Icha Paradise with a slightly lighter shade of orange than normal. Assuming the lightness was a simple matter of wear and tear, Sasuke paid more attention to his sensei. "I already said yes, what are you here for?" The young shinobi asked sarcastically. Kakashi raised his eyebrow and

"I already said yes, what are you here for?" The young shinobi asked sarcastically. Kakashi raised his eyebrow and replied "Maa, Sasuke, thought you'd like some advice on dealing with a girl." Black eyes alight,

"Maa, Sasuke, thought you'd like some advice on dealing with a girl." Black eyes alight, Sasukes' head snapped up to stare at Kakashi.

Smirking to himself as he put away his extra special copy of Icha Icha Paradise, Kakashi hunkered down and told him sagely "Make her feel special, and she'll cater to your every whim, be her friend and she'll see who you really are, love her and she'll give you everything." Nose scrunched, Sasuke was about to retort when the

"Make her feel special, and she'll cater to your every whim, be her friend and she'll see who you really are, love her and she'll give you everything." Nose scrunched, Sasuke was about to retort when the jounin carried on "To make her feel special, give her a pretty nickname and tell her to drop the honorifics. After all, I came up with Amaya." After Sasuke nodded, the Jounin finished "Give her time, be her friend like I said, and focus on what matters to

"To make her feel special, give her a pretty nickname and tell her to drop the honorifics. After all, I came up with Amaya." After Sasuke nodded, the Jounin finished "Give her time, be her friend like I said, and focus on what matters to

"Give her time, be her friend like I said, and focus on what matters to you Sasuke. Not for the good of the Clan." After that, he too, drifted off, not, as Sasuke suspected, to hunt down and fuck his wife, but to talk to a certain Jinchuriki.

Naruto was staring desolately at the Hatake House, where his fathers' student had lived with his wife and children, without Naruto. Kakashi approached him, pocketing the orange book again as he did so, despite wishing very much to take it back out and stare at the contents.

"We wanted to take you, you know, but I was an unstable fourteen-year-old ANBU operative, she was a thirteen-year-old civilian. The Council didn't allow it, had me sent on a string of suicide missions until I stopped protesting, which I only did after the Sandaime promised I would be your Sensei."

This was a surprise for Naruto, and for just a moment, he tried to imagine being only a little older than he was, and asking to take care of a baby full time. He shuddered. Before being kicked out, the orphanage had given him his fair share of babies- crying, wailing, and messy little runts- and was grateful Sensei had tried, that Amaya had tried. But, as with Sasuke, the Jounin had advice to dispense.

"At this moment, Naruto, Sakura is a dream, for anyone but Sasuke, and even then, she'll have a tough road ahead if he agrees to an Iron Steel bond. It isn't easy, learning all of someone, and I learned all of someone I adored for being the prickly sweet bite of trouble she was. Sakura and Sasuke have to learn to let go of irritation, and to not put people on pedestals." Nodding, the Jinchuriki was lost in thought as the Jounin retreated to the kitchen, absolutely done with the giving of advice.

A harried jounin, now assured his students would behave long enough for him to cuddle with his wife, ripped off his mask and clothes, lunging for her the moment he was in bed. She laughed as he pinned her, moaning appreciatively as wrapped her into his warm embrace, the long curtain of her hair skimming down her back and overlapping his arms.

"I missed you." He breathed into the soft skin of her neck, which fluttered as she giggled.

"You weren't gone an hour!" His fond grey eye softened as he took in the sight of her, naked on silk sheets, his alone in this stolen hour. She looked back at him tenderly for a moment, before turning them over to smother him with quick, nipping kisses.