347The Hidden Countries
Chapter; Twenty-One
Epilogue.
Rose darted around the corner, intent on hiding from Hermione and her crazy wedding plans. The girl was getting married in a month, and she was going absolutely crazy with all of her 'plans'. Rose just needed a bloody break! She would hurt someone if she didn't get that break!
Hermione was a scary person, and the Hidden Countries seemed to encourage craziness. Just look where Rose had gotten over the years. Poor, poor Naruto.
"Rose-San?" The voice of a young girl broke into Rose's daze of tormented thoughts. Rose looked up to see the fifteen year old form of Haruno Sakura; the girl had a hesitant smile on her face. Rose smiled hesitantly right back at her. "What are you doing?"
"Hiding," Rose informed the younger girl briskly, her green eyes darting around the place like she was expecting someone to jump out at her. Hermione, quite fortunately, was not a ninja and most likely couldn't do that even if she wanted to. "Hermione is going crazy with wedding plans, you know."
Sakura shuddered violently, and nodded her head with understanding. The pink haired girl's own green eyes darting around nervously, like she too expected Hermione to make an appearance and smother them with wedding plans. "…She tried to convince me to be the flower girl."
Rose snorted and shook her head, not surprised at the thought. Hermione had been going mental with preparations. Why did she decide to get married and then have the wedding within the span of a month? "Are you going to be?" Rose asked with amusement.
Sakura nodded her head. "Do you want to get breakfast with me, Rose-San?" Sakura asked hesitantly. "We can avoid Hermione-San together."
Rose laughed freely before agreeing. The duo went to a local, but out of the way café and ordered their food, having a lot to talk about. "Naruto's grown so much," Sakura was saying. "He's not only gotten taller, but his really mature now too! You should have seen Sasuke-Kun's face when he first saw him! It makes me wonder what mine was like…"
Rose nodded her head, happy with the topic. "Yeah, I'm glad that my baby cousin is back here, I've missed him heaps… Not to mention Kakashi – he won't admit it but he missed Naruto a lot, more than Sasuke has anyway."
Sakura laughed freely, pausing momentarily to order their food. "About my Sensei…" Sakura began. "Is there going to be another crazy wedding planned as well?"
Rose smiled, and chuckled slightly. "I don't think so… I'm only twenty-one, Sakura-Chan!"
"And Kakashi-Sensei is thirty, so what?" Sakura probed, with mild amusement. "Hermione-San and Iruka-Sensei are getting married."
"But I'm not a crazy person," Rose muttered and Sakura coughed loudly.
Rose laughed at the girl lightly, before catching a whiff of the fish that Sakura had ordered being placed down. She felt…Sick. Quickly Rose looked around for the bathroom – thanking Merlin when it was easy to spot. Hurriedly she got up from her seat and practically raced to the bathroom.
"Rose-San? What's wrong?" Sakura called, getting up to follow the short-haired girl into the bathroom. The sight that she walked in on wasn't very pretty. Rose had flung the door open and was in the process of removing what she'd eaten last night in the porcelain bowl.
Sakura moved behind Rose and pushed some of her hair back, feeling the older girl's temperature, not seeing anything wrong with it. "Rose-San, are you alright? Are you feeling sick?"
"Apparently," Rose groaned, leaning back. "The smell of fish… Ugh, maybe I should go home…"
"At least let me give you a check-up first!" Sakura pleaded. "I know you don't like the Hospital, but…"
Rose shrugged her shoulders, unconcerned. "It's probably just a cold Sakura-Chan."
"But-!"
"I'll be fine, I just need some rest," Rose decided. Rose hated the hospital and she wasn't going near one if she could help it. No one could make her go.
THC
"Hermione do you have any more of these cake testers?" Rose asked, after consuming the last piece of the delightful chocolate cake. Hermione looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, questioning where all of the chocolate cake had gotten to. Rose just returned a blank and somewhat fake-innocent face back.
"No… They're testers Rose. Did you think that one was the best one?" Hermione asked briskly, holding up her clipboard that she was scoring the cake on. "What do you give it?"
"One million… and I want more," Rose muttered, almost childishly. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Okay, we'll get that one then," Hermione mused, making it on her paper. "Next is the main meal, Iruka-Kun wants fish, so let's get some of that out, yeah?"
Rose nodded her head, trying to ignore the slightly queasy feeling that she got in her stomach hearing the word, 'fish'. The waiter that was helping them choose food for Hermione's wedding walked in with nine different types of fish placed elegantly on a silver platter. The instant that Rose smelt the fish, she knew that she was going to be sick again.
And she did. Unfortunately, she didn't know where the bathroom was, and she emptied her stomach on the waiter's shiny shoes. "Sorry…" Rose said blankly, ignoring his horrified face.
Hermione waved her wand, cleaning the gunk of his shoes. "Are you alright Rose? Perhaps you should go to the Hospital?"
"Na," Rose answered briskly. "Still feeling a bit sick, maybe I should just go home a take a rest."
"Rose! You're my Maid-Of-Honour; I need you at my wedding!" Hermione protested. "My wedding's next week! Just go get a Check-Up, please?"
Rose waved her off. No one could make her go to that damn hospital! "I'll be fine, just need some rest."
Hermione sighed and muttered about stubborn idiots and their stupid pride. But she didn't push the issue, knowing that Rose wouldn't go to the place if she didn't want to. Hell, getting her there would be like World War Three.
Rose hated hospitals and she always would. Nothing could get her there. Nothing.
THC
"It's quite amazing," Rose said, quite overwhelmed by how amazing Hermione's wedding was. It had gone flawlessly; a credit to Hermione's amazing - if not crazy – planning skills. "Is that chocolate?"
Kakashi chuckled, looking quite handsome in his dark blue Kimono. Rose glared at him slightly, but dragged him over to the refreshments table. Rose picked up one of the chocolate balls and sniffed it gently. Most foods made her feel sick at the moment – much to Rose's displeasure.
"Your chocolate obsession has grown," Kakashi commented with amusement, wrapping his arms around her waist – she'd gained some weight too… Stupid chocolate obsession…
"Shut up," Rose muttered, eating a few more of the chocolate balls and before she realised it they were gone. Rose frowned and Kakashi rested his head on top of hers.
"Sensei! Rose-Nee-Chan!"
Rose and Kakashi turned around to see a grinning Naruto, running towards them. "Naruto!" Rose exclaimed brightly, causing Kakashi to chuckle at the change in tone.
"Hermione-Chan's wedding is great! I've never been to a wedding before!" Naruto said cheerfully, coming to a stop in front of the young couple. "Sakura-Chan asked me to ask you if you're feeling better Nee-Chan! Are you okay?" Naruto asked, worriedly.
"What happened?" Kakashi asked, instantly worried.
Rose waved him off. "Tell Sakura not to worry Naruto, I'm fine. I was just feeling a little bit sick."
Naruto nodded his head, his gaze going to the dancing couples on the floor. Rose could make out Hermione in her big poofy dress dancing with Iruka, who looked like the happiest man on the earth. Glancing around her could see Ron with his girlfriend Ayame talking to Ron's parents. In the middle of the dance floor she could see Luna dancing like she had at Bill's wedding but with her now-husband Gai. They'd married in a fit of drunkenness about three months after they meet, and had a two year old son – Might Haru.
Rose smiled gently, and looked at Naruto. "Why don't you ask Sakura-Chan to dance? I'm sure she wants to."
"Really? She'd want to dance with Sasuke-Teme," Naruto asked cheerfully, but there was some doubt in his voice. "Okay," he chirped before he raced off, leaving Rose blinking.
"Something's never do change," Kakashi mused.
Rose smiled. "Of course they-"
Rose cut off, gaining the whiff of fish nearby… Rose felt sick…
THC
Rose was glaring at Kakashi; Kakashi was staring at the roof like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Then the door to her hospital room swung open to reveal Tsunade. Rose was very annoyed at Kakashi, she threw up once and he dragged her to the Hospital? Ha.
He would have to be the only person in the world to actually get her to the hospital. Idiot.
Tsunade looked at the couple very seriously. "Rose, I've got your test results back," Tsunade said seriously.
"Nothing's wrong with me is there?" Rose asked, shooting another glare at Kakashi who wouldn't look at her. He was probably scared of her – as he should be.
Tsunade shrugged, not bothering to beat around the bush. "Your three months pregnant."
Rose looked at Tsunade incredulously, before hearing a crash and her head whipped to look at Kakashi who had fainted on the floor. Rose blinked. "I'm what? …Kakashi?" She said, poking his prone form with her foot. "….Is he dead?"
"May as well be," Tsunade grumbled. "He better marry you."
Rose's eyes widened.
THC
"A what?"
"A baby Ron."
"A what?"
Rose hit the idiotic red-head across the head. "I'm bloody pregnant with a small person."
Ron blinked his eyes wide, his mouth agape. "Kakashi's kid?"
Rose's eye twitched and she wacked his head with her chopsticks, that idiot! "Who else's kid would I be having!? What are you saying Ronald Weasley!?"
Ron went pale, realising just how Rose had taken what he said. "I didn't mean- H-hey! Rose, what are you-" Ron stuttered, his blue eyes growing wide. "Don't kill me!"
Rose had gained a murderous look in her eyes, and she attempted to beat Ron to death with a napkin. "What are you-! Rose!" Ron protested.
"How dare you! Die Weasley! Die!"
THC
"Chocolate, Hatake! I want chocolate!" Rose yelled, throwing one of the pillows off their couch at the Silver-haired ninja. Kakashi ducked under the pillow, and held his hand up in surrender like motion. "Chocolate!"
"Here!" Kakashi said in a panicked voice, all but throwing a block of chocolate at Rose. Rose caught it blankly; she turned it over – seeing that she had indeed gotten her chocolate. Rose looked up at Kakashi, who was in a panic, and smiled brightly.
"Thank you Kakashi!" Rose said cheerfully, throwing herself at Kakashi giving him a big hug, much to Kakashi's confusion. Rose felt Kakashi shake lightly in her arms.
"Kami have mercy on my soul," he muttered, confusion evident in his tone. Rose choose to ignore this though, and let him go – opening her chocolate with a happy look. Rose moaned with the first bite of the coco she ate. Rose turned around and sat back down on the couch, ignoring the confused Kakashi again. "Rose?"
"Yes Kakashi?" Rose asked airily, back into being in a good mood.
"Um, I was – I ah…"
Rose though decided that his mumblings meant nothing to her. "If we have a girl I was thinking Ruka, or Hana…or maybe Yuriko; I think it means Lily Child… After my mother."
Kakashi nodded his head, slowly walking over to Rose and sitting on the couch next to her and Rose automatically rested her head on his shoulder. "I think Yuriko is a great name," Kakashi replied, his voice sounding slightly relieved.
Rose knew she'd been a bit difficult to work with during the months that they knew she'd been pregnant, but Kakashi had suffered through it without a complaint. Rose smiled, breaking another piece of chocolate off and stuffing it in her mouth. "But if it's a boy… I want Sakumo."
Kakashi's eye widened drastically, his grip on Rose tightening momentarily before easing off. "Kakashi?"
"I'd…. like that."
Rose smiled blissfully closing her eyes, feeling calm for the first time in a very long time.
HTC
"Yuriko! Get back here! No! Give Mummy her wand back! Yuriko!" Rose yelled chasing her white-haired menace down the street. "Yuriko!"
The three year old girl stopped running for a second, turning around to face Rose and she stuck her tongue out and kept running. How did a three year old run so fast!? "Yuriko!" Rose yelled.
It was just then that Naruto turned the corner and the eighteen year old picked Yuriko up by her foot, holding her upside down. "Nawuto-Nii!" Yuriko squealed, her bright green eyes widening seeing her older brother figure.
"Yo, Yuri-Chan! What'cha doing?" Naruto asked in amusement, as Rose ran up to the two of them her face red from running. Damn, she was out of shape.
"Runnin' fwom Kaa-Chan…" Yuriko mumbled. Naruto paled instantly.
"Y-you…" Naruto stuttered his eyes widening with horror.
"Hello Naruto," Rose said with a scary look on her face directed at the giggling three-year old in his grip. Naruto almost dropped his Sensei's daughter, paling dramatically.
"E-eh, hey Rose-Nee-Chan! I uh, how are you?" The blonde haired boy stuttered.
Rose blinked at Naruto, confused by his behaviour. "Someone stole my wand," Rose said, with a sharp look at her daughter. "Naruto, just what are you teaching her?"
Naruto chuckled, using his free hand the rub the back of his head sheepishly. "Let me down!" Yuriko whined. Naruto chuckled nervously again, dropping Yuriko on the ground letting her hit the group with a loud 'thump'.
Rose grinned, knowing she shouldn't be happy with Naruto dropping her daughter but not being able to stop the slight vindictiveness. Rose bent down and picked up her wand that Yuriko had dropped and tapped it against the girl's nose. "She act's too much like you Naruto. You're making her hard to keep up with!"
Naruto just gave Rose a sheepish smile, watching her pick Yuriko up and placing her on her hip. Rose smiled. "Hopefully she will be a ninja as good as you too," Rose muttered, trying to keep the now wriggling Yuriko still.
Naruto gave her a foxy grin. "Of course! I'll teach her better than that Sasuke-Baka!"
Rose laughed lightly. "Of course Naruto. That reminds me… How's Hinata?"
At the mention of his Fiancé Naruto's face lit up, and he was blubbering about the girl. "It's great Nee-Chan! She's so excited about the wedding, but her father –well… anyway, she was so happy that I made Jonin last week! She made Ramen! It was so amazing!"
Rose laughed at the boy's enthusiasm, feeling mildly down that Naruto of all people – not that she didn't love him like her own little brother – was getting married, and hell was engaged before she was. Why was everyone she knew married and engaged, while she had a beautiful, but cheeky, three year old? "That's great Naruto! Your one step closer to being the Hokage."
Naruto puffed up in pride. "Of course! But eh, Nee-Chan, are you alright?"
Rose grinned widely, hiding her negative thoughts, flicking Yuriko on the forehead to make her stop wriggling. "Course, well, I'm off, Yuriko needs to have her nap soon."
"No!" Yuriko wailed. "Save me, Nawuto-Nii!"
Naruto chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. "Nope, Yuri-Chan! Nap time's the best!"
Yuriko pouted and Rose and Naruto shared a chuckle before they were both off.
THC
Rose felt sick. Rose knew it wasn't good when she felt sick after smelling fish. She'd gone home automatically, and sat down on her couch, her eyes drawn to the blank wall. It couldn't be happening to her again. Not a-bloody-gain. Why her?
Rose sighed and tilted her head back, closing her eyes. She sat there for what felt like hours – just thinking. Rose was glad that Naruto was taking care of Yuriko, because she didn't want to have to put on a fake smile and be happy. Not another bloody kid. She had always wanted children but she had honestly thought that it wouldn't happen this way.
Of course nothing ever happened the way that she had planned for them too… Rose sighed, she had to go and get a check-up with Sakura before she came to any new conclusions. She might not be in fact pregnant again – maybe the fish had been off?
Rose sighed, knowing that this probably wasn't the fact. They'd need a new house. The apartment really wasn't the right place for a four year old, but if she added in another child? Impossible.
Rose sighed again, hearing the door to their apartment open and shut. She wondered if it was Kakashi or Naruto and Yuriko. "Rose-Chan?" Kakashi's voice asked. Rose opened her eyes to see her white-haired boyfriend.
"Hey," Rose said quietly, sitting up as Kakashi sat down next to her. "I've been thinking right…"
"That's not a good sign," Kakashi joked, and Rose stuck her tongue out at him playfully.
"I want to move," Rose said seriously. Kakashi seemed surprised by the sentence. "An apartment isn't the right place for a four year old," Rose said hedging around her real reason. She didn't want to tell him yet – in case she wasn't right.
Kakashi nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, your right. Where is Yuri-Chan?"
"With Naruto," Rose answered, with a yawn. "I think he was teaching her how to prank people."
Kakashi groaned and rubbed the back of his neck, causing Rose to chuckle. "Rose," Kakashi said, seriously. "On my way home, I saw something I thought you'd like…"
Rose perked up a little bit. A gift? Kakashi smiled from underneath his mask, pulling out a necklace box from the inside of his flak-jacket. Rose hesitantly grabbed the box off him and opened it to reveal a heart-shaped locket. Rose smiled. "It's beautiful!"
And it was, in Rose's eyes. She had always believed that 'more is less', and it was really a plain but beautiful piece of jewellery. "Open it," Kakashi said, excited. Wait… why was he so…?
Rose grasped the locket and opened it slowly, expecting to see a picture but only saw two small words scrawled in Kakashi's handwriting. 'Marry Me?'
Rose's eyes widened and look over at Kakashi, who for his part looked like nothing new had happened. Rose chuckled. "Of course."
Kakashi smiled, and flicked a ring with no box at her… it was amazing. Rose started to laugh… This proposal was so… Kakashi.
THC
"How about a blue one?"
"Red all the way!"
"Rose-Sama… All the walls are red…."
"Do you have a point, Haku?" Rose asked blinking. Haku just gave her a blank look, and gestured to the red-walled house that Rose and Kakashi had brought, that Rose was in the process of renovating with Haku's help.
Haku sighed. "Rose-Sama… Don't you want to break the colour up?"
Rose shrugged her shoulders. "I like the colour red," she admitted. "Maybe we can do the skirting boards dark green... Maybe that's too Slytherin…"
"Rose-Sama?" Haku asked, confused.
"Nothing, Haku… Don't worry…" Rose muttered. "Say Haku, what do you think of being a God-Father?"
Haku's eye's widened. "Rose-Sama?"
Rose's grin widened. "Kakashi doesn't know yet, but… I'm having another kid… Anyway, Naruto's Yuriko's Godfather and I wanted to know if you-?"
"I'd be honoured, Rose-Sama," Haku said bowing his head, a gentle smile lighting up his face. Rose grinned. "But…The walls can't all be red."
Rose groaned. "Haku! What is this? Are you an interior designer now?"
Haku shook his head. "Of course not… Ino-Chan on the other hand…"
Rose hit her head on the wall getting wet paint in her hair.
THC
"Why don't I get one?" Yuriko huffed.
"Yuriko," Kakashi said warningly.
"But Tou-San! I want to learn magic!" Yuriko pouted.
"Well, you can't!" Sakumo said sticking his tongue out.
"Sakumo!" Kakashi said sharply. Rose sighed, causing both of her children to quiet down. Kakashi just leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Sakumo, Yuriko, you two know about chakra right?" Rose asked her children receiving two nods. "And how Sakumo can't use it and Yuriko can, right?"
The two children nodded their head again. "You see, Tou-San has chakra and I have magic. No one can have both. Because it's just spiritual energy that channelled in a different way, right? So we both use it differently. Just like the two of you."
Yuriko nodded her head. "So… Saku-Kun was born without chakra? Is that why he couldn't learn any Jutsu at the academy?"
Rose nodded her head. "You see, Kaa-Chan went to this school," Kakashi said pointing to the Hogwarts letter on the table. "To learn how to control it. Just like you can Sakumo, and you can come back and become a ninja. Naruto is sure to allow it."
"I can still be a ninja?" Sakumo said brightly.
"Of course!" Rose said, happy that one of her children would be going to Hogwarts. "You'll have heaps of fun at Hogwarts, I did."
Sakumo nodded his head hesitantly. Yuriko stood up. "Okay, I understand now… Kaa-Chan, Tou-San, I need to go to my team meeting. Sasuke-Sensei is always really paranoid about me being late for some reason…"
Kakashi burst out laughing; a mischievous twinkle appeared in his visible eye. "Yuri-Chan, can I ask you to do something for me?" Yuriko nodded her head slowly. "I need you to be five minutes late, and tell him that, 'I was late because I walked into a black cat and I had to go around, and then I got lost on the road of life'."
"Okay Tou-San?"
Rose snickered slightly, causing Kakashi to wink at Rose. "Kaa-Chan, how long will I be at Hogwarts?"
Rose turned back to explain being a wizard to her son, who looked like a male version of her, just with white hair. Rose felt a smile pulling at her face – she couldn't believe that one of her children had magic!
OMAKE
Yuriko Hatake was a lot of things. For one, the only person allowed to call her Yuriko and not Yuri was her mother. So don't even think of it again. She was immature, a prankster, but she took being a ninja very seriously. She was worried about her little brother disappearing off the face of the earth to go to some magic school without her there to protect him.
She was also concerned about what her Tou-San asked her to do. Did he not understand how scary her Sensei was? Yuri shook her head slowly. She was already five minutes late like he asked her to be. She was a Chūnin anyway, she really didn't need to go to these meetings, but both of her teammates were still Genin and training to go the Chūnin exams, and she promised to help.
Yuri turned the last corner to see her two teammates sitting by the bridge dully. Noting that Rukia was badgering Shari about her choice of clothing, and Sasuke-Sensei was tapping his foot against the floor impatiently.
Sasuke then looked up and saw her. "You're late," he said sharply, his voice cold.
Yuri felt a sense of forbidding cross her, but she ignored it. "Sorry Sensei, a black cat crossed my path so I had to avoid it, and then I got lost on the road of life and had to battle a hoard of old ladies with cookies to get here."
Her two teammates looked at her incredulously. But her Sensei's reaction made it all worth it. His face went blank, and then it paled to a scary degree. "No," he muttered, gaining his three students attention. "Not again! Not this again!" his voice seemed to be going slightly hysterical.
Yuri then watched on as Sasuke-Sensei started to bang his head against the railing of the bridge, muttering. "Not her, no, not him, not her! Why? Kami… Why me?"
Yuri blinked. "Sensei?"
"Do not start reading orange books in public!" Sasuke yelled pointing his finger at Yuri. Yuri blinked and promised herself to go and buy an orange book from the bookstore on her way home, for tomorrow.
Yuri grinned evilly and Sasuke flinched away from her. Yuri wondered why her Sensei was having such a strong response to her being late, with a stupid reason… and why shouldn't she read a book with an orange cover?
"No promises Sensei," Yuri replied sincerely.
Sasuke-Sensei looked like he wanted to cry. Yuri surprisingly found that this was amusing for her. Hehe!
The Actual End.
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I promise this time. In my absence, I'd gotten a terrible set of reviews and stopped writing, and I got a dash of inspiration for a small epilogue. I hope you like the flash into the future of this fic. I feel the need to explain that in this, Sasuke never left for Oto – he stayed in Konoha. Itachi and Kisame did actually get killed by the T&I department. Hmm, anything else needing to be explain? No? Well…. Love you all! Toodles!
