(LIFE IN THE HIDDEN LEAF) CHAPTER ONE

Naruto had learned that there were very few things in life more difficult than getting a two-year-old to sit still.

“Boruto.” His son continued crawling beneath the table. “Boruto, come out of there.”

A small hand reached farther beneath the table, followed by another determined grunt. Naruto leaned over the back of the couch to watch him, shaking his head as Boruto continued trying to reach whatever was underneath.

“You know you’re going to get stuck, right?”

His son ignored him.

A few seconds later, he backed out from beneath the table with the wooden kunai he had been trying to retrieve clutched triumphantly in one hand. He looked pleased with himself until he bumped the back of his head against the table.

Naruto winced as Boruto froze and looked up at him, his expression already beginning to crumple.

“Don’t cry.”

The boy’s lower lip trembled, and Naruto immediately regretted saying it.

“Come here.” Boruto crawled toward him, and Naruto scooped him up before settling him on his lap. “See? You’re fine.”

Boruto rubbed the back of his head, babbling something that might have been, “Yeah.”

Naruto smiled and repeated after him. “Yeah.”

From across the room, Hinata laughed.

Naruto looked over to find her standing beside the table, watching them with an amused expression. She had been sorting through a small pile of clothes that had somehow accumulated despite their best efforts to keep the house organized, and she set the last shirt aside before walking over.

“He was trying to get his toy,” she said. “You could have helped him.”

“I was helping.”

Hinata raised an eyebrow. “By watching?”

“I was making sure he didn’t get stuck.”

“And when he hit his head?”

“I was there to comfort him.”

She rolled her eyes, though it wasn't unkind. “Very helpful.”

Naruto grinned. “You see? That’s why I’m here.”

Hinata shook her head and reached down to straighten Boruto’s shirt, which the boy immediately pulled crooked again. 

“Boruto,” she called, and he looked at her. “Leave it.”

Boruto considered this for a moment before doing as instructed.

Naruto stared, mouth agape. “How did you do that?”

Hinata looked at him. “He’s learned that he should listen to his mother.”

“Hey, what about me?"

At that moment, Boruto grabbed Naruto’s sleeve.

Naruto looked down with an exaggerated frown. “See what I'm talking about.”

Hinata laughed. “He listens when it suits him.”

And Naruto had to admit that she had a point.

He looked around the room, taking in the toys scattered across the floor, the small clothes folded on the table and the crib that had taken up a permanent place near their bedroom. Their home had changed in ways he had never expected, and it seemed that every few months brought another reminder that their family was growing.

Two years ago, it was only him and Hinata. Then Boruto arrived, and now there was another little Uzumaki in the next room.

Naruto smiled. “Speaking of which, how’s little Hima doing?”

“She’s asleep.”

“Still?”

Hinata nodded. “She slept through most of the morning.”

“That’s…” He thought of the right word to use and settled on, “good.”

“It won’t last.”

Naruto laughed. “You’ve become very pessimistic.”

“I’ve become a mother.”

“Same thing?”

Hinata gave him a look, and Naruto quickly looked away.

“Never mind,” he muttered.

Hinata smiled and turned her attention to the scattered toys, leaving Naruto to sit with Boruto still on his lap. A few moments passed before she glanced over at him.

“We should take a family picture.”

Naruto looked up, humming for her to continue. 

“Of the four of us.”

He glanced toward the hallway. “We don’t have one?”

“Not of all four of us together,” she clarified, the clothes lying forgotten. 

Naruto paused.

They had plenty of photographs around the house, from missions and celebrations to the countless pictures they had taken of Boruto since the day he was born. There were pictures of him and Hinata together, and now there were already several of Himawari, but somehow they had never thought to put all four of them in front of the same camera.

“Huh,” Naruto said, looking toward the hallway again. “I guess we don’t.”

Hinata smiled, though it was a little hesitant. “That’s why I thought we should take one.”

Naruto considered it for a moment before grinning. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

Hinata nodded, smile brightening. “I already arranged for someone to come this afternoon.”

Naruto stared at her. “You planned this?”

“I thought you would agree.”

“You didn’t even ask.”

Hinata’s smile became a little more innocent. “If I had asked, you would have said you were busy.”

“I wouldn’t have.”

She looked at him, and he sighed.

“Okay, I might have.”

“I knew it.”

He laughed. “Don't worry, I’ll be ready.”

“You have that meeting first.”

“I’ll make sure I'm back before lunch.”

“I know.” Her words were punctuated by a kiss to his lips, causing Boruto to gurgle at the sight, his hands flapping excitedly.

By the time the photographer arrived, Naruto had returned from his meeting as promised, Hinata had changed into a simple yet beautiful dress, and Boruto had already managed to remove the shirt she had put him in twice.

“He’s doing it again,” Naruto said.

Hinata sighed as she fixed the collar. “Because you keep letting him.”

“I can’t exactly wrestle him into it.”

“You could try.”

Naruto looked at his son, and Boruto stared right back at him. Neither seemed willing to make the first move.

“See?”

Hinata laughed. “You’re supposed to be the Hokage one day.”

“I’m not sure that’s relevant.”

The photographer smiled as he continued arranging his equipment, though the hint of impatience in his expression reminded them that he had been waiting.

Naruto and Hinata exchanged a sheepish glance.

“Whenever you’re ready,” the photographer said.

Naruto nodded. “Right.”

They settled near the window, where the afternoon light filled the room. Hinata sat with Himawari in her arms while Naruto stood beside her with Boruto at his side.

“Boruto,” Naruto said, “you have to stay here for the picture.”

Boruto nodded.

“Good.”

The boy immediately darted away.

Naruto caught him before he made it more than a few steps.

“Where are you going?”

“Go.”

“We’re not going anywhere.”

Boruto pointed toward the door.

“No.” Naruto shook his head before crouching in front of him. “Just one picture.”

Boruto stared at him.

“Then?”

“Then you can play.”

Boruto thought about it before nodding.

“Okay.”

Naruto picked him up and set him beside Hinata, taking Himawari from her so she could sit beside them.

The photographer raised his camera. “Everyone look here.”

Hinata and Naruto looked toward the lens, but Boruto turned toward his father instead.

“Boruto.”

The boy finally turned toward the camera, only for a sneeze to escape just as the shutter clicked.

Naruto looked at the photographer. “Did you get that?”

“I did.”

Hinata covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

Naruto looked down at his son. “Really?”

Boruto smiled. “Again.”

“Yes, again.”

They tried several more times.

Boruto kept moving, Himawari slept through nearly all of them, and Naruto eventually discovered that his son found the camera considerably more interesting whenever he was told he couldn’t touch it.

“Can I see?”

“Later.”

“See?”

“After the picture.”

Boruto reached for it, but Naruto caught his hand.

“No.”

Boruto frowned, and Hinata laughed.

“He really wants to see it,” she said.

“I know.” Naruto looked at his son. “You can see it when we’re finished.”

Boruto nodded, then immediately reached for it again.

“Boruto.”

The boy laughed.

Naruto looked at Hinata with a frustrated sigh. “He’s doing this on purpose.”

“I think so.”

“How does he already know how to annoy me?”

Hinata smiled. “He has a good teacher.”

Naruto stared at her. “Was that supposed to be me?”

“Who else?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but Boruto tugged at his sleeve.

“Dad.”

Naruto looked down. “What?”

Boruto pointed toward Himawari, who had begun stirring in Hinata’s arms, and stepped closer to get a better look.

“Baby.”

“Yeah,” Naruto said. “That’s your sister.”

Boruto reached out and touched her hand. When Himawari’s fingers curled around his, he stared at them for a moment before pulling the wooden kunai from Naruto’s pocket and holding it out toward her.

“For baby.”

Hinata smiled. “That’s very kind.”

Boruto placed the toy carefully against the blanket.

“Her.”

“She can’t play with it yet,” Naruto said.

Boruto looked at him. “When?”

“When she’s bigger.”

Boruto nodded as if that settled the matter.

“Teach.”

Naruto smiled. “You’re going to teach her?”

Boruto nodded.

Naruto glanced at Hinata. “I guess he’s decided.”

“I think that’s wonderful.”

The photographer lowered his camera. “Would you like one more?”

Naruto looked toward him. “Yeah.”

This time, they didn’t try to arrange Boruto. As they sat down on the large family couch, he climbed onto Naruto’s lap on his own, and Naruto settled an arm around him while Hinata held Himawari close.

“Ready?”

Naruto nodded.

The photographer raised the camera.

“Everyone look here.”

Hinata did, and Naruto followed her gaze while Boruto looked at his sister. Naruto noticed and glanced down at him just as Hinata caught the movement. She looked toward Naruto, and the shutter clicked.

The photographer took another picture before lowering the camera.

“I think we’ve got it.”

Naruto glanced at the photograph.

Boruto had turned toward his sister, and Naruto had followed his son’s gaze at the last moment. Hinata had noticed him looking and glanced toward him as the picture was taken, while Himawari slept peacefully in her arms.

It was hardly the neat family portrait they had intended to take, but Naruto found himself smiling anyway.

“I like it.”

Hinata looked at the photograph again, then at him. “So do I.”

Naruto nodded. “It’s us.”

The photographer packed his equipment while Naruto and Hinata continued looking at the photograph. Boruto had already lost interest and was back on the floor with his toys.

“You have another meeting tomorrow, don’t you?” Hinata asked.

Naruto nodded. “The council’s meeting again.”

“About the command proposal?”

“Yeah.”

Hinata glanced at him. “You’re still against it?”

“I didn’t say I was against it.”

She gave him a look.

Naruto sighed. “Okay, fine. I don’t like it.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“They want the council to approve major deployments.”

“All of them?”

“The big ones.”

Hinata thought about that for a moment. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“It does when you’re the one who has to wait for them to stop arguing while someone’s getting killed.”

Her expression became more serious. “They’re worried about giving the Hokage too much power, aren’t they?”

“Yeah.”

Naruto leaned back against the couch, his eyes drifting toward Boruto as the boy made a toy that looked remarkably similar to Kurama fight one that looked like him.

“I get it. After everything that happened, I really do. We’ve seen what happens when too much power ends up in the hands of one person, and I can’t blame them for wanting safeguards. I just don’t think making the Hokage ask permission every time something goes wrong is going to make the village safer.”

Hinata was silent for a moment before asking, “And the clans?”

Naruto looked back at her. “That’s the part that’s going to get ugly.”

“Why?”

“They want the same rules to apply when the major clans deploy their own shinobi.”

Hinata considered that before nodding slowly. “I can see why they’d want that.”

“So can I.”

Naruto sighed and rested his head against the couch. “That’s why it’s such a pain.”

Hinata reached over and took his hand. “You don’t have to figure it all out tomorrow.”

Naruto smiled. “I know.”

A knock sounded at the door.

Naruto glanced toward it. “Who could that be?”

Hinata shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Naruto crossed the room and opened the door.

One of the Sixth Hokage’s aides, Izumo Kamizuki, stood outside.

“Uzumaki-san,” he said.

Naruto blinked. “What’s up?”

Izumo held out a sealed envelope. “The Hokage asked me to make sure you received this before tomorrow’s meeting.”

Naruto accepted it, frowning slightly. “Is this about the command proposal?”

The aide hesitated. “Among other things.”

Naruto’s expression changed. “What else?”

“I was instructed to let the Hokage explain that himself.”

Naruto looked at the seal on the envelope.

That wasn’t reassuring.

“Right.”

Izumo bowed before leaving.

Naruto closed the door and stood there for a moment while Hinata looked over from the couch.

“What is it?”

Naruto glanced toward his family. Boruto was still playing on the floor, while Himawari had fallen asleep again in Hinata’s arms.

He slipped the envelope into his pocket.

“I’ll find out tomorrow.”

Hinata nodded, and Naruto returned to the couch beside her. A moment later, Boruto climbed up beside them and pointed toward the photograph.

“Picture.”

Naruto laughed. “You want to see it again?”

Boruto nodded, so Naruto picked him up while Hinata shifted closer, allowing the three of them to look at it together.

For now, the envelope in Naruto’s pocket could wait until tomorrow.