Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto

AN:... Hi everybody :)

You mad? Yeah, I can figure. Well over a year since the last update happened for the story. Probably wondering where I've been this last year. Well, to make a long story short, the Manga disappointed me, I lost my muse, and I lost interest. That ending didn't exactly make me eager to update again either. I'm back to give you another chapter, but this is just to let you know I'm considering resuming updates for this story.

It's not the longest chapter, but I'm trying to get my Naruto muse back however I can. Sorry for the long wait for this.

Well, the Kakashi and Guy subplot was gonna start here, but I figured I get back in the swing of things with some Sasuke and Naomi interaction, which is arguably my favorite relationship in the story. I really don't wanna do the exams since it'll just be canon anyway. The subplot will go on for maybe two or three, possibly four chapters. It's mostly for comedy and nothing else.

Enjoy

Chapter 23-

Sasuke let out a disgruntled sigh. He'd been searching through Naruto's room, unapproved by the hyperactive knucklehead, and turned up with nothing of interest. The only thing intriguing was an old ramen cup Sasuke had found under Naruto's bed by following the foul odor he smelled. Once he had it, Sasuke wasted zero time chucking it out into the garbage can a few feet by Naruto's bed. For the self proclaimed father of the year, he didn't do a terrific job in providing a fully clean environment for his kid.

His chance for entertainment meeting a dead end, Sasuke sat on the edge of Naruto's bed, shifting until he was somewhat comfortable. Laying down never crossed his mind; the possibilities of what Naruto did on his bed preventing Sasuke from ever considering the more comfortable option. He shook his head.

He folded his arms across his chest, staring through the bars of the crib at Naomi's sleeping form. Immediately, something small started escalating within his chest region. Her thumb stayed in her mouth, her sleeping form somehow making the movement to allow her to suck on her finger. Seeing this made the corners of Sasuke's lips start to move on up.

He didn't know exactly how it happened, but he had softened his heart enough to care about this baby. His first impression of her wasn't anything less than a problem that Naruto wouldn't be able to handle on his own, which would indirectly affect him due to their status on the same team. Over time, his hardened exterior melted to a not as hard exterior, but not too soft either, which allowed for him to feel something good for the first time in years.

At first he, admittedly, didn't like it. Affection was something he perceived as a weakness for a very long time after the slaughter of his family. He couldn't have anything holding him back or weighing him down for his goal to kill Itachi. But, as he was forced to spend more time with her, coupled with Naomi's immediate liking to him, Sasuke had given in to what he felt was weakness and felt alive for the first time in years.

Those feelings only grew from the moment he completely accepted Naomi as his self proclaimed niece after the incident in the Land of Waves. He got shudders whenever she called him Uncle Sasuke, which made his chest warm up now that he was thinking of it. His anger had died down considerably, which he didn't know whether to appreciate or get worried about.

He still wanted to get his revenge. That was the one thing about him that hadn't changed or altered. His newfound attachment to this kid, however, may be interfering with that. Hell, he rarely even thought about Itachi when around her; those few instances when he thought of him pertaining to a sick theory that he had that no longer lived within his head. His lifelong goal of getting even was slowly intersecting with this new one that he contemplated for a little bit now:

Fighting to be a ninja Naomi can look up to and admire.

He really had no idea when he thought of that one. Maybe during the few days where Naruto went AWOL after his fight with Akio. Regardless of where and when that idea came from, fact was that it still came to him. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. On one hand, he wanted to pluck little holes into Itachi and watch as he slowly bled out. On the other, he wanted to be this heroic ninja his little niece can admire when she grew up. He tried thinking about merging both, but he wasn't sure if Naomi would see him killing his brother as a heroic act. He was sure he was the only one that thought the revenge act was a sane effort in the first place.

He wanted Naomi to think of him as a hero, not a killer.

He gave another disgruntled sigh. "Why can't one thing in my life be easy?" He asked himself, taking some solace in watching Naomi sleep peacefully in the crib in front of him. "You're really throwing a wrench in my goals, you know that?" Obviously, Naomi didn't respond back. "Now I'm talking to myself," he muttered, "Your father has unwillingly tainted me with his mannerisms, the idiot."

He stayed quiet to persevere what was left of his sanity. He kept his spot on the bed, absentmindedly rubbing his hands together in boredom. Naruto had no interesting reading material for him to indulge in, no interesting items that weren't for little girls ages five and under, not even a deck of cards so he can at least practice his quick draw. How this guy stayed active and excited was beyond him.

He was forced to think about the blonde knucklehead due to his lack of options for activities in front of him. Never, and Sasuke meant never, would he have thought that the idiot of his class would become this, dare he say... friend of his that would make this impact on him. Naruto had been relentless back in the academy with the challenges and the insults that Sasuke had wrote him off as nothing short of a nuisance right quick. While a nuisance though, Sasuke had to admire his stupid determination and confidence to get stronger for his dream and later to protect his girl. It was this admiration that wormed its way into Sasuke during their mission to the Land of Waves to get stronger not just for his sake, but so the moron could have someone else in his corner if the need arouse.

Coincidentally, this happened to him when he had been forced to fight Ken to save Naomi. While he did feel mighty for defeating a B-Rank, bordering A-Rank, missing-nin on his own, he felt more victorious that he helped his teammate save his kid.

He almost snorted good heartedly. The idiot had implemented some of his good nature into him against his will. He should kick his ass for that, but he was feeling nice right now.

He reviewed it all over. Since they've became a team Sasuke has gotten a niece that he really cared about, one less fangirl trying to get uncomfortably close to him, and friends that cared for him. Even if he got a second idiot in the form of Rock Lee to deal with, Sasuke still kinda liked him.

He felt that was good and although his head that still held notions of bonds were weak was telling him that this was dumb, he easily shut it out. While he would never give up his hatred for Itachi and his desire for vengeance, he did see another path open in front of him. One that he was already walking the steps to take.

"Uncle Sasuke?" He was pulled from his thoughts when he unexpectedly heard Naomi's voice. The little girl was standing in her crib, clutching her bunny and staring at him with excited eyes.

He nodded. "Hey, kid. Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

She giggled, "Not tired." Sasuke gave a disbelieving shake of the head. She glanced around for two specific people. "Where Mommy and Daddy?"

Her guess was as good as his. Sakura hadn't enlightened Sasuke about her plans with Naruto. All he knew was that they were going out on a date and he was acting babysitter since Sakura didn't trust Lee alone with her kid. She had nothing bad against Lee, it's just she didn't want her baby becoming a Lee clone if she was left alone with him. Naomi loved the creepy bastard and his mannerisms so her taking up his habits was a reasonable fear.

"They went out." Sasuke shrugged. "They'll be back soon." That was his educated guess, although they hadn't been gone more than twenty minutes. Sasuke likely had at least an hour left of boredom and baby talk left.

Naomi seemed to buy it since she didn't ask for them again or cry. How she understood him was something else Sasuke found strange. He was sure Naomi wasn't more than a year old, and she somehow was more advanced than kids her age should. That birthday party seemed to be well timed then if she was older.

Now that he was looking at her, that nagging feeling that he recognized her was back. Sasuke never met her before that first meeting with Naruto and he had been a very private person the last five years, so he was confident he didn't know her parents. He felt like growling every time this feeling came. He wasn't gonna figure it out, yet he kept insisting to himself to guess.

The baby stretched her arms out towards him, whining for him to pick her up. Sasuke sighed as he stood up to do so. Once he held her, she leaned into his chest and hugged her bunny close to her.

"Love Uncle Sasuke!" Her words made him gasp. He felt himself stiffen up with shock and a little bit of awe. He's sure this was the first time that Naomi had said that she loved him. If it wasn't, then this was the first he had noticed it. Also, if this really was the first time he took notice, then he was a dick for not noticing sooner.

Her words touched him. They made his already warm chest get even warmer. It's been a very long time since he heard that word. His fangirls didn't count. They didn't really feel that way about him. Naomi to him was the first to tell him that special word, one that Sasuke wasn't sure he was ever going to hear ever again from someone who genuinely meant it.

Sasuke caught himself before he got too emotional. "Yeah, love ya too, Naomi." He figured he say it back. Since no one was here, he can be a little bit more open without the need to look tough or worry of blackmail hanging over him.

The baby in his arms giggled, probably since Sasuke had said what he said to her. "Wanna play?"

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" He asked again.

"Not tired." She repeated to him. "Play toys?"

"I should put you back to bed before your parents skin my hide. I don't have your Uncle Lee here as back up to protect me against them." As much as the green jumpsuit wearing boy annoyed him, he was a good ally to have in Sasuke's corner when he needed assistance. Definitely much better than Naruto can be with his big mouth, although that wasn't saying much; that's like saying the headache he had last night wasn't as bad as the headache that he had this morning.

Naomi giggled again. "Pwease?" She smiled at him, her dark eyes as bright as her dad's hair. The face she was making was making it difficult for Sasuke not to wanna smile back at her. Shrugging off all needs to remain cool, he gave a small smile towards her.

"Five minutes, then it's back to bed." He said. This way, Naomi could do what she wanted and Sakura didn't kill him for having her daughter up past her bedtime.

Naomi giggled as Sasuke set her on the ground, the little girl going straight for her teddy bear. Sasuke watched as he reclaimed his spot on the bed. Naomi was holding her bunny in one hand and her bear in the other, smashing them together as she got lost in her own world.

Sasuke couldn't help but let his smile extend, if only a little bit. He kept watch, his self appointed niece just having the time of her life doing simple things like hitting her toys together. He couldn't help but remember a time where he was like that at one point; happy with no care in the world other than to fulfill his own childhood satisfaction.

Two minutes later, he decided to intervene. "C'mon, kiddo, time for bed." He said, kneeling onto the floor to grab her.

Naomi frowned, "Not sleepy."

"You gotta or else Mom and Dad will skin my hide." He ignored her rejection. Sasuke wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he swore he had this tight feeling in his chest. He would've reached out to touch it if he wasn't holding the kid.

Naomi relented, "Okay..." She dropped her bear and held onto her bunny. Sasuke knew she definitely didn't have her father's manners or else this argument could've gone back and forth all night. When he tried to put her back in her crib, Naomi grabbed his hands. "No. Bed."

"This is your bed,"

"No crib. Bed."

Sasuke groaned. "Really?" He sighed. "I gotta say this, you can really be a pain in my butt, Naomi." He didn't dare say 'ass' due to past experience. He listened to her and set her on Naruto's bed. "There. Now you have to go back to bed."

"Sleep too?" She asked. Sasuke blinked at the question. "Uncle Sasuke sleep too?"

"Uncle Sasuke isn't tired."

The two year old was the one blinking now. "Bedtime?"

"Bedtime for you, not for me."

She saddened. "Uncle Sasuke no sleep with me?" Her lips quivered. "Please?"

Sasuke felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and tossed to the ground, followed with a brutal beating before a paper bomb blew what was left to hell. He hated seeing her sad, even more so when he had caused it. He hated that. It was why he swallowed his pride and played trains with her in the toy store.

He crawled into the bed with her, "I swear you're gonna be the death of me." He muttered. Much to his surprise, Naomi crawled her way over to his chest and rested her head on it, her bunny over at the other side of the bed. She curled up into a ball as her arms stretched around his torso as far as she could get it.

"I love Uncle Sasuke."

Sasuke again felt his chest get hammered as the little girl drifted off to sleep in his chest. He felt so... Good. Hearing Naomi say she loved him, it was like another candle was being lit in the dark void that had become his heart. Each time he heard it, another spark went to work to bring it back to life.

Smiling, he wrapped one of his arms around the baby. "Uncle Sasuke loves you too, Naomi." He whispered as he closed his eyes to let sleep take hold, both so he didn't have to let Naomi go and to screw Naruto out of a bed for the night.

...

"Hey Naruto, look..."

Naruto and Sakura had arrived back to his apartment. Their date had ended and Sakura wanted to say goodnight to Naomi before she took off back to her house. As they entered, Sakura had gone right for Naruto's room where the crib was while the whiskered boy went to inspect his ramen cup cabinet in case Sasuke did something to it. He saw it wasn't touched when Sakura called for him.

"What is it?" He followed her voice towards his room, his eyes catching what she saw:

Sasuke and Naomi were sleeping together on his bed, the baby cuddled up into his chest.

"Aww," Sakura smiled. "That's so adorable."

"He's never living this down," Naruto grinned maliciously. "I'm gonna hold this over his head for the rest of his life." He received a smack on the head from his new girlfriend. "Ouch. What was that for?"

"Come on, leave Sasuke alone." She said. "Don't make fun of him for showing how much he cares for Naomi. You wouldn't like it if he did it to you."

"But he did do it to me!" Naruto argued. "I'm sure he did."

"Just leave it," Sakura issued him a warning look, getting Naruto to drop the whole thing.

"Should we wake him?" Naruto asked, not all too keen on Sasuke taking his bed for the night.

"Naomi's comfortable with him," she pointed out their adopted girl wrapping her tiny arms around Sasuke's torso. "We should leave them for tonight."

"Where am I gonna sleep?" Naruto frowned.

"You have your couch. You slept there when I stayed the night." Sakura reminded.

"That's because you're Naomi's mother and I love you." He pointed out. He had to revel in the delight he had now that he was able to say that without fear of getting punched. That was another tally in the win column.

Sakura blushed, a small smile gracing her face. "Still, look how happy she looks." Naruto had to admit as he looked his little girl over that she did look happy. "Do you really wanna move her?"

Naruto shook his head, his own tiny smile on his face. "No, I guess not. Okay. For tonight, I'll stay on the couch; but for Naomi, not because of Sasuke."

Sakura shook her head. Even after all they've been through, Naruto still found it within him to keep that rivalry with Sasuke going. In a weird sorta way, she found it kinda adorable. It represented that childish side of him that sometimes fell to the wayside now that he decided to be a parent.

"Hey!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. "You wanna spend the night too, Sakura?"

"Can't. Gotta get back home." She declined. "I promised my parents I'd be back before eleven." She pointed out the clock Naruto had hanging on his wall. It read 10:30.

"You want me to walk you home?"

She politely shook her head. "It's okay. I can take care of myself."

Naruto sighed. "Okay..."

"Hey, cheer up, you'll see me tomorrow." She kissed his cheek, making him blush. She carefully and quietly stepped over towards Naomi, pecking her forehead. "Mommy loves you so much." Before turning to leave, she gave Naruto a hug that he instinctively returned. "Thank you for the wonderful night. It was really nice."

"Of course. Whenever you want..."

Sakura gave him another kiss on his forehead before she walked behind him and out the door, leaving Naruto to stare at Sasuke and Naomi sleeping on his bed.

With a small smile, he kicked off his shoes before walking to his living room, jumping onto the couch and laying down. He kept his smile plastered onto his face until he fell asleep.

He didn't even notice the gaze of the same man from earlier peering at him through his window on the rooftop adjacent from his apartment.

End of Chapter 23 of The Fox's Kit

I wanted to get this up last week, but I had to take a test to apply as a Sanitation worker, so that interfered with the writing.

Yeah, funny how a NaruSaku story has a Sasuke centered chapter. Well, he's really big for some stuff down the road, plus he and Naomi are just an adorable duo, so I had to give him some time for my comeback.

Like mentioned above, the subplot with Kakashi and Guy will begin next time and will continue onward for a few chapters as Kakashi needs some time to develop a stronger relationship with Naomi.

And if you're curious about how my thoughts for the ending of Naruto is... I've been trying to give myself amnesia. That answer your question?

Hope you enjoyed and hopefully I'll be back for another chapter soon. I'll leave that up to you.

Next Time: Chapter 24