[Open] Home at last.

[proudofmybaby]

She'd been away from home a lot lately and she was more than aware of that. While the kids and other adults were doing their best, they still had quite the pack of children to support, and there had been no fall back funds or reliable missions to take care of the gaps. It was improving now, but she'd had a rash of missions to take care of over the last month, and it had meant that she'd been away far more than she'd been home.

She just hoped everyone was happy to see her, given that the weather seemed to think she needed to be blown away the second she stepped foot back in the village.

In any case, she'd fought her way back to the house, changed into clean clothes, then went out for a walk since most of the house's residents weren't home. When she got back, she'd check on the ones who were, but in the meantime, she saw no issues in fetching some fresh things for dinner before settling back in.

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[one_without_wings]

And outside, there was a walking piece of sunshine!

Literally, because the littlest Sasuke was humming a happy song as he walked... and then, once his eyes fell upon his mother?
"Kaasan!" he cried out happily, racing over to hug her!

...or that was his plan. Once he was in her bubble of weather, he let out a cry as the wind launched him off his feet. What was that!?

[proudofmybaby]

Her eyes widened, and her hand reached out quickly to pluck the flying child into her arms. "Careful there baby, it seems the wind has me."

[one_without_wings]

"My cranes!" had momentarily stopped the chakra flow, the wind unexpected. "...two of em flew away.." literally.

It was for the best, because six was making his head look like a miniature crane nest! Four is better.

...sort of.

"Oh well. I'll just fold more!" he shrugged and nuzzled into his mother. "Welcome back mom!" this? Happiest kid in the whole dimensions and solar systems.

[proudofmybaby]

She looked after the paper birds, then shook her head, hugging him close. "Thank you~. I missed you. How has everything been?"

[one_without_wings]

"Missed you too, Kaasan~" large dark eyes trailed up. "Did you see? I can make six cranes stick now!! Weird other-me showed me I could fold em instead of havin plain boring paper stickin on my forehead!" he sounded so proud. "Oh, oh and I think niisan's gettin better! We wen' to th'lantern fair twice! I kinda fell asleep first the first evenin we went... eheheh..." he gave a sheepish grin.

[proudofmybaby]

"I'm so glad! But... weird other you? What kind of way is that to nickname someone?"

[one_without_wings]

"Everyone says he's weird! All the other mes are grumpy or angry or just not really expressive or anythin, but... well, he's nice'n funny and actually gave me really great advice too! he hasn' given in and taught me anythin new yet, even if I do that expression.."

and he demonstrated by pulling his cute pleading face...

"And that usually works when I see that last tomato and wanna get it, but not on him! He says tomatoes aren't just for me, but I mean... I get to em first, so I should have dibs? Else they might go bad!"

[proudofmybaby]

"Sasuke, you are not the only one in this house that will eat the tomatoes, they won't go bad."

[one_without_wings]

"..." well, that didn't work. Weird him must have gotten mama genes a lot, because he did that too! That stare that makes him not want to do bad things ever again.

"....understood." he looked away, spine curving. "...m'not doin it anymore, cause he does that look just like you, too..."

[itachi_san]

One of the ones to check on, of course, was her oldest.

Fortunately, the timing of her missions meant that Mikoto was safely out of the Flame Fever outbreak. But one look at Itachi and it was clear that he'd been right in the middle of it. He didn't look as well or as strong as he did a month ago. He'd lost a fair amount of the weight he'd struggled to put on. The worst of the blisters even left a few scars. But he'd survived it, which was the important part.

Itachi was in bed, but he was awake. And he activated his sharingan when he heard her come in.

"... Mom." he smiled. "You're back..."

[proudofmybaby]

"I am. I heard that there was an outbreak here. How are you feeling sweetheart?"

[itachi_san]

"Better, now..." Which pretty much indicated that he fell victim to that outbreak. "Sakumo was on alert... Thank goodness..."

He made some room on the bed as he reached out with his hand toward her.

"Tell me... about your missions..." He asked with a soft smile, inviting her to sit beside him. "I've missed you."

[proudofmybaby]

She padded over, settling beside her son. "I'm really not sure what I have to tell you. They were missions, you know how those are. I know I missed everyone though."

[itachi_san]

"Mom... I know how hard you're working to make ends meet..." He put a hand on her's. "you and Dad both..."

He also knew that the more profitable missions were, by far, the most dangerous ones. He'd taken them on, once upon a time. He worried about what she may be assigned, for many reasons.

[proudofmybaby]

"We do our best. You don't need to worry about it though, we don't take on anything we can't handle."

[itachi_san]

"I know... I'll never take on another mission again... but still..." he sighed. "I wish I could help."

He could hear Madara's voice ringing clearly in his head from the night they met. 'Do you actually enjoy being a burden on your family?'

[proudofmybaby]

"Just get better baby, that's all I really want, okay?"

[konohasuperstar]

Sasuke had been outside as well, ambling down the village streets after his day of work, when suddenly a vision of a dark-haired angel materialized. Oh, he knew staring was impolite, but he couldn't look away.

Memories from long, long ago came pouring into him the more he laid eyes upon her, and before he knew it he was leaping over any obstacles in his way to reach her, no wind strong enough to keep him away as he suddenly claimed her hand and went down to one knee.
"It was so long ago that I laid eyes upon such beauty! Truly, the woman who gave birth to me is a goddess living among simple mortals!"

[proudofmybaby]

Startled was far too small a word for the way she twitched, almost losing her footing against the hard wind that had been assaulting her as she was suddenly presented with... the most exuberant teenage Sasuke she'd ever seen.

She could admit, if not out loud, that it was a relief to see one of her boys willing to smile so freely. Still, what on earth was he saying? "Sasuke. Baby, that's very very sweet, but you don't have to kneel."

[konohasuperstar]

He thought he would resent his family, loathe them for dirtying the clan, but the second he'd seen her here, in person? Everything was forgiven..
And besides, it just might not have been the one from his world anyway. Even if it had been though, seeing her was too great a relief and the memories with her far too pleasant to hold onto hatred.

She would most likely not have to worry about the wind for now, because as soon as he got up as per she instructed? He hugged her, and showed no signs of letting go.
"...missed you, mom"

[proudofmybaby]

This was back to familiar territory, and she hugged him back without any hesitation, holding him close. Thankfully the wind died down to his softer breezes. "I'm sorry that you had any reason to miss me baby, but here I am."

[konohasuperstar]

So much had happened... and the last time he hugged her, he recalled being much more smaller, so small she could still lift him. "...feels like I woke up from some bad dream I didn't even know I was having..." he murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder.

[proudofmybaby]

She rubbed his back, her other arm tight around him. "Then I'm glad you tripped over me, mm? I wouldn't want you to be stuck in a bad dream."

[konohasuperstar]

"There's really nothing like a mom." he purred, unable to even will himself to let go. "If this is a dream, I'm not waking up."

[proudofmybaby]

"I guess there isn't. I'm here now, though I warn you, there only seems to be one of me around." She ruffled up his hair.