Summary: Sarada, Boruto and Himawari didn't have a chance to meet their uncles in the anime and manga, but what if they'd both made it?

Age: Boruto is his normal age, 12 or 13. Hima is her normal age. Neji is around 32, 33. Sarada is 7 in her part (these are based in different times, yes), Itachi is around 31. Sakura and Sasuke are 27.

Category: fluffy uncle time

Note: my sons deserve all the recognition in the world. I haven't written a lot about Neji bc I never really know how to write his character even tho I love him so much. This is my first try- pls give me feedback on how it goes. I do not want it to be out of character, but I also want to show the transition Neji went through bc he was allowed to grow up, so pls tell me how y'all feel.

A Shishi-odoshi is like a scarecrow, but a specific one is basically something that fills with water and falls, the bamboo slapping onto a rock and scaring whatever birds or predators are trying to get into the garden.

Ask me if I'm fine, no
Take a look at my soul
Bet you'll never find it
Wonder why I'm violent

<>

Neji opened his eyes, immediately remembering the occurrences of last night. His cousin, Hinata, had forced him to keep her kids for the night- though Neji didn't put up much of a fight. Naruto's children were as rowdy and loveable as could be expected, he recalled the mess the three of them had made last night during their game of tag that Neji had somehow been coerced into participating in. They'd played games yesterday that Neji hadn't played in many years. It was like a blast to the past.

Neji groaned, before he sat up. He'd risen at sunrise, the way he was used to. Tenten was still sleeping, he noticed, slipping out of bed quietly and putting socks on. He twisted his hair into a bun and opened the door to their bedroom, sneaking down the hallway and opening the room his niece and nephew were occupying to check up on them. He could see Himawari's peaceful face on the top bunk. She was definitely tired out yesterday, because she was out right now. She looked so much like her mother, when Hinata was younger, and her attitude was much like Hinata's would've been if she was extroverted, Neji and Hanabi had decided over a cup of sake. She was how Hinata would've turned out if she didn't have an intimidating father and demanding clan and crippling self doubt.

Boruto was up already, though he was quiet. This was shocking to Neji, because his nephew usually wasn't up before noon on a good day. But Boruto was up, and staring at the doorway Neji had just walked through, but not at Neji. The bunk beds Neji had gotten seemed to be working, he decided. Himawari had manipulated her elder brother into giving her the top bunk last night.

Boruto was sharpening a kunai, oddly enough, staring at it like it held the answer to all his questions. Neji knew from experience that was not the case. Neji walked further into the room and took a seat next to Boruto on his bed. He didn't try to talk to him right then, mostly because he didn't know what to say.

Boruto didn't look up to acknowledge him.

"Morning, kid." Neji said, pulling the knife out of his fingers and sharpening it for him. Boruto reached for his weapons pouch and grabbed another kunai without missing a beat. He also pulled out another whetstone that his friend Sarada had probably lent him- seeing as the Uchiha crest was engraved in the side.

"Hey." Boruto replied shortly. Neji knew the kid wasn't mad at him, he just had a lot on his mind.

Neji noticed that his nephew was considerably more depressed than he was yesterday, and lay back on the bed, wondering how he could fix this. The bed was comfortable, he realized with a sigh. Neji continued to sharpen the weapon, his hands suspended in the air as he did so. Boruto sat silently beside him, the only sounds he was making being those of the whetstone grinding against the kunai. Neji's frown deepened at Boruto's silence. He could barely handle the kid when he was hyperactive- he had no idea what to do with a sad child.

"What's up with you?" Neji asked, though he had an idea of the answer.

Boruto shook his head, not wanting to talk about it.

Neji sighed, allowing his hands to fall to the bed, the kunai and whetstone falling on opposite sides of him. He looked up at his nephew, wondering what he could do. Hinata hadn't given him an instruction manual, and Tenten probably wouldn't know much about these kids and their emotions either.

"Is it because of your dad?" Neji asked, sitting up again. The topic of Naruto was disheartening. He was ill- very ill. Sakura had him stable for the most part, but it was still a struggle for Naruto to keep steady on a day to day basis. He wasn't conscious yet, more like in a coma. For now, all there was to do was wait. Boruto acted like everything was great around his sweet, sensitive little sister, but he wasn't convinced that his dad was going to make it. Neji couldn't lie- he was worried for the man he called his brother in law too. He'd talked with Sakura, and the woman seemed concerned for her best friend, though she was also determined to see him through this.

"Of course it's because of my dad." Boruto snapped, growling. Neji didn't like his tone, frown somehow deepening. "He's a fucking idiot- he shouldn't be dying."

Neji's eyes narrowed. "That isn't your dad's fault. Your dad is my friend- I will not listen to you sit here and disrespect him, do you understand me?" He asked, his voice cold. He set the sharpening tools down and turned Boruto's chin with his hand so the boy had to look him in the eyes. He understood that the kid was hurting, but Neji understood how words were binding. If you bind yourself to a destiny, it tends to pass. Naruto was the one who taught him that change was something that you have to do yourself. He wouldn't allow Naruto's kid to say things like that about Naruto when the Hokage wasn't there to defend himself.

Boruto nodded, biting his tongue. He maneuvered his head off Neji's hand and turned to face the door again. "He shouldn't be dying."

"He won't die." Neji said, gripping his knees tightly. "He's harder to kill than Kakashi."

"That's not stopping him from being in a coma right now. He won't even respond to me being there." Boruto growled. "And I can't do anything about it- I have to just sit there and watch him die."

"You're usually more optimistic."

"My dad is usually conscious."

"Sasuke's back. Shikamaru's in charge. The Ōtsutsuki are dead, and the gang you guys were fighting has retreated for now. Everything is fine." Neji pointed out, not used to being the voice of hope. Typically, he was the hardcore pessimist who kept everyone on track. But his job had been taken, in this situation, so now he was compensating. "Plus, that Kawaki kid's still in the village."

"What's going to happen to the village of my dad dies?" Boruto asked, looking around the room- anywhere but Neji's eyes.

"Kakashi, or Sasuke or Sakura will take over the Hokage position." Neji thought out loud. "And we'll get our revenge on your father's death. But he isn't dead yet, and Sakura says there's hope. You have to keep believing that."

The two of them sat in silence. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't pleasant. Neji looked at the kid, and saw he was thinking hard. Boruto was different from Naruto in that way- he did actually use his brain. Neji was grateful for that. He credited Hinata, and Naruto's genius father Lord Fourth for that.

"You know... I used to think I hated my dad, because he was never there." Boruto started, his voice cracking. "But I think he's always been there- even when I didn't think so. I don't know what I would do without him." Boruto allowed one tear to slide down his cheek, before he closed his eyes. Taking deep breaths, he opened them again, nodding. "Aunt Sakura's right- there's still hope for dad. If there is anything I can do to help him fight through this, I'm gonna do it. Dad wouldn't give up on me- so I'm not gonna give up on him." Boruto's blue eyes sparkled with that old fire again, and Neji found himself pleased that his nephew was back to normal.

Neji sat up straight and put a hand on the kid's head soothingly. Boruto was like Naruto in the way that was important; he would never give up. They sat in silence for a few more moments, Neji messing up Boruto's hair affectionately. The latter snarled at him, punching his uncle lightly in the abdomen. Neji smiled a little, pleased that he'd successfully managed to cheer his nephew up somehow.

Himawari's head poked down from the top bunk, a stunning smile on her cute little face. Himawari was a blessing sent from kami. Boruto was irritating and loud, and Himawari was a sweetheart to make up for how irritating her brother was, Neji thought. "Uncle Neji, what's for breakfast?" She asked cheerily with a childish sing song voice.  Boruto rolled his eyes, but Neji stood straight up, picked up the little girl, and tickled her.

Himawari's shrieks of laughter put a smile on Neji's face. "I dunno, Angel, let's ask Aunt Tenten, huh?" Neji said. He heard his wife shuffling around already, making something good from the smell of it.  He slung Himawari over his shoulder, then picked Boruto up and draped him over his left shoulder. Neji walked out of the room with two giggling kids, heading down to the kitchen.

Tenten beamed when she saw them, shaking her head at Neji. "Neji, you're gonna drop them."

"Them?" Neji asked, swinging his precious cargo around. "I'm selling bags of rice. Anyone want a bag of rice?" He asked pointedly, wiggling his eyebrows at Tenten, who put the ladle down and reached for Hima with a good natured grin.

Himawari climbed on Tenten's back easily, and the brown haired woman kissed Hima's face all over. "You're so cute!" The older woman exclaimed, making the little girl giggle.

Boruto punched Neji repeatedly in the back without any real effort, shouting for Neji to put him down. Neji lifted the kid and held him up in the air like he was bench pressing him, making Boruto only yell more. "These bags of rice are out of control." Neji sighed, before setting his nephew down.

Boruto grinned, his former depression seemingly wiped away, for now. Tenten hugged him tightly, too, her face squishing with the two kids'. Neji smirked softly, entirely at peace. His love for his cousins effortlessly extended to Hinata and Naruto's kids the minute they were born. He'd protect these kids with his life.

The four of them ate breakfast cheerfully, Tenten and Himawari talking nonstop about literally everything. Boruto voiced his opinion more than once, while Neji just watched with a content look on his face. Hima braided his hair, and Tenten's hair together, later, and Neji just laughed.

"Your hair is so pretty, uncle Neji!" Himawari complained.

"That's 'cuz Uncle Neji's girly." Boruto teased, punching his uncle in the shoulder. "Bet I can kick your ass at Tekken." Boruto challenged, a sly grin on his face, even though he knew he was going to lose. Many have tried, but the only person who could beat Neji at Tekken was Sarada Uchiha.

"You're on." Neji shrugged. It was his loss.

<>

"Uncle Neji, what do you think?" Himawari asked, holding up a picture that vaguely looked like him and Hanabi. She gave him the biggest smile, and his heart melted. This little girl would be the death of him one day.

"It's nice, angel." Neji gave her a smile and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Is that Aunt Hanabi?" He asked. He hadn't seen Hanabi in a few days- it was probably time to check up on her and Uncle Hiashi soon.

"Yeah! Grandpa Hiashi says you two and my mama are geniuses. So I chose you two as my role models for a school project that I have to do." Himawari blushed.

"Really?" Neji asked, ignoring how that touched his heart.

Because... you called me a genius.

Naruto. Himawari was so like him. Neji blinked back mysterious moisture gathering behind his eyes. He hugged Himawari to him, planting a kiss in her hair. "Thank you, angel. I'm honored to be your role model."

<>

"Neji-nii-san, thank you so much for taking care of them." Hinata said, while Tenten said goodbye to the kids. She surged forward and quickly wrapped her arms around her cousin, burying her face in his chest for a few moments.

Neji's arms subconsciously moved to press her in, his heart plummeting. Hinata was suffering, and Neji hated that. "It was nothing, cousin, they're good kids." Hinata nodded against him, sighing. Neji rubbed her head, wishing there was more he could do to help her.

"Were they any trouble?" Hinata broke away, giving Boruto and Himawari a stern look.

"Of course not!" Tenten ruffled Boruto's hair, before wrapping Hinata up in a hug too. "It feels like I haven't seen you in years. You, Temari, Sakura, Karui, Ino and I have to go out again soon."

Hinata gave her a smile. "Of course. Just find any day, and I'll be there. I could sure use the break." She looked at her kids and nodded. "Alright, kiddos, I think we've gotta go see your Aunt Sakura and Sarada before we go home, can you tell Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten thank you?"

Himawari hugged Neji tightly, before pulling away and standing beside her mother. "Thank you, Uncle Neji and Aunt Tenten!"

"See ya," Boruto said in an effort to leave with his pride still intact. Neji shook his head, smirking.

"Bye, you two! Bye Hinata!" Tenten waved.

"See you soon," Neji chose to say instead, because he preferred that to goodbye. Goodbye felt like an omen. He preferred to keep destiny open.

<>

"Uncle Itachi," Sarada opened the door to his house, closing it behind her. "I did it!"

"You did what, princess?" Itachi asked his niece, turning away from the food he was cooking on the stove for them, to look at the girl.

Sarada's hair and eyes were wild. She looked so painfully like his younger brother. Itachi gave her the biggest smile. She came in holding the bow and arrow Itachi had gotten her for her birthday two days ago. Sakura told Itachi that Sarada hadn't stopped training with it- she was obsessed with making the bullseye three times in a row. She had gotten her first bullseye on the day she got it, to Sasuke's eternal pride. Sarada was a natural with weapons, Itachi had told Sasuke, though the bow was the first real weapon the girl's parents let her have, she had practiced with the other ones before. The bow wasn't anything super flashy, but that was just the way Sarada liked it. She despised things that were bright pink, and didn't like sparkles or sequins or glitter like all the other girls her age. Itachi suspected that this was a little bit of Sasuke coming out in her.

"I got the bullseye three times in a row, Uncle Itachi!" Sarada giggled.

Itachi blinked, before he laughed. "Of course you did. Come here." He crouched and opened his arms, and Sarada ran into the hug with a giggle. "You little genius..." he whispered into her hair, a pang of pain slipping through his heart. "Now; let me see!" Itachi stood up, picking the little girl up with him.

Sarada was mischievous, and her attitude was a lot like young Sasuke's. She balanced her bow on Itachi's head as he walked, making him chuckle. With the extra movement, it was falling now, but Sarada's eyes went wide and she caught it easily. Itachi resisted the urge to smile at her insane reflexes. Sasuke had been working on her reflexes by tossing random things at her at entirely random times, Sarada had told him. Itachi had laughed.

Sarada talked to him all the way down the path to where his archery clearing was. Itachi's big bow was resting on the bench near the path that lead into the clearing. A quiver of arrows sat next to it. Sarada's quiver was dropped onto the floor in her hurry to tell her uncle about her accomplishment, he noticed.

"Now, Sarada, what have I told you about dropping arrows?" Itachi looked at her semi-sternly, with a warm undertone of humor beneath it.

".... to not to..."

"Do you know why?"

"'Cuz they're sharp an' I could step on 'em..."

"Arrows are dangerous, princess." Itachi told her gravely, looking the compassionate little girl in her eyes. "You never point them at anyone unless you are going to kill them or hurt them, and don't play around with them. They could hurt you or worse."

"Arrows can kill people, Uncle Itachi?"

"Yes. Do you remember when your fish died?" Itachi asked her.

"Yeah..." Sarada's face melted into a sad pout. Her fish had died a couple months ago, and Sarada had been sad about it for weeks. Sarada understood the concept of death, because her papa had explained it to her one day when her mama was upset about losing a patient.

"Killing people is worse. Especially when you do the killing. It hurts because you feel guilty that you took something's life. And you don't know whether or not you're a monster." Itachi told her quietly. He didn't know if Sakura would hate him forever for this, but he did need Sarada to know. "So if you can, avoid killing. Alright, honey?"

"Have you ever killed anyone before, Uncle Itachi?" Sarada asked solemnly.

Itachi hesitated before answering, nodding his head quietly. The names of all the clan members he'd slaughtered that night went through his head at the question... all the people, good and bad he'd killed in the Akatsuki, in the ANBU, then in the war. He'd gotten his first kill when he was five years old. He was bathed in blood. He didn't think he wanted Sarada to understand. Sarada wasn't a sheltered girl- her mother and father didn't keep much from her. But one thing they did keep was the truth about the Uchiha massacre- just until she was older. And Itachi was okay with that. "Yes, princess, I have killed people." He said, and he couldn't help the little bit of sadness his voice took on.

Sarada's face became suddenly unreadable, somehow. Itachi sighed. "Are you scared of me now? It's okay if you are."

"No, Uncle Itachi." Sarada shook her head, frowning at him. "I'm not scared of you. Why would you ask that?" She stuck her tongue out at him.

Itachi's eyes widened. Sarada wasn't behaving like she was scared of him- she was behaving normally. Itachi smiled, laughing quietly. This girl was too mature for her age. She spoke in mature sentences, and understood how to convey her thoughts in an impressive manner. She'd known how to read for around two years now, when she was barely five, and had also learned how to walk very early.

"Cuz you're a ninja, right?" Sarada asked, going on. "Papa told me that being a ninja sometimes involves killing bad people. So if you've killed people before, they were bad, right?"

"Or they have done bad things," Itachi corrected that definition, sighing. "Or were about to do really bad things. There is no clear line that defines a good and bad person, baby. You have to come up with that definition for yourself when you're older."

"Okay." Sarada said, processing the words. Again, Itachi shook his head incredulously. She was incredibly mature for her age. "Are you sad, Uncle Itachi?"

Itachi's eyes widened. The girl wasn't upset at him, nor afraid of him, and was now concerned for his wellbeing. Sarada was Sakura's child without a doubt. The little girl was still blinking her big black eyes at him, waiting for an answer. Itachi thought about it. "Sometimes, I am, princess." Sarada's face melted into a concerned expression that Itachi knew she had adopted from her mother. "But I was more sad when I was alone. Now I have your papa, and your mama."

"And me!" Sarada beamed, pulling on Itachi's pant leg.

"And you, kiddo." Itachi said, giving her the biggest smile he could make. He turned to the targets. He could see Sarada's bullseye from here. Three arrows, so close together on the red dot that they looked like one big arrow. Itachi shook his head in disbelief, smile only growing. "That's a beautiful bullseye," he told his niece.

"You're so pretty when you smile, Uncle Itachi." Sarada told him with the bluntness of a child. "You should smile more."

"Is that so?" Itachi asked, his smile widening at his adorable niece. "I think I will then."

"Mama says you need a girlfriend."

Itachi choked, looking at Sarada in shock. Sarada just gave him a childish beam, before running to collect her arrows. "Why you little-" he chased the girl, and she ran faster, giggling loudly. Itachi scooped the seven year old up and swung her around.

Once Itachi sat her down, he got her arrows for her, and grabbed his big bow. "You're pretty good without any obstacles- but have you tried changing your position, or are you too used to being on the floor?"

Itachi nocked an arrow onto his bow, slinging his quiver over his shoulder, and Sarada moved far away like he'd taught her. Itachi turned around and ran towards the bench. He jumped onto the wood; and used the extra momentum to propel him further into the air. He performed a backflip, and while upside down, Itachi shot the arrow in his bow. He pulled another one out of his quiver at the speed of light, and shot that one too. When he was closer to the ground, he shot another one. Landing in an effortless crouch, he stood up. His niece was gaping.

Itachi turned to see the fruits of his labor, and found that his bullseye had been more perfect than Sarada's- all three were in the dead center of the target, one of them beside the others while the last one had broken the first perfect arrow in half. The second arrow went all the way through to the wood holding the target up.

Itachi frowned at the arrow beside the others. "I used to be able to break both of those arrows." He told Sarada, talking about the middle one that he had snapped in half using the third arrow. The arrow that was a hair off, digging right beside the other arrows was irritating him, but Sarada hadn't stopped staring at him in awe. He walked closer to the target to remove the arrows and throw away the broken one.

"Nii-san, you're such a show off."

Itachi smirked, and moved out of the way of the arrow that he had heard his little brother shoot. It whizzed by Itachi's waist, and it split the second arrow Itachi had shot in half- so now there were three arrows in the middle of the target.

Sarada's eyes widened and she looked to the top of the trail that lead down to the clearing, and there was her father, holding his own bow in hand. His spectral purple arm from his Susanoo disappeared, and he smirked at Sarada. Sarada, who was a safe distance away from the target, ran all the way up the trail to her father.

Sasuke picked her up and spun her, too. "Hey, peanut."

"Papa," she squealed. "You're amazing."

"Did you have a good time at Uncle Itachi's house?" He asked her indulgently.

"Mmmhmm. Ooh, papa, you're using the pretty eyes!" Sarada poked the side of his face. Sasuke's face split into a loving smile. His red and purple eyes swirled around, and Sarada's eyes widened with them. "So pretty."

Itachi walked up to them, holding both his bow and Sarada's, looking down at the shot Sasuke had taken from all the way at the top of the path. He was probably 40 yards away, and much higher than the target. That shot was impressive even with the Sharingan on. "You cheated," he teased, pointing at Sasuke's eyes.

"You missed that from so close up." Sasuke said smugly, shifting his daughter to a more comfortable position in his arm.

"Well, you were always better at archery than me." Itachi sighed, shaking his head at the shot. Sasuke had one arm, and was shooting from that far away, and still split his arrow that had split the first. The one that he had missed was still quivering, Itachi thought, smirking.

"Uncle Itachi, can you shoot like that using your pretty eyes too?" Sarada asked, black eyes huge.

Itachi smiled at Sasuke. Sarada and Sakura were the only two people who found the Sharingan beautiful. Most people were afraid of it, calling it demonic, or horrible, or ugly, but Sarada in her pure childish innocence thought the Sharingan was pretty. Even Itachi never thought the Sharingan was pretty. He only ever thought of it as a weapon. A kekkei genkai.

"Probably," Itachi told his niece, looking down into the clearing. There were trees blocking the way, and walking down the hill using the path he had made to the clearing was dangerous enough with a blade in hand. "But not as easily as your father did."

So he pulled out a kunai, turned on his Sharingan (which made Sarada beam) and threw that down, before sending another one down after it to adjust the trajectory in midair. The knife broke the three arrows stuck inside that one part of the target, and Itachi stood up straight again.

"Ahh! You're both so cool!" Sarada squealed, looking back and forth between them. "How can I get pretty eyes like yours?"

Sasuke winced, looking at Itachi, who shrugged back. "Let's pray you don't get eyes like us, okay?"

"But what if I do?" Sarada asked excitedly, still knowing that it was an option.

"Then we'll teach you how to use it." Sasuke told her, pressing his child closer to him, his eyes full of pain just at the idea of what would have to happen to his kid if she was to get the Sharingan. "But for now... just be happy with your own pretty eyes, okay, peanut?" He asked her. Sarada nodded against his shoulder.

"Want to stay for breakfast?" Itachi asked, crossing his arms.

"Sure." Sasuke said. "Sakura's already up at the house, and Kakashi's sticking his nose into your stuff." Itachi rolled his eyes. Of course Sakura and Kakashi were already there. His beloved sister in law knew where his other key was. She was one of the only people allowed in.

"You brought Kakashi?" Itachi's eyebrows raised. Kakashi was currently his oldest living friend, and he was downright nosy, so unless Sakura stopped him, the grey haired man would shed all decency and go rooting through Itachi's closet.

"He was at our house to visit us, wanted to come along when we said we were going to get Sarada. I didn't think there was going to be a problem." Sasuke smirked.

Sarada squealed. "Uncle Kakashi's here? Shishi-odoshi?"

Sasuke smirked, and Itachi laughed. "Have you called him that to his face?" 

"He just laughed at me, but I think it's a cool name."

"Okay, honey, whatever you want to call him, go ahead."

<>

Naruto Uzumaki had also appeared when Sasuke, Sarada and Itachi made it back up to Itachi's house. Itachi let out a sigh. Already, his day was turning out less than peaceful.

But as all of them sat around the table, Itachi couldn't help but get a vibe that he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Just before he joined ANBU, when he was barely a Jonin was the last time he felt this familial environment. Just before he started acting against the Uchiha clan, in favor of the village. That betrayal had worn on him, and subconsciously, on how his family had interacted before he killed them.

Now, though, once again surrounded by family and friends, Itachi couldn't help but smile. He had never felt more at home.