"I've promised Tsunade-sama that I'll stick around for when Naruto shows up."

Her lips pursed, Miki simply shrugged, loosening the zipper on her flak jacket. As she pulled the small pillow from it and dropped back in her favorite seat, she gestured a goodbye in the air with one hand. 

"Go. It's not like we have anything important to be doing," she complained. "Seeing as you took it upon yourself to cancel my mission." 

His lips twitched up in amusement behind his mask, a knowing gleam to his expression. As if she'd give up that easily- it was insulting to think that she believed he'd fall for that.

"I'll stop by and ask Hikari to drop by and keep you company," he replied. "Since you're so bored." 

She stiffened, shooting him a glowering expression from her seat. 

"Jerk." 

He simply chuckled, starting for the door. 

"It'll be good practice." 

At that comment, she seized the pillow from the floor and chucked it at where he stood in the doorway. Laughing now, he ducked out of the way and tugged the door open. 

"Goodbye, Miki." 

"I hate you." 

"I'm sure." 

It was only a short time later when the door peeked open again, a long-haired brunette poking her head inside. 

"Miki-chan, you still here? I saw Kakashi-kun and he said-" 

"Where else would I be?" she retorted, laying her head over the back of her chair. "Kakashi would just track me down again if I took off."

"Well, it's good you're here," Hikari replied, ignoring the sour tone of Miki's voice. "Here." 

Without giving Miki time to question it, Hikari crossed the room and plopped a bundle down in her lap. Knowing what she'd see before she looked, Miki dropped her eyes to her lap and simply stared at the baby. As if noticing her gaze, the baby blinked open it's pale blue eyes, a small yawn escaping it's pink lips. 

"Hiso-kun wanted to have a nice dinner together, anyways. I'll have you watch him," she announced. 

Without waiting for a response, she slipped the baby bag off of her shoulder and dropped it to the floor at the side of the chair. Ignoring the helpless, almost panicked look Miki instantly shot her, Hikari waved at her and headed for the door. 

"Have fun! Oh, and you remember the special rules I taught you, don't you? Be careful with him!"

As the door fell shut, Miki and the baby simply stared at each other. 

"... Hika-chan! Come back!" 

____________________________________

"Don't cry, please don't cry, I know I've seen people carrying babies like this..." Miki mumbled under her breath. 

Ignoring the amused looks she received from several individuals as she passed by, she carefully tucked her arms around the baby situated in a sling across her chest. The moment it felt her arms around it, the baby calmed somewhat.

The items from the diaper bag had been shifted into a backpack which Miki had slung over her shoulders. The moment she'd put together this makeshift mess, she'd abandoned her apartment in favor of the streets. As she walked, her mind racked for what she was going to do. She couldn't just leave the baby with just anyone, Hikari had beat the rules of caring for her and Hisoka's child into Miki's mind a long time ago. The baby, while whether or not it had received the bloodline limit was unclear, had possibly shown an inability to feel pain. Hikari, being the worry-wart she was, had decided to take special measures and act as if they were certain that this was the case. 

Hisoka had attempted on several occasions to explain to Hikari that there was no way of telling with the child only being a few months old, yet every attempt had been shot down by the girl without a second thought. As such, she'd most likely kill Miki, or at least maim her, if she attempted to hand the child off to Jun. Noriaki, unfortunately, had left on a mission with the new addition to their team, something Tsunade had determined only needed two people. If he'd been in town, she could have just handed the baby off to him. 

The baby, as she'd so lovely decided to call him in place of his actual name, made a happy, gurgling noise as if to show its opinion on her thought process. She frowned in its direction, pausing as it buried its head against her chest. 

"Don't... do that. I don't like you," she assured it. "Just... don't." 

At that same moment, her mind latched desperately onto the only option available to her so that she didn't have to be left alone with the child. Instantly changing directions on the street, she headed for the hokage's mansion, her lips pursed in annoyance. When it was in view, she tucked her arms a bit more firmly around the child, and launched herself the outside of the building, ignoring the fact that she most likely could have taken the stairs and had no problem. 

"Kakashi!" 

The moment she reached the same level as hokage's office, she called out his name. Appearing from around the corner of the building, the person in question stared at her for a moment before chuckling under his breath. 

"You got stuck with Hitoshi..." he mused. 

"Take it," she instructed.

Raising a brow, Kakashi snapped his book shut. 

"Is that any way to make a request?" he wondered. 

Just as Miki was about to snap a response, a loud thud sounded from the hokage's office. Both curious, the two shinobi exchanged glances before moving to peer in the window's they'd been standing near. Tsunade, having been on the edge of snapping at the two of them to move their lovers' quarrel elsewhere, relaxed as a familiar, white-haired figure appeared in the doorway with two bowl-headed males in tow.

"I see you've already located Gai," she mused. 

Nodding enthusiastically, Momoe crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring the amused smile touching Tsunade's lips. 

"I did," she agreed happily. "They're the only reason I listened to your request for me to come, you know." 

Tsunade frowned. 

"Brat." 

Momoe, once again mirroring the older woman's expression, rolled her eyes with a slightly dramatic flare that Tsunade wouldn't have considered. 

"Please. I have a right to be a brat. Who wants to be seen with their mother when the damn old bat is still trying to cling to her younger self?" 

The majority of those in the room blanched, glancing between the pair, as if comparing them mentally for the first time. The only two who looked unsurprised by the news of Momoe's heritage were Gai and Kakashi, both of which looked like they'd rather be elsewhere in that moment. Even if during her time in Konoha when Momoe was younger her mother hadn't been around, neither were unaware of the infamous relationship between the two before them. Momoe hadn't inherited her mother's temper with nothing to show for it. 

"Old bat?" Tsunade echoed, eyes narrowing as she slowly pulled herself from her desk. 

Momoe cocked her head, an easy grin settling on her lips when Tsunade rose to the bait. 

"Eh, is your hearing going out, too? Should I say pile'a'bones, instead? Bats aren't deaf." 

Her eyes flashing, Tsunade attempted to keep at least the slightest control on her temper, well aware that no amount of retaliation would change her daughter's sharp tongue. Taking in a deep breath, she glared at the two standing stricken at Momoe's side and pointed towards the door. 

"Don't you have a mission?" she demanded. 

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Gai agreed instantly. "Momoe-chan, It's been nice seeing you. You remind me of our youthful days-"

"Go!" 

Not waiting to see how she might react if they stuck around any longer, Gai and Lee fled the scene. That taken care of, Tsunade turned to face the window, her eyes narrowing slightly when the bickering couple that had been standing outside were missing. Without any hesitation, she crossed over and peered around outside, only abandoning it when she was certain they were gone. 

It wasn't until that moment that she turned her attention back to Momoe. 

"So... the reason I called you here... I need you to take care of something for me..."

A/N: So, a little short, but it accomplished what I wanted it to. I'm still throwing together how I plan this book to go, so please feel free to throw out any comments you have about it! Oh, and my passing thought of giving Jun a love interest... it allowed me to know exactly what I plan on doing with him! :D So, I'll allow our Jun-kun just a little bit of happiness before I completely crush him into pieces.