A big thank to Sukki18 for her reviews! Please enjoy this fourth chapter.

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Chapter four

Unexpected news and an old habit

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"Why can't we come with you?" Naruto whined, gripping Damaru's shirt's hem.

"You're too young." The white haired girl scolded sternly.

"But we can help!" Sasuke protested, siding with his brother.

"You're never home." Sai added sadly.

Damaru sighed and shared a look with Itachi before kneeling down to the children's level.

"I'm sorry." She smiled sadly, hugging them "I know our time together is short."

"We do all of this to protect you." Itachi added, kneeling down next to her "So that we can all stay together."

"We understand." Shin sighed.

Itachi ruffled affectionately his hair before straightening

"Don't worry kids." Tazuki assured, checking on last time if her fans were operational "Soon enough you'll be able to come with us in missions."

"And we'll kick butts!" Naruto threw his fist upward.

"Naruto-kun." Damaru sighed "Missions don't always consist in 'kicking butts'."

"We have to go now." Itachi urged on.

Tazuki and Damaru nodded, following after him.

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"And…finished!" Damaru put the last finishing touch to her seal work, satisfied "You can begin Tazuki-chan!"

The scarlet haired girl got out one of her fans. With a flick of her wrist a mini tornado raised up, sweeping away all the dust and fragments of rocks and wood.

Damaru went through a set of handsigns and the seals covering the walls and ceiling activated, glowing softly.

Slowly the ceiling seemed to erase itself, letting the sun outside shine on the nude land of the cavern.

"We'll need to plant trees and grass again." Tazuki observed, looking around the barren place.

"All in due time my friend." Damaru got out a list to cross out another name "Come on. There's still a dozen of rooms to do today."

"You know what?" Tazuki huffed, hunching forward "I hate cleaning."

"And I don't like doing the dishes. But they aren't going to do themselves." Damaru shrugged before taking her friend's wrist and forcefully dragging her out "Come on."

Tazuki was about to protest when Yuki passed the archway, trotting to them.

"What is it girl?" Damaru asked before noticing the scroll delicately held in her mouth.

She bent down and scratched the wolf's muzzle before taking the roll of paper out.

Straightening and opening it, she read the message.

A frown appeared on her face and Tazuki curiously peered over her shoulder.

She also frowned worriedly when she finished reading and glanced at Damaru.

"Are you…?" she asked.

"I have no choice." Damaru replied before looking at Yuki "Let's go girl."

The white furred wolf woofed shortly and Damaru waved at Tazuki before the two headed out.

"Where are you going?" Itachi asked when he saw her running away.

"I need to go back!" The girl yelled before disappearing "Rin is sick!"

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"And tonight, oh surprise!" Damaru took a bite of the meat "Rabbit."

She picked up the carcass and threw it to Yuki who caught it deftly before devouring it down.

"You seem famished girl. You should go hunt something." Damaru proposed.

Yuki nodded before trotting away, quickly disappearing into the bushes surrounding the clearing.

A few hours later, the she-wolf washed away the blood on her muzzle in a stream before deciding to go back to camp.

She moved swiftly under the thick underbrush of the forest, returning to Damaru, when sounds from the right froze her in place.

Her ears pivoted, locating precisely the source of the noises, and she decided to go check if there was a danger or not.

Silent as… well, a wolf, she slipped into the darkness of the trees, soon coming near another camp.

Men were busy eating a deer, talking loudly and laughing in an uproar from time to time.

Yuki scanned the tents and horses grazing not too far away before noticing the little boy huddled in the corner of a cage.

Now if Yuki had learned anything about Damaru after seven years of shared life, it was that the girl wouldn't accept something like that (the boy looked no older than Shin).

She stealthily walked away, to where Damaru was camping.

"Yuki-chan?" The white haired girl asked when she noticed how agitated her partner was when the wolf appeared into camp "What is it?"

The white furred canine gripped gently but firmly her wrist before tugging to the direction she had come from.

"You want to show me something?" Damaru understood, straightening "I'm following."

Satisfied, Yuki led the girl back the other camp.

Seeing her partner taking so many measures to not be seen or heard, Damaru imitated her instinctively.

They soon reached the other camp and it only took a few seconds for the white haired girl to notice the little boy.

"How awful!" she gasped.

Yuki saw a determined glint that she knew too well appear in her eyes.

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"To lord Orochimaru!" yelled the men around the fire, raising their jars of sake before taking a big gulp.

"I still don't understand why he wants that useless piece of junk." One of them grumbled "Sometimes I even wonder if he's a Kaguya!"

"That's for sure." Another one nodded "He prefers flowers instead of killing. And I even heard him once saying that money wasn't everything!"

"He's a freak, don't bother. And we sold him a good price, so he isn't that useless."

"Hey Sochiro." One of the men called, seeing the man behind him focused elsewhere "What are you looking at?"

Sochiro said nothing, only pointed, his mouth hanging down in surprise.

The others followed his finger and let their mouth hang when they saw a white furred wolf.

"What the….!"

"It's a wolf!"

"I thought they were extinct or something like that!"

"Did you see its beautiful fur?"

"Hey guys, I think it's a nin wolf."

"A nin wolf?" smirked greedily their chief "That's rich! We can try to sell it and if we can't its fur could make a very pretty cloak."

The men took their weapons before slowly trying to circle the wolf.

Only for Yuki to dart away.

"Come back here you rodent!" yelled one of the men before the group followed the female into the woods.

Silence settled in camp. Damaru stealthily neared the cage before working on the seals first, her senses in alert in case of the mercenaries decided to go back.

The little boy threw her a curious look and she smiled.

"I'm here to help you don't worry."

She deactivated the last seal and took out a pin before working on the locks.

"Why?" croaked out the boy after a while, his voice raspy.

"Because I can." Damaru simply answered, opening the last lock and opening the door "Come on. Can you walk?"

The boy hesitated a bit before nodding and taking Damaru's hand.

Together they ran away into the woods.

When Damaru deemed the distance separating them from the mercenaries' camp sufficient, she took out a whistle and blew in it.

No real sound came out of it but, kilometres from their position, Yuki's ears twitched.

She abruptly turned right and the men ran after her, only to fall into a mud pit.

Yuki took no heed to their swearing and yells, returning to Damaru.

"Good job girl." Damaru complimented when she appeared, caressing her head before turning to the little boy "Are you alright?"

"Yes, thank you." He answered "But why did you save me?"

"Because I could I told you." Damaru smiled "Now I'm giving you the choice. If there's someone you want to go live with, I'll accompany you there. Or if you want you can go with me."

"With you?"

"Yes. There are others boys like you that I have taken in. What's your name by the way?"

"Kimimaro."

"Nice to meet you Kimimaro-kun. I'm Damaru, and this is Yuki. Can I ask you what age you are?"

"Ten."

"Then you are around the children's ages. Haku is also ten and the others are one or two years younger or older. If you want you can stay with us."

She extended her hand, which the child took after a little hesitation.

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"So?" Kakashi asked tensely "Is it grave?"

"No." Damaru smiled as her hands stopping glowing "It isn't life threatening. But it'll last a few months."

"How much?"

"Nine."

Silence settled. Rin looked curiously at Damaru who smiled back toothily before gasping.

"Don't tell me!" she exclaimed "I'm…"

"Yes." Damaru exclaimed happily "Congratulations! You're gonna be parents!"

"I'm…I'm gonna be mom?" Rin asked breathlessly before turning to Kakashi, who was strangely still.

Damaru noticed the slight twitch of her older brother's left eye and wisely decided to leave them alone.

With a last smile she hopped off the bed and walked out of the bedroom, only to be intercepted by Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara coming from the training.

"Okaa-chan!" Naruto yelled, tugging at her sleeve "Kimimaro is sick!"

"We were training and suddenly he fell down." Sasuke added, tugging at her other sleeve.

"He isn't breathing well." Gaara finished, reaching toward her.

"Okay let's go." Damaru decided, picking up the red head before gently pushing Sasuke and Naruto downstairs.

When she saw the white haired boy on the ground, his breathing whizzing and too superficial, she put down Gaara before kneeling near Kimimaro.

She forced him to sit and put a glowing green hand on his torso.

Almost immediately the boy was able to breathe normally and took a big load of air in.

"Don't speak." Damaru instructed "Breath normally in and out."

Kimimaro nodded and when Damaru was sure he could do so without her help, she stopped and let him straighten.

"I need to examine you." The white haired girl said gently, leading him upstairs "Let's go."

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"How is young Kimimaro?" asked Rin.

"…Sepsis." Damaru threw a serious look at the woman, who gasped upon hearing the name.

"Is it that grave?" Kisame questioned.

"It's a blood infection." Damaru explained "If we don't do something now, he'll die in a few years. Kisame, I need you to go help Tazuki and Itachi. Report what is happening too."

"Roger." The blue skinned man smirked.

"Kakashi, I need you to go steal some medicine. I can't go with you so it'll be a bit difficult. I need to stay here in case Kimimaro do another breathing crisis and Rin is pregnant."

"Of all the time." Said pregnant woman grumbled.

"Don't be like that." Damaru smiled, taking the woman's hand "At all time, and even more in the sombre ones, a child is a blessing and a hope for the future."

"I can almost hear Daichi-ojii." Kakashi smiled.

Damaru smiled back at him, touched by his words.

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"Is Kimimaro going to heal?" Naruto asked.

"I hope so." Damaru said "You have to understand that Kimimaro's illness is very grave. It will take perhaps years for him to fully heal."

"Like Amaru-chan when we first came here?" Sasuke asked

"More serious than that sweetie."

"But where are we going to sleep?" Sai asked "You transformed our bedroom into a hospital room."

"You're going to sleep with Haku and Sasuke and Naruto are going to sleep with Kisame-san and otou-chan."

"Really!" the two boys exclaimed, excitement clearly visible on their faces.

"It's awesome!" Naruto added, grinning widely.

"They're training in the basement." Damaru helpfully provided "You can go announce them the good news."

The two nine years old bolted down and Damaru chuckled.

"Don't worry okaa-san." Amaru said "I'll help you take care of Kimimaro."

"I'll help too." Haku added.

"Thank you." Damaru smiled, hugging to two "I don't know what I would do without you all."

"You'll be sad." Sai answered "At least I hope."

"I'll be more than sad my little artist." Damaru said, bringing the ten years old into a hug "You're my stars."

"Dammit!" they suddenly heard Kisame yell "Why me! Why meeeee!"

Damaru laughed, soon followed by the children. And if she had a sharper hearing, the girl was sure she would have heard Itachi chuckle.

"Damn you Damaru!"

"Kisame-ojii took the news really well it seems." She said before straightening "It's getting late. Why don't you go ask Rin-obaa for a dinner?"

The children nodded and climbed downstairs. Damaru observed them go with a smile before entering the room they put Kimimaro in and sat beside the sleeping child.

"We'll do our best to save you." She said, taking a limp hand "I promise."

"Why?"

"Oh, you're awake." Damaru smiled when the boy's blue-green eyes opened "How are you feeling?"

The little boy frowned "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to save me that much? I'm not worth living. I have no purpose in life."

Damaru looked at him before sighing softly and caressing the boy's hair in a tender gesture, much to his surprise.

"No life is worth throwing away Kimimaro-kun. And life is worth living. You may not see why now, but if you die you surely will never see the reasons. Trust me, even if there are bad things, the good ones more than make up for them."

She straightened a bit before depositing a kiss on Kimamaro's forehead and the boy's eyes widened.

Damaru chuckled a bit when he blushed and smiled gently to him.

He blinked before smiling tentatively back, his hand tightening lightly around the girl's own.

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And yes! Kakashi and Rin are gonna be parents! Is there any preference for the sex of the child? I'm also open to any suggestions for the name, so don't hesitate!

How Damaru met with Kimimaro might be surprising, but here's my reasoning. Ororchimaru was here when the Kaguya clan attacked the village, and he seemed really well informed of what was going on. And later on he found Kimimaro, which for me means he had his sight on the child from the beginning.

So it seemed plausible to me that Orochimaru helped, if not orchestrated from the shadows, the Kaguya clan's mindless slaughter.

I admit that Kimimaro getting moved from his prison is me using a bit of my author's power to manipulate reality ^_^!

Don't go yet! I have a little surprise for you. Continue to read please and don't hesitate to review!

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OMAKE: POOR KISAME

Itachi was a light sleeper by nature, and his years of conditioning as ANBU actually made it difficult for the young man to sleep (unless Damaru was near him of course).

Which was why, when he heard snickers mingled with giggling and rustle of clothes, he immediately knew Naruto and Sasuke where up to no good.

His suspicions were confirmed when he opened his eyes to see the two boys near Kisame, busy drawing on the blue man's face.

Trying not to smirk and summoning his stern face, the black haired boy pushed himself silently on his elbows and asked:

"Can I ask what you two are doing out of bed?"

The two boys jumped and whirled around, Naruto actually stumbling and falling down as he tripped on his own feet.

Once again Itachi had to reign in the urge to smirk.

"Nothing?" The blond boy more asked than affirmed.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, making them stiffen "Oh really? I never knew doing nothing involved drawing on Kisame's sleeping face."

Naruto smiled sheepishly while Sasuke suddenly found the wall on his right incredibly interesting.

Itachi would have enjoyed making them squirm a bit more, but unfortunately Kisame chose that time to wake up.

"What's going on? Why are you all up?"

Rubbing his eyes, he frowned when he saw black spreading on his fingers. Blinking, he suddenly noticed Naruto and Sasuke holding markers.

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"WHY YOU….!"

Damaru shot up as she heard screams resonate within the silent house.

"What's happening?" Tazuki asked blearily, rubbing her eyes.

"I'll go check." Damaru whispered, not wanting to wake Amaru.

She slipped out of bed and silently walked out of the bedroom, to the one Itachi, Kisame, Naruto and Sasuke shared.

Knocking lightly, she opened the door to see Kisame knocked out on the floor with weird markings on his face and the boys snuggling against Itachi.

Raising an eyebrow, she threw an inquisitive look at the dark haired boy.

"Naruto and Sasuke pranked Kisame." He simply said, the two culprits trying to hide behind him.

"Naruto, Sasuke, tomorrow you will be punished." Damaru said sternly, entering the room to kiss them "Itachi please make sure to put Kisame back into bed."

She disappeared back into her bedroom and Itachi got up to haul the blue skinned man up onto his bed.

"Alright." He said "Let's go back to bed."

"Can we sleep with you otou-san?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

"Pretty please." Naruto pulled out his puppy pout for good measure.

Itachi sighed, knowing he couldn't resist "Alright, if you promise to sleep."

"Promise."

They snuggled into his sides as the boy slipped into bed and put up the covers. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep, Itachi following them shortly after.