*/*/*

Family gatherings were usually fun. Sure, Uncle and Madara-san never got on well, and with Mito-san both of their fathers were a bit awkward, but Aina still enjoyed these occasions most of the time. But tonight was an exception - it was nothing but a nightmare. She wished to be somewhere else - anywhere else, fighting a desperate life-and-death battle, greatly outnumbered by her foes, after starving for days in the deserts of Land of Wind. But she couldn't leave as this was happening because of her. She might as well accept it as her punishment.

They all sat around the low table for dinner, but everyone was just picking their food. Facing her was dad - while he usually was the heart of these happenings, right now he was very tense, to the point he appeared grim. He kept shooting annoyed glances at Madara-san and their uncle, which both men promptly ignored. They seemed to be - for the first time Aina could remember - getting on with each other. At least compared to the usual thinly veiled insults and murderous glares. They tended to use Hashirama as their lightning rod between them, but this time they sat close to each other. Aina even caught Madara-san leaning close to Uncle to whisper something to him. Mito-san next to her husband was looking rather annoyed. Little Butsuma was in her lap, playing with food, and got away with it without scolding as his father didn't notice it as he usually did.

Still on that side of the table was Uchiha Kagami. He looked very uncomfortable, as if not even sure why he was there. Aina could understand - she had no idea what he was doing in their house either. He was uncle's apprentice, she knew about him that much. From time to time again, dad spared him one of his angry glances too. It made her feel sorry for him, as he seemed to try to appear invisible every time. He cast longing glances at the door, but his path was, maybe accidentally, blocked by Uncle Tobirama.

Next to Aina sat Minoru, staring at her with wide-eyed wonder that made her feel more than uncomfortable. He was so busy doing this that he didn't even seem to notice Madara-san's anger with him, which was saying a lot. His father though, who was unfortunate enough to be invited to this little gathering from hell too, saw it and didn't know what to do. He already apologised for nothing at least three times during the evening, bowing low. On Aina's left side Takumi was fuming and Noboru was not talking to anyone. The two boys had an argument over the youngest eavesdropping on them, on why Aina and Takumi were not telling him the secret right away, why Noboru confessed to Uncle. Maybe it was the worst thing of all - ever since they could consider each other siblings, they got on really well. One more thing for her to feel sorry about.

Everyone was being miserable because of her. She wished they would shout at her, blame her… but nobody seemed to be angry with her, just with everyone else. It was terrible.

They shared a very tense dinner that never wanted to come to its end. Finally Madara-san leaned back and shared a look with Uncle. Aina felt all her shinobi reflexes screaming danger at her seeing something so ominous.

"Kids," the Uchiha said. "Why don't you leave us alone for a while?"

Aina heard Takumi mutter something rude next to her as he got to his feet. She guessed that despite the life growing in her belly, she was counted as a kid this time, so she stood up as well. It was getting a bit difficult lately.

"Kagami, you heard Madara," Uncle barked.

"Erm, yes, but…" he seemed confused - in his early twenties he certainly expected to be counted as an adult. He cast glance asking for help at Madara-san, but he just nodded in the direction of the door as well.

Once outside, they gathered around awkwardly. Her brothers seemed to be sulking, the two other boys just plain confused with what was happening. Aina wished she asked Mito-san if she could take Butsuma from her - she was spending a lot of time with him and his mom lately - something she was annoyed with Hashirama at first, but by now she was happy he insisted. They got on really well with the older woman and the boy was teaching her all kind of things about children she never considered.

But her little cousin remained with the adults, not giving her the chance to busy herself with playing with him.

"Kagami-san," she turned to the young man with a strained smile. "I'm not sure I cached the reason for your visit…"

"Oh, well - Madara-sama sent me an erm, invite saying he expects me here. I'm a bit confused myself… I've just learned the news Aina-san, and let me congratulate…"

"Aina," Minoru interrupted, as if he wasn't even hearing Kagami talking "do you think we can drop out for a bit? I really need to talk to you in private?"

She felt Takumi shift behind her, so before he could open his mouth, she quickly nodded. She was feeling bad about keeping her secret for so long - and letting Hashirama break the news in the end. He was going to be a father of their child after all - she found the concept easier to be accepted. It was really due time she took on the responsibility and stopped avoiding confrontation.

She was going to be a mother in a handful of months. She had to start acting in a way that next time she wouldn't be sent out with the kids.

*/*/*

"Honestly Madara, Kagami? They don't even know each other with Aina!"

"Well, maybe they should."

"Matchmakers! You and Tobirama are playing matchmakers! I can't believe it," from dad's tone it was impossible to tell whether he was angry or amused. Probably both. Noboru peered up at his brother. Takumi had his ears against the door, frowning, so he quickly put his head back too, not to miss a world.

"Are you any better? You invited that boy as well."

"That's different! That boy is going to be the father or our grandchild!"

He enjoyed that they were finally doing something together, even if it was just eavesdropping. He was also glad that his brother was no longer mad with him - they had quite an argument over while he spilled the beans to Uncle Tobirama and why his older siblings didn't confide him in such a secret.

Aina placated him in the end, apologising to Noboru and cooling Takumi off with saying that if their Uncle set his mind to it, he could get information he wanted even from the dead. She was really acting like a grown up lately - she used to be in every mischief, but now she didn't even want to join them trying to find out what today's terrible dinner was about. Considering what their fathers were talking about, maybe it was for the best.

"Hashirama, I'm not saying that she has to marry Kagami straight away. She can get to know him first. Learn to like him."

"And what if she won't like him?"

"...why wouldn't she? He's patient and respectful - he can even stand your brother. Rather talented. Handsome. An Uchiha."

"Just because he's your type, it doesn't mean Aina will like him too."

"What are you talking about? I'm just trying to be objective."

"If I think about it, I'm very flattered. I'm here with you despite my linage."

"Well," they fall silent. It was a pity they couldn't see, only hear them. "...anyhow, for my daughter, I want the best." Madara-san sounded just a bit out-of breath when he spoke again.

"Are you implying that I'm not good?"

"Let's face it - you're a Senju…" a sigh. Noboru frowned. Were they… "...but for a Senju, you're not too bad."

"Be careful there, you might compliment me if you don't watch yourself."

"Why don't you stop talking and…. yes… do that instead." Another deep sigh and a moan.

The boys outside took a step back from the door at the same time, looked at each other and made a face.

"This keeps happening when I'm listening on them," Noboru said to his brother outside. He was fighting laughter, and losing, seeing the other's expression. "They are terrible. Two old men like them and they keep going at it," he thought back at those idiots accusing dad getting tired of Madara-san and… Only someone who didn't know him at all would think something like that.

"You're too damned young to talk like that!" Takumi laughed along with him, obviously just as embarrassed as he was for not stopping their eavesdropping in time. "He really loves dad, doesn't he?" he asked quietly a bit later.

"I guess so… it's pretty obvious. They love us as well," he added, as the older boy suddenly appeared rather lost.

"Well, he should let Aina decide on her own who she wants in that case!" he snapped.

"You have to admit that an Uchiha is better choice than anyone else."

"Why you little… I'll teach you that your brother is superior!" he moved to grab him, but Noboru knew him too well - he was already dashing away, out to the streets.

"You have to catch me for that first," he shouted back over his shoulder. Takumi was right on his heels and he'd probably catch him - he was fast on his long legs. He didn't mind it much. A playful struggling only meant that things were getting back to normal finally.

*/*/*

After all the difficulties around the beginning of Aina's pregnancy, things got back to the peacefulness of everydays fairly quickly. Sure, there were changes Takumi wasn't pleased about, but he found himself getting used to them.

Like Minoru Rinha's frequent appearance in their home. He came by to talk with Aina several times a week. At first Takumi was more than irritated by it and didn't try to hide it - he managed to be rude to the point when Aina felt she had to sit down with him and talk.

"Listen," she had said "I know that you're angry with him. But really - it's not his fault, at least no more than mine… and he's going to be the father of this child." She gently caressed her growing belly. "And he's been rather cool about it."

"So you and him…"

"Oh no," she laughed. "We're just friends and there's no more to it. Friends and parents of the same baby."

Though he didn't worry much about Minoru taking away Aina from them after that, he wasn't the only one proving to be a risk. Uchiha Kagami also visited often, at first trying to make excuses why he was there, Madara-sama asked me to deliver a report to him, Tobirama-sensei asked me to pick up something from Hokage-sama. Soon however he was just telling he dropped by to see how Aina is doing - and she happened to be doing very well every the time he was around, smiling at him warmly. Soon enough she was going out for walks with him, leaving Takumi to stare bitterly after them.

So when his teammate asked him timidly if he'd like to share a dango with her, he said yes. They ended up having a pretty good time - funny, but he never noticed before that she had really great sense of humour and that her eyes were very pretty with their long lashes...

…she had a nice smile too…

"You've been daydreaming a lot lately," dad winked at him once when he visited him in his office. From the three of them, Takumi was his most frequent visitor; Madara-san managed to convince his sister and brother that they shouldn't disturb him during the day, but the teen was very well aware that Hokage-sama was more than grateful for any break he could take away from paperwork.

"There's this girl…" he sighed.

"I thought there might be."

"Dad, did you ever have a girlfriend? Before you hooked up with Madara-san?"

"I did. Though I was a bit older than you at the time."

"Really?" he was more than surprised. "I thought you were always totally…" dad raised an eyebrow at him, so he quickly amended his words "...erm, had the eyes only for him. So what happened to her? That girl."

"She died long ago. It was well before the village was founded. They were dangerous times and shinobi died young."

"Did you love her?"

"I liked her. If you ask if I was in love with her - no, I wasn't."

Of course. That's reserved for Madara-san, the teen thought. He wasn't sure he understood this dedicated love they shared - it was somehow reassuring that he wasn't Hashirama's first and only.

"So if I ask you for tips…"

"Oh no," he laughed. "I think I was really lame, and she might have only put up with me as I was the leader of the clan. If you want tips on how to win girls, you have to ask your uncle."

Takumi grinned along. He could just picture him, a gangly teen as he was now, all awkward and blushing when asking a girl out. He still founded Konoha and became its leader. That was an uplifting thought.

"How did you manage to win Madara-san? He must have been a thousand times pickier than any girl!"

"Hmm," he clasped his fingers at his nape, leaning back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling as he contemplated the question. "I guess it had to be my stone skipping skills."

Takumi snorted. That was not an answer at all, but probably it was the best if he didn't push it.