Authoress: aight…I'm on a roll this week…being on vacation is awesome!!...//throws her Honors books away// I'll get around to schoolwork later…now, on to Revealing a Kitsune!! And I also want to thank everyone for being so patient with my slow updating!!!

Disclaimer:…I didn't own Naruto last time I wrote a chapter…do you really think I own it now?

Chapter Nine

Iruka silently slipped out of his bed, making sure to gently lay his lover's arm around a pillow so Kakashi wouldn't wake up. The jounin, not noticing the switch, merely snuggled closer to the thick pillow as Iruka took a few slow steps backwards, holding his breath. Freezing when he saw his boyfriend's lanky frame shift ever so slightly, Kakashi's face turning towards the pillow, Iruka mentally prayed that the jounin wouldn't realize the brunet was no longer next to him. Letting out a soft huff, Kakashi buried his head back into his pillow, but Iruka didn't dare move again until he heard the jounin's deep breathing return to the rhythm Iruka recognized as that which Kakashi adopted when asleep.

Tiptoeing towards the door, Iruka took one quick glance back at his lover and couldn't help but smile sadly. Though he loved Kakashi with every fiber of his being, Iruka could not stop himself from feeling both jealous and angry because Kakashi had been blessed with the one thing Iruka had always dreamed of – a real, legal tie to the little blonde who seemed to worm his way into everyone's heart. Iruka was extremely happy that Naruto now had a real family, whether or not he realized it, but he couldn't help but think these secrets came to light far too late.

His conversation with Tsunade replayed in his head as Iruka, once clearing the bedroom door, slipped out of his apartment with surprising speed. Once his feet hit the dusty street, Iruka slowed his pace enough that he could look around the village as he walked towards the Hokage Tower. Every place he looked, he recalled a memory of the blonde that either made him chuckle or brought a saddened smile to his face. Throughout his childhood, Naruto had mastered hiding his true self, but every now and again, the real blonde broke through his façade. The first time Iruka recalled Naruto showing that side of himself was when they had been wandering down this exact street, discussing Naruto's chances of passing his upcoming spelling test. Iruka had been drilling words in the five year old boy's head since the early morning and that short walk was meant to be the one break they allowed themselves. As they walked, however, Naruto's attention had been captured by a young boy who must have been around his age. The little boy was the complete opposite of Naruto, but Iruka had seen how there was a connection between the two. The child was as pale as Naruto was tan, but he had the darkest hair and eyes Iruka had ever seen. His face lit up with a joy Iruka had never seen in the blonde as he swung between two people whose features matched his own. Immediately, Iruka had recognized the young man that held one of the boy's hands. He had taught the teen years ago, but he could never forget those eyes. Looking from the teenager to the woman the little boy clung to as well, Iruka saw a brilliant smile and soft, gentle eyes that Iruka could see the little boy obviously inherited. From the differences in ages, the chuunin quickly surmised that the woman with the two youths must have been their mother.

"Iruka-sensei!" Iruka waved to the trio when the teen, having obviously seen him, called out his name and pulled his companions towards the chuunin. Naruto, in a surprising moment of shyness, clung to Iruka's leg as the group approached them.

"Itachi-kun," Iruka greeted as the teen and his family members reached him, bowing respectfully. "It has been quite some time." He had heard that the teen had, like many shinobi, raced through his time as genin and chuunin in order to become one of the youngest jounin their village had ever had. The last time he had seen Itachi was at his jounin promotion ceremony, which all shinobi were expected to attend. The raven-haired teen, merely a child when he became a jounin, had been forced to mature far too quickly after being promoted if the lack of innocence in his eyes was any indication.

"It has…" Itachi was quick to agree. Turning towards his companions, Itachi gestured towards the woman and smiled. "I'm sure you remember my mother…Mother, this is Iruka-sensei…my pre-genin teacher from the academy."

The woman didn't stay a word of greetings, but smiled warmly at Iruka. The little boy at Itachi's side, who looked like a miniature replica of the young jounin, grinned outright at the chuunin. Iruka found the little boy's smile to be contagious as he returned the silent greeting. "And this is my brother, Sasuke," Itachi said as he lifted his arm that the child clung to. The boy, now being studied by several pairs of eyes, blushed and hid his face in his older brother's leg, much like Naruto was doing to Iruka's. "He will be entering your class next year, Iruka-sensei."

"Hello, Sasuke-kun…" Iruka greeted as he knelt down to look at the tiny child at eye-level. Sasuke peeked out from his brother's pant leg, quickly hiding his face again when he saw how close the chuunin was. Pulling the blonde growth from his own side, Iruka pushed Naruto forwards a little and chuckled at the look of mock betrayal on the blonde's features. "This is Naruto…he will be going to school with you next year."

The two boys studied one another with equal curiosity, but that moment of inspection quickly ended when Sasuke and Itachi's mother pulled Sasuke's hand, gaining the boy's attention. Iruka slowly stood back up as he watched the woman's once pleasant expression turn to one of extreme hatred, her glare directed at the tiny blonde who was waving to Sasuke in a friendly gesture. Seeing her reaction made Iruka's eyes narrow as he pulled Naruto behind his back before the little boy noticed the change in her at the mere mention of his name.

"Come, Itachi…Sasuke…we must go home," she said coldly, her gaze now directed at Iruka. Within those eyes, Iruka had seen not only the hatred she felt for the Kyuubi, but the five year old child who contained it and Iruka, who dared to take Naruto in as his own. Without another word or glance, she pulled the two boys after her. Itachi momentarily gave Iruka a curious look before following his mother. Sasuke, on the other hand, smiled at Naruto and Iruka, his expression clearly stating that, if his hands weren't being grasped by his brother and mother, he would have waved.

"Why do people hate me, Iruka-nii?" Naruto had asked quietly, his tone void of all the childish exuberance Iruka had grown accustomed to. Iruka turned to look at the child and found Naruto's blue eyes filled with unshed tears. The chuunin could only bend down and wrap his arms around the blonde, unable to think of a plausible lie that wouldn't hurt Naruto just as much as the truth. He simply hugged Naruto and told the boy that some people were mean for no real reason and that he would love the blonde no matter what. When he finally let go of the boy, he could see the understanding in those blue eyes and, for the first time, Iruka wondered if Naruto knew exactly what he was or, at the very least, had an idea of the creature that resided in him.

Closing his eyes as he tried to rid himself of the image of Naruto, his childish face filled with a mix of sadness and curiosity. That day, the first time Naruto and Sasuke met, was the first time Naruto asked out loud why people seemed to hate him for no reason. As he got older, Naruto acted out more and more, making that once sweet, selfless child faded away. Throughout the years of disciplining Naruto both as his teacher and his family, Iruka always had to wonder if Naruto was misbehaving simply so he could give himself a reason for why people hated him and scorned him no matter how he acted. Even Sasuke, the shy boy that Naruto had met at such a young age, had hated Naruto upon their second meeting. That first day at the academy showed Iruka just how much the opinions of parents can rub off on their children. Almost every single child, with the exception of Hinata, refused to go near or speak to Naruto. The little Hyuuga heiress, on the other hand, sat right next to Naruto and shared her crayons with him without a second thought. The memory of the adorable picture of the two sitting side by side caused the chuunin to bring a hand to his face, quickly wiping away the mist that came to his eyes. Naruto probably didn't remember that day, or even his first meeting with Sasuke, but Iruka could never forget them.

With beginning the academy, Naruto's behavior only worsened as he tried to get his classmates' attention, whether it was their laughter or outright disgust. Hinata was the only person who never laughed at Naruto, but her shyness created a wall between them that had never been breached in all their years together in the academy.

Taking a deep breath, Iruka looked around the quiet village, recalling his adoptive son's first bowl of ramen, his first haircut, his first orange jumpsuit…there were so many firsts that Iruka felt his heart plummet. He couldn't imagine what life would be like without the blonde around him. If Tsunade couldn't find a way to heal Naruto, Iruka would never be able to see Naruto's first real date, the boy's first day as a chuunin…as a jounin…he would never be there for Naruto's first appearance as Hokage. He wouldn't see Naruto's first child, his first smile of fatherly pride. Iruka bit his lip, recalling how the little blonde child had changed his own life. Naruto had given him a reason to live after his parents died; he had forced Iruka to finish his training and go into teaching so that he could have a stable enough job to take in the orphan, whether it was a legal adoption or not.

Naruto gave Iruka a reason to smile again and hope for the future. The blonde showed Iruka the power of unconditional love and the courage and resiliency of people. Naruto was the reason Iruka was not an emotional cripple like so many other shinobi who had experienced the Kyuubi attack. He made Iruka believe that there was a point to living.

Letting out an audible sigh, Iruka had to admit that Tsunade's plan was their best chance to save Naruto – or at the very least, to prolong his life a little longer. He closed his eyes, wishing that there was some way to tell if his decision was the right one. Would it be better for Naruto to live or to love? Trying to put himself in Naruto's place, Iruka took a gasping breath when he imagined a long life without Kakashi at his side. To live without ever knowing what it was like to have the jounin smile at him, to brush his masked lips against Iruka's forehead, or to simply hold Iruka in his strong embrace. He would never know Kakashi's deep laugh or the way the jounin touched him as though he was being worshiped. He wouldn't be able to picture the way Kakashi spread out, taking up as much room as possible, when he slept or how Kakashi pulled him close, nuzzling the top of his head, as he whispered incoherently in his sleep. Iruka wouldn't be able to recall how, if he woke up in the middle of the night, he could sometimes catch the jounin watching him sleep, gingerly running his fingers across Iruka's face as though he was burning the image and feel of his lover into his mind. Iruka wouldn't know the feeling of complete security and perfection as he nestled his head on Kakashi's chest with the jounin's fingers intertwined with his own.

To give all of that up simply to have a few more months or years didn't seem fair, Iruka inwardly admitted, but he was quick to compare his situation with Naruto's. Naruto hadn't been in a relationship with Kiba for as long as Kakashi and Iruka had been together…they couldn't possibly be in love on the level Iruka and Kakashi were. Iruka bit his lip as he recalled how, within the first few moments of meeting Kakashi, he had known there was something about the mysterious jounin. Every accidental brush of hands or meeting of eyes had thrown Iruka into a miniature heart attack and the chuunin panicked, wondering if Kakashi knew about his infatuation. It couldn't be like that between Naruto and Kiba…he tried telling himself, but he had seen the look that had been shared between the boys last night. A look like that had been what finally gotten Kakashi to throw Iruka against a wall and ravish his mouth with intermittent curses, claiming Iruka had been toying with him for too long. Iruka took a ragged breath as he looked at Naruto and Kiba's situation as though they were just like him and Kakashi. He would rather die than miss one moment with Kakashi at his side.

Iruka brought his hands up to his face, trying to soak up his tears with the sleeves of his shirt, but found his eyes were filling with water faster than he could hastily dry his eyes. Sucking in a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down, but only succeeded in letting out a soft sob. His quiet crying quickly ended when he felt strong, familiar arms wrap around him, twirling him around so he could bury his head into the soft green vest.

"What's wrong, Iruka?" Unable to answer his lover's soft inquiry, Iruka only wrapped his arms around Kakashi's midsection and held on tightly, soaking the jounin's vest with his tears. Kakashi, quickly guessing what had gotten Iruka to break down, tightened his embrace and rested his chin on top of Iruka's head. "Tsunade will save him…"

Iruka took several deep breaths before attempting a response to Kakashi's hopeful statement. "That's not it…how can we keep them apart?" Looking up into his lover's visible eye, Iruka smiled sadly. "What if they were meant to be together…like us?"

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed when he heard that quiet inquiry come from his soft-hearted lover. He had never questioned his luck in finding Iruka, knowing he was far from worthy of the brunet's affections, but the thought that there could be other people whose relationships were just like theirs – just as fated – surprised Kakashi. If Naruto could ever find someone who made him feel as Kakashi did, the jounin would have felt overjoyed (though he would never admit it to anyone other than Iruka), but what if that person happened to be Kiba? Kakashi wasn't sure if he could knowingly separate the pair if they cared for each other like he and Iruka did. Were a few months worth it? Even if it would give Naruto years, would that time be worth living without someone by his side? Kakashi could not imagine how he would feel if someone else made such a decision for him. Would he prefer living without the brunet or dying with Iruka by his side? Kakashi didn't hesitate in making a choice if he had a say in the matter. He would rather know Iruka's soft smile, his warm embrace, and the sparkle of unconditional love in those doe eyes for a moment than live for eternity without them.

"Tsunade-sama called a group of us together tonight…to decide what we should do about Naruto…as the closest thing to family Naruto had growing up, she is giving me the most say…" Iruka whispered as he brought a hand up to touch Kakashi's masked jaw. The jounin pressed his cheek into Iruka's gentle caress, knowing how difficult Iruka's decision would be.

"What will you tell her?" Kakashi asked quietly, searching Iruka's watery eyes for any indication that Iruka had put himself in Naruto's place like the jounin had. Seeing the barely contained pain in those brown eyes, Kakashi received his answer.

"I couldn't imagine life without you…but I'm selfish…I want Naruto to live…" Iruka stated, his eyes studying Kakashi's face, memorizing his lover's features that, though covered at the moment, he could imagine as easily as his own. "Just a few months, then they can be together…"

"Will it be enough?" Kakashi questioned as he loosened his hold on the chuunin. Iruka barely shrugged as he stepped backwards, catching the jounin's hands in his own. "Can I speak at this meeting?" Kakashi squeezed Iruka's hand gently, assuring the chuunin that, no matter what Iruka decided, Kakashi would stand beside him.

"You have just as much say as the rest of us…if Tsunade had known that you are Naruto's godfather, she would have certainly invited you too…" Iruka replied as he turned and began slowly walking towards the Hokage Tower. Kakashi refused to release his hold on one of Iruka's hands, clinging to the chuunin's fingers in a public display of affection, which were quite rare unless Kakashi had the urge to make his lover blush.

"Who else is going to be there?" Kakashi asked curiously. He assumed Tsunade and Jiraiya would both be there, but who else would Tsunade think have a right to decide Naruto's life? Without a doubt, Naruto himself was not even considered, but would Kiba be there?

"I'm not sure…she just told me to come at midnight to the Tower," Iruka admitted softly as he turned onto the street that, until right now, he had never dreaded walking down before. Looming before him was the Hokage Tower and Iruka couldn't help but think of the building as looking ominous. Slowing their pace as they reached the entrance to the building, the shinobi shared a glance before entering the silent tower.

Squeezing Iruka's hand as they walked towards the Hokage's office, Kakashi studied his lover. Iruka's shoulders were sagged with the invisible weight of this decision. The chuunin shouldn't have to make such a choice. No one should ever have to be given such an ultimatum, whether it was in reference to themselves or ones they loved.

As the pair reached the doors to the Hokage's office, Iruka glanced over at Kakashi and saw a hint of a supportive smile on the jounin's masked features. Taking a deep breath, Iruka pushed the door open and was surprised by the shinobi already contained in the small office. As soon as Kakashi soundlessly closed the door behind them, Tsunade looked up with bleary eyes and waved to the two.

"Iruka, Kakashi…" she greeted, her voice cracking as she looked at the two. She had been assuming Iruka would come alone, but as she viewed the two now, she couldn't believe she had thought such a thing. Iruka would certainly need his lover's support for such a decision and Kakashi, being one of Naruto's teachers as well as his cousin in name (and blood as far as most shinobi knew), should have some sort of say. "Now that everyone is here, we can begin." She looked around at the collection of shinobi, her eyes finally settling on Jiraiya. The man had not said a word since arriving, but the tortured look in his eyes spoke far louder than words.

"As you all know, we are here to discuss Naruto's future," Tsunade said softly. As soon as she spoke, she heard Jiraiya take a deep breath. The man had yet to fully accept her secrecy all these years and was far from forgiving her. "What not all of you know is the story behind Naruto's birth.

"As all of you know, or at least have guessed, Naruto is the only son of the Yondaime. He is, through his mother, also one of the three surviving Uchiha." This observation brought a round of quiet gasps from a few of the room's occupants. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for her next comment, Tsunade continued, "He is also Jiraiya and my grandson. The Yondaime was our son." This statement brought about a far louder response from the shinobi. She had not told anyone in the room, with the exception of Jiraiya, that fact and, from the strange look that came to Kakashi's face, the jounin had quite a few questions.

"How is that possible?" Kakashi asked, his eyes focusing on the Hokage. "He was born a Hatake." For a few in the room, this came as a surprise, but Tsunade ignored the widening eyes as she nodded her head at Kakashi's observation.

"He was switched at birth…your grandmother had a miscarriage, but we made everyone believe she carried the baby for the whole pregnancy and had given birth to him…" she replied quietly as she looked to Jiraiya, who only looked at her with eyes filled with betrayal. He had been robbed of precious years with both his son and grandson because of her lies. Tsunade could only give him an apologetic look. "That doesn't make you any less his cousin, Kakashi…"

"Godfather," Kakashi corrected quietly. Feeling his lover gently squeeze his hand, Kakashi glanced over at Iruka and saw the chuunin smile. Taking a deep breath, he elaborated, "the Yondaime named me Naruto's godfather…but everyone told me he had been killed in the Kyuubi attack…I never thought the Uchiha clan would lie about such a thing…"

"Then you and Iruka really do have the most say" was all Tsunade could say in response to such an admission. It seemed like everyone related to Naruto had been deprived of the relationship they should have had with the boy because of a growing pile of lies. Tsunade took another deep breath, mentally deciding that the lies had to finally stop before it was too late. She took another glance around the room and saw that everyone, with the exception of Jiraiya, was waiting for her to continue speaking. "Naruto was born with a heart defect that proved deadly…placing the Kyuubi in him…revived him…" she said quietly as she looked around to gauge the shinobis' responses. Almost everyone, with the exception of Jiraiya, could only look at her with pity. Naruto's life was one that, without the curse of the Kyuubi, would have been extinguished long before it truly began. "The Kyuubi could not heal him…only keep him from dying. Now that he is growing and their chakra melding, the Kyuubi can no longer save him. Naruto's heart can give out any minute." This last statement she whispered. Finding out about Hinata and Kankuro's elopement had caused her own heart to momentarily stop as she tried to think of how much time Naruto might have left. Would it mean he had hours, days, or perhaps even months if she was lucky?

"T-Tsunade-sama…" A soft, whispery voice caused the collection of adults to turn and look at the only three teenagers in the room. The young man stood behind the two seated girls, his arms wrapped reassuringly around the girl who had spoken. Hinata slowly stood from her seat next to Sakura, disengaging her hands from Kankuro's before stepping into the center of the room. "T-the m-medical issue you always asked us about…" she trailed off as she glanced over at her fellow medic student. Sakura's eyes had already filled with tears as she listened to the Hokage's story.

"It wasn't hypothetical," Tsunade replied as she studied the newly married couple. She had all but dragged the pair back from their wedding ceremony with an urgent summons tonight. Tsunade always thought her summoning jutsu was a good idea, in case she ever needed one of her students in a matter of moments. She never thought she would have to use it because she had to have an emergency meeting that her students needed to be a part of. Their growing medical knowledge, as well as their familiarity with Naruto, could prove invaluable. Kankuro had accompanied his wife not only because he happened to be holding Hinata's hands when the girl was summoned, but because he had studied medicine in Suna.

"But what decision do you have to make? We should be holding Naruto in the hospital where we can help him in case his heart gives out," Sakura stated loudly, the beginning of a stubborn pout coming to her lips. She would never admit it, but Naruto had wormed his way into her heart and the knowledge that he might die soon left an ache in her chest that Sakura had never felt before.

"We may be able to get a few more months if we can keep him and Kiba apart," Tsunade replied, her statement hardly audible. She picked up the letter from her desk that had both given her hope and dashed her dreams for her grandson's future and handed it over to Hinata. The girl quickly scanned it, and then handed it off to Sakura. "Naruto's mother foresaw his death…if nothing was done to prevent something, events always followed her predictions."

"That's not fair to Naruto or Kiba!" Hinata all but yelled as she glared at the Hokage. She had seen firsthand what Naruto's return had done for Kiba. It was as though Kiba's reason for living had returned. The boy's stress disappeared almost overnight and he had begun smiling like he used to before Naruto left the village. Naruto, too, had shown some differences since returning. She had caught a glimpse of Naruto's expression when she and Kankuro finally decided to elope. The only way she could describe the look in his eyes was longing. Naruto had wanted someone to love and be loved in return. Hinata could not think of anyone who could do such a thing better than Kiba.

"It might save Naruto's life!" Jiraiya, finally opening his mouth, blurted out as he quickly stood up. He turned to look at Tsunade, who obviously agreed with him. Glancing over at Iruka and Kakashi, he could see that the two didn't wholly agree with his observation.

"Might…are you willing to gamble Naruto's happiness on that?" Sakura retorted as she stood up next to Hinata. "Naruto deserves love more than anyone else. Why don't you let him make the decision on his own?" She glanced over at the newly married couple and could see that they would have made the same comment if she hadn't beaten them to it.

"He wouldn't be able to deal with everything…knowing who his family is…that he is dying? That would kill him faster than any damage Kiba could do," Jiraiya replied as his hands tightened into fists. "If it doesn't cause his heart to fail him, he might finish the job himself…" He whispered this as he looked to Tsunade. The Hokage's expression was haunting, making his chest ache as he recalled that she was going through the same kind of emotional turmoil he was. He glanced over to Iruka and Kakashi. The pair took this news better than he would have thought. The only visible change that he could see was that Iruka smiled sadly. From that small reaction, Jiraiya could tell Iruka knew about Naruto's self-destructive habits.

"Naruto isn't suicidal!" Sakura claimed as she slammed a fist into the wall, breaking a hole through the Tower wall. Cringing as she brought her hand back through the newly made opening, Sakura rethought what she said. She had always had a feeling Naruto was hiding something and, though she didn't want to admit it, she could easily see now how emotionally unstable the blonde was. "He wouldn't…" she said quietly for her own benefit more than anyone else's. Being depressed or inflicting pain did not mean he would take his own life. Imagining what it would be like to discover her family deserted her, orphaning her, would probably be enough to push her over the edge. The realization that she was never meant to live would have certainly done it. Sliding back into her seat as the shock of Naruto's instability hit her, Sakura glanced over at Iruka and saw the chuunin was biting his lip to hold back tears. Iruka had always known that, behind that happy exterior, was the unhappiest child to exist.

"What should we do?" Tsunade asked as soon as she saw Sakura had accepted this possibility. The teen obviously had changed her mind about Naruto's fate as soon as she realized his instability might mean his death. Hinata, on the other hand, seemed slightly doubtful, much like Iruka and Kakashi. The only person who really had not made any motion to give her input slowly rose from her seat and stepped out into the sight of everyone.

"Kiba is stubborn…how will we keep them apart?" Kurenai asked softly as she looked to the Hokage for an answer. "He is bound to go against your direct orders and see Naruto if you forbid him to…"

"Suna can take him as a diplomat," Kankuro said softly as he looked to the Hokage. His brother would certainly agree if he knew that his fellow container was in danger. Also, Kankuro had the feeling Gaara would get along quite well with Kiba. There was something almost animalistic about the Inuzuka, allowing him to understand the young Kazekage in a way no one else could.

"All I ask for is a few months…" Tsunade pleaded softly as she looked to Iruka and Kakashi. She had already accepted that Iruka should have the most say in Naruto's future, but that didn't keep her from feeling the hurt that came with such a right. She was related to the teen by blood, but she didn't raise him as her own, seeing him hated by so many and, as a result, create a façade to hide behind simply so he could go on living. What hurt more was that Kakashi, legally, had more of a right than her to decide her grandson's fate.

"Will you not stop them from being together afterwards? Even if it means the Inuzuka and Uchiha lines…and both of yours…die out with them?" Iruka asked as he looked to Tsunade and Jiraiya. Both sannin nodded their heads without hesitation; their lines were not as important as their grandson's life and happiness. "Then I…I give my consent…but you only have a few months," Iruka said with a deep sigh.

"No more than four months…" Kakashi said with finality and Tsunade knew better than to argue with the jounin. She knew that, if she couldn't find a way to save her grandson in four months – if he lived that long – there was little hope she could figure out how to save him before his heart defect stole his life. With whatever time he had after four months, she would gladly give him the happiness he so deserved.

"W-will you take Naruto off missions?" Hinata asked quietly, bringing up very good points with her question: Would it be safe to have Naruto out on missions, outside the village and away from Tsunade's watchful eye? Would it even be a good thing to let the teen train and put more strain on his already weakened heart?

"I can keep him from physical training for some time," Jiraiya admitted, recalling how he wanted to work with Naruto on the boy's chakra control some more. If the teen devoted all of his training to the physically undemanding chakra training, his heart would be under far less stress, and perhaps that would give Tsunade more time to find a way to save their grandson.

"So it is decided…" Tsunade said softly as she glanced over at the pictures of past Hokage. For a moment, she could have sworn her son's picture held a definite look of disgust. It is the only way to save him…she thought apologetically. If there was any other way to protect her grandson, she would have gladly embraced it, but no one had been able to come up with a good idea. All she could do now is hope that Naruto had four months left and that those four months would be enough time to work a miracle.

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Authoress: Okay…officially depressing chapter for me…I seriously cried when Iruka was thinking about a life without Kakashi and visa versa…//clings to boyfriend// I got the inspiration for the kind of bond between Iruka and Kakashi (and Naruto and Kiba) from my other half…imagining life without him…//shivers// it wouldn't be worth living…aaaaanyways…I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter…I know it is kind of short, but I wanted to get something up just because I have SUCH ideas for this story, but I wanted to get this part over with before picking up the pace a bit…so, please review and tell me what you think about the chapter and tell me what you guys want to happen next…I can't guarantee I'll write it, but I'll definitely take it into consideration…so, until next time, ja ne!!