Ok, so, since everyone who reviews this story reviewed in like the first HOUR, I figured there was no point in waiting to put up the last chapter. Yes, you read that right, this IS the last chapter. Though there will be an epilogue in the near future. Please don't kill me.
I'm just going to leave out the disclaimer now...
Chapter Ten
Kichi
Kakashi heard a crash from the kitchen and then a small yelp. He stood quickly from the couch and turned to see Natsko bent over with her hand on her foot. He hurried over as quickly as possible and saw that she had dropped a glass and it had shattered all over the floor.
"Don't move! There's glass everywhere." He stepped tenderly around the broken pieces and picked her up gently in his arms. She was so light; he thought that if he dropped her she would shatter just as the glass had. He knew that wasn't true; she had proven herself time and again.
He laid her carefully on the couch and knelt down by her feet. She could see her foot's chakra pulsing and she felt the blood dripping down her heel. She also saw Kakashi worrying about her and fussing over her foot.
"I think I stepped on some." She said, not seeing the true extent of her injury.
He stared at the large chunk of glass sticking out of her foot, and the blood that was staining the couch. He would have to do something quickly. He reached into his vest-pocket and pulled out a small first-aid kit. "I've seen worse." He said shakily, hoping to calm himself down.
He had seen worse, but not on someone he cared so much about. He reached for her foot and closed his eyes tight. In his head he counted, one… two… three… he pulled out the glass.
Natsko wanted to scream. It had been bad, stepping on it. It was worse having it taken out. But Kakashi was the one who knew about injuries. She had never seen a drop of blood in her life. She then saw something odd.
Looking down towards her abdomen, she saw a cluster of chakra she hadn't seen in her body before. It was faint, and small, but it was there. She forgot all about her bleeding foot, and her husband who was now stitching it up carefully. She watched the new form intently until she was almost positive that she knew what it was.
She leaned back against the arm of the couch and smiled. Kakashi paused in his stitching and looked at her strangely, she was acting different. Normally she would be afraid or in tears by now. He tied off the last stitch and bandaged her foot in silence.
"Is everything alright?" He asked tentatively. He sat down next to her on the small sofa, and she sat up and leaned on him. He wrapped one arm around her and she smiled lightly.
"Uh huh. Kiki was telling me the other day that women get clumsy when they are pregnant. I guess this is just the beginning." She sighed and buried her head in his chest.
He looked at her, wide-eyed and amazed. "Are- Are you sure?" He asked, pulling back a little so he could see her face.
"I can see it." She said simply, looking down at what she was sure now was a baby.
She never ceased to amaze him. She couldn't see the glass embedded in her foot, but she could see a baby that wasn't even the size of his thumb yet. He almost envied her. But at that point he was too happy to be jealous. He pulled her close and kissed her hard.
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The next morning the couple decided to spend the day in. Rain drizzled on the windows and the clouds darkened the sky. Natsko lay on the couch and listened as Kakashi read aloud. She watched the baby inside of her with amazement, not wanting to look away for fear that it wouldn't be there when she looked back.
As the day went on she began to believe more and more that she was pregnant. Mostly by the nausea that plagued her, but partially because she felt like it was right. Kakashi couldn't stop watching her. She was pregnant. He was going to be a father. It was a dream he never dreamed of having, but now that it was coming true, he didn't know what he ever did without it.
That evening, right before dinner, a knock on the door was followed by the entrance of Iruka. Natsko didn't even look up from the pan she was working with; Kakashi gave a quick wave and went back to his book. The Chunin took a seat across the table from Kakashi and addressed Natsko casually.
"So, how's life treating you two? Anything new from last week?" He had made it a habit since Natsko made Jonin to visit them for dinner every Friday night. Natsko was used to this by now and always prepared for him.
Kakashi put his book down and looked over at Natsko. Realizing that she didn't see him, he said her name anxiously. She picked up the dinner dishes and walked carefully over to the table. Iruka and Kakashi grabbed them from her before she could drop them.
She sat next to Kakashi and smiled at Iruka. "Well, we just found out last night, but…" She paused and looked at Kakashi quickly. He nodded for her to continue. "I'm pregnant." She said excitedly.
Iruka looked at the two skeptically. "No way." He decided. "There's no way you two are going to be parents this soon. You hated each other until three months ago." He gave Kakashi a look. "Don't think I didn't notice when the cot disappeared."
Natsko turned a deep shade of scarlet. Kiki said almost the same thing when she came to visit a few days after the cot found its way into the dumpster. Iruka noticed her blush and began apologizing. "I'm sorry Natsko; I didn't mean it that way. This is great, I'm really happy for you guys."
He turned to Kakashi and winked. "I'll save room in my class at the academy for him right?"
"Of course." Natsko answered before Kakashi could say something inappropriate. "Only the best for our child." She grinned; she didn't need to see to know that her compliment made him blush. Now we're even. She thought to herself before daintily taking a bite of her meal.
It's only fitting. Kakashi thought to himself. If it wasn't for him and his instance that I visit a matchmaker, I never would have met Natsko. He looked over at Iruka and as if she read his mind, Natsko spoke. "Thank you."
The young man was taken by surprise. "What for?"
"You were the one who dragged Kakashi to the matchmaker. If you hadn't, I don't think either of us would be as happy as we are now."
"I guess I did, didn't I?" Iruka seemed pleased with himself. It was his fault that these two were so blissfully happy. It seemed nothing could ruin it.
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After several months the baby became the only thing either one could think about. During training sessions, Kakashi was distracted. The three students had to pry the information out of him, but when he finally told them he was going to be a dad, they were overjoyed for him.
Natsko told Kiki almost immediately. She wanted someone who knew what they were doing to help her. She was thankful that she did too, the neighbor proved to be more help than she could ask for. It was Kiki who took Natsko to her first doctor's appointment.
At five months, Natsko had waited an awful long time before finally facing a doctor. As she sat in the small exam room she watched her baby stretch gently inside of her. When the doctor finally came in her head jerked up in response.
"Hello, what can I do for you today?" She asked cordially.
"I'm just here for a checkup. I'm afraid I haven't been in for the first few months, but I've just been busy." She lied. Her real reason was a fear of what the doctor would tell her; a fear that became all too justified.
After giving Natsko the once over, the doctor stared grimly at her. Of course, this expression went unknown to her. Unfortunately, it meant she had no advanced warning of the scolding she was about to receive.
"You are a very reckless young woman." She began carefully. "That burn on your leg has destroyed muscle tissue that is vital to having a child."
Natsko let her hand stray to her leg. She would never let on that it hurt her. Only recently had Kakashi even noticed it. She hoped beyond hope that the doctor wouldn't say what she was about to.
"The chances of you surviving childbirth are slim. If you had come in earlier I would have been willing to terminate the pregnancy, but you waited too long. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." The woman leaned back in her chair and scowled. She hated giving bad news.
Natsko's other hand found a spot on her abdomen. It looked to her as if she were reaching out for the baby's hand. She would never have given up this child anyway. This baby was a symbol of everything she had been through since marrying Kakashi. It was evidence that she had lasted, and that she was loved.
"Then, I'm glad I didn't come in earlier." She spoke firmly, but several tears stained her face. "I am going to do everything in my power to have this baby. No matter what you say." She stood and left the room, finding Kiki waiting in the hallway.
"Is everything all right?" She asked, concerned.
"Just fine. Can we go home now?" Natsko's voice was laced with anger. Kiki wrapped an arm around her and walked her home in silence. When they reached the apartment, she stopped at the door and faced Natsko with a concerned look.
"Do you want to talk about what happened?" She asked slowly.
Natsko considered it. It would be easy to tell all her troubles to her friend. They could cry together and it would all feel better, but she decided against it. "It's something I need to talk to Kakashi about first." She said simply. It was the bare truth of it; she needed to speak with her husband before seeking a friend for comfort.
"Ok. But if you need me you know where to find me." Kiki turned and went downstairs. Leaving Natsko to face the horrible reality of her situation. She opened the door and stepped inside slowly, noticing that Kakashi was already home, waiting for her.
When he saw her he jumped to his feet and ran to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her gently. "How did it go?" He asked, leading her to the couch and sitting them both down.
"The doctor said the baby was fine. But…" She hesitated. "I don't know how to say this…"
He looked at her with deep concern. What could the doctor have possibly said to make her this upset?
"The burn on my leg is bad." She began. "The muscles are weakened and it means that I will have little chance of surviving childbirth." She said it as if it didn't apply to her. She hoped fervently that it didn't.
He slowly processed this information, wrapping his arms around her in comforting silence. Finally, he spoke. "I wouldn't bet on chances." He kissed her forehead.
She was puzzled by this. "What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly.
"You have defied the odds on more than one occasion. I'm not going to believe anything until after you've proven them wrong." He stood slowly and held a hand out to her.
She took it and stood, an awareness of his confidence flowing through her. She hadn't noticed this feeling in quite some time, but today it was as strong as the day they met. His strength was hers and she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her.
"As for a doctor, I'm sure we can find someone who will help us." Kakashi broke her trance. He handed her a jacket and led her out the door into the now snow filled February they lived in. "Let's just focus on one day at a time. Tonight, let's go out to eat." He helped her down the stairs and out into the street, watching her and protecting her all the while.
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"Do you realize we have been married for a year now?" Natsko smiled at Kakashi from across the room. She lay on the couch with both her hands folded neatly across her ever growing belly. Around her neck was the necklace he had given her the previous summer.
"How can you tell?" He asked, amazed that she counted. He himself had been staring at the calendar, realizing just that fact when she spoke.
"Its spring or at least, it's beginning to be. It's March isn't it?" She sat up a little, grinning as she felt the baby move inside her. "I can smell the beginnings of flowers outside and it isn't as cold."
She never ceased to amaze him. He watched her from the chair and smiled inwardly. How could he be so lucky as to be matched with her? "What should we do about it?" He asked.
"I think we should invite Kiki and Iruka to dinner. The kids too, I want to see them again." Natsko had given this quite a bit of thought.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. Want me to go invite them so you can start dinner?" He stood and made his way to the door.
She sat bolt upright and broke out of the day's trance. "Is it really that late?"
Dinner that night was so far opposite to the night that mirrored it a year ago. There was laughter and joy resonating against every wall of the crowded apartment. Kakashi met his team on the way to find Iruka and ended up inviting them too.
Natsko didn't mind one bit, she was always happy to have people around now. She never wanted to feel lonely again. The people who gathered were all happy for the young couple. Kazanuri and TenTen ran around playing ninja, while Kiki and Sakura cooed over Natsko. Iruka and Kakashi talked of business and the boys drifted from one conversation to the next, sometimes playing with the kids when no one was looking.
Every time Kiki's eyes met Iruka's she blushed, unknown to Natsko; though the blind Jonin was not completely unaware of her friend's peculiar behavior. "Is everything all right?" She asked after Kiki had turned her head suddenly for the fifth time in the past hour.
"Everything's fine." She lied quickly.
Across the room, Iruka was telling the same lie, for the same reason, to Kakashi. "I just flinched, that's all."
"Nobody flinches for no reason. Especially five times in an hour. Go talk to her." Kakashi put a hand firmly in-between Iruka's shoulder blades and shoved.
Natsko suddenly had a keen interest in Sakura, leaving Kiki and Iruka to talk by themselves. After dragging the girl away from them, she sat down in a kitchen chair and breathed heavily.
Kakashi was by her side in an instant. "Are you ok?" He asked, worry creeping though every word.
"I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all." She put a hand over her baby and smiled. "The baby's asleep, so you don't need to worry."
Sakura looked at Natsko with a curious stare. "How can you tell the baby is asleep?"
Kakashi sat down next to his wife and placed his hand on hers. "She can see the baby the same way she sees you or me. It makes me a little jealous."
Natsko hadn't told anyone about this odd trick of hers. It didn't seem like it needed explaining. But this was the first time she heard Kakashi say it made him jealous. It seemed absurd to her that he would be jealous of her blindness.
"Can I try?" Sakura asked excitedly. Natsko was training her to see chakra so it was only natural that the girl would want practice.
"Close your eyes and look for it." She waited while Sakura attempted to find her baby. She watched it herself, noticing that it was beginning to respond to the familiar voices around it. She also noticed that the baby was waking up. Kakashi noticed too when he felt a foot press against his hand.
"I think I see it!" Sakura exclaimed happily. "Did the baby just move a foot?"
"Yes." Kakashi and Natsko replied in unison. Natsko felt a wave of contentment sweep over her. She was surrounded by friends, soon to have a baby with a man she genuinely loved.
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Natsko lay in Kakashi's arms; her head cradled under his. Her body was drained of energy, and in her arms was the perfect baby that was their daughter. "She's so beautiful." Kakashi told her quietly.
"I knew we could do it." Her breath was labored and she was so tired. The hours of labor now seemed worth it, seeing her baby girl. The little bundle was covered in white-grey hair, and her fingers and toes squirmed in contentment.
"What should we name her?" Kakashi ran a finger over his baby girl's head.
"Kichi" Natsko mumbled before nodding off to sleep in his arms. He disentangled himself from her and gently took the baby from her arms and let her sleep. He walked back and forth across the bedroom, talking to his daughter.
"Your mommy is smart, that's the perfect name for you. You are "fortunate", and so are we for having you. Someday, I'll tell you all about how your mommy grew up as a ninja and how she was the bravest person I know for marrying someone she had never met. I'll tell you all about how she faced her fears and how she had you when everyone told her not to." He gently laid the now-sleeping baby down in the bed with her mother.
A sigh of relief escaped him as he watched the mother and daughter sleeping peacefully. He had never been so scared of losing someone in his life. No mission or assignment could ever bring him close to the fear he felt when he heard that his wife might die from childbirth. The paralyzing helplessness he felt while watching her suffer through the pain caused him endless torture.
But it was all over now, she made it, and so did the baby. His baby. Kichi.
A/N: YES, it is possible for a leg injury to cause fatality in childbirth. The thigh muscles are some of the most crucial muscles when it comes to having children, and since her's were dammaged, she was already weakened in the first place. The strain would cause excruciating pain, which would cause shock, which causes death. Poor poor Natsko...
Please Review! Let me know if you want a sequel. Well... scratch that... let me know AFTER you read the epilogue...