Authors Note: Lol, don't worry. I want to just spill it all out but I can't XD.
:Saturday: Midday:
The fox remained ever silent as the weeks went by, and his mate had tried desperately still to get him to speak. Sasuke even stooped to letting him go off alone. Surprisingly, Naruto didn't want to leave his side. If the raven was gone for more than a minute then his mate would start crying. He wanted nothing more than to tell the wolf of the dire situation but he couldn't. Mostly because more wolves were now hanging around his den lately. The Alpha claimed that these onlookers were 'worried' members.
But Naruto knew the truth…When the raven wasn't looking, those so called 'worried members' would eye him with such loathing that it triggered nothing but nausea. The only time it ended was when he was safely back in the den and away from prying eyes. Well he didn't have to sit through the awkward stares any longer.
Today was the day, and everyone that was fraught with pups were laid out in their respected dens to go through the trial with their mates. The only med wolf had to go around to each home in a time frame to check and make sure everything was going smoothly. Of course there was nothing smoothed about it, and poor Ibuki had never heard her father scream or curse so loud before in her life. The she wolf's first stop was at the Alpha's den where she ended up staying longer than she should have because the fox was apparently trying to delay the impossible.
"Stop resisting and push!" Tsunade ordered the suffering canine again. She placed her paws gently on his swollen abdomen to help him along. To her, he didn't seem to understand that he was doing more damage to himself than necessary.
"If you keep holding them in like this you'll die! Sasuke, talk to him!"
"Naruto, you need to stop resisting!"
The fox looked up to his distraught mate next to him with a weary and pained expression, forcing a smile. Everything was hazy and he couldn't make out a single word that they were saying. He was in unimaginable pain that only intensified with the thought that one his litter wouldn't be staying. With breathing becoming his main language at that moment it wasn't long before he started to loose feeling and therefore control over his actions.
"Finally!"
"No…" Naruto wailed out softly in despair at the med wolfs relief when one of the pups came into the harsh world. One by one they escaped with the smallest of the three being the last. Each little spawn had a soft charcoal pallet with the tiniest having the only white tipped tail and paws. This showed that when they get older their fur would change to whatever pelt color they were destined for.
"There's only three and they're all boys, but that's okay sense the circumstances aren't normal. Make sure to keep an eye on the littlest one, not to be crude but they usually don't make it." She let out a breath with ease in the moment before continuing with, "Now I'm going to check on the others. Naruto, you may clean them now."
As the med wolf left, the fox forced himself to tidy up and free the withering, little kits/pups from their confines. His mate watched over his shoulder eagerly awaiting when he could get a turn to care for them. For now he just had to sit there as the whole procedure played out better than the start of it.
"Naruto-"
"Ssh, they're eating."
Sasuke silenced and circled the fox so he could watch the three bumble about each other to nurse. The subtle, yet adorable little cries they made warmed his heart and eased his mind from earlier. He had to nuzzle one of them over since the runt of the litter was trying too hard to get in despite its size.
"They're beautiful."
Naruto turned his head away from the compliment and shut his eyes tight. He'd barely looked at his little offspring's because he didn't want to get attached to quickly. So he bit back the flurry of words that were bound to escape.
"You can't avoid me forever…How many times do I have to apologize for it?"
"Apologize for what?"
"For taking too long." He propped down besides his mate so he could watch over their bundles more closely. They seemed to want to huddle together rather than separate and have room.
"It's not that, Sasuke…You want to name them?" He asked quickly before the wolf could pester him more.
"Fine, but not if you're going to look away the whole time."
The fox shifted back to the raven and chuckled. Disregarding his unease, he put on a joyful front and participated in what should have been a joyful event.
"Did you have a name in mind?" Sasuke beamed with his ears erect and tail swaying in excitement that his mate was coming around.
"Eh, to tired so you pick." Naruto smiled back wearily, making sure not to look down at the trio, even when they would bite a little.
"Well I was thinking of Ichiro and Jirou for those two."
"And the little one?"
"I'm afraid to give him a name…"
"Have some faith, wolfy. I'll call him Saboru since we're going in numbers."
Sasuke chuckled and nodded in contempt for the titles. He kept watch over his little prodigy's till a scout came in with some goods new for the pack leader.
"Your brother just had six pups! Kakashi wanted me to let you know."
The raven looked up and nodded his gratitude for the information.
"Thanks, can you tell him I have three?"
"Only three? What happened?" The wolf stepped in to the see the trio and received a very sharp fang bared growl from the Alpha's mate.
"Naruto?"
The fox ignored the raven's confusion as his ears snapped back and his fur raised with pupils in tight slits. It was more of an instant reaction and clear sign to himself that he wasn't prepared to let any of his young go. It was also just basic instinct upon the situation at hand.
"Um, you'll have to come back later." Sasuke spoke up after a few seconds of growling filled silence.
"Don't come back at all!"
"Naruto!"
"It's okay Alpha, he has every right to protest. It is his first time, right?"
"Yes."
"Then my prayers go out to your pups. I hope your first night as a family to be a special one."
The fox ceased his snarling and went silent instantly with a look of complete shock on his features. His mate on the other hand didn't read between the lines, not like he had a reason to, and took the wolf's comment as a kind one.
"Thank you."
After the scout departed with a dip of his head in a bow like manner, the Alpha turned to Naruto with question for his outburst. "What was that about?"
"N-Nothing." He stuttered out in one breath while looking down.
"You were doing fine just a while ag-"
"Uncle Sasuke!" Ibuki dashed into the den with her voice booming and startling her cousins. The little trio cried out at the loud noise and stumbled around blindly for comfort.
"Ibuki what are you doing here?" Sasuke addressed his nephew that had forced her way over to gander her new kin.
"I wanted to see my cousins, and the med wolf is mad at papa. Wow, you had all boys. Papa had all girls!" She rambled with energy and gently licked over the fussing three to calm them down.
"He has all girls?!"
"Yup, he made the same face uncle Naruto's making right now before he passed out."
The fox faltered and looked away to hide the expression he was holding from earlier. He was still trying to get over the first guest they had come in.
"Well I'm sure my brother can handle it."
"I don't think so…My other papa fainted as well so Tsunade had to stay and help my sisters. She's not too happy about it so I had to leave." Ibuki grinned and cuddled up to her cousins carefully.
"Kakashi fainted…I can't believe I missed it." Sasuke chuckled and watched his niece.
"Hehe, what about you Uncle Naruto? Are you happy you had all boys or did you want girls? How come you only had three? Did something happen to the other ones? Uncl-"
"Do you ever shut up?!" Naruto lashed out at the little she wolf involuntarily. He immediately tried to apologize to her but she'd taken off the moment he screamed at her.
"Naruto, what the hell was that?!"
"I-I-I…I'm sorry! Go get her!"
"Not if you're going to snap on her again!" Sasuke shouted over his mewling pups that were now freaking out from the argument between their parents.
"I didn't mean it! Just go get her!"
"Tell me what's going on first!"
"I can't!" The fox screamed with a breaking voice. With the pup's cries gaining his attention, he decided to focus on them instead and embrace them with care.
"Naruto, talk to me now."
"No! We are not going to argue in front of them!"
"If you had just told me before they were born we wouldn't have to argue." He grumbled and got up to leave the den.
"Ha, if I'd told you they never would have been born."
Sasuke halted at those words and turned around to make sure of what he'd just heard, "What?"
"Nothing, just go. That's what your best at."
"That's what I'm best at?!"
"Yes!"
The raven turned away and left at that. Between the crying pups and nonsensical argument with his mate, he needed to step out before he said anything he'd regret. He took a trip to his brothers den to get his mind off it all.
Naruto had no choice but to stay and repent the whole ordeal. His little spawns were searching around for sanctuary all over the space, forcing him to gather them up with his tail. He calmed them down with licks and nuzzles though one of them in particular wasn't crying. That one was the runt whom had gone to sleep. Out of worry that he might be more than just sleep, he nudged the tiny thing with his nose. It moved a little just to go right back to sleep as if it had enough excitement for today.
This left him to bond more with other bustling two that refused to stay put or stop crying for that matter.
"Having a little trouble Naruto?"
"No, I've got…" he trailed off when he recognized the voice seconds later. He hesitantly looked up to see Jiraiya sitting on his haunches in the den like he already owned it. He froze and held on tighter to the three wrapped in his tail.
"No need to panic. I heard you were acting strange…just wanted to make sure you understood the position you were in. You see how easy it was to get in here without raising an alarm. We could ju-"
"I'm not giving you my babies!"
"I suggest you lower your voice. I'm not here for them. Someone from this pack will come at night and take which ever one you don't want. Seeker was supposed to have told you that but there was a problem with the time or someth-"
"No! What are you going to do with him?!"
"That's none of your business, and you really don't have a choice. Well you could tell and get ripped apart. It's up to you. Either way we will be pleased. Why don't you give us the runt? He's not going to make it anyway. No one will dig into it, and plus he looks like he's already taking a dirt nap. " Sage laughed a little lowly with a faint grin.
"Go to hell!" He spat out with spite in his voice.
"Don't get mad at me because your wombs the breeding ground! Always sleeping around with these filth."
"Filth?! You made me do it!"
"Keep telling yourself that Naruto." The white fox had lost his usually friendly and deluding composure for a moment. He shook his head and the mask was back on with a gentle smile.
"Just keep your mouth shut, go to sleep, stay that way till morning and tell Sasuke that you don't know what happened. He's awfully clueless, so it'll make this allot easier." He departed on that note without waiting for a stuttered reply.
Naruto stared into the empty space where the fox once stood. He refused to lose it this time so he sucked in some air through his teeth, shut his eyes tight and released. Alternatives attempted to work their way in his mind but none of them were full proof. He looked down to his offspring's and curled up to them. His eyes kept cutting over to Saboru whom was still sleeping peacefully while his brothers were fumbling around with energy. He didn't know that the little spawn was actually saving his own strength rather than being too tired to go on.
The more he watched the runt the more he wanted to keep him, but what if Jiraiya was right? He could always make up some story about it….No one would question him and Sasuke would just go with it like always…This could work…though he would never forgive himself…
~oOOo~
The sun was going dim by the time the Alpha returned home with dinner in his jaws. He wasn't surprised to see his mate asleep and the pups trying to move around. He sat the rabbit on the ground and said softly, "Naruto?"
The fox shifted a little before looking up with a smile to his mate.
"Hm?"
"You need to eat." He picked the meal back up and took it over the canine. While the fox ate, he took care of the two trying to wonder around. His heart sunk at the runt that was still sleeping.
"How long has he been sleeping?"
"Since you left…"
The wolf nudged the little canine and got a faint cry from him.
"He'll be fine. Let him rest." Naruto mumbled his empty promise between chews and swallows.
Sasuke nodded and tended to get the others to sleep. By the time his mate was finished eating, he had fallen asleep with the pups. The first two born had cuddled up to their father for the night while the last was left by the fox's side.
Naruto remained awake for the time being to watch over Saboru. The pup stirred every now and then indicating it was having a rather lovely dream. He lowered his head and licked the infants folded ears. His owns ears perked up when the little wolf sprung to life for some reason.
Blindly pawing along the floor in a crawl like manner, he got further and further away while his father just watched passively. The tyke didn't make a single sound as if it was trying to learn its surroundings somehow. When the fox lifted a paw to go get the little canine from leaving the den, an outline of a wolf from the opening caught his attention.
He shared one glance with the shadows owner before looking away. When he turned back the wolf was gone and so was Saboru. On impulse alone he got up and hurried out the den to see no one in sight. Petrified and ashamed he headed back inside the den and laid back down beside his mate. Over and over he told himself 'He wondered off…it's not my fault,' till he fell back asleep.
~oOOo~
The wolf carrying the stolen pup in his jaws was accompanied by two others that shared his belief. They made their trek through the moonlit forest in a single file line to the destination of the other parties choosing. Once there they made a silent one-sided exchange. The pickup fox from the other group had been waiting for hours so he took off once he had Saboru in his jaws. He didn't have time to thank them or commend them for their actions.
He was on a deadline and was running awfully late. It's not like he wanted to thank them anyway. They were as expendable as the pup that was strangely silent in his mouth. He made his way to unfamiliar territory a few miles outside of a special chasm like den area. After halfheartedly sniffing around to make sure no one was there he dropped the little pup to the earth without care.
Before he could do anymore damage he was tackled to the ground. Damn near giving him a heart attack in the process and speeding up the reason behind his impatient attitude.
"You must be lost." Senbei snarled harshly into the intruders flattened ears. He'd just made it back to the mountain side from his vacation when he caught a flash of white in his domain.
