Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and "Karula" from Utawarerumono!

We're soon coming to a close on this fic and series! One chapter after this one!

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"Kirei! You shouldn't be running like that in your condition!"

"Why? I feel great!"

"It doesn't matter if you have the strength! The baby probably doesn't!"

"You mean it's going to be weak?"

She flipped into a handstand, before letting her feet fall in front of her. He stopped to stare, amazed by her flexibility, even when she was heavily bestowed.

"How can you do that?"

"I dunno, I just thought of doing it and I did. Funny, this body surprises me every day."

"But you know that Tsunade-sama told you not to overdo it."

"I'm not even straining myself. I haven't used my chakra since I found out, even though I want to master Sharingan."

"I've had to chase you around all the time, trying to get you to slow down. You're even more impossible to stop now than before."

"Of course. I could lift you over my head without trying, Sasuke. Compared to my sword, you're light."

He placed an arm around her shoulders when she got up again. She had her hands circling her near nine-month stomach, wearing a different outfit so she wouldn't rip the one she'd come back in. It had the Uchiha symbol on the back, where it always was. She looked up at the sky as she murmured, "It's a pretty day today, so bright and sunny, not a cloud in the sky."

"It's all right, I guess. Not when compared to you."

She blinked, turning her head towards him. "How did you answer the same way?"

"I just happened to overhear that conversation, even though Naruto said it to you."

"I heard he'd married a girl from the Hyuga clan, what was her name?"

"Hinata."

"To think they were made for each other, I would've never thought."

"He seems happy, that's all that matters."

"He hasn't really talked with me since I became more involved with our children and you. I wonder how he's doing."

Someone suddenly bumped into her, and she looked back, to see the object of the conversation. He had grown in thirteen years, matured and looked stronger. She squealed and picked him up in a huge bear hug.

"Naruto-kun!"

He yelled as she spun them around, his head nearly two feet above hers. "Kirei-chan, put me down! You're going to hurt yourself!"

She did as asked, but hugged him again. "I'm so happy to see you after all this time! We haven't spoken in thirteen years!"

"Kirei…chan…I…can't…breathe…"

Sasuke laughed at that, Kirei brightening further at the sound. She chirped, "I haven't heard from you in so long, that I was worried you'd been killed in an assignment or something! You have to come visit me like you used to!"

Naruto pried her arms off him and protested, "Just because I've been busy doesn't mean that—" He stopped, finally able to take in her features. "Who are you? You're not Kirei-chan!"

She paused, realizing for a second that he was right. This body…I wasn't born in it…I was genetically engineered to look like my former self with a few changes…I just never thought it would be so painful to hear my best friend say it… "Naruto-kun, what do you mean? Don't I look like myself?"

"It's like a girl with Kirei-chan's voice is talking to me. You don't look remotely like Kirei-chan."

Sasuke, who saw a problem from a mile away, took hold of his wife and glared at his rival. "Naruto, this is Kirei. She just had an accident and had to change herself dramatically. Her face is the same, the shape of her eyes, the length of her hair. If you can't see that, you're really an idiot."

"Everything that was her was taken away! I don't know how you can hold her like that if she doesn't even have a shadow of herself! Can't you see how much she's changed? She's not even the same woman that was the sixteen-year-old girl I had ramen with so that she could cry over you!"

It's true…I haven't been acting like myself…I was always a quiet, shy girl, even when I learned how to be with people. I guess, to him, it was one of my good traits. How could I have fooled myself all this time? I've been so arrogant. She started to cry, burying her face in her husband's shoulder.

"Kirei, don't listen to him. He doesn't know anything about how you've changed in the last nine months!"

She shook her head, using the soft voice she'd been trying to not use anymore, because everyone seemed glad that she'd gained confidence. "It's true…I've been hiding myself deep inside, because of the formidable abilities I've gained. I didn't even realize it until you pointed it out, Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave her a thumbs-up. "Don't worry! I've never failed to help you before, Kirei-chan! Already you're talking like you used to!"

She nodded. "Being noisy isn't good when a new baby is going to be in the house, is it?"

Sasuke stared at her, amazing that she'd snapped into her old self so quickly. He'd been wondering how she'd gotten so much confidence. She'd never acted like that before her "death". Always quiet-voiced and soft. The only reason he'd recognized her was because she knew so much about him that only she knew.

Naruto choked and then looked at her very pronounced stomach. "You-you're pregnant and you lifted me up like that? You idiot! You could've hurt yourself!"

Like her old self, she winced at the scolding. "I'm sorry, I just was so happy to see you after all this time, Naruto-kun…" She stopped for a brief moment before asking, "Could you…perhaps come see me when I have it? I'm hoping it's a girl…"

The blonde man patted her head. "It's all right, Kirei-chan. I'd actually want to see your baby, since Hinata can't seem to get pregnant as of yet. Tsunade-obaa-chan says it might be because she's too tightly bred for her Kekkei Genkai. You know, like cousins marrying each other. I wonder if the Uchiha clan was like that."

The last members of their generation of Uchiha shook their heads. "Our Kekkei Genkai was so strong it nearly appeared in every generation. The gene pool was much looser in our clan because of it. We're the only two who have married when we both carried the gene so strongly," they said in unison, though Sasuke was more confident.

"Then you had more success? How many kids have you had in thirteen years? Three?"

Kirei turned red in embarrassment. I just know he'll make fun of me if he finds out how many I've had and I'm having yet another child! Just like Kakashi-san said, my having so many children is the "blessing" of the Uchiha!

Sasuke rolled his eyes, waving a hand. "Do you think three is enough to revive our clan, Naruto? For your information, Kirei has given birth to twenty-two and this one she's carrying is the twenty-third."

Kirei dropped her face into her hands, awaiting her friend's judgment. I can't wait to get away from this! He's going to laugh for sure or think I'm a freak. Either way, I'll be humiliated.

"Kirei-chan? Are you all right?" Naruto cried out, running over to her. "How did you have so many in such a short time? Sasuke! You heartless bastard!"

Kirei blinked, confused. He's worried about what it might've done to me? I never expected this reaction. Now he's blaming Sasuke for making me have so many. But I accepted it all in stride, so it isn't right for only my husband to be blamed…

"Naruto, stop."

The pair stopped their arguing, seeing the determined look on her face.

"I made the choice to have children, but one came after another, more like in groups… Don't blame Sasuke only…I had an equal part in it. Kakashi-san says that having so many is the 'blessing' of the Uchiha."

She began to giggle, and the other two joined in.

Naruto smiled and gave her a one-armed hug. "I guess that's how you are, Kirei-chan. Lucky to the very end."

Hmmm, I guess I am.


There you go!

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