"What the fuck is going on around here!" Genma's eyes were snapping with temper. His roommates were staring at him like he was a foreign ninja. Like they'd never seen him before.

Kotetsu touched his own nose and shook his head. "100 yen." He turned his lazy eyed gaze over to Izumo. "You know? I don't think his nose is right."

Hana and her three dogs simply looked confused. Two of the Haimaru brothers sat down at the kunoichi's feet and looked up at her and Genma. The third gray canine circled Izumo and sniffed him curiously before taking a small circle tour of the room.

"100 yen for what?" Genma asked, obviously getting frustrated as he glared at Kotetsu. "And you're one to talk about noses, yours is the one almost always bandaged, not mine."

Izumo shook his head. "It's too early to tell about noses yet." He said calmly. "I still say his eyes are too dark."

Hana's eyebrows rose hearing that. "I like Genma's eyes." She waved her hand in front of her companion's face as she frowned.

"Oh look, she's wearing an engagement ring." Kotetsu said dryly. "Look Izumo, an engagement ring. He sure does move on quickly."

"What the hell?" Genma snarled. What was their problem?

"200 yen." Izumo snarled back.

Hana sighed and crossed her arms. "What's with you two? I know that Genma and I have kept our relationship from you two, but you were pissed even before you saw my ring."

Kotetsu straightened, looking intrigued. "You mean the ring is for real?" He asked incredulously.

Izumo stared back and forth between Hana and Genma. "Holy shit." Without saying another word he pulled out his wallet and took out 100 yen and crossed over to a box high up on the bookshelf, putting it in. "C'mon, 200 yen, man." He gestured to his more than bewildered roommate.

"I don't fucking think so." Genma crossed his arms, feeling off kilter and not even sure why.

"300 now." Kotetsu clucked his tongue.

A soft bark from the hallway had Hana looking startled. She looked over at one of her nin dogs as he sat down and 'woofed' and whined a bit. "There's a female in Genma's room?"

The senbon wielding shinobi's eyes widened slightly, then he sighed. "Oh, I get it. That Mist kunoichi that the Hokage was asking us about earlier, I'm assuming."

"Asked you about, not me." Hana nodded. "Though Tsunade did say the woman was hurt but couldn't be kept in the hospital because of the Mist contingent in the village. Now that solves one mystery. My medical advice is to be for her, not you two."

"Genma might be needing medical assistance soon." Muttered Izumo darkly.

"Oh well." Genma sighed and rolled his tired shoulders even as he shot a weird look Izumo's way. "That explains everything. Sachi was put here in our apartment because of my past connection with her. The boys are feeling put out having a female present that they have to take care of." He shrugged. "Grow up."

Kotetsu snorted and Izumo hung his head looking sad, as if Genma was being an idiot. "You grow up. You've got a lot of reasons."

"I do?" Genma asked, getting tired of this vague conversation.

"Three reasons." Kotetsu snapped.

"Four." Izumo sighed then ducked swiftly as Kotetsu took a swipe at him. "Hey!" He protested. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

For his part, Kotetsu didn't know why lumping the mystery woman in with the kids as Genma's seemed so wrong. Instead of answering he looked over at Hana as she came out of the back hallway, frowning. "Sachi. He called her Sachi." He pointed out ruthlessly.

Genma stiffened. "That was just a nickname that I gave her since she wouldn't give me her real name. It's not like she had my real name either."

Hana shook her head, her expression carefully neutral. "Sachi means 'happiness'."

"He slept with her." Izumo told her bluntly, ignoring Genma's wince and Kotetsu's pinched frown.

The Inuzuka heir shrugged and stared at Genma, who frowned. "Sweetheart, you know I wasn't a saint before we started seeing each other. Besides, I never got her real name and it's all ancient history."

"Ancient?" Hana blew out a long breath. "Nearly three years ago and again, what a year ago?"

Izumo nodded sagely. "She found Genma's 'packages'."

Kotetsu whistled tunelessly through his teeth before nodding at his still clueless roommate. "And I wouldn't place a wager on Sachi not learning your real name. Since it was on the boxes she had delivered here." He pointed over to the wall next to the front door where some large boxes were still sitting.

"What the fuck?" Genma looked around at all three sets of accusing eyes.

"500 yen." Kotetsu nodded grimly.

"No, it's only 400 yen." Izumo corrected, his expression no less closed off than his roommate. "But I imagine that the amount will climb very shortly."

"She figured out my real name?" Genma looked incredulous. "What the hell did she send me?"

Kotetsu nodded once more, looking victorious. "NOW it's 500 yen."

Genma opened one box and looked inside, the vein at the side of his left eye twitching noticeably. "A tiny thermometer and some winter clothing. Blankets. Books." He held up one tiny pink sweater. "Midget clothing?"

Hana gritted her teeth. "More likely they're for the three children asleep back here."

"Sachi has children?" Genma looked up startled, a hunted look suddenly washing over his face. "No."

Izumo smiled nastily. "Congratulations papa. It's two girls and a boy."

Genma swayed and collapsed sideways into the box, making one of the stuffed animals inside squeak like it was dying.

o.O.o.O.o.O

"Not possible. It ...can't ...no ...not possible." Genma sat in a stupor on the futon as the other ninja in the room waited for his brain to reconnect with reality.

Hana wasn't much better as she sighed for the umpteenth time in the past hour, a now tepid cup of formerly hot tea in her hand. She'd taken exactly two sips.

A soft rustling sound from the other room had the kunoichi spinning around in alarm as Genma groaned again.

Kotetsu didn't even sigh as he got up and went back into what had once been Genma's personal private room. When he came back he was holding a sleepy eyed Meimei in his arms as the infant whimpered.

Genma drew back as if the child were a deadly viper and Izumo frowned sharply at him. "What's wrong with it?" The new father asked hoarsely.

"Her. Not it. Her name is Meimei." Kotetsu got up to get a bottle ready for the baby. "And we think she's teething. Doesn't sleep well, waking up about every two hours or so."

"She's growing teeth?" Genma looked horrified.

Hana sighed and shook her head sadly. "Children don't grow teeth. Teeth come in, through the gums." Her voice sounded down.

The new father looked lost. "How is that not growing?"

"Pathetic." Kotetsu yawned and looked down at the infant as she batted at his hand as he held the bottle. "Go on sweetheart, take the bottle it will feel good on your gums."

Genma hissed. "How do you know that? How do you know any of this shit?"

"600 yen." Hana sighed. "I guess the money box is to keep you shinobi and your tongues on a civil level."

Izumo grinned and made a gesture for Genma to pay up.

But the senbon chewing ninja wasn't looking at his roommate, instead his eyes were glued on baby Meimei. "She can't be mine. My eyes are dark."

"You have family members with lighter eye colors." Hana sighed. "Probably a recessive trait in you. What color are Sachi's eyes?"

"Blue." Genma said absently, then winced. "I mean ...I don't remember all that well. She was nothing, Hana!"

"Nothing?" Kotetsu growled and forced himself to relax as the infant whimpered and stopped sucking long enough to fuss a bit. Not even sure why he was so insulted on behalf of a woman he'd never even seen awake.

Hana shook her head. "Genma? Logically I know that all of this ..." She waved her hand at the infant Kotetsu was holding, and then gestured back toward the bedroom where the other two children were asleep. "All of this took place before we ever dated."

"But?" Genma held his breath.

"But ...I don't know. It's a lot to take in." Hana said with brutal honesty.

Genma shook his head and stood up, crossing to her. "Don't ..."

The Inuzuka heir laughed without mirth. "Try to pry this ring off my finger and you'll die quick, I'll tell you that. But ...I need to think. I can't really assimilate all of this instantly. I need ...I'll be back tomorrow. Promise."

Kotetsu and Izumo shared a disbelieving look. Of the three of them, Genma had been the most voracious of the bachelors. Never seeing the same woman for long at all. How had he hidden his relationship with Hana from them? This was big news.

"Congratulations." Izumo gave the pair a wry grin. "Never thought I'd see the wild-man tamed, but if anyone is up to the task, it's you." He told Hana.

Nodding in agreement, Kotetsu added his own congratulations. "Don't give up on the reprobate." He jiggled Meimei slightly and the baby laughed in delight, grinning. "He didn't know about the kids."

Genma's eyes were drawn to the adorable laughing baby as she grinned and batted her hands. Kotetsu bounced her again, and she cooed happily.

Hana watched as well, then shook her head with a sad smile. "She's too pretty to be Genma's kid."

The senbon chewing shinobi protested weakly as he looked around helplessly. Then he frowned as he eyed a bare wall. "What happened to my band posters?" He asked suddenly.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Tsunade finished up her examination and made a notation in the patient's chart. "Keep the sedation at the current level. Keep him under."

The nurse looked a bit surprised, then nodded. She didn't question the order though it was a strange one. The young Mist genin was improving a bit and at this point in recovery the medics usually started weaning away the sedatives. Try to bring the patient around. "Hai, Hokage-domo." She bowed and left.

The Hokage pulled off her gloves and moved to wash her hands in the sink. She looked up at herself in the mirror, and then caught sight of the sleeping genin in the bed behind her.

"A pawn."

Tsunade turned and walked back over to the boy's bedside. His chart proclaimed him to be Idane Gatsuo. He was a Mist Village genin. And a pawn in a very big game.

"Who sacrificed you?" She whispered, but of course got no response from the young shinobi. "Was it your Mizukage? Your sensei? Someone else?"

She stared down at the genin and sighed as she watched the just changed bandages around his midsection start to change color around his incision lines. It was clear discharge and not blood, which was good and only to be expected at this point.

Idane Gatsuo had been gutted. His intestines opened with a blade. She would have considered him lucky to be alive if they didn't have proof that the genin had been attacked by their own sensei. As a ruse to get them admitted into the hospital. Their attacker had wanted them seriously injured, but alive. Barely.

"Your sensei used you." Tsunade whispered and tried hard not to see a resemblance between this youngster and her own long dead baby brother. "Now, the big question is ...who iss using your sensei?"

Still getting no answer, she turned and left the room. Passing the Mist guard without a backward glance.

They both knew that Toya was there for reasons other than guarding the three Mist genin that had been injured. But to admit that they knew that would negate the trap they were trying to bait. So she said nothing as she passed the man that Hyuuga Hinata had seen gutting his own students.

Asshole. Tsunade said as she passed him, but only in the silence of her own mind.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Genma stared at the cracked frames and clear plastic in horror. "The poster is scratched!"

Izumo leaned over and made a sympathetic sound. "Your son apparently doesn't share your taste in music." He said smoothly.

Smothering a grin, Kotetsu turned away as he stood turning gently from side to side as he tried to coax Meimei back to sleep.

Genma drew back, looking panicky. "Son?"

Izumo sighed heavily and with patently false sympathy patted his roommate on the back. "Weren't you listening? Three children. One boy and two girls."

Taking his senbon out of his mouth, Genma pointed with it at Izumo. "But ...not possible. I was only with Sachi those two times! Not three!"

"One set of twins." Kotetsu said deadpan. "Though we don't know how it works, Shizune told us that the two year olds are most likely fraternal twins. That's why one is a boy and one is a girl. Two different eggs and you got them both."

"Super stud." Izumo's mouth quirked up in a lopsided sneer.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Genma's mouth twisted as he tossed the broken poster frame halfway across the room.

The sound made Meimei jump in Kotetsu's arms, startled. She immediately started wailing.

Hana hurried in from where she'd been checking on the mystery woman. She eyed all three men warily.

Kotetsu frowned sharply. "300 yen for the words. And I'm docking you another 500 for throwing things. Can't set a bad example now that your a father."

Izumo's humor fled as well. He pinned Genma with a hard look. "It's hard. You're a father three times over and you just found out. Okay. Fine. You're an elite jounin shinobi. Your mission just went to ...someplace I won't name because I don't want to owe more money to the swear box. Think fast, think on your feet."

"Use your brains." Kotetsu added with a deep sigh. "You can't change things now. Especially not with someone out there trying to kill your children."

Hana sucked in a harsh breath as her eyes widened in alarm. "Kill them?"

Genma stilled as he turned shocked eyes on the infant now asleep draped over Kotetsu's shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

Kotetsu grunted as he patted Meimei soothingly. "Now that the initial shock is over. Sit down to hear the rest. There's more."

o.O.o.O.o.O

Kasaya Yaichiro waited up for Toya to come back from the Leaf hospital. He sat smiling pleasantly as the Mist genin chatted on and on about the first test proctor and how difficult the initial exam had been.

But as nice and relaxed as he looked on the outside, on the inside he was a roiling mess of anger and rage. He smiled at the young genin encouragingly even as he wanted to kill them all. Useless, every one of them. Maybe he should have sent ALL of them to the hospital.

Brought up and trained in the new ways every last one of them. Not the old blood paths. He himself had reached chuunin only by murdering his own two teammates. No team work strategies back then. It was kill or die. And that was what had made the former Blood-Mist Village a source of fear for their enemies.

But now they were simply the Village Hidden in the Mist. And the old ways were fading.

Yaichiro looked up and over at the guest residence set aside for visiting dignitaries like the Mizukage. He couldn't see their leader's pet shinobi from here. But the man was there, no doubt. Youkai. The Phantom of the Mist. Handpicked to guard their leader, the man was formidable. And one of the few reasons that Yaichiro hadn't already tried to overthrow the current Mizukage.

Yaichiro's own father had been a councilor to their leader, and a friend. It was this that had kept precious little Maru and her brats alive all this time. And he himself on a leash. But his father was gone now. And Maru was about to die along with her shame.

The Mizukage would be next, Yaichiro vowed to himself. Then the Mist village would return to the old ways. The strong ways. And once more take it's rightful place as something to be feared.

Suddenly Toya was in the doorway and gave a small signal.

Yaichiro nodded and excused himself, the very picture of a concerned and happy sensei. He walked outside with Toya, away from any prying ears.

"Well?" Yaichiro asked impatiently.

Toya smiled. "They watch my clone while I wander the hospital grounds. Sloppy of them."

"Are you sure they're not aware? Konoha is weak, but still dangerous."

Cold dark eyes narrowed. "I'm sure. I've been back to your sister's hospital room. There's still three scents inside. The blonde medic is the only one I've seen though." He licked his lips as he thought of Ino. "Here's the interesting bit. Two scents change with time of day, temperature, whatever. Normal. One scent remains the same, always the same. Your sister."

Yaichiro sucked in a breath. "Ah. I told you that the Leaf ninja were up to something." The tattooed man nodded as he thought. "She's not there anymore. They're baiting the room for us. A trap."

"She's somewhere else in this stupid village." Toya frowned. "And it's too big for me to sniff her out. Not only that, but it would tip our hand for me to suddenly stop coming to their hospital to 'guard' my students." He sneered.

Nodding, Yaichiro could only agree. "Keep up your pretense. Even keep up secretly scouting out their decoy hospital room. Don't let them know that we've stumbled over their trap. In the meantime, I'll find my sister and her chicklings. Leave that to me." He smiled.

And for the first time in the evening the smile was for real.

Toya looked at the other man's sinister smile and fought not to shudder in response.

o.O.o.O.o.O

It was well into the small hours of the morning before Kotetsu and Izumo stopped talking as Genma and Hana kept peppering them with question upon question. The pair sometimes asked the same question again, having trouble assimilating all of the information at once.

Meimei was back in her makeshift cradle made from one of Genma's dresser drawers and the four adults were alone in the room.

"So. Sachi and her father were keeping the children safe, but when he died they had to vacate the Mist village." Hana said grimly. "She dropped the children here, no small feat getting in and out of Konoha undetected by the way."

Genma nodded. "She was always smart. Even when we first met she knew immediately that I was shinobi despite my disguise."

Kotetsu nodded and leaned forward, his arms across his knees. "She fled here and drew the assassins after her trail and away from the children."

Hana grimaced. "Sheer good luck that Leaf ninja found her in time to save her life. But now that she's back here, doesn't that put her children in even more danger?"

"We can't send her out in this condition." Kotetsu snapped irritably.

Hana sighed and shrugged. "Wasn't suggesting that. Sorry." She rubbed wearily at her eyes and rolled her shoulders. Genma reached over with one hand and massaged the back of her neck for a moment.

"Nothing like your past coming back to bite you in the ass." Genma stared at the darkened hallway leading back toward where his children were sleeping. He frowned. "Are we sure that they're mine?"

"Not without tests." Hana told him and patted his knee. "But the timing is right along with the kid's ages. And this woman sent you the kids. Using both your real name and your mission alias."

Genma frowned darkly. "I never was able to discover her real identity back then. I'd love to know how she figured out who I really am."

Izumo's hand snaked out and grabbed the senbon out of Genma's mouth and tossed it back at the man's head. Genma managed to move out of the way of the small needle-like weapon. "Oh I don't know." Izumo said with a smirk. "It wouldn't have anything to do with your fetish for senbon would it? And that you're a high enough jounin to most likely be listed in the Mist Village BINGO book."

"It's not a fetish!" Genma growled and stood, stretching. "I'll be right back." He headed down the hallway to the restroom.

Hana sighed and both Kotetsu and Izumo looked at her in sympathy. She gave them a wan smile.

"Nice to see that you didn't run." Izumo said quietly.

Hana gave a rueful little chuckle. "Thought about it."

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Genma stormed back into the room shirtless. "Where are all my t-shirts?"

"Shut up!" Izumo hissed. "And we're tacking on extra money that you owe us if you wake Meimei up again. Ass."

"Shit." Kotetsu groaned and closed his eyes as a sleepy eyed Kichi padded into the room dragging her doll and blanket with her.

"100 yen for all three of you." Hana said absently as her eyes took in the brunette two-year old.

Kichi stared up at the shirtless Genma and blinked, her mouth dropping open to form an 'oh' of surprise. "Who you?" She asked sleepily. "You woud and wake me up. Did you know that? Huh? Did you know you woud? Huh? It still dawk outside. Did you know that it still dawk? Who you? You waked me up."

"I'm uh ..." Genma started sweating profusely as she stared down at the sleepy slate-blue eyes of what was possibly his daughter. "Her eyes are blue." He clung to that small tidbit like a lifeboat. "She can't be mine."

"Don't be daft." Kotetsu said smugly. "Her eyes are green."

Genma shook his head and pointed to the brunette that was now tugging on his pants trying to get his attention. She hadn't shut up the entire time either.

Izumo grinned nastily. "Oi. Genma. Don't you have an aunt that you said her eye color changed depending on what she was wearing at the time?"

Genma groaned and sighed, dropping his head back as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Who you? You not say." Kichi continued unabated, still tugging on his trousers. "I Kichi. This is Miyu." She held up her ginger-haired doll. "Miyu is mine. You know that, right? You know Miyu is mine? Tomo sometimes takes her. Tomo is bad. Bad Tomo. Kichi good." She smiled brightly. "Are you good?"

"Go on. Answer her or she'll be at it all night." Izumo watched with unconcealed delight at his roommate's distress.

"Yes. I'm good." Genma choked out the words, feeling lost.

"Who you?" Kichi continued with the tenaciousness of a full grown ninja. "You have a name right? Don't you have a name? Did your mama not give you a name?" She sounded so sad as she asked that last question that even Hana smiled weakly.

"I'm ..." Genma stalled, unable to name himself her father. Not yet. "Call me Uncle Genma, okay?"

"No! Don't say that word!" Kotetsu leaped up in alarm, but it was too late.

Kichi's eyes popped open huge and she let out a blood-chilling scream of fear and ran down the hallway. She tripped over her blanket and fell with a thud, crying and scrambling to get up even as Izumo raced to her and scooped her up in his arms.

Genma stood there, mouth agape as he watched in horror. "What did I do?"

"You said the bad word. The mother-fucking baddest word of all." Kotetsu snapped and walked up to Izumo as he held Kichi who was struggling to get away.

"Zu?" Tomo stood in the hallway in his cartoon character pajamas looking wary as he rubbed his eyes. His cheeks looked red and he was scratching at his rash again.

"Brilliant." Izumo sighed and glared at Genma.

The new father stood there looking totally bewildered as he stared back and forth between his sleepy eyed son and his screeching daughter. In the other room, Meimei started crying as well.

"As their father, you flunk." Kotetsu snarled and headed into the back to get the crying infant.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Yaichiro stopped and turned, staring intently at the apartment. A child's scream? But whose child? His eyes narrowed in contemplation.

He'd been out walking basically aimlessly. He was being followed by ANBU black ops, but that was expected. So he'd not been out looking for his sister or her brats.

Instead he'd been just thinking about how to find them without anyone knowing about it. And he'd found himself on the street where that one shinobi lived. The one he'd seen once and who'd smelled vaguely like baby powder. Kotetsu. Yeah, that had been his name.

But the man wasn't married.

That didn't mean that he didn't have children though. So Yaichiro had put him in the back of his mind to check out later.

But now ....he'd heard a child scream. So. There was a child. But whose?

He turned away deliberately and headed back toward the apartments set aside for them during this visit. Acting for all the world like he could care less what he'd just heard.

o.O.o.O.o.O

Looks like Genma as a lot to learn! LOL! Poor guy ....

Hope you enjoyed! As always, REVIEWS are highly welcomed!