"So...this is Shay?" Iruka asked curiously as he studied the sleeping woman that his adoptive brother had taken up with. Kakashi was right, her hair was a freakishly odd color. But then again so was Sakura's. So who was he to judge?

She was a pretty little thing. Pale. And fragile looking.

But pretty never the less.

He stared at her for a second or so longer then shifted his gaze to his adoptive brother who was leaning his back against the girl's bed, his head resting on the edge of the mattress, his eyes closed, his breathing deep and shallow indicating that he was either meditating or almost asleep.

Using natural energy must really take a lot out of the blond for him to become so tired shortly after using his new ability to check on the girl and the baby. It made Iruka wonder how the teen had managed to stay awake long enough to fight Pein and win.

"Yeah. I guess so." Genma answered the chunin as he finished putting the groceries away. One of the Anbu had stopped by a short while ago to let them know that Gaara had been notified about Shay's collapse and that they should expect the young Kazekage to stop by once he could get away from Lady Tsunade.

So they expected that he would be along at any minute.

Iruka turned and looked at the jounin strangely. "You mean that you don't know?"

"Know what?" Genma asked curiously. Was Iruka referring to the fact that he didn't know if the woman was 'Shay'? Or if he was referring to something else entirely?

Naruto opened his eyes and said in a tone laced with amusement. "Iruka is talking about my baby momma."

Genma's senbon needle fell out of his mouth as he gaped at the blond in obvious wide eyed disbelief. Then started to stutter. In his mind he was unable to articulate his thoughts enough to demand answers. Somehow the image of Naruto holding a small cooing or crying bundle filled his mind.

He could almost literally see the look of pride on the kids face as he cradled his son or daughter in his arms while his woman leaned against his side and kissed him on the cheek. It was such a warm and fuzzy moment that Genma could sear that he was seeing a vision of the future.

Naruto's future.

Finally he was able to articulate his thoughts enough to gasp a rough and ragged sounding, "What?"

Naruto straitened his spine and looked at the jounin and grinned. Trying to look like an excited expectant father. Genma kept gaping at him while Iruka's eye twitched a little bit. "So you finally admit it? That this woman is carrying your child."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders carelessly. He might as well admit to siring Shay's child...since Iruka would never believe him if he continued to deny everything anyways.

"Yup. The baby's mine. Shay's mine. They both are mine." Naruto said, trying to sound possessive of the two. And surprised himself when he sounded very possessive of them.

Maybe a bit more than he should have. It's the idea of having a woman and kid, both ideas are growing on you- His mind hissed warningly but Naruto merely ignored his own mental warning, knowing that it wasn't exactly the idea of a woman and child being his and his alone, that was growing on him.

It was the idea of finally having a family. The same sort of family that he had always been denied before.

The chance to settle in with a woman willing to put up with his emotional baggage and other things. His habits, his routines, his friends, his work.

Someone who didn't mind the fact that he would work himself to the bone to bring home to provide for them. Or would willingly die to protect them if the situation called for it.

Someone who wouldn't mind if he was a hero or an epic failure and would love him anyways. He wanted that so much. So desperately that he could actually feel the very center of his being ache with longing.

He lifted one hand and rubbed the center of his chest through his clothes and smiled despite the pain in his chest as Iruka asked. "Well at least your finally being honest. Now are you going to ask her to marry you or not?"

"No-" Naruto said quietly as he looked up at Iruka who thinned his lips in displeasure. "I won't ask Shay to marry me until she's ready too." Naruto said calmly, meaning every word while trying to make Iruka understand that he needed to take this time to get to know her better.

He couldn't just claim she was his and then force her to marry him. He wasn't that cruel. And besides, that would just make her hate him. And it would make things more difficult for him to act as a father to her child. First he wanted to know a little more about her.

Where she came from. How she grew up. Her hopes and dreams. Her likes and dislikes.

Where the real father of her child was. Would he want to know about the child and be a part of it's life? Was she holding out for him? Was she still in love with him?

He found that question bothered him more than anything. But he knew that he had no right to ask her that just yet. Not until he got to know her better. And luckily for him he already had a damn good idea on how to go about that.

As he had thought before...Shay would make a great boss.

And he had years of experience as a henchman. Hell he had even developed a taste for henching. Having considered it to be a form of training for when he became Hokage; he had taken to it like a duck took to water.

And maybe she wouldn't mind him hanging around her a little more than necessary simply for the sake of appeasing his curiosity. She might even welcome the company and extra protection since he knew that she got irritated when she was left alone for too long, and she had a little one on the way.

And how many women in the village right now would give their right arm for the privilege of having the new Toad Sage protect them personally?

Iruka was quiet for a second or so then sighed, he supposed that he could understand why Naruto didn't want to marry the girl right away despite the child that she was carrying. It hadn't occurred to him until just now that Naruto probably hadn't told her who he was or about the demon inside of him. And wanted some time to ease her into those things and see how she reacted to them.

After all she might not react well to the news that the father of her child was a demon container. So he supposed that he should back off and let Naruto go about things in his own way. "Alright Naruto. I get it. I'll stop riding you about this."

"Thanks Iruka." Naruto said quietly as Gaara appeared in the door way of the tent panting and looking like he had run the whole way across the village to get to Shay's tent.

"Gaara!" Naruto said cheerfully as the Kage stood in the door way doubled over for a second before asking in between pants.

"What... Happened?"

"I couldn't tell you since we weren't here. You should try asking Gen." Naruto said as he pointed to the still gaping man. It would seem as if Genma's mind was still trying to grasp the concept of Naruto being a father.

Gaara glanced at him and thinned his lips for a second. "I do not think he would be of much use as he is now." Gaara finally said as he stepped further into the tent and made his way over to the bed and leaned over Shay, studying her for any signs of distress.

"She looks like she's okay-" The Kage said after a second or so, his worried expression relaxing some. Though a faint trace of his concern still remained. "Should I have a medic look at her just in case?" Gaara asked as his eyes flickered to Naruto, finding it just a little bit curious that his adoptive brother seemed to have made himself so comfortable next to Shay's bed while she slept.

If he didn't know any better he would think that Naruto had placed himself where he was as a means to protect the woman while she slept. But from what Gaara saw so far, there was no one in the tent to protect her from.

Which begged the question. What was Naruto up too?

(***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************)

Yes my kittens. What is our beloved hero up too?

Ah this was a fun chapter to write.

And can you believe that we're almost thirty chapters in?

I can't.

I'll have to write a little bit about Madara in the upcoming chapters and then write about Shay's meeting with the Kages to keep with the canon time line a little bit so look for that later on.

Bye.