Chapter 36

Little Miracles

A/N: I owe you guys a serious apology. This took soooo long to come out. The start of college is not a sufficient excuse either. I was looking over the story as a whole and realized that it will be very long; I hope you guys will stick with me for a little while! Enjoy!

"So you're telling me you saw the Hokage die?"

"I saw it from Orochimaru's eyes. It's like I was in his mind."

Tsunade eyed Nai before picking up her sake cup. She had already talked to Kakashi. He said it was like she was possessed and she had tried to kill him in the commotion during the exams.

"I was told you tried to strangle Kakashi."

"My vacant body tried to strangle him." She corrected.

The Hokage nodded, "I'll accept that." There was a tense moment of silence, "How often is he able to get into your head like that?"

Nai's eyes flashed with something for a brief second, "I can't lie to you can I?"

"No. Not an option. You are to tell me the truth."

She sighed, "All the time. Mostly when I'm sleeping. I thought they were just dreams at first, but all of it's real."

"Have you harmed anyone in your sleep?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" the blonde pushed.

"I said no!" The kunoichi exploded then tried to gather herself, "I mean to say no ma'am. And I would greatly appreciate it if I was not pestered."

The older woman nodded once, "I'll be keeping an eye on you Nai."

"You don't trust me."

"I don't trust your sensei." Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are free to go Nai."

The sannin didn't even flinch as the door was slammed closed and she only thought for a fleeting moment that she was too hard on the young woman. But she couldn't go easy on her; Orochimaru's hold on her mind was far too strong and could cause everything to crumble. No…she couldn't and wouldn't let up.

"What's going on? How long have you been home?"

Nai glared at the grass as she rocked gently on the wooden porch swing in the front of their home. "Two hours…why does something have to be wrong?"

Kakashi sat next to her, "I know you well enough to know something's up. And you're glaring at the ground."

She laughed halfheartedly, "I didn't choose Orochimaru as my sensei. And I didn't will myself to like him, it just happened."

"What did Tsunade say to you?"

Nai shook her head and looked to Kakashi with her wet eyes, his figure was blurry, smears of grey and blue, "She wants to get rid of me. I know she does, just like he did."

"Nai, no one wants to get rid of you."

She laughed again, "Yeah they do. They think I'm up to something. Remember the Hyuga thing? I was here first then they suddenly make me out to be a spy. Not my brother...me. And the Uchiha thing too, I was an outsider to that clan and then that happens and I don't die. Then the exams, I come out of it with Orochimaru's exact wounds. I look guiltier with every event."

Kakashi put an arm around her shoulders, "If you think the village is against you, why are you still here?"

Nai thought about the question and chose her answer carefully, "Because if I leave, I know where I will go. And it won't be Kumo." She ignored the chuckle in the back of her head and waited for Kakashi to say something.

"Is that the only thing stopping you?"

"No. I have you and Sasuke, and Kyo and everybody else. I have a life here."

"Then don't let anyone ruin it Nai. No one can tell you what to think, or how to feel but you."

She kissed his exposed cheek, "I love you old man."

He pouted behind his mask, "I'm not old."

"Yes you are. But it's ok, one of us has to be the wise one here."

"Iruka you need to relax, your making my son dizzy." Kyo watched his sensei's movement carefully as Nai watched him over her magazine.

"I can't calm down. I…"

Kakashi grabbed the man and pulled him into the empty seat on the other side of him, "Relax."

Iruka slumped in the chair and threw his head back. Kakashi looked away from his make out paradise to watch the chuunin. If having a baby was so stressful, maybe he should… He winced as a swift pop landed on his head.

"Don't even think about it Kushi." Nai said next to him, "I mean it."

Sasuke chuckled from his position on the wall across from them. He liked being a big brother and he couldn't figure out why it was so hard for Itachi to do it correctly.

"Hey! Am I late?"

Everyone looked up as Anko bounded down the hospital hall. Nai sighed, "No. You're not late, at least not technically."

"Technically?"

Iruka started to fidget again; "She's been in labor for almost three hours."

Nai plucked him, "What did I tell you to do?"

"Relax." The chuunin answered in defeat.

Anko sat on the floor with Kyo and ruffled his orange hair before looking up at Iruka, "You can't rush these things. Having a baby is delicate and takes time." Kakashi chuckled at how serious she was and she continued, "Besides, it's our kid. It's probably just hard headed."

Iruka opened his mouth to retort but topped when a grinning Naruto stuck his head into the hall, "I have a baby sister!"

Everyone waited for Iruka to stand first and it took some pulling from Naruto and pushing from everyone else to get him in the room. Yuki rolled her eyes, "See, Naruto made it."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Come see her."

Kakashi gave the man a pat on the back to get him going and he took slow, careful, steps towards the woman in the bed. The little girl in the bundle looked exactly like her father but with her mother's black hair. Yuki handed him the baby and wiped away his tears with her thumb, "What do you want to name her?"

Iruka blushed, "I guess I want to name her after my mother."

The nurse finally piped up and grabbed a pen and clipboard; "I'll go write the Birth Certificate now. What's the name."

"Yuriko. Yuriko Umino."

"Wonderful! I'll be right back!"

Nai bumped Kakashi and he looked over his book at her, "What? You wanna try this?"

"Maybe. A third wouldn't hurt."

"How sweet. It's almost sickening."

Nai tried to stay calm and closed her eyes, 'Go away.'

"Now my dear. That's no way to talk to your sensei."

Kyo noticed his adoptive mother's distress and grabbed the bottom of her shorts. Orochimaru chuckled in her head, "Look at that, he's worried. But you should be worried about him."

By now everyone noticed the distressed look on Nai's face. She pat Kyo on the head and excused herself. 'Don't touch him. I swear to Kami that I will kill you if you touch him…Sasuke too.'

"Really now? I thought you loved me, now you want to kill me?"

'Just leave me alone.' She thought

Orochimaru chuckled again, "Be careful with that little one Nai. We don't want him to have an accident."

It was like a nightmare, Nai was petrified to let Kyo out of her sight. She broke down crying on her way to drop him at school and instead opted to teach him herself, too afraid to let him go anywhere without her.

Yuki bounced her daughter lightly as Nai covered up Kyo on her couch for his nap. "I've heard of protective mother's Nai, but what is going on? Iruka told me you pulled Kyo from school."

"I just think it's best that he stays under me right now."

"What does Kakashi think about this?"

Nai played with the ring on her finger, "He told me to do what I had to."

Yuki shook her head, "He must be very understanding of how you feel. But wouldn't Kyo grow better away from you?"

"No! I mean… he needs to be with me. It's not a permanent thing, just until I'm sure he'll be ok."

The other woman nodded in acceptance. Nai wouldn't say anything, but she new that something must be after Kyo in order for the usually laid back woman to be so uptight.

"Can you hold Yuri? I'm going to fix us some tea."

Nai nodded, smiling slightly, "Sure." Before the other woman left the room she called out, "Yuki."

"Yes Nai?"

"If you had to do something, anything to protect your child. Even if it was something bad, would you do it?"

Yuki's blue eyes searched Nai for a moment, "Yes. Without thinking about it."

"Ok. Thank you."

"No problem Nai."