Three Years Ago

Kakashi disengages some traps and activates others, making sure none can slip through the defenses by copying the route he just took. Then he activates all the wards he forces himself to leave inactive during the day. Some are always up of course, but these ones are of a far more lethal variety.

Kakashi shifts his hold on Sasuke, asleep on his back, to a more comfortable position. Sasuke is exhausted. Will have recovered enough by tomorrow to continue, pushing him too far would only hurt his training. But like every day before this one, he's been pushed to the brink.

He needs to be pushed if he's going to have even a chance at surviving the match against Gaara.

Entering their home, he goes to Sasuke's room, enhancing his senses and checking up on everyone else on the way. After getting Sasuke into his pajamas and putting him to bed, he makes a beeline for Obito's room.

The visual confirmation that Obito and Mari are all right makes all tension rush out of him.

"Hey, Boss," Shiba breathes out, careful not to wake Obito. Bull, visible through the open door that connects Obito's room to his and Mari's, flicks an ear in greeting. He's sprawled out against Mari's back, warming her in his absence.

Kakashi scratches Shiba's favorite spot at the base of his mohawk, takes off his gloves and gently, so very gently, caresses Obito's cheek.

Obito remains fast asleep, drooling all over his favorite plush. Shiba is curled around him, his tail positioned so he can yank Obito onto his back and make a run for it if needed. The sight soothes him further. Obito is safe.

Except he isn't because he's so fragile. Just falling down the wrong way could kill him – not going down that route.

"How is he?" he asks Shiba, his voice a mere breath.

"Fussy. He misses you. And the pup, but mostly you."

And Kakashi misses him. Every morning is a struggle to leave.

It's a struggle he'd lose if Obito was already awake.

It sucks so much that Mari is pregnant. While he'll be the first to admit that his worry for Obito and his difficulty in leaving him is an ever present issue, her pregnancy makes it so much harder to deal with those things. That's without adding in his worry over Mari herself.

Shiba reports what happened during the day. Shiba wasn't present for most of it, his shift only started right before Naruto went to bed, but Urushi and Guruko briefed him on what happened during the day. Well, Guruko did. Urushi and clear reports aren't compatible.

As Shiba fills him in on what happened, Kakashi keeps touching Obito. Checking his breathing, taking his pulse and so much more. Ensuring that he's in perfect health. Most things he already picked up on through other senses, but verifying it by touch settles him further.

Obito's knees are scraped. Shiba informs him that Obito didn't even notice it happening. It was caused by him crawling around, not because he fell. And Mari disinfected the minor, for all intents and purposes irrelevant injury. There's nothing to worry about. Intellectually Kakashi knows that.

Doesn't stop him from worrying anyway.

Sometimes he wonders if this is how his father felt. If he felt the same fear, the constant worry that something might happen even while he's present. The terror whenever he had to leave.

Kakashi doesn't think he did. Not like he does.

Father left him. He left him in a way Kakashi is incapable of doing to Obito. He'll watch over his son until the day – Obito – he dies. He'll do the same for his daughter. Even – when – if he loses one of them, he won't do to the other what his father did to him.

The knowledge is more comforting than he can put into words.

After he's assured himself that Obito is doing just fine, he pets Shiba again and moves to Mari. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he lays a hand on her stomach and, with the most delicate touch possible, he injects a sliver of chakra into Mari's system and verifies as best he can that their daughter is all right. Her heartbeat is steady, but he needs to know she's alright beyond that.

She is.

After checking all of Mari's vitals, the last of his tension finally fade away.

Giving Bull another caress, Kakashi gets up, inspects their home for anything out of the ordinary, tightens the security to the highest level, and gives Naruto a more thorough inspection as well. Then he lifts his headband and, as fast as he can without sacrificing efficiency, he gives their home a final inspection with Obito's eye.

Even having it open for so short a time makes Obito's eye throb painfully, the drain lingering for several moments even after he's closed it again. He's getting worse.

He won't be able to put off the surgery much longer.

Kakashi pushes those thoughts away. He has enough to worry about already without adding that in.

He goes to the bathroom and prepares for bed. When he's finished, Bull gets off the bed. Mari lets out a protesting sound and moves around a little, reacting to the loss in warmth.

He lies down behind her and replaces Bull's warmth with his own. Curling around her, he gently positions her so there's both as little strain on her body as possible, and so he can immediately grab her to run without harming their daughter. One of his hands is placed on her stomach. His other caresses Mari's ribs in a way that will wake her.

If it was up to him he'd let her sleep. She needs it. But Mari would make him suffer if he doesn't let her know that he's back.

Besides, while the part of him that's constantly worrying over her health wants her to remain asleep, every other part of him wants to wake her.

The ticklish sensation he's causing, one she'd hate if he were to do it while she was awake, makes Mari frown. He stops his tickling and switches to caressing her cheek when she starts regaining consciousness.

She turns her head towards him by habit, bleary eyes trying and failing to make sense of what she's seeing. Her conscious mind still catching up to what's going on. He tilts his head to better catch the little light in the room. It doesn't make much of a difference for her ability to see, civilian night vision is awful even under the best of circumstances, but the familiar play of light helps her to consciously register what's going on. When she does, she slurs out his name in greeting, drowsily lifting a hand with the intention to cover the one he's still caressing her cheek with. He meets her halfway, twining their fingers together and positioning his wrist so he can best feel her pulse.

"How's Sas'ke?" she mumbles, not quite awake yet. Her closing her eyes again isn't helping.

"He's fine. Tired, but fine." Making good progress as well. At this rate he'll be able to perform a sloppy version of the Chidori by the time the finals arrive. His close combat capabilities will be good enough for him to effectively use it as well. The benefits of him having awakened the Sharingan.

It won't be enough to kill Gaara. But it might be enough to incapacitate him. And if it isn't enough, the general lightning manipulation Kakashi is all but shoving down Sasuke's throat will give him the skill he needs to disrupt the bonds between Gaara's sand if - when - he gets caught by it. It should buy him enough time to allow the match to be called before - he's crushed to death - it's too late.

Kakashi hates that he isn't allowed to interfere unless the match is called. He will if he has to, but the consequences won't be pretty.

If the match is called, it's a different story. Then he can openly interfere without repercussions. Or Tenzo can. Tenzo is worrying about Sasuke's match almost as much as he is. He's also deeply regretting entering the brats in the Chunin Exams. It was supposed to be a relatively safe opportunity to give them some solo experience, showing them what to expect from future Chunin Exams, where they won't have the home advantage. Instead it's turned into this catastrophe.

Kakashi forces himself to stop thinking about this. If he doesn't, he's going to go insane with worry. Instead he focuses on Mari's scent and the warmth of her body against his. On her steady breathing and her strong heart beat. Right now, all of them are fine. Including Sasuke.

His assurance makes Mari let out a pleased hum, her thoughts clearing a little more. She moves their hands to bring them her lips. He ensures she finds her mark instead of hitting her own nose. Well, tapping her nose, but when she's pregnant, same difference.

She kisses the back of his hand, the familiar touch relaxing him further.

"And you?"

He nuzzles her hair and tells her the truth.

"Fine now that I'm here."

"Good."

He savors the feeling of her lips on his hand and her breath ghosting over his skin a moment longer before posing his own question. The fact that he already knows the answer doesn't make him want to hear it out loud any less.

"How are you?"

"Tired," she says wryly, his presence and her drowsy state of mind making this fact more humorous than frustrating. Her amusement is exactly what he needs. "Moody. Horny."

He smiles, not surprised by her answer. Even without what his nose alone already told him, her libido shot through the roof around this time when she was pregnant with Obito as well. Combined with his own need to stay out of sight, they ended up recreating the first year of their relationship. A blindfold is a very good way to get around his need to remain hidden.

"I could take care of that for you," he offers, generously.

"I prefer to be more awake when having my brain melted."

"Here I was trying to be generous."

"Oh yes, no benefits to you at all."

He grins. Even half awake, her need to have the final word is strong as ever. Stronger even. Right now she's literally incapable of filtering herself.

He closes his eye and listens to the comforting rhythm of hers and Obito's breathing. Feels the steady beating of both her heart and that of their daughter. All of them are fine. All of them are safe.

For now.

At least he doesn't have to worry about Naruto. The only way he'd face Gaara is if both of them make it to the finals. While Kakashi won't deny that there are reasonable odds of that happening, Naruto can forfeit in a way Sasuke can't.

This will be the Last Uchiha's first public match. Forfeiting too soon would make Konoha look weak. While for once Kakashi couldn't care less about that, he does care about the message it would send about Sasuke in specific.

It would send the message that the Last Uchiha is an easy target. That's a reputation Sasuke can't afford to have. Not now that he's awakened his Sharingan.

Fortunately, Naruto doesn't face the same problem. The tournament will still be dangerous of course, but for Naruto, the danger is manageable. While Neji has more than a few anger issues, Naruto won't trigger him like someone from the Main House would. Neji won't try to kill him. Try to beat him, yes, but not kill him. Even without the stern talk he's undoubtedly gotten from his clan about not making Konoha look weak in front of potential clients, Gai won't allow Neji to lose himself like that.

He's grateful that the Third decided to pit Naruto against Neji. He's even more grateful that they're the first match of the day. Means that Sasuke won't take stupid risks in order to advance in the tournament. There's no reason for that if it won't get him in a position of facing Neji after all. And while the odds of Neji winning against Naruto were already incredibly low to begin with, Naruto having somehow roped Jiraiya-sama into letting him sign the Toad Contract and teaching him about sealing, has reduced them to zero. That's an enormous relief.

It's going to take a lot of work to make Sasuke let go of his desire to kill Neji. But that's a problem for later, when – if – he's survived the finals.

With any other opponent, he wouldn't worry about Sasuke dying. Because no other opponent is a mentally unhinged jinchuriki. Their alliance with Suna, already existing only in the loosest of terms, is clearly coming to an end. Them sending over Gaara makes that more than clear. Then there's Orochimaru infiltrating their defenses like they aren't even there and inflicting a mind altering seal on Sasuke. Because why not add another disaster on top of everything else.

"I can hear you worrying," Mari lies. Civilians aren't known for their observational skills. But she knows him well enough to guess.

Even so.

"You're an awful liar," he says.

"And you're an arrogant bastard."

Unlike her, Kakashi can hear the exact smile she's wearing. He kisses the back of her neck, letting her know that he's fine. Well, as fine as can be under the circumstances. Oh, he's ramped up the defenses of their home to what even he can't deny are paranoid levels, ordered Naruto to have the pack guard Mari and Obito at all times, and he all but begged Gai and Tenzo to patrol the area every day. But overall, he's keeping it surprisingly together.

Right now, curled around Mari and their daughter, with Obito near enough to be at his side in an instant, Naruto and Sasuke only a little further away, and with Bull and Shiba keeping watch over a fortified perimeter, Kakashi feels as relaxed as is possible. The only thing that could improve it is Gai or Tenzo keeping watch as well. That would be asking too much of them, though.

His kiss is enough to soothe Mari. But he still says it out loud. Mostly because he could really use another round of banter.

"I'm fine." Sort of.

She's right, he's worrying. Not that much under the circumstances, but the circumstances are extreme. Which is why he could really use another round of banter.

As always, she doesn't disappoint.

"Fine enough to make me see stars in the morning?"

He smiles, but despite his amusement, some worry rises as well.

"You need to sleep." It's bad enough that he's waking her every night. Interrupting her sleep in the morning too is a step too far.

On the other hand, orgasms are a great way to reduce stress. He wouldn't be able to draw it out as long as he likes, but even a quickie would do them both a world of good.

"I need to get laid."

He grins. He'll never stop being entertained by how blunt she is about this.

"Your own hands no longer cutting it?"

"Not one bit. You've ruined me for life."

Well, he can hardly refuse after a compliment like that. True, he'd much prefer to have a quickie now instead of in the morning, but for all that she complained about being horny, she isn't in the mood right now. He could change that, but honestly, he isn't in the mood either. Right now, he just wants to hold her close.

So.

"Flattery will get you everywhere."

"Is that a yes on the making me see stars?" she asks with an even warmer smile.

"Depends on how soon you fall asleep," he says just to be contrary. And because he really does need her to sleep. Especially if he's waking her up again in too short a time.

Mari chuckles and snuggles closer. He adjusts his position so she remains under as little strain possible.

"Sleep, here I come."

Good.

Despite her words, she lets out a soft sigh that means she's about to say something else. Something that won't be the light banter from before.

She pushes even closer and tightens her grip on his hand.

"I can't wait for this to be over. I miss you."

He gently tightens his embrace and squeezes her hand back. Assuring her that he's here now.

"Only eighteen days left."

Which feels like an eternity. But that isn't what she needs to hear right now. Neither does he for that matter.

"There's nothing only about it."

There isn't. It's a true curse that Sasuke needs to be isolated for health and security reasons both. While Kakashi has been away on missions that lasted far longer than this, Mari wasn't pregnant then.

She wasn't struggling with the reality that Naruto and Sasuke now have to face.

Kakashi is struggling with it as well. Honestly, he didn't truly believe her when she first told him that Naruto is the main character of an action story. Didn't think Mari was lying either, but that knowledge was a bit too much to process.

That changed after the brats started going on missions. Kakashi still doesn't believe it in full, but given the things that keep happening to them...

"I'll make sure to leave a lasting impression in the morning," he quips. A lighter mood is definitely called for.

The amused breath she lets out and the loss of tension lets him know that he's succeeded. Her reaction makes him relax again as well.

"You better."

She drops another kiss on the back of his hand. He focuses on her scent and resists the urge to tell her to go to sleep again. That would only start up another round of banter. While part of him would enjoy that, most of him really does need her to sleep.

To his relief, it doesn't take long for her to do just that. After waiting until she's gone under completely, he allows himself to fall asleep as well.

Things aren't easy. The opposite. But they're working through it. They're doing just fine.

For now.