DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own.

BTW, I'll be rewriting this over on the AO3 website before eventually reposting chapters over here. I want to finish the story here, but know that (obviously) some things were left out at the beginning of this story that could've been entered earlier to make more sense out of the building storyline. Please understand that when I began this story, baby-kitsune9 helped me a lot in those beginning chapters. Although there were differences between her original story and mine, I pretty much kept to her ideas and even wording back then. I guess you can say that as I progressed as a writer and my imagination went wild, I stuck my own insane thoughts into her beginning story. Sometimes the results of that were awkwardly presented, at best.

I appreciate the readers I have that are sticking it out with me regardless, and cannot tell you how much I adore your reviews, constructive criticism, and questions.

Just to let you know, I like the other website because it allows authors and reviewers to comment back and forth en masse. There were so many times I wanted to let all my readers know the answers to what one person or another questioned, but I was unable to do so here. As I said, I'll still be re-posting some chapters here, though, so hopefully, no one will be angry or disappointed in me!

Thinking

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

Emphasis

Kakashi didn't know how badly he'd screwed up until sometime after Tsunade-sama waltzed into his office with books of wedding invitation samples, seven days after he'd been given the news of his impending fatherhood. He hadn't even realized that it had been a full week since he'd even glanced Naru-chan's way! Tsunade was not happy about it.

"We really haven't talked about marriage since shortly after you refused to marry us, Godaime-sama," Kakashi said bitterly as he signed a trade agreement he'd been studying for most of the day.

"If you think for a moment that you're not marrying my gaki after knocking her up, I'll beat your ass through the Hokage Monument, Lesser Pervert. Whether you're the leader of this village or not! She's a fucking PRINCESS and people look up to that shit, believe you me!" Tsunade scowled at the Hatake who wasn't even looking up at her. He only pulled out a piece of paper from his top desk drawer - yeah, she saw the Icha-Icha hidden there, exactly where sensei always had it... Just as it had been in her desk drawer when she opened it upon taking over the position she didn't really want. "Ignore me now, but you and the gaki are getting married as soon as I can get the invitations out! Look at me!" He didn't, but Tsunade just rolled her eyes at the stubborn man. "You're going to need to prepare the village for thousands - and I mean THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS - who want to attend your bloody marriage ceremony or at least reception, you damn pervert!" Now she had his attention, apparently.

"Who says we want a public ceremony - and how do you even know that we still desire to be married at all, Tsunade-sama?" Kakashi really wanted to call her an old hag but didn't want to be rehospitalized. He really hated the hospital, after all. Considering that more as he looked down at the paper he was writing notes on, he realized that at least he felt something right now. He'd been numb for days after learning about Naru… Naruto's pregnancy.

"Oh, you'll be unable to have an entirely private ceremony, Lesser Pervert. Do you REALLY think that the Kazekage, in particular, will allow Naruto… Hell, do you think Naruto will even want to get married without having the Kazekage there in attendance? The redhead's one of her best friends, after all."

Kakashi sat back in his seat and stared blankly ahead of him. Gaara was a problem. He still hadn't gotten back to the Kazekage about the marriage contract he'd proposed, and he wouldn't doubt the man would soon be showing up to sand-blast him, should he wait much longer. Gaara knew Naruto was alive, but Kakashi didn't know whether or not he knew if Naruto was a woman now. It should be infuriating, but he felt nothing. He remembered being both angry and even fearful when he saw that marriage contract, but now? Ever since the news of him being a… her being a… mother-to-be? Gods, I never wanted this…

Tsunade managed to ruin his feelings of betrayal. "Well, I wanted both of you to be here to look at the invites, anyway. Some of them are so damn cheesy! I hope Naruto appreciates something formal; I'm sure you will. Where is the gaki, anyway?"

"Probably in her room. Haven't seen her lately," Kakashi muttered.

"I'm sorry? WHAT did you just say?"

Kakashi sighed deeply and scratched his scalp with both hands. "Said I haven't seen her in a while. She's probably just in her room. Third door to the right." With that, he almost robotically went back to his thoughts on trade routes. Tsunade opened her mouth to give him hell, but then snapped her pigtails behind her as she turned to go see Naruto. Kakashi slunk down in his chair, glad that she was gone. He got up to shut his office door. His ANBU would keep her and Naruto out. He'd ordered it regarding Naruto, after all: he just wasn't up to facing her and had buried himself in his work.

Tsunade knocked on the door Kakashi had mentioned. There was no answer at first, so she simply slowly let herself in. "Gaki?" Her granddaughter in all but blood was lying in bed under the covers, unmoving at first. The younger blonde quietly said something after some hesitation, but Tsunade asked her to repeat herself as she moved over to sit on her bed.

"I - I asked," Tsunade listened carefully as Naruto cleared her hoarse throat. "I - oh, I thought you might be Kakashi: haha. It's been a fucking week. We won't forgive him," she said as she looked down at her covers. Tsunade wanted to ask what she meant, but Naru-chan laughed in a way she never wanted to hear. It was low, cruel, and sarcastic - so unlike her. "Did he even ask you to come to see B- me?"

Looking up to see the pained but concerned look in Baa-chan's eyes, she shook her head. "Fuck him then. Boss was completely out of here, after day 3, anyway." The clone burst and Tsunade stared at only the smoke that was already dissipating from the rumpled bed. The Godaime clenched her teeth in anger before she let out a howling yell and ran straight for the Hokage's door. The ANBU on guard there tried to stop her, but he was easily thrown through something well behind her.

Kakashi heard her and was bracing for it, but really didn't anticipate the entire well-secured and thick oak door along with its casing to come flying at him. He was grateful that the Shodaime's desk was so well-built as he hid under it.

"When was the last time you saw her, you FUCKER?!" Tsunade sneered with tears forming in her eyes.

"Who?" The dumbass had the nerve to respond. Kakashi found himself on the floor, being literally throttled by the shoulder and neck by the Godaime. He tried to beat the madwoman off but was unsuccessful until four of his ANBU arrived to aid him.

"Naruto," Tsunade cried out. Oh, there's Shizune and Tonton, finally! She took her lovely pig and held it to her bosom and slowly pet it. The tears fell as Shizune and the others in the room were saying something, but Tsunade didn't care and couldn't make it out right now. Gods, where did my gaki go?! Why didn't she come to me? Sakura - maybe Sakura knows! I'll head there right… She looked up at the idiot who caused this mess and wiped some of the tears off her face. "Asshole-pervert, this is all your fault," she hissed.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on? What," he sighed in near exhaustion, "what did Naru - Naruto say?" the Hokage asked, frowning at the name "Naruto" instead of his, well... "Naru." He glanced at his chair that was now on the floor - the door had nearly destroyed it. Damn old woman.

"She's fucking gone! She left her clone here just to see how long it would FUCKING TAKE YOU TO SEE HER!" Tsunade wasn't exactly sure of everything, but the clone Naruto left had said as much! Plus, she was nearly astounded that Hatake was even more of a dick than she'd always known he was! At least the current Hokage seemed speechless now. God! She really wanted to punch his now obviously hanging jaw straight off his stupid masked face!

"Wh - where is she?" Kakashi asked, uncaring that his voice was quiet and had trembled as he spoke.

"How the fuck would I know, Hokage-sama?" Tsunade spit before turning tail and shooting off to Sakura and Lee's place, Tonton in her arms, and Shizune at her heels.

Naruto received her clone's memory and let out a singular chuckle. "He really doesn't care at all. Oh well, Mummy's here, my little ones." She wiped at the tear that was trying to escape her eye with one hand as she rubbed her other hand lovingly over her still flat stomach. I won't look like this much longer, I guess. "What are we gonna do, hmm? Not to worry, though, my little loves: Mummy will protect you..."

Naruto had come to terms fairly quickly with her pregnancy, she thought. She felt like a total moron about not using protection because gods knew that Kakas- er, That Man - oh gods, now I sound like the teme, even in my own thoughts - probably wouldn't want children as she might. Meeting Sarada-chan had been really frightening but enlightening, however.

She hadn't even thought about having kids since she was younger - when she learned that for at least the time being it was entirely impossible for her to (possibly ever) have the family that she yearned for so much. Her father had sealed her fate in more than one way when she was born, then Ero-sennin freaked out and continued her father's stupidity. Then just when the pervert went and died, there she'd been, having fallen off a tree limb as she tried to jump, her body wracked with pain, and once again she was in her true female form. And who was standing in front of her? Fucking Uchiha Itachi. The man who'd left her with a disgusting kiss - well, not at first: it had been pretty hot and amazing, though confusing, at first - and who'd knocked her out and sealed her gender yet again. "Fucking Uchihas…" I'm too stupid to even be glad they're all gone…

"Naruto."

"It's alive!"

Kurama ignored her churlish cheekiness and the fact that she'd been lamenting the Uchiha's downfall - which was really saying something. "What has happened?" Through his vessel's eyes, he looked around and frowned at their current location. "Why are you headed to Wave? And why are you masked?"

"Ugh. If you'd paid any attention, Furry-chan, you'd know that I'm pregnant and Kakashi doesn't give a shit…"

"I knew you were with kits before you did, Idiot. Why do you think that my attention has been directed elsewhere?" He didn't wait for her to respond. "For the moment, I've stopped siphoning my chakra into you and the kits, but I refuse to be as weak in the forest as a… a Tanuki, for instance, nor will I be seen as a lesser being than I am among my siblings who's chakra you hold to varying degrees."

"What? What does that have to do with… Forget it. I'm glad to have you back!" The fox scoffed at the sunshine his partner was practically beaming straight from her eyes down and through her ass. "But what do you mean about funneling your chakra into not only me but my babies, too? I got that wrong, right?"

"You heard me correctly." Seeing the Uzumaki begin to freak out, he spoke over her quickly, "I have been carefully replenishing you with my chakra, but because of your… activities with the perverted Dog-man, your kits are also receiving…"

"Oh fuck! Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK! What's that gonna mean for them? And I mean, oh gods: can't you slow your chakra down or something - or stick it somewhere else?! Are they going to be okay?"

Kurama let out a breath slowly, which made it sound like a low growl. "What exactly do you think, Naruto?! Do you think that I, the greatest of the Bijuu, the one who has chosen to come back to you not once but TWICE would endanger your offspring?!" Naruto had the good sense to look ashamed at the idea, but the great fox could see that she still didn't understand. And he had questions, too. "The kits are fine. They will be enormously strong, but you must be careful. Combining your Uzumaki genetics with the Hatake's dense white chakra was enough of a risk, and I can confirm that my chakra will undoubtedly not only make them stronger but will also enable you to have a better chance at birthing them alive."

Naruto's face paled dramatically in front of him. "Hatakes have difficult gestations and births, kit: of this, I will not lie or fail to caution you. Those particular canine-summoners always have multiple births, but usually, they are lucky if even one survives."

Naruto could hardly breathe, now that she had this knowledge. When she first found out she was pregnant, she had been horrified and wasn't sure what to do. The chance of a real family, though? One of her own that wasn't just made up of the wonderful friends she'd gathered as such, although her pseudo-family was awesome and everything! It was kinda thrilling and quickly changed her attitude about her babies completely. She'd seen the way her comrades and friends acted around their own clansmen and such. She knew her friends loved her and all, but she saw the differences in the way they treated their blood-related siblings, cousins, and such: the playful teasing, the snarkiness that the target didn't really mind, the genuine love… It was something she forced herself not to consider much as an adult, but now she had a chance of having her own family! Not to mention the fact that although she'd be a Hatake - or so I thought - she'd also be able to further the Uzumaki line.

"How do you even know this?" Naruto asked tiredly.

"I was there at the pervert's birth - or your mother was - as my very-recent, at that time, jailor. The big-breasted pain was the mid-wife, and Kushina was so afraid that I regained consciousness for the first time after being re-sealed." Kurama didn't need to tell his idiot that he'd hoped to use her mother's fear to tear apart everyone in that delivery room - that was embarrassing to him now, and his kit would probably slap his snout for it. "The Godaime soothed your child-like mother when she saw the second dog-child born; he was born in what I believe your kind calls 'stillbirth.'"

Naruto was shocked: she didn't know any of that! Poor Kakash- No. Yes, poor Kakashi the child, and Kami bless his poor departed family - but not poor Kakashi, the man. She shook her head and snarled, gaining Kurama's complete attention.

"What did he do?" Kurama asked darkly. It was unlike his kit to be so wholly angry even in her mindscape. He could feel that she was attempting to be callous about it, too, which was really odd.

Naruto proceeded to tell him everything that had gone on for the past week, and how That Man hadn't even approached her. She'd even tried to see him, only to be told by Lion that the Hokage didn't want to be disturbed. Eventually, the ANBU had been forced to tell her that it was only her that was not to "disturb" him. Fucking asshole!

Kurama tried to look impassive as she continued her story, but he was getting more and more pissed off. And a pissed-off Kurama wasn't a good thing for anyone! He was beginning to feel like destroying continents and that wasn't good - especially for the little kits. Calming himself somewhat as he tried to retain control, he interrupted Naruto's narration of how she's stayed IN A DAMN CAVE that she repeatedly used to hide in as a child from the villagers that at that time sought her destruction for two entire days, while her clone waited to see just how long it took for the fucking village LEADER to gather his damn balls! "NARUTO!"

She jumped back - it had been a long time since Fuzzy had yelled at her like that! "Go -gomen, gomen, Kurama!" Naru scratched the back of her head anxiously. "That was pretty much it anyway, ya know? After that, I uhhh… Well! I actually paid Sakura-chan a quick visit and even held little Sarada-chan - that's Sakura-chan's and Bushy Brow's baby, ya know? It was scary as hell, but I did okay! Thought I'd better give it a try, since well - you know… I'll be having my own and all," she added shyly with a smile. "That was after I cleaned up in the lake, of course! I was pretty dingy and smelly before that! Gosh: I really need to do that again real quick before I get to Tazuna-san's house. I hope that he and Tsunami-nee will let me stay for a little bit!" Kurama watched as she receded from her mindscape. The idiot had literally jumped into a really cold river to begin scrubbing herself with soap, and a big part of him wanted to smack her.

Kurama pushed back both his immense anger at the spineless Dog and chakra that if not for his consideration of her pregnancy could've possibly burst through her coils. Thinking back on their entire conversation, an idea and plan manifested in his mind. "Na-Ru-To."

The blonde's eyes went wide. Whenever he used that tone and cadence with her, she knew that there would be hell to pay! "Ah - yes?!"

"I plan to pay your mate a visit." He discounted her squawking regarding how she wasn't going anywhere near the ass, and that he was obviously not her mate, anyway, even though she'd earlier thought he was, as well as the nonsense about her being completely stupid and such. Well, most of its nonsense - along with the babbling of a deeply hurt female. "You mentioned 'sticking my chakra somewhere else,' earlier, as well as stopping or slowing it, correct?" His partner, now in crime, nodded her head cautiously. "I have already been amassing chakra in the forest near Konoha, kit. We have been speaking for over a day, and I have grown angry." He hissed the last part and ignored Naruto's look of surprise at his words. Her expression was most likely about the length of time she'd been in her mindscape - or the river, ridiculously. The kit never knew how much time took place outside of her mindscape - be it a mere moment or hours that she spent with him. "Give me another day to amass my very angry chakra into a proper form, before I visit 'That Man' alone." A rather vicious smile grew on the blonde's lips, and he knew at once that she understood. "I will be out of touch again…"

"Just - just don't kill the cyclops. He - he's their father, after all: whether he wants to be or not." She took Kurama at his word - or rather his nod in response to her request, anyway - as she knocked on Tazuna-san's door. It seemed to her that he and maybe Inari-kun, too, had been doing some serious renovating and expanding on their home.

"Can I help you?" Tsunami looked at the blonde woman in front of her guardedly. Naruto's shoulders slumped.

"I guess you've never seen me like this, ne?" Naruto asked in disappointment - although it was certainly understandable. "Tsunami-nee, it's me…"

"NARUTO! OH MY GOD! DAD, COME HERE!" Tsunami hollered the last request behind her before grabbing the blonde woman in front of her into a tight hug, dragging her inside the home. "I can't believe it's true! Holy wow! Look at you, girl! And, and, you really are a girl! Or a woman now, huh? Oh, gods, we heard rumors, but couldn't believe it!" Tears welled up and ran down the woman's cheeks before Tsunami yelled loudly upstairs for her son and father to come down again. "I'm just - I'm just so GLAD you're alive, Naruto-chan!"