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Author's Note: Hello, lovelies. In this chapter, we're going to see both Hinata and Sasuke hanging out and we'll find out the gender of our NaruSasu babies. I hoped whatever you guessed; was right.
Warnings: Foul Language. Long Chapter.
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Chapter 116: Setting in Motion
Normal P.O.V.
Sasuke and Hinata stood at the gate and watched it close behind the boys as they left on their mission.
"Soooooooooo, are you hungry?" asked Hinata as she played with the ends of her long hair.
"I could eat,"
"Great, is there anything in particular that you're craving?"
"Not really. Anything with tomatoes is fine," shrugged Sasuke.
"Great, then let's go. I know a nice quiet place for us to sit and eat,"
Sasuke nodded before he followed her through the village on his swollen feet.
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The two made it to the restaurant with Sasuke only needing to stop twice to catch himself. The restaurant must have been new since Sasuke had never heard of or seen it before. It was a quiet, traditional-style Japanese restaurant. The waitress served them tea and water to start before they ordered. Sasuke got a mostly tomato-based dish while Hinata ate a strange version of ramen. The two barely said a word to each other. The air was not tense or awkward, but it did make Sasuke feel somewhat anxious.
Not only did he remember that Hinata had the biggest crush on his mate, but they barely hung out together. To him, it was strange that the dark-haired mouse wanted to spend time with him. However, at this point, he was willing to do anything to ease his self-induced stress.
"How have you been?" he asked.
"Fine actually. Kiba and I have been getting along great and raising a puppy together. How are you and Naruto? Are you excited to be parents?"
"He is. I'm not so sure yet. But I guess I have to be," he sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I was just thinking,"
"Care to talk about it?" she asked.
"Not really,"
"All right then. You don't have to. We can keep sitting here in peace if you'd like to,"
"Why?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you'd hate me too, especially since you know about Naruto and me,"
Hinata slowly sipped her tea before she set it down and gave him a warm smile.
"I can see why you said that. I can also understand why you felt that way too. However, I've made peace with it. Without going into too much detail, just know that I understand. I understand that it would have never worked out. Anyone with eyes could see that. He's always loved you. There was never any room for anyone else in his heart to love as he loves you. Don't get me wrong, it hurt… a lot… to know this. But it gave me time to focus on myself and find someone who will be there for me just like I'm there for him. So, in a way, I should be thanking you,"
"But why thank me?"
"You make him happy. That is enough for me. I don't know what I would have done if he ended up with someone who made him miserable. I probably would have fought harder for him,"
"Hn. You and I both know that Naruto would never be with someone whom he can't stand," chuckled Sasuke as he adjusted himself into a more comfortable position.
"You're right. That's why I wanted to thank you. Knowing that you're there to bring joy to his life and give him everything he ever wanted makes me feel better that I lost to you. I don't think I would have stopped if it were anyone but you, Sasuke,"
A blush appeared on his pale cheeks as he listened to Hinata. He wanted to say something, anything to her. Hell, he wanted to be the one to thank her. But nothing came out. So instead, he nodded his head and sipped his tea. The rest of the meal flew by without either of them saying much. At the end of their meal, Hinata insisted on paying, despite Sasuke's protests. However, after a while of going back and forth, the raven-haired feline finally gave in to the not-so-quiet mouse.
"Thank you for letting me pay, Sasuke," she smiled.
"Not a problem. Thank you for dinner. I'll get going now,"
"Wait for a second," she called out, causing him to turn around, "Would you like to take a walk?" It's a nice night out. I figured we could do some walking to keep you active,"
"I'm pretty tired,"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to impose,"
"It's fine. Maybe tomorrow?"
"Sure! Well, have a good night, Sasuke,"
He nodded before he turned and walked towards their apartment. Once he got there, Sasuke climbed up the stairs, unlocked the door, kicked his sandals off, and sat on the couch. His belly ached from all of the movement the twins did inside. However, he couldn't help but smile when he noticed the small movements of his belly with every kick and squirm from his twins. Sasuke drummed onto his belly with the tips of his fingers and hummed to soothe them. The vibrations seemed to lull them to sleep in no time flat.
Despite how he showed himself on the outside, the raven feline was just as excited to know the genders of his twins. He was currently 19 weeks and 4 days. Tsunade was out of town, so that left Sakura in charge of his prenatal care. Feelings of nervousness filled him as he thought about everything that could be wrong with his children. Luckily, he regained control over himself before his mind went too far.
Great, now I'm starting to sound like Naruto.
At the sudden mention of his alpha's name, the twins started moving again.
"It's like you guys can sense when I'm even thinking about him," chuckled Sasuke.
Suddenly, tiredness filled his body as he tried to stifle a yawn.
These random spells of tiredness are shitty.
With a grunt, the raven heaved himself upward and made his way to the bathroom. He filled the tub with hot water before he undressed. Ince naked, Sasuke got a look at his body and grimaced.
What does Naruto see in me? I feel so fucking fat.
Yes, no matter how much he hated how his new body looked, the blond fox thought he was the most amazing person on the planet. Once tight, taunt, firm ab muscles were replaced by a round, low, firm tummy. His pec muscles were now large enough to almost be breasts. His feet ached and swelled to the where he had to get new sandals, his hips grew and gave him a curvier shape, he struggled with basic movements and standing, and he could barely fit any of his clothes anymore. Luckily it was still chilly out, so he could get away with wearing Naruto's clothing; not that he minded too much. The musky smell of vanilla and cinnamon from his alpha helped with some of his symptoms and calmed his anxieties. Too bad that meant that he had to mostly wear orange in the beginning. After the first week, Sasuke convinced Naruto to buy new clothes and wear them enough to his scent cling to them before he lost his sanity.
I wonder how long the mission will take. Naruto said that it should only take a few days, but that's only if they find what they're looking for soon. I hope he won't be away for too long. Thought Sasuke as he slid down into the tub.
His twins sensed his emotions again and stirred. Frustrated, the raven got into a comfortable position and drummed onto his stomach again. The more the twins evolved inside of them, the more he could tell how difficult they are going to be once they were here. He made sure to blame Naruto for that.
He does not remember being told he was a difficult child, even as a baby. He was known as one of the best babies in the entire Uchiha clan, especially when it came to Itachi. He remembered the times when they used to be happy and his whole world revolved around his elder brother. Now, he was having children of his own with his alpha. A life he never pictured for himself, but lucky enough to experience it. It was times like this that made him wonder how Naruto was as a baby and as a child.
From what Naruto told him, for the first seven years, a humanoid version of Kurama raised him. Apparently, before the Fourth Hokage and Naruto's mother passed away, they performed a jutsu to transform the demon into that form and made him swear to raise their newborn. That was how they formed their bond. Naruto told him that he was raised like a wild animal in the forest, learned to hunt and write in the mud, and basically fended for himself whenever Kurama was not around. After the demon disappeared, then the Third Hokage took over his care. Despite Naruto describing his childhood as fine, Sasuke did not like the Third Hokage's actions.
To him, the Third could have done a better job raising the poor boy. Sure, he gave him money to survive, came by to visit him on rare occasions, and had ANBU protecting him enough for him to not be killed, but it was not enough. The young boy could have learned about his real parents. Sure he knew who they were, but he knew nothing about them. What kind of a life was that? Sasuke could never imagine not knowing who his parents were or anything about them. And he could not forgive the abuse. If the Third did his job, then Naruto would not have been abused to the point that he suffered from PTSD. Again, it is great that the boy overcame his issues and grew into the person he was. However, that does not excuse the hardships he had to face to become who he is now. The whole ordeal made Sasuke's blood boil. But there is nothing that can be done. The past cannot be rewritten. The only thing they can do is move on and do better with raising their children. Speaking of which, the raven noticed that they have not moved in a while. He looked down and saw that even though his fingers still drummed on his belly, the movement stopped.
They must have tired themselves out. He thought to himself.
Thinking about the twins and their future brought a smile to his face. It also made him realize how cool the water was and how long he sat in the tub without moving. So, he grabbed a towel and soap. He washed, turned on the shower, rinsed off, and got out of the tub. On his way out, Sasuke grabbed a towel to dry himself and walked into their bedroom. Then, he went into the closet to grab more of Naruto's clothing and dressed. Afterward, he threw back the covers and climbed into the empty, cold bed. Even though the blond was not there, the smell of him continued to make things easier on Sasuke, who soon found himself asleep.
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Over the course of the next few days, despite what he originally told Naruto, Sasuke managed to duck and dodge his gender reveal appointment. Half of it was because he hoped Naruto would have been home already while the other half was nervous jitters on his part. Luckily, Sakura and Ino were too busy to hunt him down while Hinata did her best to help hide him. Unfortunately, that did not last long. By the end of the sixth day, and with no word of Naruto's return, Sasuke and Hinata were found at his apartment.
As promised, she kept an eye on Sasuke by keeping him company. The raven could not lie, although it was awkward at first, he got used to having the quiet mouse beside him. They did not talk often, but he enjoyed the time they did spend together. Most of the time, she would come over and cook for him, and they would read, walk around the village until Sasuke was tired, and sat quietly doing their own activity until it was time for her to leave. However, tonight was a bit different. Tonight, Hinata was in the middle of cooking dinner when they heard a knock at the door.
"I'll get it," she said as she washed her hands and walked towards the door. When she got there, Hinata was shocked to see a shark ANBU in front of her, "May I help you?"
"Is Sasuke Uchiha here?"
"I am. What does Kakashi want now?" he grumbled as he walked towards them.
"I have a message from Lady Sakura Haruno. She said, and I quote, "Sasuke Uchiha better bring his ass to his appointment tomorrow morning, or I will carry him through the entire village on my back before bringing him to the hospital myself. And if he makes one more excuse, then he'll have to explain to Naruto why he's without a mate," end quote. She sounded serious," gulped the ANBU.
"Oh, it seems that our plan has come to an end," sighed Hinata.
"Hn. I guess so. Naruto's going to be disappointed though. Shark ANBU, tell "Lady Sakura" that I'll be there at 08:00 sharp. There's no need for idle threats,"
The ANBU nodded and disappeared into the night. Once he was gone, Hinata closed the door and the two returned to the main part of the house.
"How dare she send an ANBU to give me that message. Who does she think she is? Kakashi? I swear, she's been around Lady Tsunade too long,"
"I understand your frustration, Sasuke. But you have to admit that we were not so innocent in this either. We lied to her about why we couldn't attend any of your meetings. She's only worried about you since you're so high-risk. This may be just a gender reveal to you, but this is another doctor's appointment and a check-up for her,"
Sasuke did not say anything as he plopped himself onto the couch and folded his arms. Hinata giggled under her breath when she thought the famous Sasuke Uchiha looked more like a pouting child than a dangerous man. She continued cooking their dinner while Sasuke stewed in his feelings a bit longer. Luckily, by the time dinner was done and served, Sasuke finally came around.
"You're right," he grumbled.
"I'm sorry?"
"I said you were right. I guess I was being a little selfish. I just felt bad that Naruto will miss the appointment,"
"I understand. This is a big thing for you guys. After all, these are your first children, as far as I know. Naruto wanted to be there with you every step of the way. It's not fair that he can't be here. But you get to tell him when he does come home. And hopefully, he gets to stay with you for the rest of the pregnancy. I read somewhere that it is important the Alpha or Beta of the relationship needs to be their mate for the majority of the pregnancy, especially toward the end,"
"Why?"
"Because it helps with the development of the children and it's good for the pregnant partner's health. It strengthens the bond between everyone involved. Or at least, that's what I read. I was going to ask Lady Tsunade about it when she came back,"
"Hn. Interesting," he said as he took a bite of the noodles she made.
"By the way, Sasuke, where are all of the babies' things?"
"Excuse me?"
"When I helped you clean earlier, I noticed that you guys barely had anything for the babies besides a few things of clothes,"
"Oh, that's because we haven't had too much time. I also think it's because we don't know everything to buy. We were going to wait until it was closer to the birth to buy more stuff,"
"Hn. I see. Have you two considered moving?"
"We've… talked about it. Nothing concrete yet, but it's come up. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that, your apartment seems a bit small to raise twins with the two of you also being here. I was curious,"
"Don't get me wrong, we've had this discussion a few times. However, we don't know where we want to move to. We threw some ideas around, but never landed on anything solid. We're hoping to talk to Kakashi about what homes are available before deciding,"
"Well, I hope you guys decide soon. The twins will be here before you know it. Well, anyway, let me take care of the dishes before I leave. You can get ready for bed while I do that. And don't worry, I'll be back here in the morning to go with you to your appointment,"
"Thank you," he nodded before doing what she said.
Their evening routine continued until Sasuke went to bed and Hinata left the apartment.
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07:45 sharp, Hinata arrived at his front door. They greeted each other before their silent walk to the hospital. They checked in and took the elevator to the Maternity Ward where an angry Sakura waited for them.
"Good morning, "Lady Sakura"," teased Sasuke with his hands in his pockets.
"It's good to see you got my message," she glared with her arms crossed.
"Yes. Don't do that again. It's unnecessary,"
"Unnecessary?! I'll tell you what's unnecessary, your behavior. Lady Tsunade and I told you how important it was to keep your appointments, especially with you being high-risk! I expected this kind of childishness from Naruto, but not you Sasuke-kun,"
"Well, I'm here now, so let's get this over with," he sighed as he brushed passed her.
Sakura sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Suddenly, the feeling of a hand on her shoulder made Sakura jump out of her skin.
"Oh Hinata, I'm sorry that I didn't see you,"
"It's all right. I wanted to be here to support him. I know you mean well, but can you cut him some slack a little? I think he's nervous, and having a hard time with Naruto being gone,"
"Yeah, I heard. Lady Tsunade isn't going to like this, especially with Sasuke's condition,"
"Well, let's pray that she doesn't find out," smiled Hinata before they followed Sasuke to the Ultrasound Room.
Once inside, Sakura instructed Sasuke to lie down on the table and lift his shirt. The mouse technician from before greeted him with a smile as she prepared the machine and devices. Afterward, she placed the device with the gel onto his stomach and pressed it down. The screen lit up as the sounds of two heartbeats filled the room. The technician moved the device around until she could get good enough pictures of both babies, despite the one being difficult. Luckily, she got what she needed.
"Congratulations, Sasuke-kun! You're having a girl and a boy! How exciting to have fraternal twins inside of you!" the technician smiled with her hands together.
"That is exciting! Too bad Naruto couldn't be here," said Hinata.
"Yeah, he might faint again," laughed Sakura.
"Hn. Well, that is interesting news. It'll be… fun to have both a girl and a boy,"
"Yes, now you two can start shopping for my niece and nephew,"
"Actually, they don't have much at all right now," confessed Hinata.
"What do you mean?" asked Sakura.
"I noticed that they barely have clothes for the babies. When I asked Sasuke about it last night, he said that they haven't had the time and might need our help,"
"What?! Sasuke-kun, why didn't you ask Ino, Karin, or me? You know we would have helped you guys,"
"It's… not something that Naruto and I were worried about at the time,"
"Oh Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry for being so hard on you. Remind me to beat up Naruto when he gets back from his mission. He should know better. But it's all right. I'll get the girls together and we can take you both shopping now that we know what you guys are having,"
"Can't we just wait until it gets closer to the birth? Naruto and I were thinking of moving anyway,"
"I wouldn't recommend it. Toward the end of your pregnancy, you're going to going to be stressed out. It's best to take care of things now before it gets to that point; although I understand why you want to wait," said Sakura.
Hinata walked over to Sasuke and placed a hand on his shoulder with a smile, "Don't worry about a thing, we'll help you the rest of the way. Naruto and you are family to us. We're going to make sure that you and your children are all right,"
"Thank you," he said as he sat up.
"Why don't we all get something to eat? I have some time before I have to start another shift,"
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After the group went to lunch, they decided to go their separate ways. Sakura had to return to work, Hinata wanted to check on her new puppy, and Sasuke was ready for a nap. Once he got home, Sasuke made himself a little nest of his and Naruto's clothing before he passed out. A few hours later, Sasuke felt something move within him.
"Ugh. Go back to sleep," he groaned as he drummed on the side of his belly.
Suddenly, his eyes flew open when he felt something familiar. He closed his eyes and focused on where the sensation came from. A smile came to his face when he understood what happened.
"Hn. So, you can sense him too? Well, why don't we go greet your father,"
As quickly as he could, Sasuke rolled out of bed and got dressed before he headed out the door. However, just before he made his way to the Hokage Tower, Naruto's location changed to the hospital.
"Hn. I wonder what's going on. I hope he's not injured,"
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Once he got to the hospital, Sasuke was greeted by Sakura and taken to the room Naruto was in. They shared a few words, mostly Sakura being her giggly self. She told him that there was a surprise for him inside but brushed it off as her being her normal girly self. However, he wasn't expecting the scene before him.
Inside the room sat Naruto in a chair holding an infant. The infant had a scruff of black and blond hair and fit almost perfectly against Naruto's larger frame. He was so enticed by the sight that he didn't even notice the door creaking. He quickly grabbed the door as Naruto hushed him.
"You'll wake him,"
Sasuke nodded, despite his confusion, and quietly made his way over to his alpha and the sleeping child.
"What is that?"
"A baby,"
"I know that, dobe. I meant why do you have it?"
"Then you should have asked that then," said Naruto playfully, earning a glare from his irritated mate, "I found him during my mission. The lady we brought in was after him. His name is Kawaki,"
"Hn. But that still doesn't explain why you have him,"
"Mostly because no one else will let him near or hold him. I had to do it almost the entire time Sakura-chan examined him,"
"I see. I also noticed that you're holding him wrong. Give him here,"
"Wait Sasuke, don't~," said Naruto as he tried to stop him.
But when Sasuke held him, the baby didn't stir. The raven feline adjusted the infant in his arms, and gently rocked him as he supported his head.
"You have to make sure you support his head. Babies are not strong enough to hold their heavy heads up, that's why we have to do it,"
"That's incredible, babe. I wonder why he's taken to you?"
"I don't know, but he seems strong. Maybe he recognizes our strength," said Sasuke before he sniffed the baby's neck and held him closer, "He smells like the earth and the Land of Iron. I'm assuming that's where you found him?" Naruto nodded. "Hn. I wonder why our new enemy is attacking that place?"
"We're not sure. My guess is because it's neutral ground, maybe whatever organization the woman we fought today, might have thought they could conduct business there without being noticed. But it's just my theory,"
"What does Kakashi and Shikamaru say?"
"They're not sure yet. They're waiting to hear back from Ibiki's interrogation,"
"Hn."
The room was quiet for a moment as Naruto watched Sasuke hold and care for the child like his own. It brought a brighter smile to his face as he felt the decision was right. When Sasuke noticed that Naruto was staring at him, it made him uncomfortable.
"You're weirding me out. Stop staring at me like that,"
"I can't help it. You look so natural holding our child while pregnant. Makes me want to put more into you after these two are born," he said with an arm around Sasuke's shoulders and his hand on the round belly.
"First, this isn't our child. Second, you're creepy,"
Naruto laughed it off but didn't move away.
"Oh yeah! I know I missed your gender reveal appointment; I'm still pissed by the way. But what are we having? I gotta know,"
Sasuke smirked as he thought back to his appointment with Sakura and Hinata. Carefully, he adjusted the child so that he rested on his shoulder and turned towards his alpha.
"Well… it's a boy~"
"Yes! I heard boys are easy, and we're guys too so that helps a lot~"
"And a girl," finished Sasuke.
"What?"
"You heard me, we're having a boy and a girl. They're fraternal twins. Isn't that interesting?" teased Sasuke.
The raven's smile brightened when he noticed the blond's brain stopped working.
"A boy and a girl, huh? Well… that's definitely not what I expected,"
"What were you expecting?"
"I'm not going to lie, I kind of thought we'd have two boys. They'd be so much easier to take care of, wouldn't you agree?"
"I would, but I don't care as long as they're healthy, which they are,"
"That's good, babe. Did you come up with any names while I was gone?"
"No, you?"
"Not even one. I was too busy with the mission,"
"Hn. Doesn't seem like we're off to a great start, huh?"
"No, I suppose not," chuckled Naruto.
Sasuke gave his own chuckle before he looked down at the still-sleeping child. Suddenly, the raven noticed the Roman Numeral for 9 on under his right eye.
"Do you know what this number is about?" asked Sasuke.
"I noticed that too, but don't know what it means. The only thing I could think of is that this baby is somehow connected with whoever this new enemy we're facing. Maybe they had special plans for him,"
"Hn. I wonder what Kakashi will decide on what to do with him,"
"I hope he doesn't isolate him and make him grow up like Sai. I plan on getting rid of that convent when it's my turn if he doesn't," grumbled Naruto.
"That we both can agree on. No one deserves to grow up without parents or people to care for them,"
The air around them was quiet, minus the gentle snores from Kawaki. Sasuke continued to rock the infant in his arms. However, when they got tired, he adjusted the baby so that he fits snuggly in the crook of his neck. Naruto continued to watch the scene in amazement. Even though they do not have much for their soon-to-be-born children, the blond felt that their family looked complete at this moment. There was something about watching Sasuke's omega motherly instincts take over as he cared for the infant. Suddenly, his mate's words replayed in his head as he continued to look onward.
Sasuke's right. No one deserves to live whatever life this baby might have. I should know what it was like to not have parents after Kurama's jutsu wore off. I promised myself, that no other child would feel the same, and I plan on making that promise come true.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw his mate's mouth open and close several times without him saying anything. Sasuke knew that Naruto wanted to say something; he wished that it was said already.
"You know, you look like a gaping fish when you keep opening and closing your mouth like that. Whatever you have to say, spit it out already,"
Being caught in his subconscious movements made the blond stumble over his words. It took him a few good moments before he finally found the words, "Sasuke~"
"Why hello my former students. I'm glad to see both of you here," smiled Kakashi as he entered the room with Sakura and Shikamaru.
"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?" asked Naruto.
"I finished with my paperwork after Kiba, and Neji left my office. So, I figured I'd stop by and check on our newest addition," said the wolf as he came towards the couple. But when he was too close, both boys got in defensive stances as they shielded the baby from his sight. "Oh, touchy I see. Fine, I'll back off for now,"
Whatever spell that came over them soon disappeared after Kakashi backed away.
"I apologize. I don't know what came over us," said Sasuke as he shook his head.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I don't know what happened there," chuckled a nervous Naruto.
"It's all right. I understand where the two of you are coming from. I've seen it a time or two back in my day,"
"What do you mean?"
"I think what he means, Naruto, is that both you and Sasuke-kun somehow formed a strong enough bond with the baby that your inner alpha and omega identified him as your ward,"
"How is that possible?" asked Sasuke.
"Oh, it happens more often than you think. In fact, it tends to happen more so when a pregnant omega comes into contact with an infant, no matter who it is," explained Sakura.
"Yeah, I think I read something like that a while ago. I didn't think it was true, more of a wise tale so to speak. Anyway, Lord Kakashi and I came to take the child away,"
"What do you mean to take him away? Where are you taking him?" questioned Naruto.
"We're going to put him under careful surveillance in this new convent I started. It's for children who are considered gifted of sorts and do not belong to parents or a clan. Kind of like an orphanage. I already hired enough staff to make sure they get the care and nurture they need to be successful future shinobis,"
"It's something fairly new that we've been working on, and it will be good to have our first few children part of the program," added Shikamaru.
"There are more?" inquired Sakura.
"Yes. Most of the children already there lost their parents in either Pain's attack or the Fourth Shinobi War. I wanted to give them a stable, and healthy environment in which to grow. Now, if you'll kindly hand little Kawaki over, we'll take him to get registered and placed,"
"Will he be adopted?"
"I'm afraid not, Naruto. You see, even though Sakura's assessment doesn't pose him as a threat to our village, he's somehow still connected to the foes we've faced. We're not sure of the connection yet, but we need to have him studied and isolated for the first few years to make sure that he poses no threat and that he is hidden safely away,"
"No," said Sasuke, shocking everyone except Naruto in the room.
"No? What do you mean no?"
"Exactly that. No. I will not stand here and allow you to take an innocent child away to be isolated and a test subject. If you think he might be a threat in the future, then fine, we'll deal with it then. But doing this will only speed up the process, trust me on that," glared the feisty feline.
"Sasuke, you aren't thinking rationally right now, and that is understandable. Naruto, please talk some sense into him, please," begged Shikamaru as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No. I'm standing with Sasuke on this,"
"Not you too,"
"Naruto, Sasuke, I understand~"
"No, you don't understand, Kakashi-sensei. Look, I know all of you think that we're acting on pure emotion, but we're not. We're thinking about the village's future and well-being. Who's to say that what you do to him in that "orphanage" will not lead him down a dark path, to begin with? Kakashi-sensei, you remember what it was like when you were all along in your younger years, right? At least you were old enough to understand what was going on and move on from it. Kawaki is an innocent baby who's done nothing but be born to the wrong people, or possibly roped into something that he didn't get a choice. Sorry, but I won't stand for it, not when Sasuke and I both know the feeling of isolation, loss of innocence, and loneliness. And if you want to throw me in jail for treason, then you better build one strong enough to hold both of us," the blond finished with his arms crossed over his chest as he stood side-by-side with his equally angry mate.
"You always were known for being a knucklehead," sighed Kakashi.
"Naruto, Sasuke-kun, I can't begin to understand where either of you is coming from, nor what you've been through. But, maybe you should back down this time? Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru seem to have the situation under control. Maybe it's for the best? And who knows, maybe you guys can visit him when enough time passes,"
"What if we take him?" Naruto suddenly blurted out, shocking everyone including Sasuke.
"You can't be serious. This is getting us nowhere. Please, Naruto, for all that is good, will you come to your senses? This conversation is getting us nowhere fast,"
"I am at my senses, Shikamaru. In fact, I've never seen clearer before in my life. And I am being serious about this. What's so wrong with us raising him as our own? He's what, only a month old? And you guys teased that he looked like us earlier. So, why can't we raise him? It's not like he'll know unless we tell him,"
"I agree with Naruto," said a confident Sasuke.
"Troublesome,"
"Naruto, you and Sasuke-kun already have your hands full with the twins that'll be here in a few months. How the hell do you plan on raising three children at once? You don't have the space, you don't even have anything ready for the twins that are yours, and you barely have the room,"
"What about the Uchiha Compound?"
"What?!" everyone gasped.
"Naruto, don't you think you should talk to me about that before blurting it out? We're already struggling here," hissed Sasuke.
"I know, and I'm sorry. But just hear me out. I found some old pictures of what the houses used to look like, and from your stories, they seemed big enough to raise a family. I wanted to propose to both Kakashi-sensei and you about building our own compound, with our friends, and having our own community. We can design and build our house the way we want it for our family. The twins can have their own room, and if we keep Kawaki, then we can show him what having real parents is like. Besides, you said it yourselves, if there's any threat to the village, Sasuke and I are the only ones qualified to defeat it,"
"I think it's a great idea," a female voice said from behind them.
Everyone turned around to see an angry Tsunade and an apologetic Jiraiya standing in the doorway.
"Lady Tsunade, Master Jiraiya, you're back already?" gasped Sakura.
"Yes, and I'm pissed,"
"Sorry, y'all. Once she heard about the mission and Naruto's involvement, she rushed over here before I could stop her,"
"Kakashi, what the hell were you thinking sending Naruto on a dangerous mission while Sasuke is this far in his pregnancy?" she growled as she stomped towards him.
"Please forgive me, milady, but I had no other choice. You may not be aware, but we're finding more information and~"
"Save it. I'll chalk this error in judgment to your inexperience. I may not be the Hokage anymore, but I still oversee a lot of things within this village. Sasuke's prenatal care being one of them. What if something happened to the idiot while he was in the field?"
"Hey! Now, wait a minute! I~"
"Didn't I tell you to only use Naruto for emergencies? Do you know what could happen to Sasuke and the babies if something happened to Naruto?"
"My apologies, Lady Tsunade. I should have thought things through before acting. Please forgive me," said Kakashi as he bowed before her.
"Don't let it happen again. Now then, on to this issue we have here. Although I do think that Naruto's plan needs some details ironed out, I think it'll be a great experience for these two knuckleheads. They'll get a taste of parenthood while the kid will get two loving people to care for him,"
"Yes!" cheered Naruto.
"But I can't make that call with my current lack of title. So, it's still Kakashi's decision," she said before she approached Sasuke and the baby until she was stopped by Naruto, "Settle down, boy. I just want to see the little one in question," Realizing that she was not a threat, Naruto stepped aside as Sasuke revealed Kawaki to her. She looked him over a few times and even leaned inward to smell him before she pulled back with a smile, "He smiles fresh and earthy. Yep, he's definitely only a month old. Good job, Sakura," At that moment, the baby yawned as he opened his blue-gray eyes and looked around the room. "He sure is cute, has feline features, and he even looks like the two of you. He'll fit right into your misfit family,"
"I second the motion. After all, it'll be nice getting three new great-grandchildren at once for me to love! I can't wait to teach them some of my favorite tricks and jutsus,"
"That's what I said! I have a few new ones I'm working on for when they're babies," smiled Naruto.
"You won't teach our/their children anything without me there," glared Sasuke and Tsunade.
"Well, Kakashi-sensei, I think you're outmatched here," giggled Sakura.
"It would seem so," he chuckled.
"I still say this is troublesome. But, as long as everything works out, I guess it's all right,"
"Well now, it seems we have the matter settled. Naruto, Sasuke, I hereby grant you guardianship of Kawaki. Now, all that's left is the long list of paperwork that needs to be filed to make it official. Follow me please,"
"Oh goodie. More work for me. How troublesome,"
"Here, leave the baby with us. We'll make sure that he's fed and taken care of while you're gone," said Tsunade as she tried to take Kawaki from a reluctant Sasuke.
"I would be careful Granny, he doesn't like anyone other than Sasuke and me," Just as he said that Tsunade held the content baby in her arms and played with him a little, making him smile. "Ok, how the fuck did you do that?"
"You just have to know how to handle babies. But I also delivered enough of them in my life to have this down pack. Now go and make him my official great-grandson. I'm not getting any younger," she said before walking away with Sakura in tow.
"Are we partial to Kawaki? It's too dull for my great-grandson. Can we possibly look into changing it?" asked Jiraiya.
"No," both boys glared.
"Fine. I was just saying. All right then, I'll be seeing ya,"
When the door finally closed, leaving the two of them alone, both released their breaths.
"That… was pretty intense," chuckled Naruto.
"Yeah. You were amazed by the way,"
"You think so?"
Sasuke nodded as he rubbed his belly, "We all thought so,"
Naruto blushed at the compliment before he kissed Sasuke's cheek. "You were too. And thanks for having my back,"
Sasuke nodded, "Anytime. Now come on. It seems that we have a lot of paperwork ahead of us, and I'm getting tired,"
"Right behind ya," smiled Naruto as he followed his mate out of the hospital and towards the Hokage Tower. But before they entered Kakashi's office, a thought popped into Naruto's head. Hey Sasuke… what is his last name going to be?"
…
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To Be Continued…