DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe.

Thinking (+ flashbacks, "Naruto speaking to Kurama in her mindscape," etc.)

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

After weeks of waiting - weeks of studying, weeks of WORRYING - they were going to be here!

There was so much that could go wrong, and the fact that nothing had did little to alleviate Naruto's worries. "C'mon, Jazu! You can do it, girl!" Jazu had been having contractions for over an hour, giving them enough time to summon Hana over to help (Kakashi swore they didn't need her but Naru didn't want to take any chances and none of his ninkens were female anyway) and the Inuzuka vet said things were proceeding very well. And then it happened.

Naru wasn't quite sure what she was seeing. She couldn't make out the first puppy's tail from its nose inside the little sac it was in. Her heart was beating hard. "Is it okay?"

"Just wait," Hana said, patting her leg. "She's doing well." Sure enough, Jazu licked the sac away and Naru silently cheered as Kakashi groaned.

"Maa, I reckon this is why I don't summon bitches."

"He's a bitch," Hana mumbled under her breath, just loud enough for Naru to hear, even with Kakashi's enhanced hearing.

Naru had a feeling he was purposely avoiding their whispered conversations, though. Soon came the first placenta and Kakashi groaned. "You need to man up, sir." She gave him a look that explained that he was going to see something like this, too but withered when Jazu began sniffing at it. "Nngh."

"Yeah," Hana said. "Jazu's going to be an excellent mother, though, aren't you Jazu?"

Jazu was not remotely interested in anything they were saying; she only had eyes for the baby she was cleaning up. All of Kakashi's ninken were silent as they watched: they didn't try to get closer or try to smell the puppy the way Naru thought they might. She reached over to scratch Pakkun's head and nearly got bit; he was so startled.

Less than half an hour later, the second puppy was born. 30 minutes after that, the third came - and so on the night went.

.

Later -

Kakashi smoothed his hand over his sleepy wife's cheek. "You were such a brat," he said softly.

"When?" Naruto asked. They were in his office although he should've just let her go home. But no: Kakashi wanted her to stay with him, going as far as putting up a genjutsu in case she needed to sleep. He and Gai had carried an extra-long, wide futon to place behind his desk and Naruto was embarrassed about it but could admit that it made a hell of a place to nap.

"In our last life," he admitted with a soft smile. Naruto closed her eyes and tried to roll away from him, groaning. "To think I married my Genin student."

Naruto grinned. "You married me before I even graduated, Pervert."

Kakashi winced and then tried to soothe his guilty conscience. "Yeah, but you weren't exactly a real Genin when I THOUGHT I met you that day in the Hokage's office, were you? Nor were you 12, thank Kami: that would be beyond disturbing - as you were when you graduated from the Academy the first time."

Naru turned back towards him, reaching out to touch his masked face. "You said you weren't mad about it, yeah? –That you understood that Shikamaru and I were afraid of being hauled off and put away?" They had only spoken of their first lives once before this: after all of that Sage of Six Paths nonsense when they'd (surely not) died again or whatever had happened thanks to those Dragon Eye wielders. "I really was afraid that if they thought I was nuts OR had information I shouldn't, they'd try to take Kurama from me."

"I get it. –I just wish you'd trusted me with it as our relationship developed - although I'm not sure I would've believed it early on," Kakashi replied, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he threaded his fingers together. He gave her a strained look designed to make her feel a little guilty. "Maa, when I finally remembered or learned of it, the one thing that really did piss me off was you asking for the Wave Mission. Again."

"I had to! Tazuna-san could only afford a C-rank and our team had FAR more firepower than any other Genin team, what with you and Tenzo, plus Sai, Sasuke, and me. And I never thought Sakura would be taken as she was - or me I guess." She internally cursed as her eyes teared up. A LOT of shit had gone down in the last few years! "If I'd known that something like that might happen to you," she shook her head, unable to go on. She was furious with herself: Kakashi had almost DIED in that mission.

Kakashi leaned down to kiss her - and before she knew it, she jumped when she snored - maybe. She was fairly sure that she'd woken herself that way or maybe it was when Kakashi covered her up. How embarrassing was that?! "Sorry." Her recent exhaustion was… completely exhausting!

"Why are you sorry?" Kakashi asked quietly - but Naru's eyes had closed again. As he'd done so often in the last few weeks he ran his large hand over the baby bump that seemed to almost appear overnight. One minute Naru had a nearly flat tummy and then BAM: she was clearly showing, eleven weeks in. That was two weeks ago. She could still cover her pregnancy up easily but it was amazing to him that she'd already needed new clothes. "You're both growing so well."

Kami, what will they look like in 30 more weeks?!
Oddly enough, he was excited to see.
–Much more than Naru is.

"Hmm? What's… Oh," Naru sighed, realizing just how tired she was. "I should go home and let you work, babe."

"No. Stay. Or are you too uncomfortable? –I like you to remain close to me." He smiled as he realized that she'd zonked out yet again, her small hands placed over his. Right over our pups. He inhaled shakily.

Relax, Kakashi. Everything is exactly as it's supposed to be. Anxiety still overtook him like a wave sometimes and it had only hit harder lately when it did.

Having twins made their pregnancy high-risk, but Tsunade promised that only meant they'd have to be extra cautious - even more than they'd be with any "normal" jinchuuriki pregnancy. The only negative issue they'd had so far was Naru's weight loss. Tsunade changed her vitamins so now Naru was able to eat more and had begun regaining weight slowly. His little wife had also just entered what was supposed to be the second trimester so her morning sickness had finally calmed down.

The second trimester was supposed to be one of increased sex drive. They'd had a dry streak for the last week so whoopee! He laughed at himself before being forced to press chakra into a new seal Naru made with him that put up a genjutsu hiding the back of his office when he heard a knock.

Tenzo's chakra flared outside his office door, which made taking his eyes off his mate a little easier. "Enter."

"Senpai," Tenzo addressed him nervously. He frowned when he felt Kakashi's chakra saturating the back of his office. "What is that?"

"Shit," Kakashi muttered, signaling him to close the door. "A genjutsu," he answered, letting it go. "I guess the seal's not quite right."

"I think it's too strong." Most shinobis would be too afraid to say anything to you about it - but Tenzo felt Kakashi would want to know. "Is she alright?" Tenzo asked in concern when he saw Naruto curled up and out cold.

Kakashi sighed; there were few people he trusted as much as he trusted Tenzo. Gai already knew and Tenzo and Sai were Naru's guards. "We're going to have puppies."

"Ah," Tenzo grinned, sitting down when his boss signaled him to. "I heard about Jazu!" From what he recalled, Naruto had been worried about her ninken's morality, something he found hilarious and HAD to be the result of teasing from her husband. Plus, Tenzo found Jazu to be rather stupid, no: dumb, or maybe dense. "Dense:" yes, that was a good word for Jazu. It was hard to imagine Jazu actually understanding what Naru had been trying to convince the giant Golden Retriever of, namely that all of senpai's ninkens were smooth-talking "fuckboys" out for nothing but pleasure.

"No," Kakashi grinned - unable to help himself. "Jazu already had her litter: we have eight puppies at home beginning to investigate everything they can dig their teeth into now. But what I'm going to tell you is top secret and um. Maa, Naru's pregnant. We're going to have twins."

"Senpai! Congratulations!"

"What's happening?" Naruto asked dazedly, having heard Tenzo's voice. She looked up and frowned when she realized Kakashi was over her with his Sharingan spinning, either recording her or putting her in genjutsu, but was too tired to fight it. She trusted him implicitly - but if genjutsu-ed, she'd be mad as hell about it later.

"Is she alright?" Tenzo asked again.

"She's tired. Tsunade said it's normal."

Of course, she's tired. Naruto had been all over Jazu and the puppies and working too hard besides that through what had been a terrible bout of morning/all-day sickness until she'd fallen over. He'd had to order her to dispel her clones when she was forced to get fluids and nutrients from an IV. Gods, he'd been so frustrated with her! Kakashi waited for Tenzo to speak and finally had to ask why he wanted to see him. "What's going on?"

"I - well, it's a personal thing," Tenzo said, fisting his hands. "I asked Shizune to marry me."

Kakashi's gray eyes almost popped out of his head. "She said yes?"

"Of course, she said yes," Tenzo hotly replied. Like I would've asked if there had been any chance that she would've said no!

Kakashi hadn't realized that Tenzo and Shizune were that serious, which - looking back - was silly, considering their personalities. "Congratulations to you both, then! Maa, we'll have to go out and celebrate."

"I'd like that,' Tenzo said cheerily, his irritation with his senpai falling away.

Kakashi noticed that his kohai's cheeks were pink and decided to mess with him relentlessly, even more than he usually did.

Tenzo scratched his cheek, unknowingly inviting even more trouble. "Will you be my best man?" he asked quietly.

"Absolutely! I'd be honored but… Yare, yare. You know, all these years, I thought you and I were a sure thing. I mean, I am your beloved senpai."

"Very funny, Kakashi."

Kakashi sighed wistfully, leaning over in his chair, chin in his palm, staring into the imaginary heavens and ignoring Tenazo's growing annoyance. "That we'd be together forever. And then you cheated on me - first with Danzo…"

"SENPAI!" Tenzo pouted more when he saw Naruto turn over; she was shaking with silent laughter. And the Danzo accusation was DISGUSTING!

"And then it was Sai. I continued hoping, even after you two moved in together." Kakashi arched a brow at Naruto who had snorted loudly; she was supposed to be asleep. "Remember that time, I walked in on the two of you naked? Oh, how my heart broke…"

"We had pigs' blood and manure all over us and were cleaning up after you sent us on that awful mission - and you have no heart! Or if you do have one, it's BLACK!"

"Maa, that was the second time I caught you two, Tenzo! –And your sweet words prove you know my black heart so well."

"You ass! If that's true then you cheated on me with Naruto!" Tenzo blushed all over himself at realizing what he'd just said.

"For shame! How could you say that? Leave my poor, beleaguered mate alone."

"I have to kill you now, Tenzo," Naruto slurred, completely outing herself as awake after Tenzo brought her into their lover's quarrel. "I can't believe that all this time you two were pining for each other." Naruto might have meant that on Tenzo's side. He was so devoted to Kakashi who was sometimes relentlessly awful to him. In her last life, she'd been jealous of Tenzo! In this life, she'd been worried for Shizune. Heehee! Just a little. "Congratulations, Uncle Tenzo!"

"What have I told you, Naruto? Don't call me that!"

"A big Senju wedding: I wonder what that will be like," Naruto said to herself, her eyes sparkling with curiosity (and a degree of sleepy mania.)

"Oh, gods. No," Tenzo mumbled, having purposely put out of his mind that Tsunade had forced him into the Senju clan after her findings of how he'd survived Orochimaru. It NEVER came up with Shizune but Tsunade considered his fiance to be her niece which only made his fate worse. That whole clan was full of maniacs: Tsunade, Dragon, Hokage-sama, Naruto, and the Hatake's soon-to-be nightmare devil-children. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no! Maybe we can elope."

"I'll tell baa-chan on you, Uncle Tenzo."

"Don't call me that, Naruto!"

"As Best Man, I guess that puts me in charge of the bachelor party, eh, Tenzo?" Kakashi asked with a bright, masked smile. "It should be pretty easy and cheap, with me popping out of your big cake. To be budget-friendly, I plan to skip the skimpy outfit I would normally have to buy and go bare-ass…."

"STOP IT, senpai! Gr-ross!"

"That's a lie," Kakashi snarked, pleased as all get out. "You wouldn't have asked me had you not wanted senpai popping out of your cake!"

Naruto fell back asleep with a smile on her face, imagining little nieces and nephews - or cousins, whatever they were - with big black eyes that would play with her masked little ones. In her dreams, they were all covered in ice cream for some reason. There was also a cake that had a little Ero-sennin figure on top, standing on his toad in his kabuki pose.

.

Naruto turned this way and that in the bathroom, making sure that no one could see just how much bigger she was (or felt.) She'd had to lose her awesome black cargo pants in favor of the normal stretchy Konoha Jonin uniform, minus the compression tank. Tsunade had bought her "maternity mesh" that would stretch out but still be protective under her clothes, and she'd gone back to wearing a battle kimono since it covered her gut. No, not her gut: "Babies… Puppies!" she grinned at what Kakashi almost always called them as she ran her hand over her stomach. "I don't think anyone can tell."

Kurama jumped out of the hamper. "You think you're big now? Considering what a dwarf you are, you're going to swell up like a ball. I think I'll enjoy pushing you around the streets of Konoha, running over the rats."

Naruto glared at the fox who was pretending to be small and incredibly cute. "Go back into the seal, you pain in the butt."

"No way."

"Asshole."

The top she was wearing today was red with tiny hot pink dart-like accents where the big bands would normally be - and looked pretty good with her LARGER green flak vest. The new vest was not only bulkier but longer. "I can't believe I'm wearing pink - even this much." She normally hated pink! Kakashi bought this top for her. Instead of the normal wrap-around style (or one that looked like it wrapped around,) her battle kimono had a wide square neck that was entirely too deep. Naruto would've never worn it without the mesh and her bandages, of course. But the collar?

What could she say? Kakashi wanted to show off his mark. And the mostly brightly colored tops he'd gotten her were the same - except for the one that was backless.

The flak vest covered most of it. - That or her hair.

"The colors look good with your glowing skin."

"Aww! Thanks, Kurama!"

"You glow like an alien." Kurama clicked his tongue when the hanyou knocked him into the bathtub. One of Naruto's disgusting toads had been hiding in it! He scratched the creepy fucker and it was on.

"You look beautiful. Absolutely stunning," Kakashi said sweetly before giving Naru a deep kiss and then reluctantly pulling his mask on when he let her go. He gave the idiots in the bathtub a passing glance as they chased each other around before reminding himself to bring a flyswatter to keep upstairs. Hopefully, the threat of it would keep them in line. "You ready to go?"

"I guess so. Let's check on the puppies first!"

It was really still hard to tell who the puppy's father was. All of the puppies were different colors, a few with interesting patterns, and it seemed that Kakashi's whole pack was stepping up to be responsible for them which was good because those puppies were beginning to really explore now.

An hour later, Naruto put her ANBU mask back on so she could hide behind it. Her nails dug into her hands so hard that blood began to spill on the Hokage's private training ground.

This had been going on every day!

EVERY DAY, Kakashi and the Hokage spent nearly an hour or more trying to help her "properly" use the Hiraishin.

And beyond that, she kept trying and trying!

"I know you can do this, Naruto," Minato said softly. His daughter was shaking all over and so frustrated, and although he believed what he said - since he had seen her successfully and easily Hiraishin in part of a past life that she couldn't remember - he was beginning to wonder if those remaining seals on her mind were somehow stopping her. Or maybe something within her chakra network... He knew that she also couldn't open the gates, not that he wanted her to. "You've done it before."

"I know what to do; you've explained what to do. I've demystified Lord Second's weird notes and instructions on the Flying Thunder God and… It just won't happen," Naruto said through clenched teeth. "I can still transport to blood and chakra markers or…"

"That's not safe, Naruto," Minato said. They'd been through this

"I get that now and I understand YOUR jutsu completely but I cannot get out of that other dimension - or sometimes even into it - where I want to!"

Minato nodded in understanding; Naruto did seem to comprehend everything about the Hiraishin and he'd heard her go over the intricate details of it with Kakashi especially.

Kakashi thought that maybe it was time to try something else. "I don't want Naruto to slip into that other dimension and get lost, sensei." She might be lost to us since it's an individual stream. But I want her to be able to safely escape if she needs to. That was Senju Tobirama's impetus for creating the jutsu: a way to escape a dangerous position and instantly reemerge in a more advantageous one.

"It's like there's a block that won't let me do it," Naruto admitted sadly. A couple of times, she'd found that place to disappear within but then she never came out at her targeted destination. Now she couldn't even get that far.

"Exactly," Minato agreed. "And you don't remember using the jutsu in the other timeline at all?"

"No," Naruto cried for the umpteenth time. "I know both of you said I used it but… I don't remember doing so at all. I'm incapable of it so I…" I don't know what you imagined I did because this jutsu is beyond me.

Kakashi began gently wiping off her bloody hands but Naruto couldn't look him in the eye. He and her father were being so patient with her but they just didn't seem to get it: she was incapable of some things. Naruto was no genius like they were. Why she was the only person in her family who wasn't a freaking genius when she needed to be so much better than this was beyond her.

Naruto's childhood attack and head injury had fucked her up in some ways that were long-lasting.

.

Two weeks later, they were at a big party at the Senju place - a mansion, really - in the middle of a small, beautifully crafted compound right in the center of the village. The compound was covered with seals and without an invitation, couldn't be seen. Naruto wasn't sure how many times she'd walked right by it until she got a seal placed under her arm that marked her as a Senju.

I'm so branded. Naruto's skin might be turning into a walking advertisement for Konoha.

Since Kakashi still enjoyed being late to almost everything, the party was banging by the time they arrived.

"They're here," Tsunade cheered before dragging Jiraiya over and whacking Kakashi in the head. She was wearing a beautiful jeweled ivory kimono. Jiraiya looked pretty damn snazzy and dressed up, too. "Stop being late to everything! You have to set an example." She shot a look toward Naruto's belly and rolled her eyes when the couple stiffened before Naruto launched herself at her grandfather.

"Ero-sennin!" He must have just gotten back! If not, Naru would kick his ass. "And hey, Uncle Nawaki!"

"Brat," Jiraiya laughed, ruffling her dolled-up hair before he tried to do the same thing to Kakashi - who gave him a dirty look that dared him to try again. Nawaki did the same thing, thinking it was funny. He used a jutsu to make his voice louder. Clearing his throat, the chatter in the room died down. Someone even turned down the music.

"We've got big news!" Jiraiya clapped his hand down on his son's shoulder - his Hokage cloak flying out behind him - just as Minato flashed into the space beside him, which seemed very impressive. Flashy - literally!

"Oh yeah?" Naruto guessed that they thought that she and Kakashi didn't know about Shizune's engagement. She'd assumed this was an engagement party.

Turns out she was right, in a way.

"WE'RE GETTING MARRIED," her grandparents cried. One could only hear the birds outside for several seconds before cheers erupted around them.

"Maa, congratulations!" Kakashi held out his hand and Jiraiya began gleefully shaking it - either that or trying to unscrew/pull Kakashi's arm off: it was hard to tell.

Her father did the same thing and was soon enveloped in a crushing hug from Tsunade. "That's… great," Naruto finally settled on. She hugged both of them and then soon went looking for Shizune. There were quite a few older drunk people here that Naru didn't know but it seemed that many of the shinobis in Konoha were also here. She finally found the younger medic in an unbelievably huge kitchen where a bunch of Akimichi catering was going down, whispering to Tenzo. "Hey, you two. Fancy engagement party."

"NO, I haven't told her," Shizune hissed. She winced when she saw how upset Tenzo still seemed about that. "Oh! I suppose it IS an engagement party. Did you see the rock Jiraiya finally put on her finger?!"

"I did not! But does it rival this?" Naru drawled, showing off (for the first time!) Kakashi's mother's ring. Tenzo looked at it and after a second his eyes popped out of his head, his mouth dropping open so much that it was comical. Naruto grinned, imagining what he was thinking. She pointed to the sealed ring on her other hand. "This is actually my wedding ring. The fancy-schmancy one was Kakashi's mother's although he changed out two of the stones for these." She showed them the delicate dangling earrings that featured the diamonds that were originally in the sapphires' place. "Tonight's the first night I've worn any of them."

Tenzo looked awfully nervous about that ring, bless his heart. Naruto decided she'd have to try to do something about that.

"They're beautiful, Naruto!"

"Thank you, Shizune! I'm not one for jewelry but how can I refuse Kakashi?" Shizune snickered but then bolted when she saw Anko and Kurenai milling around in the crowd.

"How are you doing, Tenzo? What's the deal? I would think this would be a joint engagement party."

Tenzo shook his head as he looked over his former student's head into the crowd of people. Apparently, she was horribly unpopular because he took off in Kakashi's direction without replying to her. Kakashi's hair was always visible to tall people. Naruto romped off to find Tsunade but she looked so damn happy (and WEIRD attached to/hanging onto Jiraiya or anyone) that it made her backtrack and search out her great uncle, who was chatting with Akimichi Chouza.

She stopped and gabbed with Iruka-sensei, and then Genma and Raido for a bit before finally seeing Nawaki talking animatedly to her father.

"Naruto! You look lovely tonight," her father said because he was a politician, Naru figured. He gave her a hug.

"Thanks. I have jewelry on," Naruto showed off uncomfortably. She'd rather be in uniform although she liked her winter-themed fuschia kimono (seriously, there was something wrong with her.) "Kakashi got it for me."

"Maa, it's beautiful and you look beautiful, too!"

Naruto grabbed a drink and made sure it was alcohol-free. "I look fat."

Minato sighed, disagreeing completely.

Naruto grinned up at him. "What do you think of your parents getting hitched?"

Minato snorted and grabbed a drink, ensuring that it smelled like booze. "It's wonderf- it's odd, really." They all smiled in silent agreement. "I'm happy for sensei - and for… Tsunade. I just want them both to be happy."

"They'll be fine; I think this was a long time coming," Nawaki said, surprising them. He only shrugged.

Naruto looked up at Nawaki quizzically and scratched her cheek. "I hope so. God knows Jiraiya's been in love with Tsunade since they were kids. The Pervert thing is what bothers me. Well, it bothers me more that baa-chan supposedly doesn't like perverts and could turn my grandfather-slash-master into paste just for being himself. –Anyway, speaking of marriage and stuff, the bad thing about jewelry is that it makes ya wonder or possibly envious, ya know?" She wiggled the fingers on her right hand. Nawaki shook his head - he and Minato looked at each other, clearly not understanding.

Naru sighed and tried to better explain her thinking. She tended to ramble sometimes. "No one here is 'envious,' I'm sure, BUT if you were a young man that wanted to ask for a woman's hand in marriage and you saw two married women in the family wearing rings with rocks so big they should be illegal, it might be a little daunting, ne?"

Nawaki was swift on the uptake. "Tenzo."

"Yep."

"Oh," Minato gasped, knowing who Tenzo was seeing, fairly long-term, the last he heard. "I don't think Shizune particularly cares for jewelry, Naruto." Minato was fairly sure that Shizune wore a watch and pendant that her brother, Dan, had left for her and that was about it.

"Our family is rich as hell," Nawaki said after a few long seconds of quiet introspection. Minato nearly snorted his drink through his nose while Naruto muttered "it figures."

"We really are," he continued. "And that's even after the way Tsunade-nee gambles. …We have OLD stuff - meaning money and more - and none of us even lived in the compound until just recently! Maa, I'm gonna grab Tenzo and have him pick out a ring. And a house! –You get a house, too, Minato."

Minato sighed and grabbed another drink. Naruto decided to keep an eye on him. Maybe she should also look after Nawaki since he was giving away houses.

"And to think I saved up for your mother's ring for nearly a year."

"That's nice! That shows how much you loved and wanted to make her happy!"

Minato grinned sadly and pulled out the chain that held Kushina's ring; the one that matched his own. "It took quite some time to get the materials from Iron Country. Kakashi-kun did the same thing for your ring but his supplier is in Iwa, oddly enough. I had a blacksmith here in town craft Kushina's once everything came in, and then of course I put the seals on them. Kashi did all the work on your rings, himself."

Naruto knew that: she loved their wedding rings. "They're beautiful, Tou-san." Her father looked very sad - or maybe lonely. That was no good. "Are you going to marry off your parents?"

Minato smiled, looking a little brighter. "I suppose it's my duty to, isn't it?!"

"Do you officiate a lot of weddings?"

"Not as many as I'd like! Let's go get the ball started and pin sensei down on a date!" He got pulled in every direction and sadly lost his daughter in the crowd of people. He grinned as he realized when he later got a glimpse of her: Naruto was a short little chatterbox entertaining everyone.

After stopping Konohamaru from spiking the nonalcoholic punch, Naru saw Shisui and Itachi. They definitely looked uncomfortable being at the party (or maybe it was simply at being in the Senju Compound) although Itachi was studying the Hashirama-made furnishings and architecture with interest. "Hello, Naruto," he said softly.

"Hey, Itachi! Hey, cousin," Naru grinned at Shisui, enjoying the way he grumbled about it. Kakashi had told her that Shisui had some Senju and Uzumaki lineage so Naruto had gone straight to Tsunade. Senjus were just as adamant about claiming their own as Uzumakis were so Tsunade had started pressing Shisui to move to the Senju compound. Who knew her grandmother was a little insane?

Maybe she had been joking.

Itachi lifted a drink to his twitching lips. "I was admiring the incredible details of the estate - but feel our ancestors are rolling in their graves."

Naruto pulled a face. "As long as they stay in their graves." Both cousins snorted but also looked like they agreed with her. "You guys look nice. Are you here together?" They were wearing almost matching Uchiha formal wear, she guessed.

"Yes?" Itachi asked more than said, not understanding her question.

"Itachi," Shisui deadpanned, "she meant, 'are we here together-together.'" Itachi only tilted his head more, making Naruto grin - although she wanted to coo at how cute he looked doing it. "Like are we an item, Itachi? –As in a couple!"

Itachi blinked several times. "We are cousins." For some reason, Naruto seemed to find that hilarious. Itachi hated when things went over his head. He smiled softly over Naruto's head and Naruto smiled broadly when she saw who that smile was directed at.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto slumped when Kakashi was immediately next to her. He yanked her into him and she elbowed him in the side. Yes, she understood that there was a reason why Kakashi now loathed Sakura and Sasuke - sort of. Kakashi told her that they had failed her and wound up failing the world (which supposedly ended it) but Naruto knew that she was the one who failed it the most. If Sakura and Sasuke were involved, too, that only meant that they went down together as a team. "How are you, Sakura-chan? You look beautiful!"

Sakura looked happy, too. She had a little mark on her forehead which meant that she was successfully saving chakra in a seal there just like she had in Naru's first life. Sakura was wearing a pink kimono that matched her pinned-up hair (it was full of senbons, Naruto was sure) which had red and white camellias swirling up from the bottom of it. On her red obi, though, were crows: it was striking. And considering the way Itachi was looking at her, Naruto had a feeling those crows had a special meaning.

"You look beautiful, too. You're GLOWING, Naruto!"

"Like an alien?"

"Um. No?!" Sakura turned to the Uchihas, vibrating with excitement. "I mastered that earth jutsu, senpai!"

Seeing Naruto look so curious (and why Kakashi was glaring at Sakura, Itachi had no idea,) Itachi explained. "Sakura-san is mastering Tsunade-hime's techniques but I couldn't help but think her fighting style would be enhanced by adding ninjutsu to it."

Sakura nodded excitedly. "Nintaijutsu!" Danzo's goons had forced it on her but now, with her mentor's techniques being gathered under her belt, she was going to be an absolute monster of a kunoichi! She was very determined to beat Tsunade - and to never be in a similar situation to the one she was in with Danzo.

Naruto paled: she could only imagine the horrific damage Sakura could do, considering how hard she hit without adding ninjutsu to her punches. "I use nintaijutsu, too." When I remember to.

"REALLY?! Wow, I use earth techniques to protect my fists with rock!"

Naruto whimpered; Sakura had to be absolutely terrifying to go up against already. "I use wind."

Sakura gasped. "That might rip right through my attacks! We should spar."

"Absolutely not," Kakashi said, flashing his wife away.

Sakura frowned and cupped her cheek before turning back to the Uchihas. "Did I say or do something wrong?"

"Kakashi," Naruto half-whined, half-scolded, "you can't keep doing that. I want to be friends with Sakura-chan!"

"We're leaving as soon as Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade are married."

"W-what?" Naru asked stupidly. "Has something happened? You seem… excited? And worried." Kakashi's eyes widened before they softened.

"No, Naru. No: I'm not excited, per se. But I do have a mission." He frowned when he felt his wife's pulse speed up. He actually was a little excited about this mission but only because he wanted to put an end to the Akatsuki. The idea of being out of the village, however, when his mate was pregnant was unsettling.

"What are you going to do?" Naruto asked, squeezing his hand a little tighter. Kakashi swept down and pulled her flush against him before nipping and licking her glossy lips. She smiled and he stuffed his tongue between her teeth, making her swoon before she flicked him in the side. She tried to step away from him. "C'mon now! Knock it off…"

"You don't mean that," Kakashi knew. He cupped her neck and moved his hand down so that he could almost see his mark on her soft skin. Pressing chakra into it, Naruto panted and fell into him. "We can skip the little ceremony."

"C-ceremony?" Naru asked. "They're getting married tonight?" She gasped and backed up, pointing at him. "Jiraiya briefed you while I was talking to people! He's taking you on this mission, and they're getting married so quickly because he's afraid of dying and nmmmph!" Naru tried to bite him when he kissed her - cutting her off like that - but then he did that thing to her neck with his chakra and thrust his hand inside the fabric of her kimono.

"Let's split," he muttered against her lips.

She pushed him away again although they held onto each other while her head felt like it was spinning. "N-no. My grandparents are getting married: that'sss… kind of a weird but momentous thing."

Naru also needed to see it to believe it. Tsunade and she had talked about how she worried Jiraiya was never going to respond to her affections only a week or so ago!

Kakashi huffed but acquiesced: she was right. "I have to leave mid-morning. I want to go back home soon to spend time with you. Please?"

Naruto felt herself go all soft and mushy and almost agreed to immediately split. Kakashi looked like a kicked puppy and that just couldn't be allowed.

Fortunately, Jiraiya chose that moment to open the door before freezing, having realized what he might have walked in on. "Oops." He looked back and forth between their faces, grinning cheesily before looking up at the ceiling. "Might want to fix your kimono, kid." Naruto began madly straightening hers out and he chuckled. She was only a little disheveled and he was grateful he found the young couple only talking. "It's ti-ime!"

"What's going on, Ero-sennin?"

"I'm marrying the love of my life is what's going on, kiddo," he cheered over his shoulder as he skipped off.

Naruto sighed. That's not what she meant. Why is this wedding happening so quickly? And what did you learn while you were out of the village, Jiraiya?!

Five minutes - FIVE MINUTES - later, she was standing next to Shizune, the bewildered maid-of-honor, across from Nawaki and Tenzo as her father began the ceremony that would unite his biological parents. As concerned as Naruto was about what had brought this on so QUICKLY, let alone the marriage's prospects itself, she could admit to having been one of the many who whooped, hollered, and applauded when the deed was eventually done.

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked like they were on cloud nine.

Less than an hour later, Naruto wanted to walk home. Kakashi wrapped his arm around her, glad that she agreed to leave with him and not stay out so late.

"Did you see Shizune's new ring?" It was really big and green. Maybe an emerald? When they left, the party had re-started after Shizune announced that Tenzo had asked her to marry him.

Kakashi smirked. While Naruto was talking up what seemed like half of Konoha's upper-level shinobis, he got pulled into the whole ring thing. "I was there when he picked it out."

"Really?"

Kakashi looked down at his beautiful wife who was smiling up at him with big sparkly eyes, her cheeks pink from the cold. "You're so beautiful." Her cheeks turned a little redder but she looked away, shaking her head and muttering a very lame "thank you" - and saying that he was more beautiful than she was. He chuckled and tipped her chin back up at him, bending down to kiss her for a second before resuming their walk.

He was glad that she never minded his masked kisses at times like these.

"Tenzo pulled me into it. He was having a fit, nearly hyperventilating over the ring choices he was presented with because how was he going to pay for it - the cheap bastard," Kakashi continued hypocritically, "before Dragon, er- Nawaki smacked him over the head. Tsunade came in looking for us - well, mainly her brother and Tenzo… After going back to her house she returned with some things Dan-sama had left her."

"Really?" Naruto asked again in disbelief. "I - I just can't believe she got past how much she loved Dan. –He was always such a sore spot with her: a never-ending wound!" Most of what I knew of that was in my last life, though.

"Maa, I understand that. I'd never get over you."

Naruto turned to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You'll never have to, right?" she asked him softly.

"Nope," Kakashi confirmed as he looked around to ensure no one else was around. He pulled down his mask and kissed her over and over again. Pulling his mask back up, he knew he needed to get her out of the cold. "We're bound together, mate." Naruto pulled him down again, wanting more kisses; he hummed into her lips, really wanting to lose the mask. "Speaking of mating..."

Naruto giggled. "We weren't talking about mating, we were talking about rings! –I was proud to show off yours, ya know." It had been odd at first and she'd only really shown hers off to her family but the rings definitely got a lot of attention even without her pointing them out.

"I bet my mother would like that." Kakashi scratched the back of his head, wincing. "Maa, I didn't even really talk to her when I was in limbo. Her or my father…"

"Stupid Sage," Naruto cursed the floating old man. Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, aka the Sage of Six Paths, might have brought ninshu to the people and saved them from his insane, megalomaniacal mother but Kakashi deserved to have time with his parents. "I'm sorry." Kakashi sunshinned them to the barrier before they sunshinned again to their home and went inside. "This mission you have: how long do you think you'll be gone?"

"As long as it takes." He took Naru's cloak off, his heart hurting at her expression. "In the morning, I'm going to drop you at the Naras."

"I'm not a child; I can stay here alone," she said firmly.

Kakashi figured that she would say that AND the compound did have excellent barriers. "If you're sure - but I don't want you leaving the barrier without a heavy guard." Naruto started to object but he silenced her with a look. "It's up to you whether you want to be alone here or not - but that's my final word, Naru-chan: you will not be here alone without a heavy presence around and escorting you."

Naru blew out her cheeks as he began shedding clothes. "Alpha asshole."

"So mouthy." He carried her up the stairs. "Maa, as for tonight, I have to make sure you don't forget me while I'm gone." He wiggled his eyebrows at her but the scent of her arousal was suddenly so strong that it made him trip. Second trimester, huh? "You sure are eager." And now I have yet another reason to get back to you quickly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Once in their bedroom, he dropped to his knees and it took all of Naru's will and more not to jump on his face since he was still wearing pants!

Okay, so maybe I do know what you're talking about.