This chapter is for Hektols who said a couple of weeks ago:

"...the dogs meeting their [Kakashi and Sakura's] children after they are born."

So, here you go!

P.S.- Karin's name means "Summer Forest".

"Are you ready for this?"

Sakura looked Kakashi in the eye determinedly and tightened her grip on the handle of the baby carrier, straightening her spine and shoving her shoulders back. "Yeah. Go ahead." She told him, watching as her husband opened up the front door to their apartment.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Cherry Blossom!"

"Cherry-chan!"

"You're BACK!"

Sakura winced and watched as Kakashi stood in the doorway, blocking every attempt his ninken made at getting out and getting to Sakura. It was kind of amusing, really, watching a full grown man battling it out with eight talking and overly excited dogs, especially when Bull came lumbering over and tried to nudge past the man to get a peek.

"Hey! Hey now! Calm down or we're leaving." Kakashi told them all threateningly, and Sakura rolled her eyes at him. They were ninja dogs, if they left they'd just find them. Really, he was going to have to get better with his threats if her wanted to be good at the whole parenting thing.

"Calm down," Sakura said quietly, peeking beneath the soft blanket to make sure that the ruckus hadn't disturbed what was hidden beneath. "Or else I won't make any of you dinner for a week." She smiled sweetly up at them as they immediately silenced, shooing them back.

"Now then, let us in and I'll show you what we brought home."

After everyone had gotten settled around the couch that Sakura was sitting on she pulled the blanket off of the carrier, gently slipping her hands in to slowly lift up the small form that had been housed in it.

"This," She said softly, almost reverently, "Is Karin."

The dogs crowded closer to the sleeping baby, sniffing the air around her to get accustomed to her smell, staring down into her scrunched up red face curiously.

"This is your pup?" Shiba asked, his head tilting as he puzzled over something in his mind. "Is is supposed to look all... squishy?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and chuckled, looking down at Karin -her daughter- and smiling. "Yes, Shiba, and Karin is a girl, not an it. But she's not squishy, she's perfect." From the little tuft of white hair that stood straight up atop her head to her ten little fingers and her ten little toes, she was absolutely, positively, beautifully perfect.

Seeing the pleading looks on their faces Sakura sighed and leaned over a bit to allow the dogs a closer look, letting each of them gently sniff the baby, nuzzling their noses lightly against her. Shiba, however, was a bit too exuberant when it came to be his turn and ended up nudging the baby the wrong way, waking her unhappily up.

Karin started to squirm, her tiny arms and legs twitching around as her face scrunched up in distaste, her shrill screams surprising all of the ninken.

"What happened?" Shiba yelped as he jumped back, his eyes wide. "Did I break her? What did I do?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and adjusted her hold on the baby, rubbing her back soothingly as she began to rock back and forth.

"You didn't break her, Shiba, you just surprised her. She isn't used to all of you just yet, that's all." She murmured, smiling as the baby's cries died off after a moment more. "There, see? All better now."

Shiba nodded and inched closer now, extremely careful and hesitant now. "Yes, I'm sorry, Little Forest." Sakura blinked at the dog and his strange nickname, trying to figure out how he had gotten that one. "I'll be better now, just don't do the loud screamy thing again."

"My name is Shiba and these over here are Pakkun, Bull, Urushi, Bisuke, Akino, Uhei, and Guruko. We'll all play together and have a lot of fun together once you aren't so red and squishy. Over there is Pakkun's chair -don't sit in it or else he'll bite at you, and it really hurts your nose- and that is Bull's rug. That is Akino's table and he stays under there most of the time, but don't ask him why, he'll only tell you that it's a ninja secret. At least that's what he tells me. That's my favorite pillow, but don't worry, I'll let you use it, and that's my favorite spot to have my bones over there. Over there is-"

"Shiba, that's enough," Sakura gently interrupted, holding back her amusement, "We don't want to overwhelm her. She just got here, after all." Shiba nodded and Sakura smiled at him, standing up with a little help from Kakashi.

"Where are you going, Cherry-chan?" Bisuke asked, all of the dogs immediately getting up to follow her. Sakura rolled her eyes and held back a chuckle, thinking that they all looked more like worrying mother hens than life threatening ninja dogs that were able to tear you limb from limb.

"To our room. Karin will be staying in there with us until she gets a little bit older." The dogs all nodded and made understanding sounds as they all followed as close as they possibly could to Sakura as she walked to the room, and she shared an amused look with Kakashi over the little procession that was following her.

Once in the room Sakura went around the bed and placed the baby into the darling little bassinet that Ino had given them at the baby shower, brushing a finger reverently down a silky smooth cheek before stepping back and almost ramming right into the lurking form of Bull.

"Sakura, what did you put little Karin in that?" Sakura blinked down at Urushi, for a moment even questioning her motives before she managed to remember.

"She's going to sleep in it while she's in here and then we'll move her into a crib when she goes into her own room."

"She's not going to sleep with you and Kakashi?" Sakura shook her head and started towards the door.

"No, she's way to tiny. What if we roll over during the night on top of her?" The dogs nodded that they understood and Sakura left the room to go to the living room, joining Kakashi on the couch with a weary sigh.

"Well, they seem exited." Kakashi said conversationally and Sakura flopped across him with a groan so that she was laying bodily across his lap.

"They're like a group of children with a shiny new toy. I was worried for a second that they'd start fighting over who she belonged to after another minute."

Kakashi chuckled and started to smooth down her hair and Sakura let herself relax at his touch, only opening her eyes and lifting her head when the silence suddenly hit her. It was never ever this silent in the apartment unless the ninken and Kakashi were trying to hide something from her, and she really didn't think that they had had the time to get into any trouble since she and Kakashi had gotten back. Sharing a look with Kakashi they both got up and made their way back to the bedroom, peeking in and blinking at what they saw.

All of the ninken sat around the bassinet, staring at it intently as they stayed on alert as if at any moment some enemy nin would be breaking through the window to attack the precious person they were now guarding. None of them even looked back at Kakashi and Sakura, far too intent on their little charge to break their concentration for a moment.

Sakura turned to lean back against the wall beside the door, covering her mouth as she lightly laughed.

"Oh, oh God." She gasped, "We have the only baby in the world that has her own personal guard of ninken. She's going to grow up more protected than any ANBU guarded Hokage children ever though about being."

Kakashi leaned against the wall on the other side of the door, tilting his head back. "Do you want me to call them off?"

"Oh no," Sakura said, waving him away. "I think it's sweet. And it's not like they're bothering anything."

Sakura sat up as Karin's cries split through the air, blearily blinking at the bassinet as she slipped her legs over the side of the bed. Reaching into the bassinet for Karin, murmuring soothingly to her as she lifted her up, Sakura checked the small diaper.

"Cherry-chan! Is Forest-chan okay?" Bisuke asked as he practically jumped up onto the bed beside her, dancing around her legs agitatedly.

"Yeah," Sakura yawned, feeling the tempting tug of sleep that only sheer maternal force was holding off. "She's just hungry."

"Oh," The ninken said, sitting down to watch since he knew the baby wasn't dying now, no matter how loud her cries were, "Okay."

Sakura was lifting up Kakashi's shirt that she had worn to sleep up when she felt the prickle of those two wide eyes staring at her. With a sigh Sakura let go of the shirt and soothingly rubbed circles over Karin's tiny back, silently asking her to hold on for a few more seconds.

"Bisuke, can you please leave the room for a few minutes?" She asked, the dog blinking at her and tilting his head in confusion.

"Why?"

"I need to feed Karin."

"Oh." There was a beat of silence before he asked the question that Sakura could see coming from a mile away. "Why do I need to leave?"

"Because."

"Well," He huffed as he settled down on the floor, lowering his head to his paws. "That isn't a very good reason."

Sakura nearly groaned, turning to Kakashi since she knew that he'd be able to do... something.

"Kakashi, make your ninken leave the room." Kakashi didn't bother opening his eye and only sighed wearily, wondering why Sakura hadn't done anything to stop Karin's crying. Hadn't she said that she was hungry?

"Why?"

"Because," Sakura growled, beginning to rock Karin, "I don't really feel like flashing my girls at your dogs."

Kakashi sighed again before snapping his fingers and pointing to the door, Bisuke grumbling as he followed the order.

Settling back into her pillow Sakura lifted up her shirt and guided Karin to her breast, closing her eyes as the baby fed.

"Do I have to leave too?" A low, husky voice asked from beneath the bed, making Sakura jump the tiniest bit.

"Are you going to stay down there?"

"Yes."

"Then no, you don't have to leave, Akino."

Sakura leaned her head back against the headboard and closed her eyes again, only moving again when Karin was finished eating so that she could burp her, wiping away the little bit of milk that had escaped the suction of her tiny lips.

"Did you just wipe that up with my shirt?" Kakashi grumbled and Sakura rolled her eyes as she settle Karin back in the bassinet.

"It's a part of nature, Kakashi, so stop being squeamish. And you get blood all over your clothes all the time on missions."

"That wasn't blood though." Sakura slid back underneath her blankets and curled on her side, yawning again as she prepared to go back asleep, knowing that she'd be woken up again in a few hours and would need as much rest as she could get.

"If you don't shut up and let me go to sleep I can promise you that there will be some blood on it." She told him threateningly. "I'll wash your damn shirt, so just go to bed."

There were a few moments of silence where Sakura was lulled into a false sense of security before Kakashi spoke up again.

"It isn't like it's that big of a deal..." Sakura reached out with her hand and dug her nails into his arm to get him to stop, a killing aura radiating off of her.

"You. Will. Die." She warned him darkly, "Go. To. Bed." Sakura finished, hissing as she released him and turned away, just in case she was tempted to do something absurdly violent to him.

She didn't want to wake the baby with all that noise, after all.

Sakura tried her very best not to scream or have a nervous breakdown. It was extremely difficult but she was somehow winning the war that was currently raging between her and her nerves, but that was liable to change at any given moment.

Especially if the dogs didn't back up and give her her space.

It was adorable that they were so attached to Karin, everyone said so, but they didn't have to be quite so... close.

Every day and every night, it didn't matter what time or place or who else was there, at least one of them was right there at Karin's side no matter what and it was driving her completely insane.

Currently it seemed that Bull was on guard duty, and no matter what she moved for, even if it was to get up and grab the remote, as long as Karin was in her arms that huge hulking dog was lurking right there behind her. Getting up to get a bottle of water from the fridge Sakura prayed for a few moments of peace, but it was not forthcoming since Bull was right on her heels.

She didn't care if he was able to move in complete silence and she didn't care that he was always quick to move when ever he found himself in her way, he was always right there behind her and she could feel his hot, wet breath on the back of her neck.

With a short sound of frustration Sakura turned right back around and laid Karin down on one of the sofa cushions, pointing to Bull threateningly. "Make sure nothing happens to her." She warned him and then watched as he settled down in front of the cushion, staring down at Karin with a light of pride and protectiveness in his eyes as he silently defended his ward.

Now how could she stay mad at that?

Going into the kitchen Sakura got her water and then decided to make herself something to eat while she had the chance, throwing together a small sandwich and eating it quickly as she sat on top of the counter. Even knowing that there was a dog as big and as dangerous as a bear protecting her child in the living room, Sakura didn't feel quite right when she was away from Karin, like something was about to go wrong at any minute.

She came out of the kitchen in time to see Shiba over next to Karin, nudging a ball towards her with his nose.

"Little Forest, don't you want to play with me? Huh? I even brought you my favoritest ball." He urged her, inching the toy closer and closer to her as he spoke.

Sakura shook her head and came over, picking up Karin and then setting down with her, leaning back against the cushions.

"Sorry, Shiba, but she's too little to play." She told him, watching as his face fell.

"It's already been a month!" He whined, placing his head on her knee as Bull lumbered over to stretch out on his favorite rug. "When can she play?"

Sakura reached out and scratched the top of his head sympathetically. "About a year, I'd say." She told him, watching as he flopped backwards to wriggle and roll around as if mortally wounded.

"A whole year?!" He moaned, whimpering. "That's forever! Can't you make her hurry up, Cherry Blossom?" Sakura shook her head, forcing her face to stay sympathetic and not amused like it wanted to be.

"No, I'm sorry Shiba but I can't." The dog continued to pout and whine until Sakura stood up, perking up as if nothing had ever been wrong.

"Calm down," She warned him, "I'm only going into my room so that I can put Karin to bed for a while." He nodded and both dogs got up.

Sakura had to hold back a groan at this as she wondered how long they could possibly keep this up. It couldn't possibly go on forever, could it? And then she was only able to feel sympathy for the small child in her arms as she thought over what a hell her future would be like if this continued on, especially into the dating years.

Oh, and for the confusion in the last chapter, Tenten was the one telling them that she was pregnant, not Sakura. They already knew about Sakura's baby (along with half of Konoha, thanks to Naruto)

I was looking up the meanings of all of my kids' names after I looked up Karin's and did you know that Jiro is an actual Japanese name?

Don't give me that look.

It means "Second son", and we're just going to ignore that and pretend that it's second child, okay?

And Mino with two 'o's is a name in Afghanistan.

It's just that I got most of my names from mangas I really like (bet you can't guess!), but on some I was a little lost and I didn't have any internet so I just moved letters around in names I already knew until I liked them and they looked Japanese. (I did this with Kori, Mino, and Jiro)

No judging.

Well, that's all for now (I think). Stay fresh!