DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe except for Natsumi, here, I suppose!


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

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking


Sakumo finally stepped back into the village in the middle of the night.

He hadn't seen his family in well over three years. Three years! So much could have happened to them in that time…

Yes, he'd run into Konoha shinobi who had told him that his family was well or at least alive but he and Natsu hadn't been allowed to directly contact each other at all. Considering that he wasn't there to protect them, he had to believe that KNOWING that was enough. As he came closer to the Broken Bar, he wondered why it was shuttered; his senses went haywire and he took off in a run toward his family compound.

Only the wolves that had long ago made it their home met him. The place looked like it had been repaired. Shouldn't they be here?

Shit. They're still in the Senju Compound. Or they'd better be. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to get in tonight but found an old friend sleeping in front of the compound's hidden entrance.

"Slacking off, Togo?" The husky leaped up, nearly knocking him down.

"I was faking!" Togo ignored his summoner's mate telling him to calm down and behave himself because he could smell how pleased he was.

Sakumo shook his head tiredly as the husky eagerly ran circles around him, explaining how the pack had gotten bigger. "Maa, maa. Why don't you show me?"

Togo said that Kushina had come up with a seal that would allow him to escort Sakumo into the compound "a long time ago." As the gate opened, Sakumo felt giddy before anxiety washed through his system like a virus. He was knocked on his ass by a Samoyed. "Well hello, there."

"Woof." The Samoyed's tail wagged wildly.

"Sami doesn't say much," Togo explained.

"Sami the Samoyed?" Sakumo asked in near-disbelief.

"Natsumi-sama let Ichika-chan name her!"

Sakumo nodded and thought to himself how that meant - quite obviously - that his pups were talking and naming ninken! Logically, he knew that considering their age but... "Tell me Sami's partnered with Natty, though." Please: the pups are too young to be summoning!

"Oh yeah," Togo said carelessly. He was ready to pull Hatake-sama into the house by latching onto his pants if he had to. "Of course! Are you coming in or what?"

"Yes," Sakumo said quietly. He opened the door to the quiet home and felt his family's chakra wash over him. God: he could FEEL the twins' chakra now. They all at least smelled the same - or their baser scents did. An unimpressed Corgi, of all things, waddled in and sat in front of what had to be a German Shepherd/Wolf hybrid that was sitting silently in the corner, glaring at him.

The Corgi tilted its head and lifted a brown eyebrow at him and Togo. "So this is him then? Our pack's alpha? It's about time!"

"It is," Togo said excitedly, his tail beating against Sakumo's leg as he looked up at the tall shinobi. "This is Mamma Dog. Kakashi-chan named her."

Sakumo bit his lips for a split second, not wanting to be disrespectful by laughing. "Good to meet you. …I'm surprised Natsu didn't wake up." It was actually a little worrisome that none of them did.

"They had a very late night," Mamma Dog said as she looked Natsumi's mate up and down. "The pups have the flu. You might want to clean up before you see Natsumi-sama. Go on, now! Get! –Sir!"

"Right," Sakumo eventually agreed. That was probably for the best. He hadn't had a hot shower in a very long time and he was filthy. Pulling off his sandals, he realized that he was aching all over but needed to ensure everyone was alright. "I'm Hatake Sakumo," he said unnecessarily (he hoped) to the German Shepherd mix.

"Figures. The name's Taeko."

"Alright then. Nice to meet you." So Taeko had an attitude: he could deal with that later. "Thank you all for watching out for my pack," he said with a bow, meaning every word. Padding down the nearby hallway, he found a vaporizer and ANOTHER ninken sleeping between the twins' little beds; they were sharing a bedroom. Tears came to his eyes as he finally saw how big they'd gotten. He found it hard to breathe.

After who-knows-how-long, he stepped back into the hallway and hoped he would still have a place with them. He wasn't quite sure of what to do but found it especially difficult to face Natsumi after all this time.

The Senju home his family was STILL in had a bathroom next to the room the pups were in, so he used that to clean up. As the water heated, he took out his toiletries and chuckled at seeing the kiddie shampoos, toothbrushes (one pink and one green,) and other things that belonged to his two puppies. "Samurai Sai shampoo and conditioner: all in one. Tear-free," he read. Picking up the pink bottle that looked like it had a big, fake gem for a lid, he saw that it advertised that it was "fit for a princess."

He'd just finished rinsing out his hair for the second time (with his own shampoo) when the door opened. Sakumo stilled, unable to move even when he heard a very faint knock on the inside of the door. The shower door opened only slightly - and that's when he finally heard his mate's voice - although she didn't come in.

"Are you real? Are you really here?"

"Y- yeah."

Natsumi STILL didn't come in with him so his feet took him to her. There Natty stood, unbelievably beautiful and looking shocked in all her sunset-haired glory - in a white cotton nightgown held up by white ribbons.

"You're here," she whimpered before jumping into his arms. They smothered each other in kisses, hanging onto one another for dear life. "I was so afraid!"

"Don't cry," he pleaded, kissing and licking away her tears. "Don't cry, baby." He pulled her long hair back in his hand and slid his lips against hers to deepen their kisses.

"I've missed you so much!" Sakumo pulled off her nightgown and then went back to kissing and sucking along her jaw and neck before falling to his knees. Natsumi pulled his hair and ran her hands across his broad shoulders and muscular back. He groaned and ran his tongue all over and around her nipples, groping her ass and sucking every bit of skin he could find into his mouth. She stepped out of her wet panties, kicking them further into the tub. "Bedroom?"

"Yes - absolutely, yes." Sakumo turned off the water as Natsumi stepped out. He almost lost it when he followed her out of the shower to find his mate bending over to pull towels out of the cabinetry below the sink. "I don't think I can wait that long."

His mate bent over the sink and spread her legs. "Then don't."

Natsumi looked into the mirror and found the lover she feared she'd lost. "Please?"

"Holy… Fuck," he stammered as he positioned himself behind her. Part of him couldn't believe this was happening. "Yes, ma'am: I can do... I don't want… you to think… Natty, I've gotta be inside of you!" He pushed her back down, pushing her damp hair off of it so that he could get to it and her neck while trying to keep his wits about him. That was a real problem considering that they could see each other in the mirror - which was crazily hot. Sliding his fingers along her slick heat, he growled and pushed himself inside of her. "You're so TIGHT!"

"Shh," Natsumi giggled as she gritted her teeth. "I don't want to wake them up! God… DAMN you're so big!"

Sakumo pulled back out and began teasing her. "You be quiet." He grinned as his mate shook her head and held onto the faucets as he began to move in and out of her at the steadiest pace he was capable of. It had been a LONG time! Her breasts were filling the sink. "Fuck, you feel so good. –You're gonna be the death of me."

Natsumi shuddered, looking up at the mirror and staring at him as if his words had slapped her in the face, and began sobbing.

"Oh, Natty. Natty, I'm sorry." He pulled out of her, turned her toward him, and wrapped his arms around her. "It's alright. It's - I promise it's alright." Wrapping his nearly hysterical wife in towels before slinging another around his waist, he carried her to the bedroom they'd shared before he had to leave for that years-long godawful mission. Natsumi wouldn't let go of him, so he used his feet to pull down the covers more and then pulled them back over them once in bed. "Shhhh. I'm here, baby."

"Make love to me," Natsumi demanded in a breathy voice.

"Maybe we should talk?" Sakumo didn't want to make her cry!

Natsumi shook her head as she reached down and grabbed his still desperately hard cock, making him hiss. She began pumping. "Fuck me. I need you, Sake!" Sakumo's eyes went wide and Natty thought the worst. "Oh," she breathed as she grabbed the fitted sheet and pulled it between them. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Sakumo asked, bewildered (and exhausted beyond reason. Not to mention stupid-horny.) "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

"Why are you hiding from me?!"

Natsumi bit her lips before the bottom one slowly made its way out of her mouth and trembled. "I'm not." She smiled fakely and then blushed as she looked away. "I've missed you. –I've just missed you a lot. "

I thought you might be dead.

Sakumo wrapped his arms around her even tighter. "I've missed you, too." He scented her, realizing at once that she was afraid … but all that arousal from minutes before was too much. He kissed her, his hands exploring her body as things heated up between them again. Something about the way she wasn't responding like before made him angry. He stopped himself, looking up toward the ceiling, and let out a snarl, NOT expecting Natsumi to moan and grip his shoulders or buck her hips into him at the sound. "You want me to fuck you? I'll fuck you, Natsu."


Sakumo's eyes reopened as soon as he felt a slight dip in the mattress.

"I don't like the way it smells in here."

He turned over slowly, a lopsided smile creeping up his face as he saw Natsumi's cheeks turning red as a beet - her azure eyes blown wide - while HIS SON pressed his nose into his wife's hair.

His son glared and growled at him: it was an adorably ferocious little sound. When he spoke, though, it was in a quiet, stuffy-nosed voice. "Did you hurt Okaa-chan?"

"Kakashi," Natsumi scolded as she pulled him around and on top of her. The heat in her cheeks only heightened as she fully realized that she was only covered in the sheets and that the smell Kakashi didn't like was really recent sex. Oh my God!

"Otousan didn't hurt me." Kakashi ran his index finger over what she THEN realized were probably hickeys on her neck, forcing her to close her eyes in mortification. She wondered if steam was coming off her face.

"Why are you so red?" Kakashi pulled himself closer to his mother and whispered into her ear. "Is that really him?"

Natsumi smiled and sat up, pulling the covers even closer to her chest. "Kakashi-chan, I'd like you to meet your father."

Kakashi observed his father and found that he really did look like him just like everyone said. He still thought he looked a little like his mother, though. They had the same nose, cheeks, and chin. "Hello." He ducked his face back into his mother's hair.

"Kakashi's shy," Natsumi whispered to her husband.

"Don't say that." Kakashi did not whine. He didn't!

"It's nice to finally meet you, Kakashi-chan. I haven't seen you since you were a baby. …Kakashi?"

Kakashi had let out a pained sound. "I don't like the smell!" He grabbed his face with both hands.

Natsumi was initially baffled as she grabbed a tissue for him but Sakumo was already up and moving.

"Of all the things to set it off," he half-grumbled. He quickly climbed back into bed, covering himself and pulling Kakashi off his mother. He pulled a mask over his boy's face. Natsumi nearly squawked but Kakashi let out a sigh of relief and passed out against his father's chest. "Hatake genetics, Natsu. He'll have to wear this now, especially outside, for a couple of years, most likely."

"Oh." Natsumi had read about Hatake's strong senses - and they'd talked about some things while she was pregnant - so she supposed she was lucky that her husband was here for this. And HE was lucky that he was here for Kakashi. It was a little weird that Kakashi had allowed Sakumo to hold and comfort him as usually he was a little terror about anyone touching him that wasn't her or Ichika. It's good-weird, though. Sakumo looked at her strangely as he wrapped a blanket around himself and carried Kakashi back to bed.

She waited for him to come back, even channeling chakra to her ears to find out if he was talking to the kids when the clock continued to tick: on and on and on. The next sound she heard was him leaving the house. "Oh, God," she began sniffling, eventually sobbing into her pillow as she cried herself to sleep with an argument in her mind that even Kurama couldn't help with: he realized he doesn't love me anymore.

No: it's PTSD which they don't even treat now!

No: it's me…


Sakumo paced outside of the house, debating whether or not to go back to his home in the Hatake compound immediately.

What if taking them there doesn't help? His anxiety was through the roof! Sakumo knew that logically, this was all some kind of delayed reaction to war, to… He closed his eyes as the door one house over opened. "Dan," he said, running a hand through the top of his hair. "How are you doing?"

"I'm glad you're back," Dan said seriously. "Although your spiking chakra woke me up."

"Sorry." Sakumo walked toward the nearby pier, knowing that Dan was following him. "How's your family?"

"Great! Nawaki-chan is getting big and wants a little brother or sister. Tsunade's back and… How did it go?" he asked in a darker tone.

"The mission? –Complete. My pack?" Sakumo groaned as he began to pace again. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"It's a lot, huh?" Dan said knowingly. "I was gone for a little over a year and came back to find Nawaki-chan in Natsumi-san's care; Tsunade had been sent on a mission." He chuckled, placing his hands in his pockets. "I didn't know what to do with him."

"Natsumi's not back on active duty, is she?!" Sakumo wanted to make a clone to pound himself for not TALKING to his wife when he first got home. She had just looked and felt so good and… Fuck! He was a horrible person.

"No," Dan let him know, understanding that coming home from war was never easy. The least he could do was allow his friend to vent since he was out.

"You know my mission was to kill those jinchuurikis - those like my wife. –People that didn't have a choice about their burden: just like her."

Dan nodded, looking out at the Naka River. "They tried to take her and your kids, Sakumo."

Sakumo grunted in affirmation. "Iwa and Kumo did: not three of those poor bastards."

One of the Iwa jinchuurikis had escaped Natsumi, Dan, and Tsunade's battle all those years ago. The lava wielder was found to be the one who supplied information on his wife to the Tsuchikage by the Yamanakas. Sakumo had shown him in excruciating detail what a mistake it was to go after what was his. With no henge. And I made his death s-l-o-w.

"Is that what you think of Natsumi-san? -That she's something of a 'poor bastard?'"

Sakumo scoffed. "Of course not."

They sat in silence together before discussing when each thought this horrible war would finally be over.

Sakumo sighed heavily. "I don't know when it's going to happen. To get out of Lightning, we had to fight - or flee - the fucking Raikage." Dan looked shocked and then cracked up, laughing. "You asshole! That man's terrifying!" He let out a chuckle anyway and smoothed his hair out, top to bottom before grabbing a ponytail holder from his pocket and wrapping the thick, damp silver strands behind his head. "Hokage-sama ordered me back after that. Finally," he said under his breath.

"Natsumi has to be pleased."

"I guess." No honorific with my wife's name, huh? –He'd used one before. That meant that Dan and Natsumi were CLOSE. Jealousy burned through him and Sakumo dropped to sit on the pier as the sun rose. He knew better than to think something was going on between them: he really did. Tsunade would rip Dan to pieces if nothing else. He took Dan up on the offer for coffee but didn't say anything else until a chibi ran away from Natsumi who had apparently come looking for him with a pack of ninken he didn't really know.

"Ichika, wait," Natsumi yelled. She had a feverish Kakashi in her arms but when her son told Ichika that their father was home, Ichika couldn't stand waiting for him a moment longer.

Her daughter was so hyper! With her, it was like raising a chibi Naruto-2.0.

Kakashi? He was just the opposite.

Sakumo stared at the little one, blinking stupidly. She had lots of wild hair down past her shoulders and although there was a slightly pink cast to it in the light, it was mostly silver. Big azure eyes blinked back at him. She pointed at him rudely. "Oi! You' weawwy O'osan?"

Behind her, Natsumi facepalmed. "Ichika-chan! What have I told you about pointing at people? And yes," Natsumi said, standing up straighter. "This is your father. …Sakumo-kun," she continued - and there was either anger or sadness there (Sakumo wasn't sure) - "I'd like you to meet Ichika-chan. Your daughter."

Sakumo tried to make his tongue work. "Hi." His daughter jumped into his arms and thank God Dan left because he began to cry. He thought he'd hidden it pretty well, though. He hoped.

"Don' cwy," Ichika insisted. "I didn' dink you were weawwy weaw. –Weal-llllah!"

"Real," Natsumi confirmed quietly, swallowing down the bitterness that had eventually come from their separation. She knew her husband's assignment wasn't his fault so those feelings that sometimes popped up were ridiculous! "She didn't think you were real."

"I knew he was," Kakashi mumbled into her neck through his mask.

Sakumo got his act together, standing up with his little girl in his arms. He put his forehead against hers, inhaling her scent. "She's got a fever."

"They both do," Natsumi sighed. "Tsunade said that since it's a virus, we have to wait it out. —But you need to come back inside, Cheeky-chan!"

"Don' wanna."

Sakumo couldn't help but laugh at the way Natsumi's eyebrow twitched. "This one's a handful, I'm assuming?"

"I am," Ichika said proudly. Then she grabbed her nose. "Ewww! It huuuuts!"

Sakumo ran inside with her, finding another mask.

Natsumi followed behind him, putting the similarly masked Kakashi down beside her daughter on the couch. "Does that feel better, Cheeky?"

Holy wow: her kids were wearing blue masks. It was a little…creepy the way Kakashi looked so much like the Hatake Kakashi she remembered with it on. Her little boy was her Kakashi, though: not the other one that once commanded her.

Ichika nodded, not knowing what her parents were going through. "Yeah. I'm sweepy." She curled into Kakashi and quickly dozed off.

Natsumi bit her lip. In a low voice, she tried to explain something - anything - about her (our) kids since Sakumo was just staring at them as they slept. "They're incredibly close but so different." She couldn't help but smile at them. "They meet the milestones they're supposed to early - and always within days of each other, ya know? But personality-wise? They're… just so different." They remind me a lot, personality-wise, of Naruto and me at this age.

Naruto had been the wild one, always seeking attention, while she had been the shy one. Although she had almost always been angry while her little Kakashi was mostly happy.

"Sometimes I think Kashi-chan's so quiet because Cheeky talks so much." Sakumo snorted and sat down, petting the kid's hair and feeling their faces for fever again.

Natsumi went to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast for everyone, wondering if Sakumo's feelings had changed for her. It was selfish, but she couldn't shake off a bad feeling about everything right now. What has he been doing all this time? Has he met someone else? She'd tried not to idealize him coming home but as the months and then years went by, she had feared that he'd been killed in action.

And that no one bothered to tell me.

That was dumb… She had to go to horrid council meetings in his place and surely would have been told then if at no other time. Now that he is back, though, "Lord Third will want me back on active duty."

Sakumo's hackles rose. "I beg your pardon?"