DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe. This Natsumi is mine, though. So is Ichika! And little Haruka.

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

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

"I really like you pregnant: all the back talk, mouthiness, the insanity," Sakumo continued as he took his life into his hands. "I wish you could be pregnant after this again. Maybe I made a mistake."

Natsumi scoffed at the sad man. "Well, you and you alone wish for that. After these two, that's it! I need to concentrate on my family - and on my career of course." Natsumi pulled over her journal and started madly writing down ideas for a curry beer - or maybe one that's super sweet or spicy. Slapping her pen down on the kitchen island, she brought up something far more important.

"I think I know where to start. We need to either replace or seal Nagato's eyes." Sakumo looked surprised but continued fussing over the curry he was making although he did look up at his wife with furrowed brows.

He hummed. "That'll be a weird conversation."

"It would be. I'm sure it will be terribly uncomfortable."

Speaking of weird conversations, Sakumo had a doozy with Kushina-chan just yesterday.

"Do you think it's possible to send someone through time with a seal? As in, send someone to the past or to the future?" Sakumo asked.

"Sure," Kushina shrugged as she worked on a seal. She reached up to scratch the bridge of her nose and smeared ink up her face, something Sakumo always found amusing. Natsumi often did the same thing. "Anything's possible with seals. Why? Are ya freakin' out that you're about to have FIVE half-Uzumakis, 'ttebane?" she teased. "That's your own damn fault, you pervy old man!"

"Jeez, Kushina! I was just asking: there's no need to insult me with lies," he lied. He broke out in a fit of barking laughter as he thought about how his pups were somehow this girl's grandchildren - then balked at imagining Kushina-chan being his MOTHER-IN-LAW. Sakumo cleared his throat. "You know I'm looking forward to when the twins are born! I thought you were, too."

"Well, yeah," she drawled in an obvious tone. "Anyways, if you want a time-travel seal but don't want to use it to escape, is it to get rid of Kashi-kun? You realize that kid's a total brat, right?" In a lower voice, she continued to tease, "Riki-chan's turning into a little nightmare, too, thanks to him!"

Of course, I know. I live with him, Sakumo mused. "He's my heir and YOU are the one who is a brat."

"Thank you!"

"...And Haruka is only two. I'm sure she'll," get worse is what he wanted to say. –Or didn't want to, he wasn't sure. Haruka was shaping up to be a very interesting person, of that Sakumo was positive. Just like his son! "Kashi-kun takes after his mother, according to Natsumi-chan, by the way."

"Yeah, she's said that," Kushina chuckled before her expression became pinched. "She said that she was a very unhappy and lonely kid, though. –Kakashi-kun's not like that, I hope. I mean, he's just usually obnoxious but seems happy and overly confident enough."

"He is a happy kid and certainly not lonely. He's a good boy; he just has a certain… quirky attitude."

Kushina nodded. "He's arrogant yet somehow endearing."

"Thank you, Kushina: that's a very good description - at least for Kashi at face value."

"Sakumo-jiji," Kushina said a while later. Sakumo could see that she was unusually serious and he waited for her to gather her thoughts despite his irritation at being called something similar to "Grandpa" again. "Are you asking about a seal like that because you've run into one? Or is it because maybe you've run into someone who's time-traveled as a result of that kind of seal?"

Sakumo hummed, wondering just how smart Kushina was - and how well she hid that cunning intelligence from those who hadn't seen her work at the hospital or barrier division. "Can't say I've ever seen a seal like that. It was mainly curiosity... What makes you ask?"

Kushina stared off into the distance. "Just wondering."

Sakumo noticed her worriedly gazing at a happy Natsumi a while later, her eyes shifting toward Minato - back and forth - and tearing up repeatedly.

Shit.

"We should tell Jiraiya," Sakumo said (getting off of that train of thought) - and not for the first time. Jiraiya had been wondering/complaining about that prophecy the toads had given him for years now and believed that Nagato was the Child of Prophecy after earlier thinking that Minato was. Nagato had the Sage's eyes, so yeah: Sakumo got why Jiraiya had changed his opinion on that.

No, according to Natsu, they're Madara's eyes: that thought brought a shiver up his spine. And Nagato was able to destroy Hanzo and Konoha with those eyes, according to Natsu.

WHY did he let his wife talk him into keeping Nagato in Konoha when he was so potentially dangerous?! Not that Sakumo could do much about that now. When Hokage-sama had begrudgingly met the kids, he looked like he was salivating when he took a good look at Nagato-kun.

Both of the younger men - Minato and Nagato - spoke of peace but Sakumo figured that was a result of the Sannin's influence. Just because the "Child of Prophecy is supposed to be Naruto," (again according to Natsumi,) Sakumo hoped that all of the Sannin's students would have a chance at positively influencing the shinobi world's future.

"Are you okay?" Natsumi asked as she sipped her decaffeinated tea. "I can take over cooking if you want."

"No," Sakumo said, appreciating that they were alone and that even their summons were all outside. Haruka was in her room, playing. "Hokage-sama asked me to begin training to eventually take his position; not soon but…"

"What did you tell him?" Natsumi's heart had begun to race in her chest, her anxiety going through the roof.

"Maa, I was going to say that him asking me such a thing meant that he finally forgave me for my 'stunt,'" he said (meaning what went down in Kumo.) "But now he's unhappy with me again."

"So you turned him down?" Natsumi wasn't sure whether that should be a relief or not. Sakumo would probably be safer as the Hokage (but not the Hokage-designate, she figured,) but she knew that the job was terrible for village leaders' families.

Tsunade had even told her a story of some of the rows her grandparents had regarding Hashirama's work hours - and how he rarely spent time with his family unless it was with her. (Tsunade had even laughed, saying that Lady Mito had accused her husband of being in love with Madara - something Natsumi thought made a lot of sense for more than one reason - although she didn't mention that to her close friend.) Supposedly the First Couple's arguments about all of it influenced Senju Tobirama to never have a family - so that he could fully devote himself to the village without guilt.

That conversation had led to Dan rethinking his position on the whole Hokage thing.

Sakumo nodded. "I did. I mean, it's an honor but - not an honor I need, right?"

Natsumi's eyes filled up with tears. Oh God, how she hated being pregnant and emotional! "Do you want to be Hokage?" Am I holding you back?

"Hell no; it's a TERRIBLE job. You know that!" He stirred the rice more before hiding a few peppers he felt it could use, quickly cutting them up, and tossing them into the pot. "I reminded him that I was about to be a father of FIVE."

"He has four kids, doesn't he?" Natsumi asked, wiping the tears from her face.

"I'm not him." He smiled and kissed her repeatedly before letting her have a taste of dinner. "You're so emotional and cute."

"Hush! I'm like a land-locked whale and you know it. …Mmm; that's pretty good! If you put a bunch of vinegar in that, your curry would be really good! Or maybe some kind of brine?"

Sakumo stared at her, trying not to gag before his face went slack again, used to her weird cravings by now - although that particular request was really gross. "I'll put some on yours when I dish it out. How's that sound?" He snorted when Natsumi looked so thrilled with his awful suggestion. He raised his eyebrows as Kakashi ran into the house, sweaty and wide-eyed, and then hid under the sink.

"I didn't do it!"

Natsumi grinned. "What didn't you…" Minato had just run in sporting light pink - well, a LOT of light pink. "Wow."

"Where is that brat?" Minato asked and began snooping around the kitchen. He found Kakashi within seconds and held him up, under his arms, to his eye level. "You are in so much trouble!"

Kakashi was hanging in the air and kicking but couldn't get a really good blow in on his sensei. "Haruka did it!"

"She's two! You expect me to believe that?"

"Ichika promised she didn't do it and you believed her so why don't you believe me?!" It was clear to everyone that Kakashi was furiously pouting underneath his mask.

"Because Cheeky-chan admits her pranks. You don't: you little shit…"

"MinAto!"

"Sorry, Natsu. …You! Chibi silver fox: you are coming with me! You are in for HELL!" He dragged her shrieking son out and Natsumi went to check on Haruka - who was leaning against her bedroom's door frame and SMIRKING!

"Haruka-chan! Did you dye your uncle's hair and vest pink?" Natsumi couldn't' believe it. It wasn't possible, was it? How could a two-year-old do something like that?

"Maa, Kaa-chan. I don' know what yo talkin' about." Just because Haruka preferred Kakashi's "cool and hip attitude" as Gai-kun called it, didn't mean that she couldn't also emulate her big sister. She might need a little help right now from her babysitters, but one day she'd do it all herself and prank EVERYONE. Bwahahaha!

Natsumi gave her baby girl a very stern look but it didn't do any good. Damn! Haruka-chan has a really good poker face!

Weeks later -

Sakumo knocked on the door with Haruka perched on his hip. He hoped this would go easily. Who was he kidding? This was Tsunade! "Yo!"

"Yo, yourself," Tsunade said as she took Haruka and gave her a quick kiss. The (big) little girl struggled to get down and run away to go find Yamato, she was sure. "What are you doing here and where's Natsumi, Wolfman?" Sakumo chuckled in a way that was not reassuring. "What did you do to her?"

Sakumo lazily put both of his hands in the air as if to prove his (lack of) innocence. "I didn't do anything. I just wanted to give her a break and was hoping you can watch Riki-chan when I'm at work?" The seconds began to tick by.

"Haruka-chan, come here a second," Tsunade yelled behind her, still not letting the wolf into her house.

Sakumo put his hands on his hips. "Aw, c'mon, Tsunade!"

Tsunade ignored him. "Haruka-chan, is your Kaa-chan alright?"

Haruka put her hands in her pockets, leaned against the door jam, and looked at her father and aunt with her silver eyebrows ruffling as she struggled to strike a certain look. "Maa, I dink so. She was stuck in bed and couldn' get up dis mornin'."

"Is that right?" Tsunade drawled, giving Sakumo the stink eye. "Go on and play with Yamato, sweetheart; I need to have a talk with your wolf father." Sakumo smiled at them both innocently and she shut the door behind her just as Dan tried to say hello from the hallway he could see into. "Did you two have sex again?"

Sakumo groaned. "It's not my fault! And it's none of your business." Natsumi was a needy, greedy little sex maniac right now. All in all, he was glad that he had put his ANBU mask on after entering the compound.

"As her physician, it IS my business - and don't you try to tell me that it's not your fault! Sakumo, we are trying to keep her from going into labor so the two of you can leave… and Orochi and I can get any equipment we'll need there," she added in a whisper.

"I know. I know," Sakumo said guiltily. He really did have a kink/problem, didn't he? At least the whole thing was focused on his wife. My wife who has very notable cravings.

The fact was that they'd done this before and, according to the literature, they had more than enough time before sex would be concerning. Everyone was just being extra-careful with Natsu for… For so MANY reasons. "So, you'll watch Riki-chan?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes; she was supposed to be off today. "I suppose. You'd better have Natsu guarded well and stick around the village!"

Sakumo nodded. "Hokage-sama has promised that I wouldn't be sent out for the next several months, minimum - if I ever have to leave again - aside from going to the Farm. The kids are training at the compound this week, working on stealth and tracking."

Nawaki came out of the house with Dan. "Yo! …Hey, kiddo!"

"Ohayo," Dan grinned. "I was just going to walk Nawaki to your house. He's training with the twins and lovebirds, right?"

"Hai," Sakumo agreed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose as he thought about Minato and Kushina. And the three Genins. At least they'd all watch out for Natsumi - and hopefully, their summons would survive their nonsense. Kushina had been lecturing a very petulant, pouting, and temporarily bedridden Natsumi when he left, and Minato was glaring at him while spinning one of his weird kunais. "I'll see you at HQ."

Sakumo met Jiraiya on the way there - and he was being followed by his teenage ducklings and their dog. "Yo! What's up?"

Jiraiya looked VERY excited. "I'm trying to talk these three into applying for Konoha citizenship!"

"So you all got cleared?" The kids nodded and even the dog seemed enthusiastic. The teens didn't look any worse for wear from being at T&I to ensure they didn't have enemy affiliations, etc., and Sakumo thought that they all might even look a little healthier - as if they'd put on some weight.

That was unusual for anyone visiting the kind, gentle, caring halls of Torture & Interrogation (ha!) but Jiraiya had a lot of respect and pull in the village.

The kids were also certainly wearing warmer clothes now. "That's great news," he said, rubbing his chin and thinking about the whole "sealing Nagato's eyes" thing. At least here, they could have more control over this powerful kid, as bad as that sounded. They could help him. Maybe. "I think you'll like Konoha. Where's Uzu-chan today?"

"With Orochi," Jiraiya chirped. "That guy was born to be a mother." Sakumo laughed and the kids all looked terribly uncomfortable - although both boys seemed to nod. "He wants to adopt her. Ha! He's even got an Academy kid babysitting when he's on duty that he's grown quite fond of. I wouldn't doubt that he wants to adopt her, too."

Sakumo wasn't surprised and he figured that Jiraiya wasn't either. He knew that Orochimaru had been driving his subordinates crazy with his ever-changing work schedule since he took little Uzu in. "That will leave you two with a lot to discuss."

"It means WE have to talk to him," Yahiko insisted. "If Uzu's stayin' we gotta stay, too."

"Maa, I guess that's good," Sakumo smirked. "Then - and I know this is early but - welcome to Konoha."

.

Sorry that this chapter is a little short. Although, lately, the chapters in all of my stories have tended to run on and on. It's hard to find a balance. I hope y'all will put up with me!