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

Kushina couldn't stop her bubbling (and maybe even cackling) laughter as she followed Minato and the brats at a distance as they went on another dreadful D-ranked mission. This time the kids would be cleaning a bathhouse and she had to shake her head at her boyfriend who almost seemed excited by the sheer idea of it.

"This is a perfect time to let our teamwork shine, just as we make everything in the onsen shine like new," she heard him loudly proclaim.

Honestly, Minato! You don't have to pump positivity out of your ass 24/7!

Then she heard something obnoxious about them for the third time this morning: either children or civvie girls nearly squealing behind them.

"That's Team 7: the most stunning, mysterious team in Konoha!"
*SQUEAL!*

Kushina threw back her head and laughed and laughed and laughed. When she finally calmed down and went her own way, she wiped a tear from her eye. "More like the biggest brats in the Elemental Nations!" Oh, she couldn't wait to tease Minato and the kids about this.

They were a pretty stunning team, though, Kushina could admit that. She hoped that wouldn't get them targeted in the future - if they remained a team. Minato with his bright blonde hair, Kakashi-brat with his wild silver that refused to lay down - much like Minato's but far worse. Cheeky-chan's lightly pink-tinted silver hair that at least was slightly tamed since she wore it in pigtails, and then Nawaki-brat's long, pale blue hair? Not to mention that the two Hatake brats wore masks: Kakashi's was always dark blue but Ichika's masks varied from pale to hot pink and even orange on occasion.

Those masks have to be where the "mysterious" element of their team comes in, I guess.

As she made her way to the bar, Kushina heard a couple more girls talking about how handsome Minato was and thought about what the younger her would've done to them. I woulda pounded them good! She wasn't that girl anymore - and chibi Kushina would've NEVER been interested in Minato of all people (or any boy,) anyway.

Oh, Minato, she thought dreamily. "Look what you've done to me, you dork: you've turned me into a damn fangirl." Sticking her finger in her mouth and gagging, a few shinobis moved away from her. "Natsumi!" Kushina yelled and smiled when she saw her clansman lazily wave at her. Natsu had been sitting down with her feet up on another chair near the bar. She looked miserable as she tried to stand up. "What's wrong with you, huh?"

"I'm fat and look at my legs," Natsumi pouted. She gestured toward the feet she felt like she'd never reach again since now that she was standing; she couldn't see them. Although her toenails were pretty - and that was thanks to the girl in front of her - her legs, ankles, and feet looked like solid logs of ugliness, she thought. Maybe her feet and toes were like the tree's roots. For a second she thought about sticking her feet in the ground outside (although that would be too painful) to see if she really would become rooted in the ground.

Kushina snorted as she hugged her brains out, making her clansman bend over. Natsumi was super cute when she was all riled up or sad from being pregnant again. "You are totally huge. Where's Ruka-chan?"

"In the back with Dan and Yamato-chan."

"Haruka wants to be a chef? I heard her say that the other day." God knew that Yamato had to be following Haruka around like a puppy so there was no reason to ask about him if Dan was here. They were adorable. And Dan REALLY wants to be a chef. That man had found his calling!

Kushina couldn't help but wonder if Yamato and Haruka would get together in the far-flung future.

"She now wants to be a kunoichi chef," Natsumi clarified about her daughter for her secret mother who was smiling even more hugely now. "This morning she told me that she wanted to learn poisons to blend into the food she cooks. –I bet that idea came from Kakashi. I don't know what I'm going to do with those two."

"Nah," Kushina drawled, "I doubt it. Yesterday Tsunade and I took Cheeky on the great 'Tour of Poisons!' Cheeky-chan was really excited about making her own and applying them to senbons - and everything else, really." She winced and scratched at the back of her head, pushing her long ponytail up and down. "I kinda regretted showing her after she mentioned all the people she was planning to - as she put it - 'lightly poison up good!'" Natsumi groaned and put her face in her hands but looked up, her head tilted as she considered something.

"Shizune's really good with senbons and poisons, right?" Natsumi remembered that in the future she was. She tried to sit down again and needed help. How embarrassing.

Kushina put her fists on her hips. "So am I! I'm really good with poisons and senbons, 'ttebane!" And almost everything else!

"Well of course you are, Kushina-chan," Natsumi grinned. Kushina really liked attention and praise but never seemed to get too big of a head from it, fortunately enough. "After all, you are Shizune's mentor, are you not?"

Kushina gasped and felt her cheeks heat up. "Damn you, Natsumi: knock that stuff off," she whispered in a deep voice, pouting furiously. "You know damn well that Tsunade is Shizune's mentor."

Natsumi grinned. "Yeah but Tsunade's old like me…"

Kushina pulled a face as her eyes darted around the bar. "You are really pushing it, Natsu." Never say stuff like that about Tsunade!

"What I mean is that Shizune-chan can relate to you."

Kushina hummed, guessing that was true enough. "Well, I am her senpai. It's my duty to be a good example to Shizune and my juniors."

"Well, there ya go!"

Haruka stomped out from the kitchen area of the bar, looking very aggravated. "Y'ato keeps callin' Aniki 'Kashi-senpai.'" She frowned at her extra-large-sized mother who looked like she was turning white. Maybe she'd finally have those puppies she was waiting for?

Kushina gaped. "Yamato's TALKING?!"

"Y'ato talks," Haruka said, sounding a little outraged on behalf of her best friend. Kushina looked to Natsumi as if to see whether or not that was true.

I mean, I know Yamato CAN talk: he just doesn't, Kushina thought.

"Uh… Uh, yeah! Of course, he talks," Natsumi stammered. It was one: an incredibly weird thing to have her former sensei appear in "newborn baby form" as her best friend/former Godaime Hokage's son that - as far as Natsumi knew - Tsunade didn't have in the future. It was quite another to hear that the toddler had called Kakashi "senpai" the way he ALWAYS referred to Kakashi in the future. "And uhh… I suppose if Yamato-chan wants to be a shinobi in the future, Kakashi will be his senpai, sweetheart."

Haruka folded her arms over her little chest and put her dark blue-masked nose into the air. "I not callin' Aniki 'senpai.' Never! Kashi-nii's bossy 'nough widdout makin' his head bigger!"

Natsumi nodded; she'd have to agree with that, somewhat. "Your big brother's kinda laid-back to be considered truly bossy, Haruka."

"He's a butt."

Natsumi and Kushina snorted. "Why are you mad at Kakashi, Ruka-chan?" Kushina asked, holding her arms out. Haruka crawled up into her lap and began rubbing her now teary, dark blue eyes - which was a little concerning. Haruka thought she was too cool to act her age; she'd tell you that right to your face nearly any day. Plus she adored Kakashi.

"Y'ato likes Aniki better than me!" the tiny girl wailed. She began sobbing, making both kunoichis reach out to hold her.

Natsumi began sniffling, too. She was so happy to see Haruka behaving like a toddler and not a clone of her older brother but then felt terrible that she was happy when her little girl was all upset. Her sniffles turned into sobs as Natsu couldn't really hold her daughter on her lap because she didn't have one anymore! She was just one giant belly, probably filled with more clones of her damn husband!

Kushina finally put down a silencing seal because the Hatakes were so loud. "Oh, man: you two! What a pain you are! GO home or something!"

.

Sakumo let out a content sigh as he wrapped one arm around his wife's shoulders, pulling her close, and the other over her belly. He turned to her: sleepy, happy, and unknowingly looking very sexy. "Are you sure you haven't done that before?" he teased, smirking.

"Of course, I have," Natsumi smiled easily. Dark, frowning eyes were suddenly glaring down from right above her. "What's wrong?"

"You told me I was your first."

"Yeah," Natsumi said, trying not to laugh. "We've been married for years now, Sake. You worry about such a thing?" Seeing that he still looked irritated she rolled her eyes. "Have I not blown you before?"

Sakumo let out a snort. "Oh. So me?! That's what you meant? That you've done it before with me?" Sakumo teased, trying to glare again when Natsumi laughed at him. "What a pain you are." He'd just been giving her a hard time. "Something else that's hard," his perverted mind suggested.

He still blamed his wife for turning him into a one-woman-focused pervert.

"Alright. I'll never do it again!"

"Hey! I was complimenting you on a job VERY well done before you turned things around like that. So don't say that! –Never, ever say that."

"'A job!' You could do more than compliment me if you really wanted to," Natsumi groused with a tired grin. She sighed unhappily, still all riled up, needy, and wishing that she was allowed to have sex even though, right now, she oozed the sex appeal of a 10-month-pregnant whale carcass. She covered her face with her hands, groaning as she thought about how she might never have sex or do ANYTHING on her own again after her twins were born. She couldn't even work at the bar right now because of her swollen feet and calves!

And high blood pressure. A ninja with high blood pressure!

At least Tsunade said that after the babies were born it should go back down.

ANOTHER set of twins!
You'd think Natsumi would be used to the idea by now.

There are going to be FIVE of them! I'll never survive. "Shadow clones."

Yes. Thank heavens for shadow clones, which she'd be able to use again as soon as she had the last two.

…In a barn.

…In the canine summoning realm.

"Fuck me," she whispered miserably.

"Okay," Sakumo said, reaching over to pull down the strap of her nightgown a heartbeat later.

Natsumi sucked in a breath as her husband held her and looked at her bared breasts with so much longing. "Sake." She was so huge; how could he stand it? And as good as what he began doing felt, she couldn't help the way her lips were pulling up on one side as she whimpered and moaned. "You've gotta get a hold of that kink, love. The puppies will be here soon."

"I do, I really do," he muttered as he moved from one big beautiful breast to the other. His calloused hand moved slowly toward another target as he groaned and sucked her puffy, reddened nipples. Natsumi slowly spread her legs for him and he grinned. The way she was trembling and writhing, he knew that she wanted it but was always so shy about how she moved and even dressed lately. "Wider."

He growled when he felt how wet she was. He threw himself over her, supporting himself on his hands as if he was beginning to do a plank, and grinned. He had to hold himself all the way up because of her belly. Looking down at her breasts, he sucked in a breath. It was unfortunate (at this second) that her stomach was sticking out so far. "Hold them up for me." Natsumi's cheeks burned redder than the reddest strands of her hair. "Now."

"It's not like they're floppy or not full or something and you don't need to be so damn obnoxious about it, Sakumo. And…" She brought her hands to the outside of her swollen breasts and pushed them together anyway. Her voice turned more sultry although her face burned with shame: "Is that what you want?" Natsu sucked in a breath. It WAS apparently what he wanted. "You're like a dictator." She sucked in a heated gasp when he took what he wanted. "A breast dictator!"

"What was that? Dic-something? –You said you want my dick again?" He went back to playing with her breasts and grinned more when she didn't deny it. They had not been together in a WHILE. A lot of moaning and desperation later, she tried to reach down to grab his cock, but she couldn't get around her belly. He shook with silent laughter at her expense. Natsumi bopped him in the side.

They were scheduled to go to the Farm in a few days only to get things ready, so why not? Everything was ready to go there. Really, he was going to fuck her tits but there was no good angle unless he turned around - and that meant moving Natty and she was big having a difficult time moving around - or being moved once she finally got comfortable.

"We're not supposed to do this," he sang, backing up to slide against her heat. Natsumi didn't seem to care, either.

"We did it that one time before since we were told to watch it. We can do it again! –Just a little," she begged quietly, arranging her nightgown to cover her middle up. Natsumi loved Sakumo so much: she just wanted to show him that a little more. And it had been a LONG while since the last time, she thought to herself. PLUS, his licking and sucking - and all of that flickering he'd been doing with his tongue had been torture! And he was so hard again against her. "Please?!"

Sakumo tried to catch his breath. "Okay, yes. Just… a little alright?" Natsumi was already rolling to her side - or trying to. He pulled her nightgown up and thrust inside of her almost as soon as he was spooning her and jerked her leg up. "There's my girl. GOD."

He made love to her slowly while Natsumi whimpered and bit the pillow she was clutching to her face. Closing his eyes he soon rode out his mate's first orgasm of the night. "Think you can get on your knees? I wanna see."

Natsumi nodded and whined something and he helped her get better positioned. "Natsu. Why you gotta be so hot?!" It was hard being married to the hottest woman on the continent - probably the world - and keeping his hands to himself.

His wife responded by widening her legs even more - and then lifting her ass more for him, too. He thrust deeper inside of her and felt her walls beginning to tighten around him. She was already close again? Maybe he needed to fuck her harder, he thought, grinning. "You keep that up, and I will not be responsible for my actions." He grabbed her hips and pulled her back and Natsumi let out a moan and howled. He powerfully thrust into her and didn't stop.

With what felt like the last of her strength, Natsumi pushed her pillows under her hips. She gasped when she heard her husband make two shadow clones and shrieked when they each picked her up - one on each side of her - lifting her by the inside of her thighs and under her arms. "TICKLES," she shouted, freaking out and squirming rather helplessly. She let out a choked whine when her baka husband's clones attacked her breasts from underneath her. "Shit, Sake… I can't… I can't…"

Sakumo grinned: she obviously COULD because she was soon cumming again so hard he thought she'd take his dick off. His eyes rolled into his head as he pulled her back against him again and tried to keep a steady pace. "You… okay?"

Eventually, she could speak - although her voice was hoarse. "You can't… you know."

"Cum inside of you, I know." Supposedly that could make her go into labor.

"Shadow clones, Sake: you forgot again. –OH my God!" One of those damn shadow clones had beaten the other to her clit. She almost sobbed as she came again.

Sakumo pulled out and came all over her back - and that's when the shadow clones popped. He hissed and cursed over what he'd done. Natsumi - that naughty woman - was beside herself with laughter underneath him so he plowed into her again - thanks to the clones he was ridiculously hard once more and in desperate need of release.

"Fuck!"

Natsumi couldn't stop snickering aside from all the gasping and other desperate noises she tried to hide in the mattress. "Sake! HOW could you… forget how much… pain that puts you in?" Sakumo pulled on her hips hard enough to make her shout as he came inside of her. And he was loud! "Oh my gosh," she panted before her walls tightened around him. "Fuck! –Especially when you - ah! - dispel more than one clone at a time… Sakumo?! That… That cannot be good for you!"

Sakumo smirked as he looked down at her. "You haven't seen how you look underneath me. Or on top of me. Or just standing there, really." He let out a happy sigh and had to stop himself from falling on top of her. "It's a wonder I function at all when you're around. I love you so much."

Natsumi turned her head and softly smiled at him as he helped her get more comfortably situated. How great was it that he could say such a thing when she looked like she did right now? "I love you, too, you Pervert. Thank you for bending to my terrible pleas."

"You're welcome! -Shit… We need to get cleaned up." Sakumo smiled and staggered up, getting a warm washcloth which only woke his wife for a second or so. He'd have to go take a shower alone, dammit. "I love you, Natsu."

The next day, everything seemed fine.

.

Jiraiya stared at Sakumo and waited for the punchline. "And then?"

Sakumo groaned, knowing that this conversation was going to be difficult but considering that Jiraiya had received a prophecy from a future-seeing but senile toad and had believed HIM, he thought Jiraiya would believe him, too! Dan had believed him (and even swore never to tell Tsunade.) "Natsumi is Kushina-chan and Minato-kun's daughter. –The second of fraternal twins; her brother was the Child of Prophecy you're always blathering about."

"Blathering?" Jiraiya asked, voice going high. "You ass. That's some heavy shit I've gotta deal with, teaching the Child of Prophecy: the bringer of peace or destruction of our world."

"Hai, hai," Sakumo said as if it wasn't. He pulled a seal out of his uniform. "I'm serious though, Jiraiya."

Jiraiya looked at his friend long and hard. "And?"

"And?! I just told you that Uchiha Madara's alive out there with something that can combine all nine of the tailed beasts: one of which my beautiful, sweet mate is housing, I'll remind you! –That he and this Zetsu Plantman-Thing plan to revive the God Tree and the Goddess of Chakra! Do you really think I'd fuck around with this?"

"Why isn't she telling me this, then?" Jiraiya asked suspiciously. Yeah, Jiraiya knew that seals could do many things but why wouldn't this Naruto kid - just like my book - send himself back to change the future?

"I… didn't tell her I was going to tell anyone. She's such a…" PAIN is what Sakumo wanted to say but wouldn't because Natsu was his sweet wife but when it came to this whole Madara/10-tails thing, she always felt they needed to change things on their own. No, that wasn't right: Natsu wanted to take on the responsibility for changing the future (something she had already done) alone. "She feels responsible for everything. I honestly have no idea why. She's already changed things. One: Dan's alive but moreover she has Kurama, meaning the fox can't escape from Kushina, and… Maa. I'm sure I was dead before she was born and I'm guessing Kakashi grew up alone."

"Alone?" Jiraiya asked, before thinking better of it. Because Sakumo only mentioned Kakashi, that meant that in Natsumi's supposed future, Sakumo's other children weren't with him. Well, Jiraiya wasn't going to ask for clarification about the deaths or absence of his kids (or Dan: that was terrible) from a guy that was a family man, through and through. "If you expect me to believe this, I'm gonna need to talk to Natsumi."

"I can't let you do that until after the pups are born."

"This is pretty fucking important if what you're saying is true, Sakumo!"

"It is, but Natsu's blood pressure is through the roof. I'm trying to keep things calm and easy for her. As easy as they can be, anyway."

Jiraiya scratched his stubbly chin and neck. "I don't envy you."

"That's because you can be a dumbass," Sakumo mumbled to himself. Jiraiya was busy loudly yawning so he didn't hear, fortunately enough. "I want to give her a gift. She's going through so much for me."

"For you, huh?" Jiraiya smirked. "Natsumi's totally devoted to all of you - to all of us," he giggled a bit. It was nice to feel part of a big family - and from what Sakumo had just told him, (if this was true,) Natsumi hadn't been close to him in the future she was from.

I wonder what I would be like in the future. Jiraiya was honestly amazed that in anyone's imagination he could live, as a shinobi, to be the wise old age of 50+. "And she also loves and is devoted to the bar, of course." He grinned when Sakumo rolled his eyes - probably reflexively. "So what are you getting her?"

Sakumo hummed and figured that he should just lay ALL his cards out on the table. "I want to seal Nagato-kun's eyes so Madara or Zetsu can't take them back."

Jiraiya gawked at his friend. "You call that a gift?! What the hell, Sakumo?! Your gifts suck."

"It would be such a relief to her, Jiraiya! That Nagato kid's… powerful but he's in danger and puts US in danger with those eyes!"

"Yet you allowed him into our village: into your home," Jiraiya accused. He wasn't sure that the way Sakumo flinched made him feel any better. "You let my kids into our village which Nagato-kun supposedly destroyed before." –Nagato doing that was unimaginable to Jiraiya, honestly.

Sakumo sighed. "The things I do for that woman." He glared at Jiraiya when he tried to break him out of a genjutsu and rubbed his tired eyes. "I'm not being controlled by Natsu, Jiraiya."

"You're married so, of course, you are." Jiraiya winked obnoxiously but he really wasn't feeling it right now. He blew out his cheeks and accepted the bento his friend offered him. –That was just like Natsu to make him an extra. He opened the box and smiled at the big onigiris. At least it looks like her cooking is getting better. "What are we sealing exactly? I'm NOT sealing away his ability to use jutsus if that's what you're talking about."

"Of course not. For now, I only want Nagato's eyes to stay in Nagato's head! But Jiraiya, the things those eyes allow him to be capable of are terrifying. Maybe we should do more than what I was first suggesting."

Jiraiya shook his head. "No. Before anything else, we've gotta make Nagato strong enough to protect himself without resorting to the type of shit you mentioned. We don't even know much about the Rinnegan. It was supposed to be a myth!"

Sakumo scratched his cheek and leaned back in the grass they were sitting in. "Hokage-sama knows something about them. When you brought the Ame kids in to meet him, he looked," here Sakumo paused and winced, "greedy when he observed Nagato-kun."

Jiraiya sighed. "You're right. He's The Professor: I bet he's got SOMETHING in those libraries of his that mention the Rinnegan's power. I'll go to him for information. We can't just go to Nagato and tell him this stuff and who knows if Natsumi really understood everything those eyes are capable of. –I know he gets the jutsus I teach him IMMEDIATELY. Let me tell ya: that makes me as jealous as Orochimaru can be of that shit. And Nagato's still a kid! –I'm having a hard enough time wrapping my head around it all, Sakumo."

The silver-haired Jonin nodded and finished chewing his delicious salmon onigiri. His girl had done really well with these! "You're right. Nagato would probably be incredibly suspicious and reluctant to let you use a seal on him without specific information as to why. –And Yahiko: give me a break! That kid would be all over us!" Yahiko had a protective streak a mile-wide. The teen might (very obviously) like Konan-chan but he was more protective of Nagato than her, even.

Out of the three Ame kids, Sakumo couldn't imagine Nagato destroying the entire village and killing thousands in one go (and then bringing them back to life.) He SEEMED the least likely to hurt anyone.

Why Madara would pick Nagato, Sakumo knew, however: Nagato was a full-blooded Uzumaki. He could handle the chakra drain those eyes produced. He had little doubt that the kid's huge chakra signature could, one day, rival Natsumi's and she had the nine-tailed fox sealed in her.

And my kids are part-Uzumakis. Kushina-chan's a full Uzumaki. Natsumi's half-Uzumaki.

Kami, Sakumo knew he had to get Jiraiya to seal Nagato's eyes because if they were able to stop the boy from one day attacking/destroying Konoha… If they were able to make him a Konoha nin, what would stop Madara or his underlings from taking the Rinnegan back? And then what would their next move be? Sakumo had little doubt that they'd want to stick them in the head of a member of his pack if Nagato didn't do what Madara wanted.

That was not happening; no way. Not on my watch, Sakumo thought. "Let's go talk to Hokage-sama, Jiraiya. But please, don't tell him or anyone what I've told you about Natsu."

Jiraiya nodded but knew that he'd tell Orochimaru as soon as he got home. And that's when Sakumo jumped up, sniffing all around him like the bloodhound he was before Jiraiya realized that a seal on the back of Sakumo's hand had lit up.

"Natsu. Oh… I should've known! We should've never… Tell Orochi it's time! And KEEP IT QUIET!"

Jiraiya didn't understand at first. "Time? TIME! Oh, shit!"

.

It all happened so damn fast!

By the time Sakumo had made a bunch of shadow clones to find his family and get everyone together, Natsumi had given up and was trying not to bear down; her water had broken earlier. "Not good. Not good!" Her contractions, last she checked, were about two and a half minutes apart but they sure weren't anymore. She tried to withhold wailing as she fell to her knees.

She wasn't sure if she was glad to be surrounded by so many ninken and wolves or not. "Help me."

She yelled as she felt her seal slipping away. "Kurama!" Tears slipped down her cheeks: she never thought something like this could happen. Neither did Kurama. This was NEVER supposed to happen - it had never happened before!

The pain was unimaginable.

By the time the group arrived in the summoning realm, Natsumi's seal covered her entire body and she was unconscious - her eyes rolled back in her head, her mouth open in a silent scream - her chakra blazing all around them as from within the seal, Kurama struggled to keep the seal intact. She woke up with a start and screamed when four palms slammed down on her abdomen.

"FUIN," Sakumo, Jiraiya, Minato, and Orochimaru yelled as one.

Natsumi screamed again as Kushina and Tsunade delivered her twins.

.

"Acceptable," Kakashi said in a small voice as he observed his new baby brothers. He didn't like the way they were nursing on his exhausted (but at least she's awake and okay?) mother but otherwise, they were fine. Both had loads of silver hair and his mother's normally bright blue eyes. He hoped they'd turn dark as his did: Okaa-san had said they might.

They're mine to protect. Mine to teach.

Ichika was still furious that the newborn puppies were boys but she could get bit, as far as Kakashi was concerned.

Did she not see what had happened?!

His father had cried when the twins were born - glowing in gold chakra cocoons and then they were screaming when it died down - and that had been… weird or maybe embarrassing? No: it had made things even scarier. He might have been crying, too: that was probably how his mask got all wet.

Ruka-chan couldn't seem to decide what she thought of them so she eventually sat down to play with Pakkun, deciding to ignore them for now although Kakashi figured that it would be a LONG time before they left their mother alone again. What happened had been the scariest thing he'd ever seen. It might be the scariest thing he would ever see or be a part of.

Kakashi had a feeling the new twins were going to be loud, considering how loud they'd been when they were born. As soon as they weren't boring or terrifying, he'd have to have a word with them about that: it was his job as the Hatake heir and older brother. "What?" he asked his mother when he realized that she was sadly smiling at him.

Natsumi couldn't believe she'd put them all through that; she was so ashamed of herself. "You're staring, my love."

"Oh," Kakashi realized, averting his eyes from his exposed mother and blushing furiously. "I'm sorry!"

"No, no, no: that's not what I mean, sweetheart. You only looked like you were deep in thought. I didn't mean to make you feel bad, honey. You're welcome to watch."

Right now, she wanted to try to be as normal as she might otherwise be: had all of that not happened. Wish all you want, Natsumi: you forever mentally scarred your family, friends, and allies!

And probably all of Konoha.

She cleared her throat and tried to adjust one of her newborns. "When you and Cheeky were born, I wasn't used to this idea at all. But nursing babies is natural! It's especially important if a mother can manage it when babies are this young."

Kakashi did not pout: he was sure of it. He might have sighed, though. For some reason, he was incredibly tired. "I want to come up," he admitted about wanting to be close to his mother - and then growled about it. He crossed his arms over his chest, angry with himself for being needy.

She had almost died!

Sakumo picked him up, snuggling his son. Thankfully, Kakashi didn't mind riding on his shoulders or back but normally, during the daytime hours especially, he avoided the puppy piles they'd all once enjoyed as much as possible. It was only when his boy was completely exhausted that he hung all over him - or sometimes when he wanted something.

Or when he's afraid, it seems.

The scent of fear hung in the air, absolutely reeking throughout the Farm, even now.

Today had been a complete clusterfuck - and he was to blame for it. "Shhh. It's okay, Kakashi. You did SO well!" His son snuggled more but then pulled his head away from his neck and glared at him. He almost laughed. Thank God for this kid… For all of them.

"You thought I wouldn't." Kakashi did not pout. He had another mask on: no one could prove that he did!

"I KNEW you'd be fine," Sakumo lied convincingly. Kakashi and Ichika had demanded to be there when the little ones were born and although Natsumi hadn't been sure about it, Sakumo got his way. And then look at what happened.

He'd thought it would be important for them to be present when their siblings were born! His brother spoke often of how he bonded with him the moment he was born, having been there for Sakumo's birth.

And then my mother died.

Just like Natsu almost did.

Ichika had screamed when her mother did and he had to hold her back - and then she eventually shouted again when she realized her baby brother - and then another little brother - were boys. Thank God for her normally cool head. Ichika was acting the most like her usual self of all of them right now. Fortunately, he'd covered her mouth so she didn't freak her mother or the newborns out any more than they already were at finally coming into the big wide world so violently.

"Isn't your mother the most beautiful woman you've ever seen, Kakashi?" Natsumi looked up at him with wide, watery eyes, and Sakumo melted yet felt so much pain in his heart. How were they going to get past this?

"Yeah. She is."

Natsumi began to cry again. She loved her big family so much! She did not deserve them but she swore a million times over to be better for them.

Kakashi let out a huge sigh. "Way to go, Otou-san," he deadpanned, "you made her cry."