A/N: FINALLY! Sorry that it's been so long since I updated. I had serious writer's block on this story and school work kept be busy for quite a while. Well, this isn't my best chapter, but enjoy. REMINDER: READ, REVIEW, REPEAT!

Chapter 13

Sasuke's gaze flicked back and forth from Kakashi and Iruka and back again.

"You're serious," he said.

Kakashi nodded as his lover trotted around in the snow, digging up more and more Konoha ninja. Others who hadn't managed to escape the storm quickly crawled out of the holes that Iruka was digging for them in the snow. Stepping over to Kakashi, they all shivered and waited for orders of any kind from anyone. No one knew what to do.

Looking around, Kakashi noticed that every Konoha ninja that had gone into the battle had miraculously survived, even some of the younger ones. Many had cuts and wounds; a few were even unconscious when the medics that had been carting them off of the field managed to drag them out of the snow. Everyone, however, was alive.

Feeling something brush up against his leg, Kakashi gently rubbed his lover's head. The wolf whimpered slightly, shuffling his feet in the snow. Frowning, Kakashi glanced down at the wolf. His ears were back against his head and his gaze was focused on the bare forest beyond the battlefield. The abnormally long black tail was still.

The other ninjas around them all turned their attention to the wolf.

"What is he doing?" Sakura asked, rubbing her hands together to warm them.

"What the fuck?" Sasuke snarled. "One minute, he's ripping out someone's throat, the next he's completely calm and watchful!"

Iruka growled a little, but didn't move from his position. Throwing up his hands, Sasuke rolled his eyes as this former teacher.

"What the hell happened?" Tsunade shouted as she leapt down to them.

"Kakashi says that Iruka unleashed some sort of fucking snow storm on us," another ninja replied.

Tsunade glanced over at the Jounin and his wolf lover and said nothing. She nodded once.

"Do we know if any of the missing-nin are alive?" the Hokage asked.

Iruka slapped Kakashi's leg once with his tail.

"They're all dead," the Jounin translated.

One ear flicked backwards in affirmation.

"Everyone report back to Headquarters. The injured will see the medics," the Hokage said, rubbing her eyes. She paused for a moment, flicking her gaze to Kakashi and Iruka. "You two, come with me."

Bending down, Kakashi gently pulled on one of Iruka's ears. "Come on, Iru."

The wolf whined, shaking his head to get Kakashi to let go of his ear. He took one step back, but didn't look away from the forest. Sighing, Kakashi stood up and started to follow Tsunade back towards the village. He smiled a little when he heard a soft whine and the crunching of snow. The Jounin held out his hand and Iruka nuzzled it as he caught up with his lover.

An hour and a half later, Iruka was up on an examination table, back in his human form. He was on his back, rubbing his stomach gently with one hand. The other arm was tucked under his head. His eyes were shut and his head turned towards the wall. Kakashi sat beside him, his hand moving with his lover's across the stretched stomach. Neither of them spoke. It wasn't necessary. Iruka knew his lover was mad at him for what he'd done or rather that he'd endangered himself, but at the same time, Kakashi understood that what Iruka had done had mostly been beyond his control.

The door to the room opened and Tsunade stepped in, sighing loudly as she closed the door behind her. Her twin pigtails were a mess and her jacket was soaked in blood, but she didn't seem to notice. Brushing her palm across her forehead, she smeared a small scar of ink over her skin.

"You're lucky that the old Council from before the war isn't around anymore," she admitted as Iruka's eyes opened and flicked to her. "You would have been executed in a heartbeat."

Iruka's heart sank for a moment as he felt Kakashi's hand stop on his stomach. He glanced over at his lover and the Jounin fixed him with a hard glare before it quickly softened. The pale-haired man resumed rubbing Iruka's stomach as Tsunade retrieved a clipboard from the desk in the corner. Flipping through the pages, her eyebrows rose in surprise and she shook her head.

"I don't know how, but both of you are fine. Better than fine, actually. This pregnancy seems to be going perfectly," the Hokage said, a hint of awe in her voice.

"My Ookami nature is what allowed to get pregnant in the first place," Iruka explained. "Those same powers can't do anything to the baby it helped create. Releasing them every once in a while is even good for us."

Nodding absentmindedly, Tsunade set the clipboard aside. "That being said, I wish you hadn't rushed off into battle like that and before you start protesting, I know it was instinct that drove you rather than your own choice. Still, I want you to try and refrain from doing so again."

"I don't know how we're going to do that," Iruka sighed. "It would be like you or Kakashi trying to stop yourselves from breathing or freezing your chakra flow by yourselves."

"I'll bind you to a bed if I have to," the Hokage snapped. "The battlefield is a stressful and dangerous place. Not only could the baby die, but you could as well. I don't like it when my patients die, Iruka."

Nodding in agreement, the former teacher placed his hand on top of Kakashi's, shifting his back a little to make himself more comfortable. The silver-haired Jounin clasped their hands together, his eyes focused on their joined fingers.

"Himura was certainly behind this attack," Tsunade said. When the other ninja stared at her in shock, she continued, "He escaped without us knowing. One of his guards was a lower-ranked Hyuuga, one that held a strong hatred for Neji. He and Hinata's father thought that if Himura were free that he would kill your cousin."

"I knew that Hyuuga-sama didn't like Neji at all, especially after he revealed himself to the whole village, but I never thought he'd actually try and do something so malicious," Iruka growled.

"It would seem that Hiashi Hyuuga hates his nephew more than any of us thought. This plot was kept a secret from the rest of the Clan, I can guarantee. Hinata would have alerted me right away if she'd heard even a slight whisper about what her father was planning," Tsunade said.

"Will he be tried for treason?" Kakashi snarled, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived at the hospital.

"Yes. The Anbu has already taken him and the other Hyuuga into custody. If you want to be the executor, Kakashi, I'm sure that the other Anbu would let you."

The white-haired Jounin shook his head. "I'm sure that there are others who want a crack at him. He's been a bastard to nearly everyone for years."

Iruka squeezed Kakashi's hand tightly, silently thanking him. He knew that Kakashi had enough deaths that infiltrated his consciousness and darkened his dreams at night. He didn't need one from his own village, even if the man was a traitor.

"Well, I need to go address the huddled masses," Tsunade muttered. "They're waiting for a report."

"What about Himura? What will we do about him?" Iruka asked.

"He's gone into hiding. I sent out Anbu an hour ago. None could find him, even after you got rid of the snow."

Fuck, Iruka thought.

"We'll find him, Iru," Kakashi murmured.

"He's a slippery bastard, isn't he?" the Ookami snarled.

Kakashi nodded in agreement and helped his lover stand, reaching around to rub his lower back when he groaned a little. Iruka pecked him on the check in thanks and sighed.

"I forgot how annoying the limitations pregnancy places on movement are," he growled.

"Only two months or so, Iru and we'll have our second child," Kakashi reminded him.

"I know and I shouldn't be complaining. It's just going to get harder," Iruka sighed.

"You can complain all you want, love. Just don't try to castrate me or anything when you get angry," Kakashi chuckled as he wrapped his arms around his lover.

Rolling his eyes, Iruka rested his head against Kakashi's shoulder, letting his eyes fall closed. "I'm more forward thinking than that, Kashi. If I castrated you, I'd be practically celibate for life. Where's the fun in that?"

Snickering, Kakashi gripped his lover tightly and teleported away.

Tsunade stood at the front of the lobby of Hokage Tower, arms crossed over her chest. Every ninja in the entire village, ranking from Jounin down to the youngest Genin was present, standing in a crowd before her. They whispered quietly among themselves, noticing that neither Iruka nor Kakashi were present.

Clearing her throat, Tsunade called for their silence.

"As you are all aware by now, Himura Utake escaped from his prison cell with the help of Hiashi and Tesuke Hyuuga. He also had an army waiting for him at which point he attacked Konoha yet again in his rampage for vengeance. During the attack, Iruka Umino in his full wolf form eliminated the entire army. However, Himura Utake is still at large and is hiding somewhere. We must be on our guard. He may appear at any time and he is highly dangerous," the Hokage said.

"The number of guards on the walls surrounding the village will be increased and I will be sending ten teams of five into the forest and area around to search for him. Shizune will give you your orders and if anyone finds him, you are free to kill him on the spot," she continued.

"What about Umino-sensei? What happened to him?" one of the Genin asked.

"Iruka is fine. I've sent him home with Kakashi. Neither of them sustained injuries," Tsunade replied. "Dismissed!"

While the other ninja waited for Shizune to give them orders, the Hokage stalked off towards her office. Jogging up the steps, she made it to her office within a minute, closing the door behind her. Sighing, she pulled down her twin pigtails, brushing her fingers through the long locks of blond hair. She took a seat at her desk, glancing down at the file that sat open on it. Every piece of information that ANBU had managed to collect on Himura Utake and his obsession with the Ookami was documented in that file, from his first reported kill to the battle that had taken place only two hours before.

Growing at the photo that was clipped to the front of the paperwork, Tsunade slammed a fist on it, thankfully not breaking her desk in half. She snarled loudly as she tied her hair back up.

"Where are you, little bastard?"