A/N: I know that it has been a long time since I updated this story. I keep getting sidetracked with new projects and school. I'm trying to finish this story as efficiently and as gracefully as I can (though there will be at least one more chapter following this). I refuse to abandon any of my work. That would be unfair to anyone who likes this story and unfair to myself as well. JUST REMEMBER: READ, REVIEW, REPEAT!

Chapter 14

Tsunade was flipping through paperwork, snarling loudly at each and every one. It had been nearly a month since the attack and no one had any new information on the location of Himura Utake. Not only was it frustrating for her, but also it was downright infuriating. Her ANBU hadn't found anything and she didn't dare send Kakashi out, no matter how much she –and he- wanted to.

Iruka was one of their main concerns and with his due date approaching, neither of them wanted to be out of the village when it happened. Tsunade wasn't about to let another doctor care for Iruka and Kakashi wasn't willing to miss the birth as he had with Shinobu. They'd both agreed that it was best for them to remain close to the village.

Snarling, she threw the papers aside and sat back in her chair as they rustled and fell to the floor. She grabbed a bottle of sake and a clay cup, pouring herself a little. As she sipped on it, she swiveled her chair around to stare out over the Kohona. People were milling around in the streets below, having returned to their normal duties since the attack a month before. Vendors sold different wares to those perusing the small shops along the main streets as plain dressed ninja walked with their friends now that they were off duty.

'They're probably heading to the bar,' she thought with a sigh, taking a large gulp of sake. 'That's the one thing about being Hokage. I can't go get a drink with the boys anymore.'

She spun back around in her chair and set the cup down unceremoniously. Picking up another stack of papers, she started to rifle through them, reading the messy script that could only belong to Hatake Kakashi. It was an old mission report that had been pushed aside in the chaos of the past few months, although Tsunade had a sneaking suspicion that Kakashi had purposefully hidden it somewhere so she couldn't chew him out of his bad handwriting.

Just as she was about to throw the report aside, there was a loud knock at her door.

"Come in," she called, looking up.

Shizune slid into the office, a new report clutched in her first. Her face was cool and calm, but Tsunade had known her for years. She recognized the thrilled spark in the dark-haired woman's eyes.

"You have something there," Tsunade said, motioning to the report.

"Yes. An ANBU brought it in a few minutes ago, asking that this be given directly to you, that it was an emergency. I said that I needed to read it first. That is your policy, after all," Shizune explained.

"Yes?" Tsunade asked, trying to prompt her long-time friend.

"So I read it and I found something very interesting in it."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow in curiosity. She slowly stood and held out her hand, motioning for Shizune to hand over the report. The dark-haired woman silently gave it to her, watching as the Hokage turned to the window and unrolled the scroll. A smile slowly spread across Shizune's face, growing into a wild grin when Tsunade whipped back around.

"Are you serious?" Tsunade asked, holding up the report.

Shizune nodded.

"Someone found him."

Kakashi and Shinobu were sitting at the kitchen table a few days later, eating breakfast. The young boy happily ate his food, not aware of the tense feeling that his father was experiencing.

Kakashi was worried about his lover. Iruka hadn't been feeling well since the night before. His stomach was cramping and churning, rendering it hard for him to get out of bed. He had tried the day before and he'd managed through lunch, but then the cramps had gotten worse. Since then, he'd been in bed.

"Chichi, can I go to Arata's?" Shinobu asked, looking up from his bowl.

"I'll take you," the Jounin said.

"Is it still not safe?" Shinobu asked.

Kakashi nodded and stood, motioning for his son. Shinobu grabbed his hand and skipped happily towards the door, rushing outside and into the sun. His father trailed behind him as they walked through the neighborhood, heading for Kurenai's apartment.

People stared at them as they passed, recognizing the silver-haired Jounin and the young Ookami. Kakashi had grown used to the stares after two years with one of the most well known Chuunins in the village. He had always been infamous as Kakashi, the Copy Nin, son of the White Fang of Kohona, but since the first battle with Himura, even the most ignorant of villagers knew Kakashi by look. It also didn't help that his lover was the cousin of a Hyuuga, one of the last Ookamis in the world, and had given birth to the sole Hayate heir.

"Arata!" Shinobu shouted as he raced towards his best friend.

The two boys hugged as Kurenai stood up from where she'd been sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. She smiled at Kakashi, but that quickly vanished when she saw the tense look on her friend's face.

"Is everything okay?" the female Jounin asked.

"Iruka isn't feeling well. I'm getting worried," Kakashi admitted as they watched their sons play.

"Is it the baby?" Kurenai asked, frowning.

"I think so. His stomach hurts and he's been in bed since yesterday afternoon," the silver-haired man explained.

"Have you called Tsunade? What if something is wrong?"

"She came by yesterday afternoon for a few minutes, checked him over, and said that everything was fine. His due date is approaching. She's sure of that."

Kurenai shot her friend a smile.

"That's good, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead, "But there's going to be a lot of pain I think before we get there. You know that I hate seeing him hurting."

"Iruka knows what he's doing. He's been through it before. He knows how everything works, but he still wanted to have another child, didn't he?" Kurenai asked.

Smiling a little, Kakashi nodded. His single eye followed Shinobu as he raced around the street, chasing Arata. He treasured his son more than anything else in the world, other than Iruka, of course. That day when Iruka had told him that Shinobu was his son, the result of a beautiful consummation of love and nine months of struggle in captivity for Iruka, Kakashi had nearly burst with pride.

Since then, Shinobu had turned into an even more wonderful little boy. He had all of Iruka's personality, even the mischievousness that his love had been known for during his time at the academy. His kind disposition was what Kakashi himself wished he had the luxury of having.

However, he knew that his son was also a survivor. He'd grown up in the wild, a situation nearly as dangerous as the one Kakashi had been raised in. When his son became a ninja in the future, and Kakashi knew he would, Shinobu would have no problem adjusting back and forth between the wilds of battle and the calm of the village. He'd already gone through it before on that day when Iruka had brought him to Konoha.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "We'll be fine, won't we?"

Kurenai laughed and nodded. "You will be. I have no doubt about that."

"Hatake-sensei!" a voice called.

Both Jounin turned to see Shizune come running towards them, the black sleeves of her jacket flying.

"You need to come now! Tsunade needs you," Shizune shouted.

"What's going on?" Kakashi asked as the dark-haired woman stopped beside them.

Glancing around, Shizune dropped her voice to barely a whisper. "Himura has been found."

Iruka lay in bed, groaning quietly as another pain hit. He clutched the sheets tightly as he lifted his knees and spread his legs, trying to alleviate the pain. His black tail swished back and forth wildly and his long fur ears were tight against his head. When it finally passed, he settled back against the cool sheets and let out a sigh on relief. This was bad. He'd heard Kakashi leave with Shinobu over an hour earlier and since then, the pain had gotten only worse.

Slowly, he sat up, biting back a cry as his stomach protested the movement. Sliding his legs off the bed one by one, bracing himself as he lifted his lower body off the bed. He moaned loudly, gripping the bedside table as he finally stood up straight. Limping towards the kitchen, he grabbed the wall tightly, fighting to stay upright. He had to stop several times during his trek, the pain seeming to paralyze him.

By the time he reached the front hall, he knew what was happening. The baby was coming and Kakashi –or anyone else- was there.

He tried to calm himself down, steadying his breathing. He would be okay. He'd given birth to Shinobu in the middle of the forest during a snowstorm after being held captive in a foreign country for months! At least this time he could give birth inside a house let alone in Konoha.

As he moved into the kitchen to try and get some water, he heard a sharp knock at the door. He groaned quietly as another pain hit him, rendering him unable to move. Clutching the wall, he rested his forehead against the plaster, sweat starting to bead on his skin.

The knock came again, along with a voice this time.

"Iruka?" Kurenai shouted through the door.

Jerking up, Iruka let out a moan as the pain finally subsided, panting to catch his breath.

"K-Kurenai-sensei!" he weakly replied.

He held his breath, hoping that she would hear him. When no response came, he tried again. Just then another wave of intense pain hit and let out a yowl.

"Kurenai!"

The door burst open, the female Jounin's eyes wide as she took in the shivering, pain-ridden form of Iruka. Cursing quietly, she rushed to him and helped support his shaking body as the contractions once again died down.

"Come on, let's get you back to bed," she whispered, leading him gently towards the bedroom.

Iruka opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a soft groan as fluid flooded down his pants, soaking the fabric and the skin.

"Fuck!" Kurenai hissed, nearly dragging Iruka down the hallway now. "Come on, Iruka! You'll feel better when you're back in bed. You don't want to have this baby standing up, do you?"

The Ookami let out a weak chuckle, but it quickly dissolved into another groan as Kurenai lugged him through the door to the master bedroom. Yanking down the heavy comforter and additional blankets that Iruka had added to the bed in the past few months, Kurenai threw them in the far corner where they were not needed. When nothing, but the sheets remained, she helped him lay down once again on the cool fabric. Iruka let out a soft moan as the contraction subsided, leaving him panting heavily.

"Stay right here. I'll get you some water and then I'll go for Tsunade and Kakashi, okay?" Kurenai commanded.

Iruka weakly nodded and the female Jounin took off. Lying back against the white sheets, Iruka silently began counting in his head, timing himself to see how far apart the contractions where. This baby was coming fast and he knew it. He just hoped that Kurenai managed to find Kakashi in time. They had agreed that his lover would be present for the birth of his second child and Iruka, even in the throws of pain and suffering, wasn't about to take that away from his beloved silver-haired