Sasuke walks into the room slowly. Is it really ok for him to be here? It seems like an incredibly private moment for Naruto and Itachi to share with each other. He hesitates for a moment, but Naruto's tired voice beckons him in. "Sasuke, come see."

He turns the corner and stops in his tracks. There, in front of him, is the family he never though he'd see. Itachi is holding one child gently in his arm, and has his other hand linked with Naruto's.

Naruto holds the other baby and looks like she's on the brink of sleep. When she notices Sasuke she smiles. "Sasuke-teme, come meet the future of the Uchiha clan." She invites.

Sasuke takes slow steps to the bedside, half afraid that if he moves too fast, the beautiful dream will disappear. When he finally reaches his destination he looks down at his niece and nephew and groans.

Naruto smirks. "Oh yes Sasuke-teme." She says smugly. "There is an Itachi junior, and a Naruto junior."

Naruto's right. His nephew has a tuft of dark hair on the top of his tiny head, and his niece has more of an unruley fluff of blonde fuzz. He reaches up to massage his forehead. "How?" He asks. After all the talk about the Sharingan being the recessive trait, he looks at the newest Uchiha's, and finds a blonde. Only Naruto would give birth to a blonde Uchiha.

Naruto frowns slightly, and a look of concentration pulls at her features. Sasuke and Itachi both recognize it. Naruto is talking with the kyuubi. The conversation between host and tennant doesn't last long. Naruto blinks and smiles in a way that sends chills down Sasuke's spine. It's the look Naruto always gets after she, or he back then, pulled some prank.

"Kurama said he changed a few minor details." She says. Sasuke swallows a groan. Great, the giant hairball helped Naruto produce a blonde Uchiha. Fantastic. Just when Sasuke thinks their clan can't get anymore diverse, his nephew yawns and opens his eyes. Bright blue little orbs peer back at him curiously. Then the blue-eyed, black-haired baby scowls. "Definitely Itachi mini." Says Sasuke.

Naruto laughs in delight, and Itachi smiles. "I'm glad to see he got your eyes." He says as he leans down to kiss his son's forehead. "It'd be such a shame if you were the last to have such blue eyes." Naruto smiles and leans in carefully to capture a kiss from Sasuke's brother.

Wow, fluff much? Sasuke rolls his eyes. His niece gives a soft coo as her parents settle back into their places, and slowly blinks her eyes open. The three stare at her in shock. Where the hell did green come from? Sasuke and Itachi both look at Naruto for an explanation, but she looks just as confused as they do.

The concentrated faraway look comes back for several minutes, before Naruto blinks out of her trance. "Kurama said that he pulled the gene from Itachi. He thinks it was probably from one of your grandparents on your mother's side." She explains.

Sasuke sighs in recognition. If they are going to rebuild the Uchiha clan the right way, then they might as well start from the way the clan appears to others. In the past, they were always know for their dark hair and eyes. He looks out the window, and up into the sky. Oh, Kami-Sama help him. He's going to need it.

The doors slide open. Sasuke and Itachi both look up with carefully concealed curiosity. Who else would be visiting Naruto. Pink is the first color that registers. Sakura. Itachi nods, and turns back to his now sleeping wife.

Sasuke stares with animosity. How can Itachi be so forgiving? It was Sakura that hurt Naruto! It may have turned out for the best in the end, but that doesn't make it any better! He glares.

Sakura bows her head, and Sasuke watches with a kind of savage satisfaction as clear tearderops fall onto the clean tiled floor. "I came to apologize." Says Sakura.

Itachi looks at the girl, and then at the tears that have begun to collect in tiny puddles at her feet. "Why is it that you are sorry?" He asks her.

Sakura bows her head even lower, if possible. "I'm sorry because I said horrible things to one of my best friends, and didn't listen to what she had to say. I'm sorry because I was selfish. I'm sorry that I sent her away. I understand if you never-"

"Your apology is accepted." Cuts in Itachi. Sakura looks up quickly, seeming startled. Sasuke watches his older brother from the corner of his eyes. What the hell is he thinking?

Itachi smiles a bit sadly. "Both Naruto and I know what it is like to be feared, hated, and simply disliked. What makes you think, that if you are truly sorry, that we will not forgive you?"

Sasuke sighs. Itachi has a valid point, and Naruto has always been too forgiving for her own good. Damn sentimental bastard. A slow, grateful, smile stretches across Sakura's face. She finally gathers the courage to look at Naruto, and nearly cries.

Naruto's asleep. Sakura just apologized to someone who wasn't even conscious. She sighs. Only Naruto. Sasuke's niece fidgets and coos in Itachi's arms. Itachi smiles gently and cuddles her closer to him. The blonde sighs contently at the increase of warmth, and drifts off into a peaceful slumber.

Sakura and Sasuke watch with wide eyes. That was... wow. Who knew Itachi Uchiha had such a gentle side? Sakura shakes her head, and bows again. "Please relay my apology to Naruto, and tell her I'll be over soon to visit." She asks politely.

Itachi lift his eyes from his new daughter to look at Sakura. "I will, and we'll hold you to your word to visit us soon." He tells her. Sakura beams happily, and leaves without another word.

Sasuke glares at Itachi. Itachi just meets his gaze evenly. "You are only angry because you know I'm right." He tells the younger male.

Sasuke opens his mouth to retort when the doors slide open yet again. Tsunade walks in with two clipboards, and arches an eyebrow at Sasuke until he moves from his seat. She quickly takes his place, and shifts to make herself comfortable.

"So, let's talk names." She says.

"Sousuke, our son, and Akira, our daughter." He tells her without hesitation.

Tsunade scribbles the names down onto the birth certificates. "I assume they'll both be Uchiha's." She says.

Itachi nods.

Tsunsde stands. "The two little beds over there are for the twins. Normally they would be taken to the nursery, but given the circumstances it would be safer just to keep them here." She turns to Sasuke. "Visiting hours are over. Get out."

Sasuke blinks, and looks over at Itachi. His older brother gently places Akira into her bed, and removes Sousuke from his mother's grip, and places him in the other. Then he sits back down in his chair, and shifts as if planning to sleep there.

Tsunade follows his gaze and scowls. "Itachi is here as extra protection for Naruto and the twins. He can stay. You must go. I don't want people to think I'm going soft."

Sasuke resists the urge to roll his eyes, and turns to leave. "I'll be back tomorrow." He says over his shoulder.

"Hn." Grunts Itachi to show that he heard Sasuke.

Sasuke returns to his own house at a leisurely pace. Why should he rush? His family is waiting for him at the hospital. A warm feeling trickles through his chest. His family. One that he can be proud of, without fearing an ulterior motive.

He allows a small smile to grace his lips for just a moment. He walks into his house and shuts the door behind him. A quiet and eerily dark house is all that greets him. After spending so much time with Naruto and Itachi, he must have gotten used to their presence. How many times has he slept in his own bed in the last four months rather than the guest room at his brother's house?

Not many. He can only remember a small handful of times. It really is very quiet without Naruto, isn't it? Sasuke shakes his head, and walks through his moonlit house to his bedroom. He quickly changes into a set of night-clothes, and crawls under the covers. As soon as his head touches the pillow, and he grows warm under the blanket, he realizes how tired he is. Sleep claims him moments later.

When he wakes, Sasuke glares at the only mirror in his room. The sun is bouncing off it's reflective surface in just the right direction that it lands on his pillow and, therefore, his face. Come to think of it, it's never done that before.

Sasuke stands, and walks over to the mirror. On it is a written note. Sasuke glares reflexively as he reads it.

Sasuke-teme I know you'll want to be up early on the day the twins are born, so I rigged your mirror to wake you up when the sun comes up.

Good morning!

Naruto

P.S. If you get here at a good time, I'll make breakfast when we get home!

He sighs, and glances at the clock. Seven. Better get moving then. He changes into a comfortable set of practice clothes, pulls his shoes on, and jumps out of his bedroom window. One of the disadvantages to living in a ninja village, is that if someone wants into your house, they get into your house.

Picking locks is one of the most basic skills to have. Especially average locks like the ones on houses and most windows.

Sasuke decides to walk the streets rather than jump from roof to roof as per usual. Once he arrives, he notices the crowd gathered at the front gate. What's going on? Did something happen while he was sleeping? Panic starts to creep into the corners of his mind, but he pushes them back. Itachi is more than qualified to fend off anyone stupid enough to attack Naruto and the kids.

The closer to the crowd, no, mob he gets, the more faces he recognizes. Why are all his classmates outside the hospital doors? Not just his classmates, he realizes. There's Lee and Tenten, with Neji who appears to be talking to... Is that Gaara? What is everyone doing here? Nobody died did they?

He shivers as a feeling like ice water pours down his spine. Is Naruto alright? What about Itachi and the twins? Sasuke fixes his face into an emotionless mask and plunges into the crowd. He gets a couple half-hearted glares, as they move out of his way. Not everyone has forgiven him yet.

He catches the closest friendly looking person on the arm and turns her to face him. Tenten blinks and arches an eyebrow. "What's going on?" He asks her. Please, please, Kami-sama let his family be alright!

Tenten's eyebrow arches a bit more. "Didn't you know? Tsunade told us a while back that Naruto was back, but refused to tell us where he was staying. Yesterday, we caught Sakura-san on her way to the hospital. She looked troubled, and when we asked her why, she only said that Naruto was admitted into the hospital, and left. We all came to see for ourselves if it was true, and to make sure Naruto is alright."

"When yesterday?" Sasuke grits out, satisfied that it doesn't sound nearly as strained as he was afraid it would.

Tenten shrugs. "Around noon, I guess."

Sasuke lets out a slow sigh of relief, and centers himself. Then he turns, and walks again towards the doors. A hand on his arm stops him. He turns his head slightly to see Tenten with a firm grip on his arm. "They aren't letting us inside." She tells him.

Sasuke blinks. "I have special permission." He tells her, and pulls away. The doors slide open easily and the guards nod slightly as he passes, but no one stops him.

When he enters Naruto's room, he's only slightly surprised to see Naruto up and moving, but Itachi still asleep.

He had never known that Naruto was such a morning person, until he started living with her that is. On the other hand, Itachi is not a morning person. He gets grumpy when awoken, and Sasuke has been on the bad side of a wake-up call more than once, resulting in a severely bruised ego on top of a minor black eye.

How does Naruto do it? He had wondered for a while before he witnessed her kiss him awake. Seeing as though it wouldn't be received the same way if he were to try it, he filed it away as useless information... and took pictures for blackmail later on. Unfortunately, he still ends up bruised when he's sent by Naruto to wake Itachi up. One time, he tried throwing a shoe at Itachi's head. Itachi woke up after he threw a kunai at Sasuke. It missed, but Sasuke didn't try throwing anything again. Itachi, blind, asleep, and throwing kunai just doesn't seem like a good mix.

"Sasuke, will you wake up your brother? I have to finish getting the twins ready to go home." Sasuke freezes. Naruto notices his reaction and grins. "Haven't you figured out how to wake him up yet?" She asks him, sounding smug.

Sasuke glares. "It's not like I can wake him up the same way you do." He retorts defensively.

Naruto laughs. "Oh, you could, but I might get mad." She says with a wink. Then she walks over to Itachi, and pokes him in the side. Much to Sasuke's utter astonishment, Itachi's eyes fly open and he convulses, nearly falling from his chair in the process.

"That was unnecessary." Says Itachi.

Naruto cracks an impish grin. "I know, but it's so much fun. Not many people know that the big bad Uchiha Itachi is tickilish."

Itachi frowns, and catches Naruto's still outstretched hand. "And just what are you going to do with that information?" He asks.

Naruto smiles. "I'm going to keep it to myself, and use it to my advantage whenever the opportunity presents itself."

Itachi smiles gently and kisses her hand, before he releases it, and stands. "How are you feeling?" He asks.

Naruto shrugs and smiles. "I Feel fine! Kurama has me all patched up and everything!"

Itachi nods and picks up Sousuke, gently in his arms. "Will you carry Akira?" Asks Itachi before Naruto can get her.

Sasuke nods, and picks up his niece. The girl grins and takes a fistful of hair into get surprisingly tight grip. Sasuke frowns. No doubt about who her mother is.

together, the three of them exit the hospital, glad to leave the too-clean smell behind. Itachi stops when they reach the front desk to sign Naruto out, while Sasuke and Naruto head outside to wait for him.

As soon as the doors open, Sasuke remembers the crowd. "Shit." He curses.

Everyone seems to stare wide-eyed at Akira, then at Sasuke, before finally landing on Naruto. Two plus two must have given them five, because suddenly there are about twenty extremely angry ninja surrounding him.

Gaara pushes his way forward, with his sand swirling, and emotionless façade gone. "What the hell is going on here?" Sasuke sighs. Once again he's being blamed because his brother married his best friend/ rival, and decided to have children. Great. Just great.

=D =Z =o =7 =l =/ =[

So... ah... I've finally updated. This month has been chaotic with school, college, senior pictures, family, music, homework, etc.. Anyway, sorry about the wait. I'll try to update soon, but can't make any promises. Thank you for your patience!

And,

I don't really know anything about pregnancy (I've never been pregnant) or birth (Never given birth either) and incredibly little about babies (my aunt had my cousin and I had to take home a robot baby doll for health... two years ago, three?) So any information I got wrong or mixed up, please let me know. I would appreciate the help!

~Kat