DISCLAIMER & A/Ns: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe. And I know you want more Kushina; we'll be seeing more of her as things move on.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Thank you so much for reading my stories.

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

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

"Your son - my former apprentice - is one of the very strongest shinobis in the village," Hokage-sama (the leader whom Sakumo mainly knew as a brilliant young shinobi who was crushing hard on his kunoichi student and driving her crazy) said seriously.

More importantly, he's the young man who took my boy in after I failed him and the village so spectacularly.

So skilled was Sakumo's son, in fact, that he was ANBU Commanding General. That was a position he once held. Kakashi hadn't even known that about me until he was promoted to the position and saw my name in the archives.

"Like you, he's a genius among geniuses and was, at one time, my daughter's teacher in that previous life I told you about." Minato laughed when Sakumo let his guard slip and apparently showed just how bothered he was by that. "Ah, I'm quite sure they had feelings for each other then, too but they weren't acted upon." Minato sighed. "Kakashi was also assigned as her captain…"

.

"My daughter is a perfect sage, Sakumo-san, but she can't use her skills right now and the twins will be at risk for years to come. Naru and Kakashi-kun have been ordained by the Sage of Six Paths himself…"

Gods, the conversation that followed (and the few that preceded it) were a lot to wrap his head around.
It had to be rougher for Kakashi, though. And Naruto. And that other kid Minato mentioned.

The corner of his lips twitched up as he watched his son tease his wife terribly even as he followed her around - each with a quiet newborn in a sling. He was trying to get her to stay seated.

Sakumo had unintentionally caught them kissing a couple of times: tender moments and all of that. (He needed to get out of here.) For the most part, however, they - like most new parents - were trying to make sense of and figure out very early parenthood. Twins were a lot to handle but at the moment they had help.

"I am doing fine," Naruto steamed at his son. "YOU go sit down."

Naru glanced up at Sakumo and felt her face heat up. "...Husband."

"Maa, you're not fooling anyone, Naru-chan!"

Naruto, Kakashi thought, then looked like she might throw something at him. Fortunately, she was probably unarmed and would never do that while they were both holding puppies. Speaking of, Puppy 2, the one he was carrying, began fussing. "You're hungry, eh? Yare, yare. You're always hungry!"

Sakumo rubbed his jaw as the two went off into another room since Naruto was shy about nursing the pups. It was either that or her running off every couple of hours to take care of the boys, out of sight, was a result of Kakashi-kun's terrible possessiveness. –His son had always been like that, even worse than he himself was at a young age.

He moved to look at the pictures on and by the wall again.

Kakashi was a pretty damn good photographer and it was such a relief to see so many pictures of his son's extended pack. He wasn't sure how he was going to fit into all of this but Kakashi and Naruto were determined to make it happen: that was clear.

It was nice but… exhausting.

Sakumo had always been a quiet guy and felt like he'd probably spoken more in the last few hours than he had in years (aside from the decades in which he was dead, of course. He'd been quite silent then.)

Naruto had been wanting to hear stories about what Kakashi was like as a little boy. Kakashi denied nearly everything he told her, lying his tail off. His son had been a total stinker growing up (Minato had told him more about that - what kind of father doesn't know, he thought to himself bitterly) and from what Jiraiya and Tsunade shared, it sounded like Naruto was a whole other kind of wild child.

Naruto-hime denied all of her exploits with a big wink.

"Naruto:" not "Naru-hime."

"Oh my gosh: please don't call me that. Just 'Naruto' is fine, ya know - or you can call me 'Naru' if ya want! And I only use the last name 'Hatake!' I uhh, hope that's okay."

Like it or not, Konoha's Princess is exactly what Uzumaki-Namikaze/Senju-Hatake Naruto was, however. And just like Tsunade-hime was Konoha royalty, the two were a lot alike. Kushina will fit right in no matter how nervous Naruto is about meeting her.

If Minato can calm Kushina down. Boy was his former student furious about so many things…

He sat down in a big recliner and noticed a brightly colored book near it. It seemed to have fallen on the floor. He wasn't positive but thought he'd seen others like it: same font, same style around the house that kept "disappearing." Curious and glad to finally be successful in checking one out, he opened it to the page that was bookmarked. His mouth fell open and his face began heating up as he read. What in the world?!

He jumped, dropping the book (he hadn't realized that he'd been reading for a while) like it had burned him when Naruto came back in. The poor woman turned bright red and pushed his son in front of her.

Sakumo wished the ground would swallow him up.

"Dammit," Kakashi mourned. Great literature or not, his father had just found evidence that he was a pervert.

"No cursing in front of the puppies, Kakashi!"

"Maa. That book is Naruto's. I don't know what to do with her."

Naruto began choking.

Since "returning to Konoha" - and that's the way she had chosen to think about it - Kushina had been finding herself falling into so much sadness and pain. She can't believe that Obito: sweet, kind Obito had been at the center of everything that had happened. But she believed her husband: she had been there when Minato woke in the middle of the night after Obito's death; how he had shaken when he woke up from nightmares about his student. He wouldn't make any of this up.

And then, soon after, felt he had failed to save Rin-chan and it all began again.

It hadn't been his fault. Lord Third - that bastard - never let up on Minato; always loading him up with mountains of impossible missions to do, usually, at the same time Minato's kids were sent on dangerous missions (on another battlefront,) as well.

Had he wanted to kill him? To take out Team 7? Did Hiruzen have some kind of vendetta? Was it something against Minato?

Was it something against Sakumo-sensei and maybe anyone else who was considered as a potential candidate for his position?

Kushina hadn't exactly liked Sarutobi Hiruzen; she had stopped trusting him when word got out and nothing was done about her sensei's failed mission and everything that followed it - especially after Konoha had failed to aid Uzushio in time. The idea that the freaking Hokage was manipulated by Danzo of all people, that his mind was messed up by repeated genjutsus didn't sit well with her. Hiruzen was Hokage twice and in Konoha, the Hokage was a military dictator. He should've had Danzo under control - not to mention Orochimaru.

Now that guy, Kushina always knew was bad news. She wasn't surprised at all that he was Kabuto's master, considering his attitude and the snakeskin that was growing on the gray-haired creep. (Or considering his "experiments:" me, sensei and so many others.)

Experiments. The shinobis he'd brought back to semi-life were from all the villages. After the last bunch she knew of was revived, they all began plotting to leave together or in waves: Jiraiya and Minato's idea for peace in the shinobi world was enacted upon in some half-assed way as they all, together, swore vengeance on Kabuto. She wondered how many got away and ended up making it back to their homes as she had. She wondered if any of them were truly alive again, as they were now.

Some of them had nowhere to go and wanted to go back to being dead. Minato thought that in order to break the jutsu, one had to want to live. If true that was good news, particularly for her sensei whom she was terribly worried about.

Oh man: she and her sensei shared the same grandchildren. Kakashi-kun BETTER be taking good care of her daughter!

Gods. She was SO pissed off about… everything!

.

As soon as they were in their room again that evening, the new parents laid the babies on their bed before Kakashi whipped his shirt and mask off and then did the same for his wife, more gently. Newborns, they'd read, needed a lot of skin-to-skin contact. Kakashi felt that considering his own enhanced senses, Hatake pups needed it even more than others: that they needed to smell and touch more than others might.

He and Naru had planned to walk around sans-shirts (and his mask) 24/7, as much as they could but hadn't had any time truly alone in their home.

Kakashi unswaddled and picked up Puppy 1 and held him close, patting his tiny diapered butt as Naru fed Puppy 2.

What a sight that was.

After the feeding, more strangely loud belches, and changing both boys, Naru softly smiled at her babies. As soon as she and Kakashi put them down in their big bassinet, they seemed to try to move closer together - so she helped them out, positioning them on their sides so they were touching. "Are they," Naruto began, tilting her head as she observed them, "sniffing each other?!"

Their little noses were twitching.

"Probably," Kakashi grinned, wrapping his arms around his wife's shoulder and much smaller waist. He was so tired and had been so tense; he wanted to drop all of his weight on her. "Lay down with me." He didn't have to talk her into it.

Naruto winced and groaned as he got comfy; Kakashi first snuggled into her breasts before finally laying his head against her shoulder. She was really, really sore. "How are you?"

Kakashi wasn't sure. He had been trying to concentrate on the pups and his wife but felt so "on display" in front of his father. It felt like he'd been acting ever since Hatake Sakumo came back - well, ever since I punched him. –Punching him had felt strangely cathartic. "I don't know."

Naruto hummed but didn't move away when he cupped her swollen breast. She was wearing a hideous beige and utilitarian nursing bra - something Kakashi said was the greatest invention ever since the cups could be opened, "peek-a-boo style." Naruto didn't get it at all: she had cupless bras but he thought the thing was great. "Me, either."

Kakashi drew in a deep breath. He admired his wife's breasts for a while but was too tired to tell her. "I only want to be with you. And the puppies."

Naruto tried to suppress a shudder. "Me too. …We have to help him, though, Kash."

"I know, Naru-chan. I know." Will Father really stay, though? Kakashi was sure that he'd forgiven the man a long time ago - and had done so in two lifetimes - but now that he was back, he felt…

I don't know what I feel.

Pulling the covers over them, Kakashi decided he could think about it more in the morning. Or just ignore his feelings about it.

The next morning -

"Hatake Sakumo. Oh, my," Yoshino fanned herself off as she rocked one of her beautiful, tiny grandchildren in her arms while he held the other. "You should spar with my husband."

"Troublesome," came three voices: two deep and irritated while Naru's was choked with laughter.

Yoshino glared at all of them. "Be quiet: all three of you!"

Kakashi looked like a cute, confused masked ninken but Naruto held her hand over her grin, wondering why her mother figure (whom she'd noticed over the years had a thing for tall, dark Inuzukas - especially if they'd spar at length with Shikaku) also seemed to find Hatakes so attractive. Well, they obviously WERE but for Yoshino, was it a dog thing? Was it a power/alpha/biting thing? Was it a "someone please kick my lazy husband's ass" thing?

- Was that a thing?

She got up to try to go cook again. Her biological parents were supposed to come over and Kakashi's cooking wasn't going to cut it. Rather than letting her cook, Kakashi wrapped his arms around her and carried her into the next room while she complained but felt too tired to stop him. She noticed that he stopped where he could see exactly what was happening in the main room where their puppies were. Naru was sure that he didn't like having them out of reach, either. "I can walk, Kash."

"You're tired. And nervous."

"You can say that again." Naruto ran her hands over her face. Her mother was coming this morning. Naru wasn't sure what had caused the delay but truthfully, she had been glad for it. However, knowing their approaching meeting or reunion of sorts was coming began making her more and more nervous. She was even dreaming of it at night - but unlike what her former dreams of meeting her real mom were like when she was young, she was now afraid of things going incredibly wrong. And my freaking hormones are out of control. And I'm tired and I hurt and…

Kakashi pulled her into his chest and Naruto tried not to sob but tears ran down her whiskered cheeks anyway. "Just remember you're in a home full of people who love you."

"Sorry," Naruto sniffed and snuck a peek up at him. Kakashi looked so at ease (but tired) about all of this but he was incredibly good at masking how he really felt. "You've got enough on your plate without worrying about me." Kakashi scratched at his mask and looked up, as if he was considering that.

"Maa, Tenzo's filling in for me at work and I love being at home with you and the pups." I worked long and hard to get this time off.

Naruto sighed and leaned into him again. "We've really got to name them." She pressed her forehead into Kakashi's chest and sighed, cuddling against him as he ran his fingers through her hair. Nearly (or perhaps truly) falling asleep standing up, she looked up when she heard Shikaku call for her minutes later. Kakashi, it looked like, had nearly zonked out against the wall he was leaning against. Naru couldn't help but snort.

They were warned about this! Naru just didn't expect them, as ninjas, to be this tired this quickly! Oh, Gods! What's next week going to be like? What about next month?!

The babies were hungry again. Thankfully, Naruto was a never-ending supply cow. –Or that's how she felt anyway. "I'll take him, Otousan," she said without thinking to Shikaku. It was only when she thanked the woman who had raised her in a very similar, familiar way that she went stiff.

"I'll carry him," Yoshino chirped - and then glared at Kakashi, daring him to say anything as she refused to give up the baby she'd just taken. She watched, satisfied as her son-in-law ambled over to his lazy man's recliner-bed and flopped down into it face-first. She followed Naruto up to the nursery. "Talk to me."

Naruto swallowed hard as she half-undressed and tried to position her son. Yoshino sighed, helping her to get both babies latched on at the same time. Naruto's face was so red, Yoshino wasn't sure if she was about to explode from aggravation or embarrassment. Knowing Naruto, it was probably both. "You have no problem calling Sakumo-san 'Otousan.'"

"That's so untrue," Naruto groused. She reached out her senses a bit to make sure all of the men were downstairs and kept her voice low. "First it was a polite thing, ya know? And now Kakashi insists on me calling him that but it feels a little weird. And it's not like he ever calls my father anything but 'sensei.'"

"Uh-huh," Yoshino said, trying to lead Naru in the direction she wanted.

"I'm such an as-butt. Butt," she repeated to herself, refusing to be herself and curse like a sailor which would surely ruin her twins' innocence. "I - I should've been calling you 'Mom' or something all along!" Naru sniffed pathetically and wrinkled her nose, trying to direct her tears somewhere they wouldn't fall on the nursing puppies - who were both staring at or at least toward her. "You guys should close your eyes and not see this."

Yoshino snorted and wiped away her own tears that had come up, surprising her. "You are my daughter, Naruto. I always cherished the moments when you called me 'Kaa-chan' or something like it."

"That's just it, though," Naruto said shakily, really wishing the twins would stop listening. "You are my mother and I should've called you that all the time!"

"You tried not to call me that in respect for Kushina and her sacrifice." Yoshino wiped the tears from Naruto's face, softly pinching her cute cheeks, and used a clean cloth diaper to blot away the rest. "I knew that. –I've always loved that about you."

"For everything you did… I haven't been grateful enough."

"Oh, please! Naruto, don't you remember Shikaku and I getting ANGRY because you were always thanking us for every little thing?! For every bit of kindness or… even slight human decency you were shown?!"

"No," Naruto said honestly. "And I mean, there's a reason for that."

"I know there is. Which is why it's amazing that you're as special as you are." She sighed when Naruto quickly shook her head, shedding more tears. Yoshino was worried about her. More people coming back from the dead: that was too much stress on a young mother! It was also highly suspicious to her: two people coming back that were so close to Naru and Kakashi? –It sounded like some kind of backward, half-assed revenge plot. Considering that Kabuto boy was at the center of it, she was positive this wasn't a gift although some people would think otherwise. "Personally, I can't wait to share grandma duties with Kushina-senpai!"

It took her a minute to gather her courage but Naruto finally peeked up at her to see if she was serious. Weirdly enough, Yoshino looked at peace and happy, gazing at her sons - Yoshino's grandsons - with all the love in the world. Naru's lip slowly curled up into a sad smile. Speaking of grandmothers, "I'm not sure Tsunade-baa-chan wants to share the puppies with anyone."

Yoshino laughed. "I don't think she wants to share them with you!"

Naru's more genuine smile turned bittersweet. "She missed out on truly getting to be a mother."

Yoshino stroked the twins' soft silver hair. Goodness, they were so cute. "So did Kushina-senpai. Give her a chance, Naruto."

"I - I will," Naruto promised. She let Yoshino take Puppy 2 so that they could each burp one. Naru chortled when Yoshino's eyes popped out at how loud they both burped - at the same time this time. "I think I'm doing something wrong with them; that cannot be normal!" Her eyes went wide when she heard new voices downstairs.

Her parents were here.

"Breathe, Naruto." Yoshino helped and led her daughter to put the babies down next to each other in the crib. "This room's so beautiful. Tell you what! I'll clean up the little fawns while you change."

Naruto blinked several times, freaking out, and was finally shoved into her room. She snuck back to the nursery after cleaning up a little and changing into another couple of bras, a sleeveless blouse, and her Hatake-crested haori.

The blouse was white and had big, dumb ruffles on the collar and going down the front but Kakashi loved it. It also covered up her gut. Her eyes widened and widened as her father led her mother into the nursery. She began to bow (because she was apparently an idiot and had no idea of what she should do, she felt) but her mother was already bent at the waist, thanking Yoshino with all of her heart for everything she and Shikaku had done for her daughter. Me.

"It was our pleasure, Kushina-senpai," Yoshino began, overwhelmed but a little giddy. She had once (and still was) in awe of and respected the hell out of The Red Hot Habanero.

"Kaa-chan?" Naruto whispered and was suddenly pounced on. She gasped and held onto her mother who was clinging to her and sobbing. Eventually trying to push a little of the red hair away from her face, she held out her other arm to Yoshino. When she had them both, Naru's legs almost gave out.

She cried like a baby.

By the time she was released for air, Kakashi and Minato had each taken a very upset baby into their arms. Naruto wiped her face on yet another clean cloth diaper and stepped toward her little babies. I should have known, she thought, smiling. Both puppies were dressed in a soft brown velour of some sort with little white spots on the back. The matching outfits had little hoods with tiny antlers on them.

Minato rocked the younger one back and forth, holding the little guy up to try to calm him. "Kushina, would you like to meet your grandchildren?" Kushina was still shaking and crying.

"I - I…" I do, Kushina wanted to say and felt sick and pained at the way Naruto and Kakashi stiffened. "I don't want to hurt them; I promise! But you're right, this body's not quite really my own, I don't think. I don't fully understand the jutsu, ya know." She looked down at her wrist again, seeing that missing scar, and felt sick. She broke down in more tears, feeling terrible that the babies began crying harder, too.

Little newborn cries! So beautiful, heart-wrenching, and sad!

Naruto carefully took the one her father was holding, biting her lip so that he could comfort her mother. "Are you little sensors like me, puppies?" She began humming to them, facing away from everyone but Kakashi who had moved to flank her. Once they'd calmed down, he gave her a significant nod which told her that he believed her mother was safe enough. –That she wouldn't hurt them. Gods, what a terrible thing to even imagine.

Naru turned around, plastering a smile on her face while rubbing circles into her newborn's back. "Kaa-chan this is… well, I know they look like little fawns right now but these are me and Kakashi's puppies!" Naru pointed to the pup Kakashi was holding and then at her own. "Right now that's Puppy 1 and this is Puppy 2."

Although adorable, Naruto realized she was still getting used to calling her babies puppies.

Kushina wiped her eyes. She looked at Minato in disbelief for a split second, and gripped her hands together over her chest tightly. She slowly stepped forward, having heard how the couple was worried about any influence Kabuto may still have on her - including her chains, specifically. She wanted to hold them so badly but maybe this was for the best. "Hello, little ones! I'm your obaa-chan. –Oh man that's weird to say, 'ttebane!"

Naruto woke up, startled. The babies were tucked in their big crib and she was in the nursery. "What happened? Where did this bed come from?!"

"Maa, you fell asleep in the rocker. Yoshino-san sent Shikaku-san to get a single bed for in here - you know what that means," Kakashi explained, wiggling his eyebrows at her like a pervert to tease her. He snuggled back into her. "You have to take it easy. Even for you, that incision and all the rest is going to take time to heal and you need your rest." He groaned when he heard it getting noisier downstairs. There were a LOT of people in their house and he'd had to finally retreat, feeling overwhelmed by it all.

Naturally, there was a tap on the balcony door.

The couple thought about letting the traps spring on whoever was out there but they were sure it was Sai. After more tapping, Kakashi yawned and got up, pulling his mask back up and letting him in safely. He looked down at Kimchi and bent down to pet him. "Sorry, buddy. No ninkens yet; my pack hasn't met the pups and they get to go first."

"Stay here, Kimchi?" Sai asked. He'd been reading about how to care for dogs and ninkens since even before he was presented with his new friend. Kimchi lay down on the patio, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Sai came in and smiled at the babies. He'd been reading all of Naruto's pregnancy and parenting books as soon as she finished them, too. Even though they looked quiet for now, he knew those babies would be quite terrifying for a host of reasons. "They have your coloring, Commander. What are their names? Yo, Naruto. Congratulations! Congratulations, Commander."

"Thanks, Sai."

"Maa, we haven't decided on names. That's One and that's Two," he pointed them out. "They're worn out."

Sai peeked out the nursery's door. "Are you having a party?" He was off duty. He could've come!

"No, my parents and Kakashi's father are back from the dead. It's a Kabuto or Orochimaru thing."

"Naru-chan!"

"Ah," Sai said as if they were talking about the weather. "Tenzo-taicho briefed me."

"That little shit," Kakashi breathed and was quietly scolded for cursing. That was going to be something to get used to. "Who else knows?"

A blur of green flew in and Kakashi reacted instinctively, flashing forward and bashing the taijutsu expert out through the window. Naruto and Sai could hear Kakashi cursing a jubilant Gai as they hit and kicked each other outside.

"All in all, a normal day, eh, Blondie?"

Naruto groaned and gingerly turned. When she looked over her shoulder - she'd fallen asleep AGAIN - Kakashi was zonked out on the floor, Gai was rocking one of the babies and holding his finger up to his lips while Sai quietly sketched them. How do parents without support do this? How do SINGLE mothers do this? If she was tired, she couldn't imagine how they felt. She glanced up at the crib and saw blue eyes staring at her, although she figured everything was probably blurry to him. "Hello, there! Which one are you, I wonder."

"That's Ichi-chibi. I hadn't held Ni-chibi and felt he needed more youth!"

Naru pouted furiously at him. "Gai, if he gets any more youthful he's going back in my belly and I'm not allowing the route he took last time to be involved in that! Or any other route! And please don't call him - ugh: we've gotta name them! Ichibi: that's too close to a certain tanuki who would be way too excited to hear that." Had he heard, Kurama would give her shit for the rest of her life if he weren't zonked out.

After more painful feedings and diaper changes, Kushina came back in, asking if it was okay if she stayed with them for a couple more hours. Under Kakashi's watch (Kushina would later admit that he was damn intimidating) Naruto ended up leaning on her shoulder as her mother told the babies in the crib a story she'd never heard before about mermaids and a heroic starfish that everyone had underestimated.

So far, Naruto had learned that her mother was very animated, very emotional, and very, very pissed off at her father. She had heard or seen them quietly arguing or trying not to argue several times downstairs and it was always Kakashi's dad who calmed things down.

"I'm glad I have Kurama, you know," she finally told her mother. "I realize that your relationship with him wasn't great but I love that cantankerous fox. He's probably my best friend aside from Shika and, of course, Kakashi." She appreciated the fact that her mother did not look up when Kakashi wiped at his eyes. Kakashi had caught her hormone problems. He said it was something about the scent she had right now.

She also knew that having his father come back and all the worries associated with it was really weighing on him.

.

Later, she held his hand as they lay in bed. "Do you think we can save up for a house?" Naru whispered.

Kakashi knew where Naru was going with this. "You've put a lot of work into this place."

"Yeah," Naruto could agree with that. "But… Do you think my parents will stay together?" They had really been arguing a LOT.

Kakashi grinned. "I do," he said knowingly. "Turn over, I'm going to give you my chakra. –I think that's why you're so tired." Kakashi had his Sharingan activated when Naruto's chains burst out and they were full of his chakra. He'd wanted to do this at the hospital and he should've taken care of his mate before now, especially since Naru didn't seem to be getting much better.

Naruto would do just about anything to wake up properly - or to do so in the morning - so she went along with it. She sighed as he traced the lines in her big ass seal, little strings of his chakra flowing into her. Or that's what it felt like.

"You could bite me."

"It works the other way," Naruto said, her bottom lip beginning to quiver. "And you hardly do it anymore!" She figured it was because she had been pregnant and so unattractive. "You don't like me!"

"Ha! That's hilarious. C'mon," he grinned mischievously. "Bite me! Right on my shoulder! I dare you." His eyes rolled up in his head when she did. "Oh… Fuck." He bit her back.

Minutes later, Naru felt really energized. She looked down at the tent in the sheet and smirked at him. "So. You want me to take care of that?"

Kakashi put his arm over his face. "It was erotic. I can't help it." He shuddered when she ran her finger up the underside of his stupidly hard cock. Sitting up on his elbows, he peeked over at the sleeping newborns. "This is a weird thing to do with them in the room." He sucked in a breath when Naruto squeezed the head.

"Does that mean you want to go into the nursery?" she asked dryly. She was not getting him off in the nursery.

"You… oh gods… You really feel up to doing this?!"

"Anything for you."

.

Naruto decided she definitely wanted to move out when her father flashed into their bedroom the next morning. Kakashi made sure Naru was decent and simultaneously grabbed his mask.

"I've got great news! Gah! Why is Kakashi naked?!"

Kakashi flipped the rest of the blankets up over himself and his wife. "How did you get in here, sensei?" he asked darkly. He growled at his father-in-law when the sleeping little ones began to fuss. Even considering the excellent hand job, it had been another long and stressful night with them waking up every hour or so!

"Sai let me in and I'm sorry," Minato said quickly, radiating joy. "Kushina and Sakumo were able to summon this morning!"

Naruto sat up as quickly as she could, internally cursing her painfully full breasts and incision. "But their blood?"

"I don't know how it works, Naruto, but Tsunade's looking into the clan archives. Their blood is their own: their summons have confirmed it!"

"So Kaa-chan… can't er, won't hurt the puppies?" Naruto still couldn't be sure, though, right?

"She's herself! She was so happy, she… she kissed me."

Naru couldn't help but giggle at the blushing, grinning man, grinning widely herself. "I'm really glad."

Kakashi leaned back against the headboard, resting his head inside the Rasengan hole and putting an arm around his wife. "Maa, sounds like she's being controlled: to be forced to kiss you."

"That's not funny!"

Kakashi shrugged. "It is a little funny. Otou-san summoned his wolves, eh?"

"Hai! They bit him: they were furious."

"Yikes."

"Is he alright?" Naru asked. She wondered what her mother summoned. Gingerly, she moved toward the babies who were waking up.

"We patched him up and after the wolves got a piece of him, they were happy - sort of." The wolves were furious with Sakumo for leaving them and Kakashi the way he did. Now they wanted to see Kakashi; they were also a little ticked that Kakashi summoned dogs instead of them. Now there were dogs and wolves all over the Senju Compound and Sakumo's wolves didn't want to disperse. Minato guessed that Sakumo appreciated that.

"That's great but you have to leave now. Gomen," Naruto said as she picked Puppy 1 up. His hands were fisted and he was really mad! –It was adorable.

"You know, Naruto," Minato began, "nursing is natural…"

"Yeah, but my boobs aren't!" They looked like blimps or something. "Go on! Get out of here - please?" Her father shrugged, waved, and flashed off and Kakashi brought over Puppy 2.

He watched her begin to feed them, groaning as "it" began. "You know, Naru," he teased, "this is giving me some ideas. Maa, as soon as you're feeling better, I can't wait to be in their place."

"Wha-... Don't even think about it right now, Hatake!"

Kakashi was quiet while he watched her feed the pups. "And when you're better, I think you're right. If Kushina-nee is really back, then we need to find another place to live."

"I think so, too." She felt her eyes tear up again and she sniffed, cursing her hormones. "We could get an apartment."

"The security wouldn't be tight enough."

"If it's tight enough for other shinobis and shinobi families, then it should be okay for us."

"I won't do it," Kakashi said firmly. "Not when they're so little and helpless."

Naruto chewed on that for a while, burping the babies, feeding them some more, burping them again, changing their toxic waste-like diapers, wiping up the crap they spit all over them, and then set out to again try the arduous task of bathing them. It was terrifying.

"Kakashi, HOW am I ever going to be comfortable with my mother being with them?" Naruto felt guilty. "I saw what my chains were capable of that time they flew into that statue thing - and she can control hers, from different parts of her body! Her core, her back… her hands!" How could she let her mother hold her tiny babies when her hands could impale them.

Dammit; was she a horrible person? Or was she being a good mother? And an awful daughter.

Kakashi sighed, understanding completely. "As shinobis, we're all capable of great violence. Give it time. –Sometimes I can't believe these hands - this hand in particular," he said, lifting his right hand that had carved through so many with his signature jutsu and repeatedly running his thumb over his calloused fingertips, "is capable of feeling your soft skin, your face, your breasts; reaching into and memorizing your" - here he drew out his words: "soft… sweet… tight… cunt." He smirked at her red face. "You use the Rasengan with both hands, and you have chains and chakra arms."

Naruto understood even though he just had to go and be such a pervert.

"Chakra arms," she quietly gasped, thinking of the possibilities. When she could safely make clones again, they'd be incredibly helpful with taking care of the babies but there was always the possibility that they could pop but her CHAKRA arms could hold them if she couldn't! Not only that, but while observing her parents together, Naruto couldn't help but wonder if her Kaa-chan could help her control her chains and get better at sealing. "You're right. Thank you. You're a good man, Kakashi. I'm so glad I was forced to marry you."