DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe.

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

Emphasis

Bijuu, etc. speaking

Bijuu, etc. thinking

Kakashi summoned his pack in an empty bedroom, knowing that they'd be overly excited. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!"

"It's about fucking time, Kakashi," was their overwhelming response.

Brat dogs. "I know, I know." They were all sniffing around madly but Kakashi was already stationed in front of the door in case any of them tried to break it down, trying to get to their new packmates. "I've been busy - and tired - and… My father's back from the other side: alive again. Things are weird."

"You're joking," Bisuke remarked after a beat, his eyes going wide. Bull love-attacked their summoner, trying to cheer him up, he guessed and pinning him to the floor as planned. That gave him and the others an opportunity to hunt down their targets.

After ordering Bull to roll their summoner aside and keep him pinned, Akino unlocked the door, and off they ran. Naruto was sitting on the floor of what he knew was "a nursery" with two wiggly, tiny beings next to her in a small decorated kennel. The twins were clothed like frogs: that wasn't fair, either. "Hey! How come you got to see them first?"

Naruto appreciated Shiba bopping the outspoken but less intelligent ninken on the snout. "I gave birth to them, remember?"

"They do smell like you. And you smell like them!"

"Tell us something we don't know. And give us a break, Bisuke," Pakkun scolded, sniffing and trying to get the younger ninken to settle down.

Naruto grinned although she had been nervous. Kakashi's ninkens were so well-trained and sweet but compared to the twins they were all so big. Except for Pakkun - and Pakkun was still bigger than her boys. Wet noses of various sizes covered her babies and Naru softly chuckled when it appeared that the twins somehow grabbed all seven sets of whiskers. Bull must be with Kakashi. "Aw. They like you!"

"Ouch! Ouch!"

"Of course they do," Pakkun preened. He began slowly wiggling back and forth, trying to get away but remembering when Naruto once did this to him: grabbing his whiskers. She had been so tiny; it was shortly after the fox's attack and he ran to see her on the way to do something inane for a grieving, teenage Kakashi who wanted nothing to do with the babe.

"I'm cursed, Pakkun. It's best for me to never see that kid."

Now he's mated to her: what a twist of fate. "How ya feeling, Naruto? You look good."

Naruto cooed at him as she pried tiny fingers away from more whiskers and fur. "Thank you. I'm pretty good. Ha! These two are strong, huh?"

"I don't know. They look pretty weak and small," Uhei figured. He didn't remember humans being so small at first.

Naruto gasped in outrage. "They got you, didn't they?" All the ninkens had to agree that was true. She smiled when Kakashi was dragged in by Bull. When the others moved away a bit, Bull crowded them and lay down, trying repeatedly to put his head on the twins' bassinet's basket although he knew he was too heavy. Finally, he waved his little tail like crazy as he snuggled his big head in between them and just stood there. Naturally, his whiskers were pulled, too. Bull didn't seem to mind.

"Everything okay?" Kakashi asked, immensely relieved that his pups were still alive and unbroken. His ninken could get really excited but he did trust them with all of their lives.

"Of course. They're all good boys."

"Naruto," Pakkun said, scooching closer and closer to the blonde and looking nervous. "I… want to apologize." He had really upset Naruto (repeatedly) who had only been looking out for Jazu's best interest. He grimaced when Naruto started to sniff, trying not to cry. "Maa, maa… Here's my paw! You can have it!"

Naru accepted it and rubbed Pakkun's soft paw pads with her thumb. "I should be the one apologizing. You've been such a good father to Jazu's puppies; you all have!" Pakkun sat up taller and grinned hugely. Naruto wiped her eyes, smiling as all of the dogs began wagging their tails even harder. The twins started cooing, startling her.

They'd been so quiet before!

"Oh, Kakashi! Did you hear that?!"

"They're smiling," Kakashi breathed as his Sharingan spun to life. He knelt down to praise and smile back at them and pulled Naru down so they could see her better, too. "Maa, you two should smile more; you've very handsome." He pulled out a camera and took another set of photos.

Naruto had snorted but she would have to completely agree. Tsunade would probably say the twins were smiling because of gas or something gross like that but the boys sure looked happy to her: the twins and the ninken.

Jazu wandered into the room. Seeing that it was okay and that the pups again were within reach, she licked their cheeks even as the twins pulled on her whiskers, as well.

.

Shikamaru kept staring at Sakumo and Naruto wondered what his deal was. –Aside from the whole "a man died decades earlier and is now sitting here alive, as big as day, reading in my living room." That was something Naruto was still not used to, either.

Sakumo was a nice man, though - not that Naru expected anything else. He was very quiet and usually spoke only when spoken to but he and Kakashi had had a few conversations in which he became a lot more animated recently. He'd lightened up a bit although he was still mainly observing and investigating things.

Hatake Sakumo was a sucker for his grandsons: always peeking on them and quietly baby-talking or telling them stories when Naru would close her eyes or leave them in their crib or bassinet for even a second or so. He even changed diapers sometimes.

How great were grandparents?!

Most of them.

Naru walked over to her brother - Shika was holding his godson - and slowly sat down between him and her older son who was cuddled up sleeping with a gift that Gai had called a "slumber turtle" that was like a cushioned pillowy blanket with legs. It looked like a turtle, of course. Puppy 1 was on his side and had his arms around one of the turtle's soft legs. "You're staring."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru couldn't help it, though. "So is that what Kakashi looks like under his mask?" he mumbled in an even lower voice. He gave Naru a bit of a deadpan glare for smirking at his very understandable question.

Naruto also thought it was cute that Shikamaru was carrying brightly colored - or black, white, and red - baby toys in his flak jacket lately. "Sakumo-sama's facial structure's a little different," she whispered over the classical music that was playing through the house. They'd read that it helped early brains develop although it was boring as hell. "I guess Kakashi has his mother's chin and cheekbones but otherwise they look a lot alike." Shikamaru hummed and looked up at him again.

Naru shook with silent laughter as Shikamaru continued to shoot longing looks toward Sakumo while Puppy 2 went cross-eyed, frowning at the object Shika wanted him to focus on. Her baby boys were INTENSE. As their vision was clearing, they looked at everything as if they just couldn't wait to take things apart and investigate them - and they seemed to try to smell absolutely everything. "I can see if he's interested, ya know."

"What?" Shikamaru asked, having gotten caught up in making his godson look here and there and then cross his blue eyes with the black and white textured toy he was holding. His godson was too lazy to reach out for the toy right now, something Shikamaru felt pride in encouraging. Naruto pulled his hand away.

"I said I can find out if Sakumo-sama would be interested in taking you out or something."

"Gah. Shut up, Naruto! –You baka."

Naruto thought it was hilarious that he was blushing now. "How's Temari?"

"Angry that she can't come to see you. Well, she wants to see the babies; not you so much."

"So like everyone else, then," Naruto surmised.

"I had no idea how baby-crazy that woman could be."

"Almost everyone loves babies in theory - or when they're not being smelly, gross, or terrifying," Naruto said sagely. "Does that mean you two are getting more serious? Just remember, Gaara and Kankuro will kill you if you knock her up before marrying her."

Shikamaru grumbled something incomprehensible. "She doesn't want to have a baby until she's at least 30."

"Yeah?" Naru asked. "Well, I didn't want to have one until I was at least 60, once upon a time."

"That's bullshit, I bet."

"Shut up, Shika. And don't cuss in front of them!"

Shikamaru hummed and focused on silently willing his infant godson to say something troublesome. "Sooooooo… Where's your mother?"

Naruto slowly sucked in a deep breath and blew it out, getting slightly more comfortable physically although the question made her seethe worry. "Well, that's a good question, isn't it?" Her eyes watered up and she internally cursed her continuing fight with drama-loving hormones. "Last I heard, Kaa-chan was mad that Kakashi and I wanted to give the house back."

According to her grandmother, Uzumaki Kushina was having a really hard time. Naruto wanted to help her but she was being sequestered at their house.

She wondered when she'd eventually be allowed to leave. She didn't want to right now; Naruto wondered when she would.

She took Puppy 2 when he started getting agitated, trying to get to her. He calmed right down and went back to sleep once Naru held him instead. All of this "being good" had to come from Kakashi; Naruto was sure that she must have been a little terror from the get-go.

"Your house was built for Yondaime-sama."

"Exactly," Naruto sighed. "Tou-san said Nawaki offered him a house at the Senju Compound and Kaa-chan requested the one she grew up in."

"The Senju Compound is a nice place," Shikamaru said, putting it very, very mildly. It was also hidden with seals somehow, right in the middle of the village, making it an absolutely fantastic location: close or central to almost everything. "Very secure."

"I think we're just as secure here." Although I'd like my mother to come and check on the seals if Tou-san thought it was safe. The Hokage feared that Kushina seeing those additional seals was exactly what Kabuto and the Akatsuki wanted.

Naruto was starting to feel a little unwanted which was ridiculous, she told herself. She knew that her father was trying to keep her and the puppies safe, still had his own work to do, was trying to hide her mother and yet keep her close… It was a lot to consider and seemed impossible to get used to.

It was certainly easier to discuss the house. "Kakashi and I have asked to see if we can buy this place, over time, of course," she explained to her brother, absently gesturing about her house. "Sakumo-sama offered to sell some land to Konoha as a trade of sorts. He and Kakashi have quite a bit of it."

"Actually, Naruto - and forgive me for hearing when my name came up," Sakumo added, "but Kakashi and I own the land your property is on." He smirked from behind his book when she looked so shocked. "And of course, it's yours and the puppies, too. The former elders grabbed the acreage and residential zones 16-20 after I, uh, passed."

"Those bas… jerks!" The no-cursing rule was going to end Naruto, she was sure of it. "I'm so sorry!"

"Maa, it's good news, though, isn't it? You owe Konoha NOTHING for the land. Considering that they not only snatched it from my son but haven't paid rent on it all the years before you two moved in? You may not owe much on it."

"That's…" That's gotta be impossible is what she wanted to say. Kakashi had mentioned early on in their relationship that he owned "some land" and she knew he had hideouts in several areas - and others in additional countries, supposedly - but she always assumed that most of those safe houses were owned by the village or Daimyo. –Or that his family had sold the Hatake land holdings off over generations. Holy shit. What was it with all these rich people?

How was she going to keep her puppies humble?

Naruto KNEW - she KNEW - she had been blessed and lucky beyond reason in this life but wealth from something as crazy as LAND was out of her depth! Just like her father, Naruto had first been born and brought up poor. No, beyond poor, for her. She had been destitute, something her father found abhorrent since he and her mother had saved like crazy.

The Third gave her an apartment after she was found living on the streets in her first life and Naruto had a strong feeling she went through something similar a couple of times in this life. Itachi wouldn't say but when they'd spoken about it once at HQ, it sounded like he had lost track of her after Shisui had been saved - and possibly even before that. Apparently, as a chibi, she ran off a lot.

Considering what Naruto remembered of the orphanage in one life, that only made sense.

Knowing that THAT orphanage matron was gone, 25% of Naruto's pay went to the Konoha Shinobi Relief, orphanage, and foster care system but now that she wasn't working, she needed to do something more for them. She needed to talk to Kakashi about it…

"Naruto? You alright?"

"Yeah," the blonde gasped, focusing on her current unbelievable reality instead of the strange malaise that would hit her sometimes. She had to shake off the fear of what could possibly come next even though MAYBE she should look forward to whatever the future held considering what things were like in this lifetime. She was too paranoid to relax, though. The cost of being a ninja, I guess.

Looking at her sleeping husband in his big recliner, Naru smiled softly - crookedly when Jiraiya came in after softly tapping on the screen door. Kakashi didn't budge: he had to be exhausted. She smiled at her grandfather, nodding to him while he immediately began quietly chatting Sakumo's head off about something goofy a tipsy Tsunade had done. She looked down and saw blue eyes staring back at her. Looking to the side, more blue eyes were looking up at her.

Unhelpfully, Shikamaru began poking Puppy 2 in the cheeks, making him root around. "Dam-rn it, Shikamaru. You as-butt."

Shikamaru let out a laugh. Naruto was terrible at not cursing. And his godson was great. And hungry, he'd bet. "Say 'troublesome,' tiny human!"

"Please don't!"

It wasn't until later when they were alone together in the nursery that Naru had a chance to quiz Shikamaru on what was going on in the village. When he said that nothing more had happened on the Akatsuki front (yet,) and that no news was good news, Naru wasn't sure either of them believed it.

Paranoia wasn't bad, she told herself. Paranoia would help keep her family safe.

"How is she?" Kushina asked as soon as Sakumo strolled into her bedroom after knocking on the open door. –Not the bedroom she and Minato might one day share, but the one she had as a girl.

"I think she misses you," Sakumo replied before sitting down on a plushy side chair. He remembered carrying a very small, exhausted Kushina into this room and sitting in the same spot to watch over her decades ago after a particularly tough mission. "Naruto's doing well but I'm sure that being a new mother is difficult, especially when her mother's not there to guide her."

"She has Yoshino," Kushina said a little bitterly, hating herself for feeling jealous. "I'm GLAD she has Yoshino-chan!"

"Of course you are," Sakumo replied easily, knowing that was true. "Yoshino never replaced you as her mother, Kushina. You should really come with me tomorrow - or even go visit them tonight!"

"Are the boys keeping her up all night?" Kushina quietly asked with big watery eyes. "Is Kakashi-kun helping?"

"He is." Sakumo was proud of his son. "Kakashi seems to sleep better when I'm there; either that or he's avoiding me by sleeping. I wouldn't put it past him." He spent his recent nights at the Senju Compound but knew that Kakashi's pups must be real night owls because they sure slept well during the day - when their parents looked like attractive zombies.

"I'm sure that's not it," Kushina said, clicking her tongue. They had to support each other during this crazy time, didn't they? Sakumo-sensei was doing better than she was in getting out there - and that was really saying something, considering that the man had chosen to end his life, wasn't it? Kushina was so afraid that she'd hurt her baby, though. And her baby's babies! She even had nightmares about it! "Did they name them yet?"

Sakumo began to laugh. "No. You wouldn't believe some of the names they're considering. –Maybe they were just messing with me."

"Like what?!"

"Maa, today it was after puddings - or naming them after variations of candy bar names." Thankfully, Naruto had nixed any more ramen names, firmly saying they were for the ninken. "And Kakashi's still big on 'Nasu.'"

Kushina grumbled. "I don't care how much Kakashi loves eggplant, he's NOT naming one of my grandchildren after eggplant."

"If they'd had girls, your daughter said they'd talked about naming them Uzume and Nami - in honor of you and Minato: for Uzumaki and Namikaze, you see." Sakumo grimaced when Kushina began to cry and then WAILED. Naruto said that the other name they'd considered giving a girl was "Saki," after him, but he'd keep that a secret, close to his heart.

Plus a name sounding like "sake" would probably get Tsunade all excited; I'd never get credit for it. He snorted at his thoughts and then groaned when Kushina got even louder. "Calm down, Kushi!" Why was his former student so darn loud? Naruto wasn't loud when she cried; she was almost too silent. He was worried about her. He'd been reading a few recently-published books on infant (and mother) care Tsunade gave him that included a lot about Postpartum depression.

Kushina FELT like she'd just had a baby thanks to the Edo Tensei. For her, it was almost as if she lost baby Naruto. But Naruto IS there, Kushi: just waiting for you! "You need to get up and get out, Kushina. I know it's hard."

"I know," Kushina said sadly. Inoichi said she was depressed and had some kind of PTSD which he had to explain to her. And didn't that suck? The Inoichi she remembered was good at his job, supposedly, but kind of an idiot and now he was all wise and stuff.

Kushina had been talking to everyone here at the compound and there was SO much she didn't know anything about. Sakumo-sensei had to hate that even more than she did; he was always such a know-it-all worry wart. She looked over at him again and sighed, rubbing her eyes. As usual, he already had a book in his face. "What are you reading?"

Sakumo groaned. "Something I didn't intend to. –My son is in the history books. He was an adolescent and in the Third Great Ninja War, Kushina, and then he went on to make an even bigger name for himself."

"Is that really surprising?" Kushina asked. "You were out there kicking ass and taking names when you were a baby ninja. And I told you about him being apprenticed to Mini-kun."

Sakumo sighed and found reading about his son's exploits somewhat disturbing. He felt dirty doing it. "I wanted better for Kakashi. I really screwed him over. …I can't believe that at the time, I thought I was doing him a favor by," he sighed, "exiting his life." And then he lost everyone else.

"Well, at least you didn't make your only child into a jinchuuriki."

Sakumo hummed. At least your child is well-adjusted and intact, Sakumo wanted to say. The first time he'd laid eyes on Kakashi's scarred eye - and then when he'd SEEN that Sharingan manifesting itself, he truly thought he was having a heart attack. He'd had to sunshin away to get himself together.

It was a panic attack.

"Naruto loves that fox, 'Shina."

Kushina frowned. "That scares me, dattebane."

Sakumo pulled out another scroll, tucking the book he'd been reading about the village into his pocket. "Glad you're finally scared of something." He ignored the way she squawked at him in outrage. He meant what he said. As her former sensei (and knowing her well after his kids became Chunins,) out of all the kids on their team, Kushina had been by far the most reckless. "Maa. If it makes you feel any better, I think that fox is afraid of you. –Don't tell Kakashi or Naru-hime I heard or said that!"

Kushina bobbed her head but it didn't make her feel much better. Minato already told her that the fox was "wary" of her. Far worse, Minato couldn't live a full life as a jinchuuriki. He was doing amazingly well for now, but Kushina knew: Minato was not an Uzumaki and only Uzumakis could handle the fox's chakra.

He really shouldn't have lived through becoming a jinchuuriki in the first place.

- But of course, Minato hadn't.
- Kushina had felt her husband's weight fall on her back when he died, both of them bleeding out and lying in the dirt, the Shinigami hanging over the nightmarish scene.
- I struggled to comfort a sobbing Naruto as Sarutobi Hiruzen and that damn Danzo walked up to us, both blank-faced.
- "Minato wants her to be seen as a hero but I only care about one thing, Sarutobi. –Swear you'll take care of and protect her, Lord Third. Please! Swear it!"
- He did swear to it. The lying pile of poop!
- And then, until Kabuto, there was nothing; or there was nothing Kushina could put her finger on.

Kushina's best friend was dead, the Uchiha Clan was gone; her teammate, Hizashi, was old and had a new baby with Tsume-senpai (when Kushina only remembered Hizashi's kawaii baby boy who is an adult now.) Almost all the other girls she once considered her friends were gone.

Her newborn daughter married Kakashi of all the weird people - and loved that awful fox and is afraid of me.

Kushina had grandchildren! She knew she needed to get over herself and get her act together; to go along for the ride. Maybe if I had a job? She wasn't used to not trusting herself. "Their age difference, sensei. –And Kakashi was Naruto's captain and sensei! Gah! That would be like me and you being… YUUck."

"Thanks, Kushina," Sakumo said sarcastically. He'd pass on that notion, too. "That's not something… Maa, Naruto and Kakashi are happy together and they have CHILDREN, for heaven's sake!" Really, Sakumo didn't like the concept of a Jonin-sensei and his or her former Genin-student getting together although that kind of thing wasn't unheard of.

If anything, though, Kakashi and Naru had gone through another life, meaning they had spent far more time together: years more - and a war. Hell, Naruto admitted that she was "crazy about Kakashi-sensei" in her past life, so if anyone was chasing anyone, (and considering their marriage was something of a cold, first-time meeting this time, he didn't think either of them was chasing the other. But if one of them WAS,) it was Naru chasing after Kakashi, wasn't it?

–Not that Sakumo was going to say that. Maybe he was only wanting to defend the son he'd left behind.

The son who had managed to find happiness, thanks to his pack and especially his younger wife.

Kakashi now (only recently) remembered everything about this other life they discussed, so BOTH Naru and his son felt older than they were, physically. Sakumo was more than happy about their relationship; probably because I spend time with them. If only Kushina would try again, I'm sure her worries about all of that would cease.

"Kakashi tried to give me my blade back." Kushina didn't look terribly surprised but she understood how much Kakashi loved that weapon. To Sakumo, during that first conversation he'd had with Minato, it sounded like that was the only thing of his that Kakashi did care about.

Thankfully, he had come to learn that wasn't true.

"Does that mean you didn't take it?" Kushina asked quietly.

"I did refuse. The blade's broken but Gecko Hayate gave Kakashi some ore that I KNOW will work. I'm going to help him reforge it as soon as things calm down with the pups." Sakumo raised an eyebrow at his student, giving her a significant look. Naruto, he felt, needed her.

Kushina looked away, twisting her lips. She was torn between wanting to race to her daughter and grandchildren - and curling up under the covers and going to sleep! How does that make sense?! "Have you seen Hizashi-kun?"

Sakumo sighed and shook his head. He wished that he could check in on his other living former student, too. "Maa, the fewer people that know about us, the better."

"We can't hide forever!"

Yes, they could! "What have I told you about being a ninja, Kushina?" Kushina started to tear up again but more in frustration, Sakumo guessed, than in sadness this time. He knew what it was like to be depressed and they'd been talking about this (even with a counselor) a LOT more than he would normally be comfortable with. "The pups will cheer you up," he told her softly. "Have you thought more about what you want to do now?"

Kushina wiped her eyes and sat up, sniffing grossly and then blowing her nose super loudly just to disgust her former sensei. "I was just thinking that maybe I can get a job. You know? Stay busy?" Somewhere people don't have to fear me and "my chains?"

"Hmm. Maa, you're a grandma soon to be dating the young Hokage, whom you're secretly married to. I guess having a skill or job would be good for you." Sakumo easily dodged the pillows that were thrown at him. "You said you used to work in the Barrier Division. …And I don't know if you've thought about this: you don't have to be a ninja now."

"I guess that's true?" Kushina had never really thought of that before. She'd never given up her dream of being Hokage but things seemed too different now. And she did have a few hobbies she could try to work on. Maybe she could even introduce Naru to those! "I could start painting again!"

Sakumo nodded, trying to smile and hoping like hell his student's painting hobby had improved over the years he was gone. He hid the wince that wouldn't stop behind his scroll, recalling a very small Kakashi crying in fear of the "art" Kushina so helpfully made, framed, and installed over their fireplace once upon a time.

.

Later -

Kakashi held onto his wife like a lifeline. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and holding him firmly but somehow gently as if he'd break. He swallowed thickly as she carted her fingers through his hair.

Naruto sighed into his ear, glad that everyone was finally gone. The puppies were asleep in their crib upstairs, side by side as always. Kakashi's fingers were, on and off again, gripping into her flesh tightly enough to probably leave bruises (for a minute anyway,) which told her that he was close to snapping. "Tsunade said I'm good to go." He stilled in her arms. She couldn't stop the smile that grew on her face.

"That's. Not. Good right now" He growled at his wife when she very quietly laughed at him - and to make matters worse, wiggled closer to him so that she was pressed into him completely. Gods, she was hot.

"Liar."

He pulled back to better see her and slapped her ass. "Cheeky brat."

Naruto sighed and moved up to better feel his hard-on. "Mmmmm. I guess so."

"Naruto, this is not a good time."

"That's too bad." It really was; it made her sad that he was sad.

He groaned when she slowly dragged her core up and down against him even more while pulling at his hair. She smelled so good. Over her shoulder he zoned in on the dirty dishes, wondering if they'd had dinner. His stomach had something in it so he supposed they had. He let out a strange bark of laughter, wondering where his head had been, and then grabbed his naughty wife's hips again, holding her still. He'd had a headache from dealing with all these people - so much family (that are supposed to be dead!)

Day after day he tried to be "normal" about it but how the hell was he supposed to do his jobs when there was all this danger and strangeness lurking so close to them. And he couldn't decompress with all of the people around that wanted to be with them…

"I have a scar I've been hiding from you."

"Hm? Beg your...? Since when?! I watch you with the Sharingan all the time!"

Naruto sighed and bit her lips before trying to scoot away on his lap a bit. Kakashi, however, apparently liked her being that close after all. She'd be lying if she said she didn't like the way he growled at her. "I don't want to hide from you."

Kakashi was aggravated and concerned, however. "How did you get this scar?"

Naruto sighed loudly and leaned her elbows back on the table. She really should clean up but considering Kakashi growled and snarled through dinner until everyone quickly finished and left (thank God: they really needed some alone time,) she wanted to tend to him first. "Cesarean. Only on one side."

"Oh. –I want to see."

Naruto snorted. "You weren't interested: you said it was a bad time."

"Only because I'm afraid I'll fuck you so hard I might kill you, hime." Naruto burst into laughter so he popped her ass again. "Do you know what it's like to remember exactly what it was like, making love to you at every moment of the day and in my dreams? And to have to hold off on doing it again?" He knew she didn't. And she'd been hiding from him! He reached between them and pressed into and past what he'd been smelling: her panties were wet. "And it's been over a month since I've had this."

This woman's going to be the death of me!

…Still so tight.

Naruto shook and put her head down and clung to him. She knew Kakashi meant that his Sharingan had recorded everything he allowed it to. "I… I wish I did. I try to relive it sometimes, ya know. …I've been dreaming about us."

Kakashi would've doubted the sincerity of any other woman but Naruto. He licked her lips and kissed her until she was fighting to breathe. He grinned as he had to hold her up through her first orgasm. She was a goner. "You've been hiding from me ever since the boys were born. –Was it because of this scar?"

Naruto blinked as she realized where she was again. "Hm? Oh!" She watched, wide-eyed, as he licked and sucked his fingers clean and did not appreciate being laughed at for her reaction but kissed him anyway. "That and… My body was all gross. And you've seen my boobs a lot!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes playfully, realizing that his headache was nothing but a memory now. "Never enough." Naruto made a sound of disgust which he huffed at. He looked down at them and sighed happily. Running one hand over her breasts as his other held her in place, he arched a brow as he judged her reaction. "They don't hurt anymore?"

"You know they haven't hurt in at least a week." The man had been way too interested. "I'm just sensitive." She knew her face was all red. Him doing that to her like that just now was also incredibly embarrassing for some reason. Kakashi pulled her top off just as she was going to get some payback and she suddenly felt extremely anxious. She pulled his mask off and kissed him, trying to make him avert his eyes from what she looked like now.

And the hideous nursing bra she was wearing.

He unhooked one of the cups and began to smile at what he saw but frowned when Naru covered up again. "I think they need me," he commented with a cocky grin, holding her in place as she tried to get away and smacked at him. "Mine," he growled at her over and over again as he ran his mouth over her soft skin. "You may have gotten yourself in for more than you can handle tonight."

"Ha. We'll see about that!"

Kakashi bit her for that, making her squirm and dig her nails into his shoulders - something she knew he loved. He was breathing heavily by the time she pulled off his shirt. He quickly stood up and yanked off her skirt and panties, letting her wiggle the rest of the way out of them as he pulled out his cock. The bandages on his calves were too much to deal with right now.

Naruto shivered all over as she jumped back to him, kissing him deeply as she rubbed against him. Kakashi was holding the base of his dick or alternatively grabbing her absolutely everywhere as she began to sink down on it.

"FUck, baby. God! You are still so hot and… tight!" She tried to pull away when he unfastened her bra but he wasn't having it. He took one pebbled nipple into his mouth and groaned, sucking it and playing with her clit until she came again. He tried not to lose himself although it was almost impossible. Pulling away with a pop, he closed his eyes before looking up at her in determination. "I'll be careful with you. I won't hurt you tonight. I know what I said and when we talked before you were nervous and I'll take care of you…"

"Mou," Naruto pouted, dazed and happy. She didn't feel nervous now. She felt like teasing him as she pushed back up. "I thought you were going to rough me up… I had hoped you would. Daddy."

Dishes went flying and Kakashi was on top of her (and a plate that hurt like a bitch) plowing into her over and over like a starved man. The next thing she knew, Kakashi had flashed them to his favorite raised countertop (more dishes and glasses went crashing into the walls and windows) and was ordering her to put her heels into the drawers on either side but she couldn't move because he was going at her so hard. He had to (sort of) do it for her and then he absolutely lost it.

Naruto lay there with her mouth open, panting, and shocked by the wild thing who had just come inside of her. Kakashi had dropped all of his weight on her and was breathing hard, muttering words(?) that didn't flow together at all. She was sure his face had to be in the messy countertop. "Wow," she finally said. "That was intense. I want to... do that again and maybe have a... chance to react or something but do you think we can get whatever is out of my back first?"

"Oh, shit! –Naru-chan? Are you serious?!"

Naruto winced and nodded. "Just a little. –This is where we were cutting up vegetables, ya know." She cried out in surprise when he pulled out of her but accepted his sweet kisses and praises as he helped her turn and checked her back. "You know I don't like it when you pull out like that! It's not allowed."

Kakashi gave her a dry look. "I'm not going to keep going when I've hurt you."

Naru covered up her chest with a dish towel and beamed at him. "I'm fine. I love you."

"I love you. You have a little cut. Let's go clean you up first, hm? I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"I couldn't talk! You were doing a really good job." It was just kind of fast and frantic.

"Thank you but that's not how I'd planned to… be with you, whenever we finally could. I'm sorry I got so carried away but…"

"I was asking for it!" She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Kakashi closed his eyes. "Death of me, Naru-chan," he sighed. "You are going to be the absolute death of me."

Hours later, Kakashi had made love to Naruto in the way he'd earlier hoped to. Holding her in his arms, he fell asleep with a smile on his face. Naru was out cold. Things were so good and he finally felt at ease; maybe this would even be the first night the pups would sleep all the way through!

.

Later still -

Naruto answered her door after taking a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Hello." It's been OVER A MONTH! "What can I do for you?"

Kushina flexed her whole body in determination and stuck out her hand. "My name's Uzumaki Kushina and I'm going to be your friend! –Your BEST friend!"

A tiny part of Naru wanted to shut the door in her face. Every. Single. Day. Naruto hoped that her mother would come to visit, just so they could sit on the porch and NOT TALK or do ANYTHING necessarily. Anything! "I'm aware. I mean, of your name, you know." Naru was definitely not aware of her mother's desire to be her new best friend, though. She bit her lips to withhold a laugh or smile when her mother's hair began to rise.

"I like my family, seals, and painting. And cooking! And the ocean!" Shake my hand, dammit.

"Me, too," Naruto admitted. She glanced over at her father who had jogged up, keeping pace with his pup, Menma. So far everyone she'd given Jazu's babies to were treating them well and getting along just fine. "Okay," she stepped out on the porch, appreciating that Kakashi had come over and kissed her on the back of her head. "I mean, okay, I'll come outside, not necessarily okay to anything else. And my name's Hatake Naruto. I love my family the most but also dogs and toads. And Kurama and all his siblings."

Kushina bristled but shook her daughter's small, soft (but muscular feeling) hand. Her happiness was spoiled when Minato came up and gingerly took her shoulder. She thought she'd played it off until Naruto spoke.

"Are you two still fighting? I don't want you to do it here."

"We're not fighting," Minato exclaimed, not quite sure what was going on here. He was so happy that Kushina was finally ready to leave the compound but hadn't expected his wife to tell their daughter that she was going to be her best friend. And he KNEW Kushina. If Kushina said that, she meant it - whether Naruto liked it or not! Surprising him, though, Naruto was silently appraising her mother, who was looking nervously back and forth between them.

Naru looked cute as she slowly ran her finger, back and forth, over her upper lip. If she had a mustache, Minato could picture her twirling it like a villain on TV. He had a feeling that a prank was being planned.

Kakashi had just gotten home from the office after working all night, trying to catch up. Naru knew he needed to sleep and could only be glad that the puppies were asleep right now. Kakashi wanted to do the whole working father helping at night thing but Naruto was determined to make his life easier, even if she had to kick his ass or knock him out to make it happen.

She hummed, not liking the tension. "I don't have many girlfriends. And now that I'm home by myself, I've pretty much only got my old squad to hang out with when everyone's at work." Sai jumped down next to her, smiling behind that weird mask of his; Naruto knew that he'd been waiting for this (or anything) to happen. She sighed, hoping for the best. "This is Sai. Although his mask doesn't look like it, he goes by Rat."

Sai bowed. "Nice to meet you, Red."

Kushina blinked a few times, surprised that she'd been called that. "You're Naruto's friend?"

"Yes." Sai let out a weird, pained noise as the huge hug he surprisingly received knocked the wind out of him. He appreciated it when Hokage-sama pried the redhead off of him but didn't know what to say after that. "I'm going back to the roof."

Naruto hid her laughter. Sai liked to hang out over the nursery so he could go or look in and make faces at the puppies. Sometimes, however, he made them cry because he forgot to take his ANBU mask off. Sometimes they cried just because they saw him smile without it. "We're sealed in here, Sai! Take off your mask, at least! Your pale ass needs sun!"

"No cursing, Naruto," Sai yelled back as he pranced over her roof.

"What an idiot - but he's right. Well anyway, come on inside and I'll make you something to eat." Naru turned around and left the door open so that her parents could decide whether or not to come in. It was their decision…

They did follow her in and - not all that surprisingly to anyone else - it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Kurama didn't like it one bit.