Chapter 22
This was such a drag. A written exam.
Shikamaru could do it, and yeah, he'd pass. Ino would use the mind transfer jutsu and she and Choji would pass too. But did he really want to? Nah, but he didn't want to be an asshole to his team. That wasn't fair.
Nope. Guess he had to suck it up and just pass.
Urgh, such a drag though.
.::.
Asuma stretched out against the couch, bringing out a cigarette just as Kakashi sat down. Kurenai snatched it off Asuma and tossed it aside with a sharp glare. Kakashi laughed sheepishly, even as Asuma stared mournfully at his loss. Kakashi did send a thankful look to Kurenai though, who looked awfully pleased with herself. They had all decided to gather at the jonin lounge to sit back and relax for a bit. Guy hadn't bothered to come, too busy training, but Kakashi appreciated the quiet.
"Sorry, Asuma," Kakashi offered, for his loss.
"Nah, I'm sorry, should know better." Asuma winced, discarding his cigarette. "How you been doing?"
"Fighting nausea, fatigue and mood swings. And today I couldn't put on my regular trousers so had to switch to a larger pair, but getting there," Kakashi sighed, relaxing into the seat. "Have to admit, it's awfully quiet without the pups around. Maybe even peaceful."
Kurenai laughed.
Asuma chuckled. "Well don't get too comfy. Chances are they will be back again sooner than you think."
"Why is that?" Kurenai frowned.
"Ibiki is the examiner this time." Asuma grinned. "Shikamaru's probably complaining like crazy with all the extra work he has to put in."
"Great," Kakashi groaned. "They got stuck with that sadist right off the bat? Poor pups."
Kurenai blinked. "What sadist?"
"I sometimes forget how new you are to the jonin scene," Asuma teased, nudging his mate's arm. "Ibiki is a specialist in torture and interrogation."
Kunari's gaze sharpened into a glare. "Excuse me?"
"He won't use physical torture. He never does, not really his thing," Asuma added quickly. "The kids are safe enough!"
"No, he just messes with your head instead." Kakashi shivered. "Him and Anko are mates and every time they got together it used to freak me out."
Back in the ANBU days before Team Ro he had worked with them once. After spending a week with them he begged Lord Third to never put him with those two again.
They had rough, loud sex almost every night.
It was terrifying the sounds that came out of their tent, and then they actually asked him if he wanted to join in. He quickly noped out of there.
"He's a master of interrogation, all because he understands how the human mind works. He literally messes up your head so bad that you torture yourself," Asuma said.
"I don't think he even needs that." Kakashi grimaced. "Just let him and Anko spend a night together..."
Asuma raised a brow. "You always retreat whenever those two hang out together. They seem to be perfect mates."
"Yep. Too perfect." Kakashi shivered. "Way too perfect."
"Is that even a thing?" Kurenai laughed, but there was a hint of nervousness to it.
"When you work on a mission for them, then yes. It's a thing."
"Well you'll be horrified to know that Anko is the second examiner," Asuma laughed.
Kakashi deflated. "My pups are doomed and might be possibly traumatised even more."
"KAKASHI!"
Kakashi winced. "Ah, they found me."
Raido and Genma came crashing through the door. Once again covered in mud, sticks and leaves. Asuma grimaced, while Kurenai threw him a bemused look.
"What did you do, Kakashi?" she asked.
"I was ordered to go for a scan by Lord Hokage, and my appointment was booked in for today," Kakashi said with a shrug. "Naturally I had to make some clones and let them run amuck."
"Yeah, 'naturally'," Asuma snorted, amused.
"Stop resisting reports to Lord Hokage and the council!" Genma groaned. "Please. We're the ones who have to find you."
"You're ten weeks pregnant. You've been due for a scan for the past couple of weeks," Raido sighed. "Do we really have to drag you to your appointment?"
"If you have a slice of strawberry cake I'd happily go." Kakashi smiled sweetly.
Asuma choked on a laugh. "Seriously?"
Genma nodded. "Fine, just stay put. Raido, keep an eye on him!"
"Will do."
Genma came back, not too quickly surprisingly, but then Kakashi noted the cake box and realised it was from the amazing bakery at the other side of town. Genma was a good Alpha. Very good Alpha.
"Okay," Genma said, cautiously handing him a slice. "One slice now, then you come along with us, nice and peacefully. You don't summon a bombardment of clones, or your hounds, or anything. We just go to the hospital. And if you're reasonable, I'm not even going to ask for good, then I'll reward you with a second slice."
"Two slices?" Kakashi blinked.
"Yes." Genma nodded. "This is your first, then you get your second after the scan for reasonable behaviour."
"I like this bargain." Kakashi smirked, and happily munched at the slice of strawberry cake, all while everyone looked away from him. "Deal."
"Thank the Sage!" Raido praised.
"Don't thank him just yet," Kakashi warned. "My mood changes quickly."
"Kakashi, please," Genma begged. "We've found you. Don't try to run off."
"You really should go to the scan," Kurenai said softly. "For your sake and the baby's."
Like a bat out of hell Guy dived through the window, panting heavily. "You and the baby?!"
"How the hell-" Kakashi began, but shook it off. "No, I need to stop asking these thing. I have too many stalkers..." He turned to Guy who fell to his knees before him, eyes wide. "I'm fine, Guy. It's for my first scan."
"Oh!" Guy smiled, sighing in relief. "Thank goodness. I should have known, it is about that time now, right?"
"He's running late," Genma grunted.
"Yes, but my rival is always late! That must be taken into consideration!"
Kakashi choked on a laugh.
Asuma snorted. "He has a point."
He slowly ate the cake. It was worth it, one, he got to savour it. Point two, it delayed the appointment. When he, Genma, Raido and Guy headed to the hospital it set Kakashi's nerves off. He tried not to feel worried, but he'd see the baby- His baby-
It would be official. He'd be having a baby. There would definitely be a baby growing inside him and he wouldn't have a clue what to do with them once they arrived and he could fail them just as he failed everything and everyone-
Guy's hand gripped his own, squeezing, dragging him back to awareness. His pack mate's scent brushed gently against him. Kakashi took in a deep breath. He wasn't alone. Guy was here. He had his pack. He still had some of his pack left.
No matter how small it was.
But it was growing again.
He'd never imagine he'd like the pups he was training. He never thought he'd get students. He hadn't wanted them. He had wanted to remain on Team Ro and he hadn't forgiven his friends for begging the Hokage to take that away.
At least not at the time.
But Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke had bullied their way into his pack by being annoying little terrors. His annoying little terrors. Guy was here, and hopefully always would be. Tenzo was here too, and perhaps even Izumi? He wasn't sure. He had never asked, but he had never asked Tenzo either. Tenzo had just came right out and said that they were a pack. When he had Kakashi had inwardly panicked.
Human pack mates always died on him.
But Guy hadn't. Guy was here right now.
Guy nudged him. "You're thinking deep thoughts, Kakashi. You're always so smart and planning things, but don't get too lost, right?"
Kakashi took another deep breath. "Yeah. Thanks."
Guy threw him a thumbs up. "One step at a time!"
Kakashi bit his lip and nodded. "Yeah."
"Lord Hokage and the council left to attend to business, so you'll be glad to know they won't be in the room," Genma muttered to him. "But, Kakashi, you really need to start behaving. They won't like this attitude lasting for much longer."
"It's not an attitude!" Guy protested. "Besides, this is all their fault."
"You're under a gag order, remember?" Raido warned.
Guy scowled, but Kakashi nudged his side. They had to obey, there was no way they would get away with blabbing out the fake contraception pills to everyone. They entered the hospital, and Genma and Raido lead them straight past the reception desk and deep into the hospital. They passed endless halls, right to the back of the hospital ward which oddly enough had no windows. The doors were heavy and had locks on the outside.
The thought sent a chill through him.
A dark haired female Beta gestured for them to come inside a lone room at the very back of the ward. The room was rather dark, only lit just enough to see. It was pretty small, which only made the monitor on the wall look even bigger than it was supposed to be. Kakashi almost recoiled, and nearly flinched when he saw straps carefully tucked underneath the bed.
That must be for the resistant Omega then.
He tasted bile in his throat, but forced it back down. He was here, but because he had made Raido and Genma run about after him for ages would they be ordered to tie him down? Because he wouldn't lie down peacefully, he'd bolt.
"I'm Hakui, I understand this is your first ultrasound?" she said, gesturing for him to lie down.
"Yeah," Kakashi said, laying down on the bed. It was well padded, but the idea of the straps made him want to retreat still. Guy however sat down on the chair next to him. What helped calm him though was Raido and Genma heading for the door.
"Right, he's all yours," Genma said. "We'll be outside the door. Call us if you need us."
"Sure," Hakui said dismissively, grabbing a towel. "Can you pull your shirt up for me?"
Kakashi obeyed, and she put a cloth around the edge of his shirt. "We don't want your clothes to get all sticky from the gel. Mind pushing your trousers down to your hips?"
Kakashi did, though it was a little uncomfortable when she was watching him like that. Thankfully she merely laid the blanket over him, leaving only his belly on show. She grabbed a bottle. "Now," she said. "This is some warm gel I'm going to put on you. It'll help us getting a nice, clear picture."
It felt a little weird, but not cold thankfully.
"Now this is the probe we're going to use," Hakui continued, holding up a small device. "It's a round probe, and we're going to use it to rub the gel over your stomach." She was already spreading the gel, but all of it was so sudden, and he blindly reached out for support.
Guy's hand caught his own and squeezed.
"It's not painful at all," she reassured.
Kakashi nodded, breathing in deeply. "Y-Yeah... I know. It doesn't hurt..."
"Just keep taking a deep breath. You're alright, just relax." She pulled the monitor away. "We can begin again when you feel a little better."
Kakashi grimaced. "I hate feeling so out of control..."
"That's natural for many on-duty Omegas and female Betas who are pregnant," Hakui said. "Honestly, you're doing amazing, one time a girl punched me because I startled her. She was rather tense and twitchy, and mixing that in with all the hormones and being startled got me a black eye."
Kakashi winced. "Yeah, alright, I'm not doing to bad at all then."
"Another kicked me. He was very ticklish and the moment I put the gel on I was booted."
"I thought this would have been a safe job," Guy gasped.
Hakui smiled. "You would think so, but hormonal, stressed Omegas or female Betas are people not to be messed with. And of course, everyone knows not all of them have been willing-"
"Explains the straps on the bed..." Kakashi muttered.
"Yes," Hakui sighed heavily. "It's not pleasant... But thankfully most scans turn out very well." She returned the scanner to his stomach, pressing it down. "So let's take a look at you."
Kakashi looked at the screen, and honestly, to him it just looked like blobs. Like he had handed a crayon to a two year old, or Naruto, and let them draw. Guy looked just as confused.
"Is that the head?" He pointed at the screen.
"That's the heart."
Kakashi shared a baffled look with Guy.
"Let's hear the heart beat," she said.
The moment the rapid fire heartbeat went off everything went blank in Kakashi's mind. He stared at the screen, and his Omega purred softly. The heartbeat sounded like music to Kakashi's ears, and a tear rolled down his cheek from Obito's eye.
We're having a baby.
Yeah. He and Mr. Kidnapper were having a baby. It wasn't Obito's baby, but this was still Kakashi's pup. This was their heartbeat.
They were alive.
He didn't even feel his free hand push up his headband to let Obito's eye see it. No, he just stared blankly at the screen and listened to the fast, little heartbeat echoing in his ears.