Chapter 40

Kakashi-kun

Three year old little Misaki bounced along beside him, clutching his hand as they made their way up the street. Kizashi and his wife Mebuki had their baby daughter seven days prior, and they were finally going for a visit. Me-chan, eight months pregnant herself, walked arm in arm with Ume-san, both women smiling down at the eager little girl.

She was beside herself with excitement to finally have another girl in the family. Already having two brothers, and another one on the way, hearing about baby Sakura had been the highlight of her young life.

"Come on, Nii-san, you're so slow! I want to see the baby!"

Kakashi chuckled, scooping up his impatient sister and plopping her on his shoulders.

"Stop whining, Misaki-chan, or Mebuki-san won't let you hold her."

Kakashi shot Tenzō a warning glare but he merely rolled his eyes, giggling when Misaki leaned so far over to stick her tongue out at him she nearly fell from his shoulders.

"Don't be a meany, Nii-san! Make me flowers for the baby!"

Behind them, Karasu laughed, his own arms weighed down with the various containers of food and baby gifts Ume and Me-chan had prepared. "Misaki-chan, what have we said, hm?"

Kakashi could hear the pout in her voice, her little arms knocking his head as she folded them across her chest. "Will you make me some flowers, please, Nii-san?"

Tenzō nodded, holding his hands up in a hand sign, prepared to do as she asked. "If I must. What color?"

"Pink! Like my hair! Ba-chan said baby Sakura has pink hair just like me."

Ume laughed. "I'm sure she'll love them, sweetheart."

Tenzō shook his head, but did what she asked. Just as they were walking up to the Haruno's front door, he was snapping off the last flower and adding it to the bouquet. Kakashi sat Misaki down and she reached her hands up to take them. "All right, Misaki-chan, pink Hydrangeas. What do you think?"

Me-chan inspected them, as he held them up from their sister. "Oh, Tenzō-chan, they're lovely! I didn't know you could do those."

Ignoring Misaki's impatient grumbling, he beamed at their mother. "Thanks, Mom. I've been practicing."

"Nii-san!" She held her hands up expectantly, smiling brightly when he passed her the flowers. "Thank you!"

Kizashi threw the door open, his face a blinding smile. "Welcome, my family! Come in, come in! Mother." He kissed Ume's cheek and then Me-chan's as they walked past him into the house. "My beautiful cousin."

Before Kakashi could duck, he dropped a massive hand on his head, ruffling his hair. "Kakashi-kun, congratulations on finally graduating. Somehow I don't think you'll be a Genin for long, eh?"

Kakashi nodded sheepishly as he spoke over them to Karasu, knowing it was probably true. His Sensei had already mentioned the Chunin exams. Their team had eight months to prove they were ready.

"Here, Kizashi-san! Flowers for the baby!"

He laughed boisterously. "Why thank you, Misaki-chan. They're beautiful." He picked her up, carrying her inside. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Yes!"

Kakashi helped Karasu in the kitchen, preparing the food they had brought, while everyone else cooed over the baby. Eventually, he ended up beside Me-chan on the sofa, a pink haired baby in his arms. She chatted with Mebuki as the new mother ate, both gushing over baby things.

Little Sakura was cute. She looked a lot like Misaki had, probably down to the hair. The longer he held her, the more he started to notice just how familiar she felt.

He glanced up at Me-chan. She was listening to the other woman gush with rapt attention, paying Kakashi no mind.

It was normal for family to smell alike, wasn't it? Truthfully, he did not know Me-chan's scent separate from her mate's. Karasu's scent had been all over her when they'd met. Now, after three pregnancies and years of marriage, it was difficult to distinguish the two.

Disguising it as a kiss to her round cheek so her mother, less familiar with the eccentricities of their clan, wouldn't be confused by him sniffing her baby, Kakashi breathed her in.

Exactly the same.

He sat up, looked at the tiny baby, and then back at Me-chan. She was still distracted.

Was it so strange? Karasu was a distant cousin, but he smelled nearly exactly the same. Their chakra was basically identical, too. They even shared the mole on their chins, something the older man almost always kept hidden, his mask almost never below his chin, even at home.

What were the odds that Me-chan and her cousin would be just as alike?

Reaching out with his chakra, hoping no one noticed, he felt for little Sakura's chakra. Her dark baby eyes watched him curiously at the intrusion. Sorry.

It was new and babyish but…

Also exactly the same.

How was it possible? It did not make sense.

Unless…

A stupid, impossible idea he had had years ago wormed its way back into his head.

"Kakashi-kun, are you alright?" Me-chan was watching him closely, something anxious in her eyes. "You look like you're trying to solve a complicated riddle."

She pressed her thumb to his forehead, smoothing out a frown he hadn't realized was there.

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine, Me-chan." He passed her back the baby. "I'm going to go see if Jii-san needs any help."

She was still watching him closely. It only made him more suspicious. "Okay."

Checking that no one else was around besides Karasu, Kakashi carefully slid the door to their kitchen closed behind him. "Hey, Jii-san."

He looked up, his eyes crinkled in a smile. "Hey, had enough baby for today?"

"Something like that."

The older man nodded, turning back to his task. "We'll have another one at home any day."

Kakashi leaned against the counter. "Yeah. I bet this one will have our hair, though."

"Hm. You're probably right."

"Do you think they'll have a mole, too?" Karasu's hand stilled over the pot of miso soup he'd been stirring. "Misaki looks exactly like I did when I was her age—besides the hair—but she doesn't have any yet."

"Sometimes, they pop up as you grow."

"That's what Me-chan says."

He went back to stirring. "She's usually right about that stuff."

"Jii-san?"

"Yeah, kid?"

Should he ask him outright? Would he tell him the truth? If he was right, and they had been keeping it from him this whole time, there was surely a reason.

He did not for one second doubt the love that Me-chan had for him. Nor did he doubt that Karasu thought of him as one of his own pups. He had always assumed that was down to the fact that he was head of their clan, and so Kakashi did belong to him in a way. But was it more than that?

It seemed so impossible, so ridiculous, but the sameness was just too much to be a coincidence now. If it was true, he wanted to know. Then again… If they loved him as much as he knew they did, maybe their reasons were worth accepting the deception. Maybe he should trust their judgment in this as he did everything else.

Still…

"What happened to your eye?"

Karasu looked at him, considering, calculating. He got the distinct impression that Karasu knew what he was really asking, that he might have guessed the truth. Kakashi was a genius, after all, and if he was right, so was he. After an uncomfortably long moment, he turned back to the soup, ladling out a bowl and handing it to Kakashi.

"I was younger than you. It was my first mission as a Jōnin lead. It went about as badly as it possibly could have. I came home with one fewer teammate and a borrowed eye."

Kakashi frowned, trying to put together everything he wasn't saying. "How old were you?"

Karasu chewed on the inside of his cheek, still watching him with that considering, almost sad expression. "Nine."

He felt his eyes nearly bulge from his head. Nine? Kakashi had always known he was being held back—with good reason, he knew—but a Jōnin at nine? He—Karasu—had been a Jōnin so young.

And lost teammates, friends. Killed.

Kakashi was twelve and a half, and had yet to have to kill someone in his short tenure as a working shinobi.

"So young…"

The older man merely shrugged. "There was a war, and I didn't have anyone to shield me from that like you did."

Dad. He hadn't had a Me-chan to save his father. He had been all alone, vulnerable to the whims of Danzō and Hiruzen just like Kakashi had guessed. Part of him wanted to know how bad it had been, to ask about the borrowed eye, the dead friends this man carried, the dead enemies.

The other part of him wanted to stay ignorant, afraid it would color his relationships, the way he saw people, the way he saw himself. This man, Me-chan, they had both done so much, sacrificed so much, to give him a happier, safer, better life. They didn't have to stick around and look after him, Karasu hadn't needed to go to war in his place, but they had, he had. And it had cost them so much.

It felt almost disrespectful to push, to taint himself and the life they'd given him with the knowledge of the one they'd saved him from.

Watching Karasu, leaning against the counter beside him, slurping up his own lunch, something else occurred to him.

Me-chan, Sakura, was twelve years younger than him. Had he been single, alone for his teens and twenties? Seeing the relationship he had with her now, how much they loved one another, how happy she made him, Kakashi knew he wanted that. He just didn't think he wanted to wait until he was thirty to have it.

"Me-chan… she is a lot younger than you."

Karasu looked at him, a little confused, before a baby's hungry cry from the other room cut through the heaviness of the kitchen. Understanding filled his eyes. "She is." He drank down the last of his soup and replaced his mask, humming thoughtfully. "There was a long time, when I was younger, when I didn't have space for a relationship, for a mate." Something dark clouded his face and Kakashi wondered what he was remembering. "If she had been there when I was younger, I wouldn't have been able to love her. Does that make sense?"

He nodded. It did make sense. It was so… depressing.

"Has your dad talked to you about…" Karasu rubbed the back of his neck. "What it means to have a mate?"

Kakashi blushed, looking down into his food. "Uh… not really. He kind of explained… uh, about sex when I was younger, but looking back, I don't think he did a very good job."

Karasu chuckled. "Yeah…"

"You bit her, didn't you? I've seen it when I was younger and we still bathed together. She said it was special. The mark, it… felt like you?"

Behind his mask, he had the sappy smile he always got when he was with her. "That's because I left a little bit of my chakra behind. It's kind of like a jutsu. I'll let your dad explain all of that to you, but…" He blushed, laughing to himself. "Make sure you have that talk before you have sex the first time. Trust me…"

"Uh… okay." There was a story there, he was sure, probably an embarrassing one. He would have to pin his dad down the next time he saw him. "But, having a mate?"

"Right." Karasu sucked his teeth, clearly searching for the right words. They were dancing around a truth they had agreed not to speak out loud. It was probably not the easiest way to have this conversation. "It isn't something fated, not some kind of magical soulmate thing. If I had been a different man, I'm sure I could have met someone else when I was younger that would have made me just as happy as Ayame does. She could easily have found someone else to love her." He huffed and it sounded self deprecating. "Sometimes I'm still amazed she chose me. If we weren't here… well." He shook his head. "It didn't have to be her, it didn't have to be us. But we both lived the lives we did, and they led us to one another. Now I can't imagine my life without her, with anyone else."

He eyed him, trying to gauge how much he was understanding. Kakashi nodded. "I think I get it. It's a choice? A connection?"

"Yes. Ayame being my mate, Yui and your dad, it is special. It's difficult to explain, or compare to a normal relationship because I never really had one before her. Mebae said that something about our extra senses helps us to find someone that would be compatible, helps us to know. You can't just break up with your mate, after all. It's for life. But, depending on who you grow up to be, you might be compatible with different people."

We're not the same. You're free to fall in love with someone else. You don't have to wait for her to grow up, just because I did.

Kakashi set his bowl down and sighed. "I understand. Thank you for explaining it, Jii-san."

There was a genuine, fond smile in his eyes. "Any time, kid."


Recently, Kakashi had been having… feelings.

Me-chan had explained more about sex and bodies and biology the first time he had had an erection. It had been mortifying, but Jii-san had been out of town with Kizashi-san looking at fancy foreign wood in another country, Raiu-san had been away on amission, and his dad was busy. To her credit, she had been straightforward and clinical, doing her best to make it seem like a totally normal and not weird thing.

Raiu-san had come home later that night unexpectedly. To him, Kakashi had explained the horrifying dream, absolutely certain that it meant there was something deeply wrong with him. He had not told Me-chan. Just the thought of her knowing he had woken up with a raging boner after a dream about dancing dog-ladies with perky breasts made him want to die.

His cousin had laughed at him. When he'd groaned miserably and gotten up to run away, he had grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back. His first boner dream had been dog themed too. Apparently it was fairly normal. Something about the canine part of their genetics. They couldn't marry cousins because they made dog babies, and they sometimes had inappropriate dreams about animals. It was unbearable, but he would apparently grow out of it.

That had been a year ago.

Now, Kakashi was almost fourteen. Rin, nearly sixteen, was sitting beside him in his room. They were supposed to be studying the medical scroll on advanced tissue regeneration Tsunade had given them. That's what he'd told Obito when he'd seen them walking home together earlier. He had grumbled, whined at Rin about a date the next day, and left with what he probably thought was a seriously deadly glare for Kakashi.

Obito had been in love with her since they were kids.

Kakashi had always thought she was pretty, but he'd never really thought about her that way. He kind of assumed lately that it was down to them not being especially 'compatible.'

She had always had a crush on him though, and judging by the way she was looking at him now, that crush was still very much a thing. The vaguely predatory gleam in her eyes almost made Kakashi miss the mask he hadn't worn since he was seven.

"I like your new haircut, Kakashi-kun." She reached up to run her fingertips along the recently shaved skin on the sides of his head. He had wanted to do something radically different from his dad and Karasu. They both wore their hair long, their signature Hatake gravity-defying floof in the front. Kakashi still had the floof, as well as a little in the back tickling his shoulders, but the sides were clean shaven. Better to show off his recently pierced ears.

He'd come home from his last mission sporting both, and his moms had all had very different reactions. Yui had said something about teenage rebellion, tutting to herself and lamenting that, 'at least it would grow back.' Tsunade had passed him a shot of saké, loudly announced that he looked good and that she knew a great place for tattoos when he was a little older.

Me-chan, his mother, had given him a small, almost sad smile. He imagined he could read her thoughts; comparing his and Karasu's very different lives, thanking the gods—or whatever had sent them to the past—that he had the chance to even be so carefree. Her words had confirmed what he'd guessed. 'You're growing up into your own person, and I'm so glad.' Then she'd patted his cheek and asked him not to let Tsunade talk him into any face tattoos. He was too handsome for that.

Now, Rin was watching him with hooded eyes, waiting for a response. "Uh… thanks? My mom likes it too."

She arched her brow, a little incredulous.

Why the fuck did I mention my mom?!

"Well, I think it's sexy. The hair and the studs."

"Thanks, Rin. Um… so, the scroll—"

She scoffed, one hand dropping to rest on his thigh. "Kakashi, I don't care about the scroll right now."

He swallowed thickly. He could see that she did not care about the scroll. "Right…"

Obito is going to kill me.

"Have you ever been kissed, Kakashi?"

"No." He had never met anyone he particularly wanted to kiss. He was barely fourteen, and the idea of waiting until he met someone that could maybe one day be his mate had appealed to him a lot more than the 'rutting around' his dad had done. Not that kissing and sex were the same, but still…

Rin was pretty, and at the angle she was sitting, leaning into him, he could see all the way down her shirt. When she caught him looking, she smirked. Would it be such a big deal to have his first kiss with Rin?

"Neither have I. I want you to be my first, Kakashi. I've wanted to kiss you since we were kids."

"Yeah… uh…" She was practically in his lap now, her breasts pressing against his chest, making it difficult to think clearly. "Okay."

Her lips were soft.

One of her hands dug into his hair, tugging a little too hard. His wound around her waist, keeping her in place against him. This is nice. She was warm and soft all over and his brain was very quickly turning to mush.

All of a sudden, she pulled back with a gasp. "Oh—" She looked down between them. In a daze, he looked too. Oh. How fucking embarrassing.

That predatory gleam was back. "Oh, Kakashi, I like kissing you, too." She kissed him again and shifted, rubbing herself against him in a new way, sending electric pleasure he was still getting used to on his own up his spine.

The whimper he let out was absolutely mortifying.

Before he could form a more coherent thought, she was pushing his hand up her shirt. "Um, Rin, wait—"

She rocked back, almost pouting. "What? I can tell you want me too—"

"Well I can't really control—"

"Please? I want you to be my first, Kakashi." She was kissing him again and it did feel good. There was a buzzing in his head and he almost couldn't remember why he wanted to wait. "I've always wanted this with you."

How can she talk so much right now?

Her bare skin was soft beneath his palms. She smelled good too.

His lips wandered from hers, along her jaw and down her neck.

"Oh, Kakashi, I've imagined this so many times. Please, I want you—"

If she doesn't stop rocking like that, I'm going to really embarrass myself.

He groaned, gripping her hips hard to make her stop. "Rin—"

"—I want you to bite me."

Slowly— Bite, mate,

No.

And then all at once, his head cleared, his eyes snapping open. "No. Rin, stop—"

"What's wrong?"

As gently as he could, he pushed her off his lap and onto the floor beside him. "I can't do this, that, not with you."

She looked like she might cry, tugging her shirt back into place.

"What? Why not?"

He sighed, adjusting himself and his own clothes. "I… it wouldn't be fair to you, or me. I care about you alot, we're friends."

"Yeah, so? That doesn't mean we can't—"

"It does for me." Her eyes widened in shock, and hurt. He hadn't meant to raise his voice, but his blood was still rushing. Rubbing his palms into his eyes, he sighed again. "Look, I can't really explain it, but I know you aren't ever going to be my mate."

"Your what?"

"My…" he sighed again. "My mate. It's a clan thing, okay? What I'm trying to say is; I know you're not the one for me."

Her shoulders sagged and she really looked like she was close to tears. Please don't cry. "But… how can you know that without giving us a chance?" She brushed her wrist across her eyes, no longer able to meet his.

Dammit.

"I just… do. And, maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal to do this with you now. But… You like me, and I don't want to make you think I like you that way, when I don't, when I can't. And even if we did, I definitely can't bite you, not like that. That's… that's something special. I'm only ever going to bite one person like that, and that isn't you."

She looked angry and confused, scoffing. "What? With those teeth, I'd think you'd be the type to bite every woman you fuck."

He pressed his lips together, bringing his fingers to cover his mouth. "Rin, that's—" She's hurt, that's why she's being so bitchy. Even still, he couldn't help the answering tone in his own voice. "Maybe you would." She glared hard and he thought she might slap him.

Groaning, he dug his hands through his hair and turned away from her. "Look, I'm sorry, Rin. Maybe I won't wait to have sex until I meet her, but I'll only ever bite my mate. It's just… special. And I don't want to have sex with you, not when you want that, not when I don't want to ruin our friendship or my friendship with Obito."

She scoffed, turning away from him now too and crossing her arms over her chest. "Obito is—"

"I know you don't have to date him just because he's in love with you." He flashed her a brief, exasperated frown. "If I thought you could be my mate, I wouldn't care what he thought, but you aren't. What we have as friends, all three of us, is too important to me to throw away just for a few minutes together"

'Minutes' is probably generous.

He watched her profile as several thoughts cycled through her head. She wiped at her eyes again, sighed, and looked down at her lap. "I feel so stupid…"

He wasn't sure if she had meant to say it out loud, but he wanted to reassure her. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think it would have lived up to your expectations..." He let out a self deprecating laugh and rubbed the back of his neck, his face absolutely on fire.

She finally looked at him again, a small frown melting into understanding, and an embarrassed laugh of her own. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I shouldn't have pushed you. Sometimes I forget you're actually two years younger, especially when you're so annoyingly mature." She elbowed him in the side and stood. "I'm going to go. I'll borrow the scroll when you're done with it."

"You don't have to leave, Rin. We can still—"

"No, no. I…" Her face was red too as she focused too hard on her feet. "I don't think I can study right now."

Kakashi stood too, starting to worry that they'd ruined everything after all. "Rin, we're still friends, aren't we? You don't have to leave—"

She shook her head, glancing up to meet his eyes. "We're okay, Kakashi. I just… I'll probably see you tomorrow?"

He wilted. "Oh, okay. Bye, then."

With a small sigh, she hugged him. "I mean it, we're friends." When she pulled away to leave, her smile only looked a little forced. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Rin."

When she was gone, he flopped back on his futon and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe Rin would finally give Obito a chance now.

Kakashi knew Rin wasn't for him. And he was pretty sure little Sakura-chan wasn't either, if only because she was like family now and so much younger. He hoped he wouldn't have to wait as long as Karasu had. He hoped he would know when he found her.

He brought his fingers back to his lips.

Kissing really was nice.


"Are you okay, Misaki-chan?"

His usually bubbly baby sister was uncharacteristically stoic as they walked down the street. It was her first day at the Academy, and for some reason, she seemed nervous.

She didn't answer, her sharp little teeth biting her lip as she walked.

Tenzō sighed, tugging gently on a lock of her hair. "You know Daichi is in your class, and we'll see each other at lunch."

"I know that, Nii-san."

Kakashi met his eyes over her head. For all that Tenzō sometimes teased her, he would be there for her if she needed him during the day.

As they got to the gate, other children and their parents arriving too, she stopped. "Daddy?"

Behind them, Karasu tipped his head to the side, an indulgent, patient smile curving his eyes. "I'm right here, petal."

Her big, dark eyes took in the Academy before spinning on her heels and looking up at him. "Do I have to go?"

He sighed, pulled Hideki from his shoulders, passing him to Me-chan, and crouched, opening his arms to Misaki. She ran to him, hugging him tight around his neck. "You were so excited last night, what's the matter?"

Her voice was small. "I'm gonna miss you, Daddy."

Kakashi caught Tenzō rolling his eyes and he elbowed him. She was six and so smart and talented, but still her daddy's baby girl.

"I'll miss you too, but I'll be here when you're done."

"Do you promise?"

Kakashi could see the smile stretching Karasu's face beneath his mask. "I promise, petal. Mama and I will both be here. You're going to be fine. You're going to have fun, and learn so much."

She pulled back far enough that Kakashi could see her nervous expression. "What if they don't like me? What if…" Her fingers reached up to cover her teeth. "What if the other kids make fun of me?"

Karasu pulled her hands away and cupped her face. "You're a Hatake, remember? Our teeth are just part of what makes us special, like the Hyūga and their eyes, and the Akimichi and their face tattoos. If anyone is mean to you, you'll remind them why our clan has always been feared in battle."

A slow grin replaced the trepidation. "Strong like mama, fast like daddy—" she turned around, aiming kicks at Kakashi and Tenzō's backsides. "Kick butt like Nii-san!"

Me-chan and Karasu both laughed, the latter standing. "Exactly right."

She hugged Me-chan, careful of her belly and avoiding Hideki's feet, threw her arms around Karasu's legs, before practically tackling Kakashi. "I'll miss you, too, Nii-san! Come home safe from your mission, okay?"

Kakashi laughed, picking her up and squeezing her tight. "I will. I already miss you." He lowered his voice. "If anyone's mean to you, bite them, okay?"

She giggled when he kissed her cheeks. "I love you, Nii-san."

He set her down. "I love you, too."

Tenzō elbowed him again. "Bye, Nii-san."

Kakashi swatted at his head. "Bye, dork."

He made a face at him as he allowed Misaki to tug him towards the gate.

"Daichi-kun! Oba-san!"

Yui, and two year-old Yutaka trailed behind an excited Daichi. "Hey, Misaki-chan!"

His oldest half-brother stopped to hug Misaki before running up to him. "Daddy said you're leaving today, Nii-san! Will you be home for your birthday?"

Kakashi shrugged, ruffling his floofy silver-white hair. "I don't know."

He pouted. "We don't get cake if you're not here! Hurry back so we can have cake, okay?" Not waiting for a response, Daichi ran back to take Misaki's other hand as the trio walked into the Academy yard, shouting goodbye to his mother as he went.

Yui finally made it to their little group, giving him a quick hug too. "Be safe, and if we don't see you, happy birthday."

"I will, Yui."

"Nii-san!" Hideki and Yutaka each had a hold of one of his legs. Both grinning up at him and nearly the same age, they almost looked like twins, only Hideki's green eyes setting them apart. "Play!"

"Play with us, Nii-san!"

Shaking his head, Kakashi marched them all over to Me-chan and Karasu, causing them to erupt with giggles. "Sorry, boys. I have to go. I'll play when I get back, okay?"

They whined but he ignored them in favor of his mother. "Bye, Me-chan." He bent over to talk to her belly, green chakra searching out the beats of the new baby's heart. "Bye, baby-chan. Don't come while I'm gone."

Me-chan laughed, wrapping him in her arms. "I love you, Kakashi-kun." He accepted her kiss on his cheek. "Be safe."

"I will be, Me-chan." Karasu's heavy hand mussed his hair, his masked smile warm. "Bye, Jii-san."

"Bye, kid."

"Kakashi! Come on, man, we're gonna be late!" Genma appeared behind him, senbon drooping between his teeth. His annoyingly flirtatious grin swept between Yui and Me-chan. "Yui-sama, Ayame-sama," he bowed politely.

Kakashi smacked the back of his head. "Tch, idiot, don't look at my moms like that."

He laughed at him. "I don't know what you mean. Goodbye, Hatakes, I'll do my best to have him back in one piece."

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi pulled his brothers off his legs and made to follow his teammate. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Bye, Nii-san!"

Dropping down beside the rest of his team at the gates, Kakashi double checked his field med kit and tested the strap keeping his tanto in place on his back. It had been a gift from his dad when he'd made Jōnin the year before, forged just like his. "You ready, Hatake?"

"Yes, captain."

"Alright." Genma was far too excited. "Kiri, here we come!"


"Tsunade-sensei!"

Kakashi barely held back an eye roll, and pulled Tsunade away from the gambling den. "Come on, Tsunade. You'll lose all the ryō I just won you."

Shizune groaned on her other side. "You promised no gambling this trip, Sensei."

With a put upon sigh, she followed them down the street. "You're right, I'm sorry, Shizune." She draped an arm around his shoulders, patting his cheek with her other hand. "But my boy has such a gift for cards. Grandfather would be so proud."

Kakashi clicked his tongue, grumbling to no one in particular. "I like to think he'd be more impressed by my shinobi skill."

Tsunade huffed. "Oh, I'm sure he would be. The card skill is just so useful. If he were around still, we'd have a great time together."

Shizune scoffed. "Whatever. Where to next, Sensei?"

His definitely mostly sober mother extended one red-painted finger towards a dodgy looking shop on the other side of the street. "The entire reason we came to this little town. It's Kakashi's birthday. You only turn eighteen once, kid."

Excitement buzzed in his chest. If he was with Jiraiya, he had no doubt the old pervert would try to take him to a whore house. Thankfully, he didn't come around very often.

But Tsunade…

She grinned at him. "That's right kid. I told you we'd do this when you were older."

Shizune sounded skeptical. "Is that a tattoo shop, Sensei?"

Suddenly, the Sannin was urging them both across the street and into the little shop. "Of course. Lee is an old friend and known in at least five nations for his skill. Only the best for my favorite kid."

Kakashi laughed as he held open the door for them. "I'm your only kid."

"Yeah." Shizune went in ahead of them and Tsunade got one of her rare, serious smiles. "I am proud of you, Kakashi, for more than just the cards. And I'm so grateful that you let me be a part of your life."

He gave her a crooked grin. "I love you too, Mom."

She patted his cheek against and nodded. "Let's get this kid some ink!" She dragged him further into the shop, shouting for the artist. "Lee!"

A heavily tattooed man spun around on a rolling stool. "Tsuna!" He threw his arms in the air. "I've missed you, wild woman!" He came around the front desk, planting a kiss right on her lips. "How long will you be in town?"

She pushed Kakashi towards him. "Just for the day, Lee. We've got more to do before I have to have him home. This is my son. It's his birthday, so I'm paying. Do whatever he wants."

Lee rubbed his hands together and led him further into the shop. "Is this your first time, kid?"

"Yeah."

He chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "Perfect. Any ideas what you would like, and where?"

Kakashi had been thinking about this since Tsunade had first mentioned it. Admittedly, most of his ideas were vaguely dog themed. Thankfully, Yui had taught him how to draw well enough that he would be able to show him exactly what he wanted. He hoped it looked as cool on his arm as it did in his head.

Several hours later, they were back on the street. Tsunade held his arm as they walked, inspecting the art she'd just healed for him. "I like it."

Her finger traced the Senju clan crest that was worked into the design. Both of his clans' crests were there, on either end of a stylized depiction of his ninken. Lee had not batted an eye when he'd summoned them so he knew what they looked like, his pack were all well behaved good boys. Pakkun was front and center, of course.

"I get the dogs, but what are all the flowers for?" Shizune peered down at it on Tsunade's other side.

He took his arm back, ignoring the burning of his ears, and ran his thumb over the pink flower by Shiba's nose. "One for each of my siblings."

Tsunade chuckled. "There are two too many."

Kakashi suppressed a grin. "Yui and Me-chan are both pregnant again, and Me-chan wants five. I made sure to leave room if she gets her way." He smirked down at her. "You ever gonna have any with Jiraiya? You're still young enough."

She scoffed, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Why mess with perfection? I already made a masterpiece. Besides, can you imagine him as a dad?"

He could not. Karasu did not let him in their home, and Yui was not his biggest fan either, so Kakashi had not ever really seen him around children. "My kids will all be too much Hatake to properly carry on the Senju genes."

She gave him a flat look. "Stop talking to the council. I've said you are the future of my family, and as I'm all that's left, my word is all that matters. I'm okay with the Senju becoming essentially a sister clan to the Hatake."

Kakashi sighed, but smiled anyway, draping his arm around her shoulders. "If you're sure, Mom."


"That's it, Hoshiko-san. Keep going. You're doing so well—push, push, push. I can see hair, brown just like Daddy's."

Kakashi let his eyes wander away from the laboring woman on her hands and knees in front of him and up at the nurse assisting him. He'd been trying to get Izumi to take his pursuit seriously for weeks. He wasn't sure why everyone seemed to think he was some kind of playboy. He was a virgin, for god's sake. The one time he had let Genma talk him into taking advantage of his good looks, Me-chan had caught him 'abusing his handsome face,' and being disrespectful to women. He'd spent the weeks after his seventeenth birthday cleaning bedpans. Kakashi thought he was actually pretty humble now, all things considered. Still, the idea of him as some kind of slutty playboy persisted. He almost wished he could get away with leaning into it.

Shaking his head, he refocused. That wasn't important right then.

His nurse rubbed the groaning woman's back. "Would you like to feel, Hoshiko-san?"

She whimpered her assent, allowing the nurse to help her. Her laugh was watery as she felt the slick hair, but Kakashi had done this enough times to recognize the fresh resolve wash over her as another contraction hit. The new mother screamed, her throat no doubt raw, as he watched closely, urging her to push.

A head.

One shoulder.

Another.

And then a slimy wriggling fresh baby was in his hands.

As Izumi tended to the mother, helping her to a comfortable position, Kakashi flipped the infant over properly, holding him against his chest. Green chakra cleared the airway beneath his practiced hand, and then a robust, furious cry filled the room.

A smile split Kakashi's face and he quickly ensured there were no other immediate concerns before passing the now squalling infant to his eager mother. "There you go, pup. Mama's right here. He's perfect, Hoshiko-san."

He stood back, watching the new parents enjoy these first moments with their baby, something warm and satisfied in his chest. It never got old.

Izumi elbowed him in his side, a sly smirk on her face. "Hatake-sensei, I can manage the rest. I'm sure you shouldn't keep Ayame-sama waiting."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I asked you to call me 'Kakashi,' Izumi-san." He checked his watch. "And she would kill me if I left a patient that needed me just for her. I'll step out and take care of the paperwork. Call me back if you need me. I won't leave until she's settled."

She smiled at him and it made his heart flutter. Damn, she's pretty.

"Okay, Kakashi-sensei."

He congratulated the new parents again and slipped out of the room. Filling out paperwork at the nurses station, he let his mind wander.

Me-chan had been shocked when he had asked to assist when she'd given birth the third time. He had just turned fifteen and come back from the first mission that really fucked him up. His team had accomplished their goal, but Kakashi had come home blood-soaked and weighed down with ghosts. One of them, a teammate he'd been too slow to save.

Me-chan had been there when he'd come home, hugely pregnant and just… radiating life. At first he'd shied away from her, afraid he would somehow taint his newest little brother or sister. But Karasu had assured him that was stupid. 'If that were possible, they would have all been doomed from the start, as they're mine.'

Karasu, the man he knew to be an older version of himself, had never shared much about his past, but more than once, Kakashi had caught him outside in the middle of the night, staring out into the garden with unseeing eyes. When asked if he was okay, he'd always sigh, shrugging like he was shaking off some great weight, and give him a sad smile. 'Yeah, kid. I'm alright.'

He never quite believed it, but he was never brave enough to push.

When he'd finally accepted Me-chan's reassuring embrace, her scent so like his own, the request had fallen from his lips without any prior thought. She had pulled back and looked skeptical as she searched his face. 'Are you sure, Kakashi-kun?'

He had never felt so out of place in his life. She hadn't really needed him there. Karasu was there for emotional and physical support, and Tsunade was there for the rest. But his mom had accepted his assistance in place of Rin, and, with a horrified awe, he had caught little Sayuri himself.

Afterwards, as he sat with Karasu, holding his newest baby sister, the older man had asked him if he was okay. Kakashi had stared down into her splotchy, pudgy little face and wispy silver hair, and decided he felt okay for the first time in days. Then all the things he'd been suppressing, the overwhelm of what he'd just witnessed and the love he'd had for his family poured out of him in embarrassing, ugly, sobbing tears. Karasu had wrapped an arm around him and not said anything as he clung to his baby sister, letting it out.

He'd asked Tsunade if he could train with the obstetrics medics the next day. It wasn't always so easy or happy. Rarely, it could be almost as bad as the worst mission. But nothing soothed his nightmares after brutally taking life, like helping a new one into the world.

Now, at twenty-two, he'd delivered over a hundred babies, including Me-chan's last two after Sayuri, his littlest half-brother, Meabe's youngest, and all of Raiu's pups. He split his time between assigned missions and the obstetrics ward.

All of his parents were immensely proud of him, and his life felt happy and full.

"Kakashi-sensei."

But it could always be better.

He set down his pen and turned to offer her his most winning smile. "Yes, Izumi-san?"

Her pupils dilated briefly as her blue eyes lingered on his teeth before she cleared her throat and looked away. So pretty.

"She passed the afterbirth and her bleeding is stable. She's settled and the baby was able to latch for his first feed."

He nodded, making another note on the chart. "Good. Um…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Izumi-san, are you off at shift change this afternoon, or are you working a double tonight?"

She shifted her weight, her eyes rolling in exasperation despite the slight upturn of her lips. "I'll be off in an hour. But I'm a good civilian kunoichi, I don't date playboy clan brats."

Kakashi groaned but followed her as she headed to the break room. "Why does everyone think that? I've only ever kissed one girl, and I was thirteen!" Realizing what he'd just admitted out loud, he glanced around, thankful that no one else was in hearing distance besides an incredulous Izumi. "And who cares if you're a civilian? My mother was a civilian—"

She scoffed. "Your mother is a Senju, practically royalty."

He sighed. "Not that one. I meant Ayame, and my dad's wife, too, I guess."

Her laugh was whimsical. He wanted to bottle it up to listen to when he was alone. "Your family is so complicated."

"No it isn't." Now it was his turn to be indignant. "Ayame is technically my cousin's wife, but she's really my mother. Tsunade is my mother but she didn't raise me, she's more like a fun aunt that paid for all of my tattoos and takes me on her gambling trips. Yui is… Well, she married my dad. She's his mate, and I love her, more than an aunt, but still not really my mom?" He waved a hand as if to banish the conversation. Oversharing. "I guess it is a little complicated."

She had a small frown as she reached into the fridge for water. "Mate? You mean wife?"

"Well…" He felt his neck and ears start to heat. "No? I mean, she is his wife." She was watching him with expectant interest. Even though this was clan stuff and actually kind of private, he wanted to keep her attention. "It's a Hatake thing. Like the teeth and the heightened senses. Like a spouse, but… more? I'm not really sure how to explain it properly. I don't have one yet."

Her lips made an 'O' and she nodded. "Interesting. So…" she poured them both out a cup of water. "So… you're a virgin then? Really?"

He cringed, feeling his entire face heat. Fuck, how embarrassing. "Is there something wrong with waiting for someone special? What about you?"

Her eyes widened in outrage as she blushed too, looking away, her answer mumbled into her mug. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with it."

Kakashi scoffed and set his own mug down. "Look, I know my dad used to get around, but I was raised better than that." He rubbed at phantom pain on the top of his head. "My mother made sure of that. I'm not asking you out just to get in your pants and move on to the next nurse, Izumi. I'm not Genma." He almost laughed. "And if I just wanted an easy lay, the hospital is the last place I'd look. Two of my mothers would kill me for using their nurses like that."

That made her laugh. "That's true."

"Come with me tonight, please? It's my mom's birthday, Ayame, that is. We're having a party. Mostly family, but friends too. You can be my date."

She bit her lip and he could see that she was actually considering it. "I don't know…"

"You know two of my mothers, and Rin will be there too, obviously. You know her, right? I'll come by and pick you up an hour after you get off."

"I've never been to a clan party before. What do I wear?"

He shrugged, leaning against the counter and trying to contain his stupid grin but failing miserably. "We're not formal and stuffy like the Hyūga or the Uchiha, but you could wear a yukata if you have one, my little sisters probably will. The dress you wore for the orphanage fundraiser last month was really nice." She blushed. "You'll come then?"

She finished her water and smiled up at him. "I guess. It has been a while since I've seen Rin."

"Great!" Kakashi stood up, barely refraining from touching her. It was probably too early for that. "Great. I'll see you in two hours then." When she nodded, he dug his hands in his hair. "Uh… bye?"

She laughed at him. "Bye."

"Me-chan!" Kakashi burst into his home fifteen minutes later, too excited to think about following his nose to find her or to bother with slippers. "I'm home! Me-chan! Mom, where are you?"

She poked her head inside from the engawa, little Tōmoro on her hip. "I'm here, Kakashi-kun."

"Oh." He practically ran through the house on bare feet. "Me-chan—" She accepted his kiss on her cheek, an amused smile on her face. "I'm bringing a date tonight, is that okay?"

Her eyebrows jumped up her forehead. "A date?" A sly smile replaced the shock far too fast. "Did you finally convince Izumi-san?"

He ignored the heat on his face, taking the baby from her arms. "Come on, Me-chan, it wasn't that hard. Look at me—ouch." Holding Tōmoro, he hadn't managed to dodge her flick to his forehead. "I mean, yes. I don't know why everyone thinks I've slept with half the village, but I think she believed me."

Me-chan chuckled. "Probably because you hang around with Genma, and he probably has." She cupped his face. "Don't worry, Kakashi-kun, I'll tell her you're a good boy."

"Mom…"

She pulled his face down so she could reach, still laughing at him, and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Please, I'm excited. You've never brought anyone home before. You must really like her."

He hid a stupid grin in Tōmoro's floofy white hair. "Yeah… I've never met anyone I wanted to bring home before."

"Why are you smiling like an idiot, Nii-san?" Tenzō came in behind their mother, smirking over Misaki and Daichi who had come in too.

"Tch, I am not."

Four year-old Takashi, who Tenzō had on his back, nearly knocked him over trying to peek over his shoulders to see. "You are too, Nii-san! You're all pink!"

"Oh, my gosh!" Misaki gasped, reaching up to grab his face. "It's a girl, isn't it?"

He clicked his tongue. "Misaki-chan—" She squealed, clapping her hands together. "Don't be weird, I want her to come back."

She scoffed, folding her arms and pouting. "I'm never weird, I'm just excited."

Worried he might have actually hurt her feelings, he sighed and reached up to tug on one of her pink braids. "Misaki—"

"Hm." Her pout melted into a sly grin. "Is she coming tonight, then?"

"Yeah."

Tenzō smirked, sharing a look with Daichi. Misaki noticed and rolled her eyes. "They're the ones you're going to have to worry about." She looked him up and down. "And yourself… lanky dork."

"Hey—" Kakashi couldn't quite believe she was teasing him. He almost actually felt wounded.

She cackled at the stunned look on his face and took off back outside. "Daddy! Kakashi-nii has a girlfriend!"

He groaned as the rest of his siblings chased her out. "Am I really lanky?"

Me-chan laughed behind her hand. "A little, but you're still growing into yourself. I keep telling you to eat more. You have three mothers, I'm surprised you're so skinny."

Pouting, Kakashi focused on his youngest brother, bouncing him on his hip. "You don't think I'm too skinny, do you Tōmoro-chan?"

He gave him a gummy, sweet smile, flashing his four pointy puppy teeth. "Ne ne!"

"That's right, Tōmoro-chan. You'll make me look good, won't you? Genma says girls like guys that are good with babies."

A deep laugh rumbled from the doorway and he looked up to see Karasu watching them, his hands in his pockets.

"Da, da!"

Karasu's smile was lopsided as he crossed the room to take his son from Kakashi. "Hey, buddy." He bounced him once before giving Kakashi a considering smirk. "So there is a girl?"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. "Yeah… Her name is Izumi. I—" He met his eyes but couldn't seem to hold his gaze. "I think we might be pretty compatible." He had to fight the stupid grin again, thinking about her pretty eyes and long dark hair. "And she smells nice."

Karasu chuckled again. "That's great, kid."

Me-chan reached up to pat his cheek. "Go and get cleaned up. Wear something blue, it's your best color."

"Yeah, okay, Me-chan."

Karasu pulled his mate into his other side and guided her back outside. Her smile for him was beautiful as always, and when he turned to her—his dark eyes alight with affection—Kakashi watched almost in slow motion as he leaned down to kiss her. The early evening light shone in around them, ringing them in a golden glow as they savored a peaceful moment together. They were so happy, still so in love after sixteen years.

Kakashi didn't know how much this other him had suffered before he met him, but watching him with her, Kakashi imagined the profound happiness he knew now far eclipsed any pain that had come before.

End

final notes

Kakashi and Sakura, 35 and 47 by the last scene, did have those five babies. Misaki(beautiful bloom) is 13, Hideki(seems to be any combination of excellence and trees depending on the Kanji) is 10. Sayuri(small lilly) is 7, Takashi(In one spelling, it seems like rice field and ambitious? I was looking for names that fit their clan, cut me some slack 😅) is 4 and little Tōmoro(corn) is 15 months. Their oldest babies, Kakashi-kun and Tenzō were 22 and 18.

Sakumo and Yui had three boys. Daichi(can mean, from the earth) 14, Yutaka(abundant grain, with the same Kanji from Kaito) and Kaito(again, depending on the Kanji, it fits), 4. Sakumo was Hokage for a decade before retiring and moving his family back to the Hatake property. Fugaku followed him as the next Hokage.

Tsunade publicly claimed Kakashi, who officially was a Senju as well as a Hatake. I kind of like the idea of her eventually being able to be in love again, maybe with a less annoying Jiraiya? Who knows.

Mebae married and had four kids, 10, 7, 5 and 2 by the end, her brother had 3 by that point, 5, 3, and 6 months. I didn't name any of them. Japanese names are interesting because depending on the Kanji, they can mean different things. Choosing names that fit the Hatake clan was hard. Assume they're all fitting. Was that a lot of Hatake babies? Yes. Excuse them they had a clan to rebuild thank you very much.

Sakura grew up very close with Kakashi and Sakura's children, the Haruno's and the Hatake very close as family. I like to think that, growing up around so many attractive guys, she's less flustered by it and Sasuke isn't such a big deal to her. She ends up with Lee because I love him and he matches her energy. (Also, they were totally on the same Genin team.) I liked her with Yutaka or Daichi, but idk, it felt kind of incestuous?

Tenzō has a whole pack of his own ninken(just like all of his siblings) and they do in fact have endless sticks for fetch. Personally, I love him with Ino. 😆

And baby Kakashi, his life isn't all roses. He's still a shinobi, and he has bad missions and loses friends. But he has so much family and is so loved. He dates Izumi for eight months before he asks her to marry him. As it turns out, Older Kakashi was right. As a different man, he found a mate much younger and they were every bit as happy as his older self and older Sakura.

A/N Okay, so Kakashi calling his baby girl 'Petal' absolutely might be my favorite thing about this chapter. That and baby Kakashi growing up and being a baby doctor lol

idk it felt right.

Thank you so much to everyone that has been faithfully following this story with me. I am so happy that you have all enjoyed this baby as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I have loved reading all of your awesome comments.

I wanted to let you know that I am still planning the alt ending. I am going to add it to the Dreams series as a stand alone One shot if anyone is interested. I think you can subscribe to the series for updates that way if you're interested!

I am kind of planning on taking a break from writing after this project to focus on other things for a while. I tend to get obsessed and hyper focused and it can be annoying sometimes lol

thank you all so much again!