Chapter Forty-Seven
Kakashi sat back in the Hokage's chair, eyeballing the three different men on the opposite side All three were dangerous beyond all measure – the three surviving Jinchuriki. Naruto, Killer B, and Gaara sat, all three looking pensive as ever. The fact that B was here left Kakashi bewildered. While Gaara had come ostensibly for the Iron Shinobi Competition, B had arrived the day after, shortly after Naruto pleaded to have this meeting. "Gentlemen, I take it this isn't a social call," Kakashi tried for humor, but his attempt fell flat.
"Lord Sixth," Naruto spoke deferential, something he rarely did, "we have some disturbing news."
"There's a switch," Kakashi shrugged. After surviving his father's suicide, Rin's death, Obito's betrayal, and two great shinobi wars, he was jaded anytime something was described as dangerous or disturbing. "So, are you all going to treat me like a grown up or keep me in suspense?"
"Lord Hokage," Gaara spoke with his usual stony seriousness, "I will not mince words. One-Tails has sensed the presence of another Divine Tree forming."
"And Nine-Tails confirmed as well," Naruto said.
Disturbing as the words were, Kakashi needed confirmation, "B, I'm assuming you have some insight as well?"
"I'm afraid my boys are on the straight and narrow and what they are saying is Jake! Eight Tales be feeling it all over!" Crap, he's telling the truth because he's trying to sing.
"Well, super," Kakashi tented his hands and sighed. After two wars and the moon falling out of the sky, Kakashi hoped vainly that he might have at least a decade of nothing to worry about – long enough to hand the reigns to Naruto. Instead, he'd barely been Hokage three months, and already a major crisis was looming. "Let me guess, you all have some kind of plan?"
"Something like that," Naruto said.
"Please, share with the class," Kakashi replied.
"Lord Kakashi, I understand you being upset with Naruto for his unsanctioned mission," Gaara interrupted. "While I admit, I would have done the same if Kankuro or Temari had done the same, I also acknowledge some of what was brought back from that mission may mean the difference between our deaths and continued survival."
"I have no doubt, but Naruto," Kakashi turned back to his nephew, "aside from sharing sensitive intelligence with these two, what else have you found?"
"Uncle," Naruto spoke as if pained, "I think we can possibly harness the legendary Silver Crystal."
Kakashi hadn't been huge into fairytales as a child, but he had taken time to familiarize himself with the details as of late. "You mean, the crystal that can supposedly heal the unhealable while laying waste to entire armies?"
"Pretty psycho, isn't it?" B interjected.
"How, Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"We're still trying to figure that out, I think it has to do with the legend about the end of the Silver Millenia."
Kakashi knew the bedtime story well. In her moment of dying, Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to banish and seal the Witch Queen. In her last breath, Queen Serenity fragmented the crystal to bind seven of the Witch Queen's demons to those with pure hearts. "Naruto, that is your strategy, relying on a fairytale to save us?"
"No Lord Hokage," Naruto replied stern as a school teacher insulted by his student, "I fully accept that it might be a red herring or a dead end, and we are planning to deal with a worst-case scenario."
"We?" Kakashi asked.
"Lord Sixth," Gaara spoke up. "I can explain. I came in the hopes of coordinating our efforts against the Ōtsutsuki, preferably without causing a panic."
Kakashi could appreciate not wanting to panic the population, at least, not yet. "And coordinate meaning?"
"Naruto, B, and I plan to begin training together in hopes of growing stronger," Gaara nodded, "I know these creatures are ridiculously powerful, but we can't just sit still. If we team up now and coordinate our efforts, we stand a better chance against them. After Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura took down Kaguya. We know these things aren't invulnerable."
Kakashi again tented his hands, turning his chair to look out on Konoha. By now, his likeness on Hokage Rock was staring down, watching over the village as his five predecessors had done. "All right, but we do this on my terms," he turned his chair back to face the group.
"And that means?" B asked.
"For one, you do not cut me out of the loop from here forward, and I insist we inform the leaders of the other Shinobi countries of our concerns, privately. I don't want anyone to accuse us of having held anything out when this all blows up."
Naruto, Gaara, and B each exchanged looks and nods. "I think we can agree," Naruto said.
"Two, I'm part of whatever team you're putting together."
"Lord Hokage…" Naruto gasped, "Why?"
"I'm the protector of this village for the time being," Kakashi reminded him. "I'm not content with sitting up here while the three of you and your cohorts accept all the risk." Kakashi paused, eyeing the three like a schoolmaster with students caught during a prank. "Now, what's the plan?"
Gaara was the first to speak, "We would begin training with dissimilar opponents in and around the Sunan Desert, the Kumo Mountains, and the Konoha Forest." He paused to look to Naruto, "But I do suggest we also continue to study Naruto's theory about the Silver Crystal with as much seriousness. Legends speak of the crystal doing incredible things, and Naruto's story suggest Queen Serenity defeated the Ōtsutsuki in the past while using it."
Kakashi nodded, "All right, where do we begin?"
Sunlight filtering in through the bedroom window awoke Hinata from pleasant dreams. Despite wanting to sleep later, she opened her eyes, rewarded by the sight of her husband still sleeping soundly beside her. On mornings like this, being able to lay here and watch her husband sleep was its own reward. She remembered a photo of the two of them snuggled side by side as babies. She remembered the first night he'd held her through the night, and she remembered the first night they had made love.
Hinata delicately traced his chest with her fingers, drawing down the bedding off his body as she did so. She was rewarded with the sight of his tight chest and stomach. How did I ever get so lucky? She gently continued to trace her fingers up and down his chest and stomach. A faint smirk formed on her lips as she was rewarded by the sight of an expanding mass protruding under the part of him still covered by the sheeting. Always great when your husband is an early riser!
"You're just as bad as he is!" Nine-Tails groaned.
I didn't hear you complain last night, Foxy-Loxy. Hinata chided Nine-Tails. Her grin continued to widen as she continued to stroke Naruto's toned body. She, herself, was heating up – warm lust making her wet. Hinata's naught fingers pulled the sheet down further. Naruto's morning wood stood at attention behind the black material of his boxers, awaiting her orders. Why do we wear such things to sleep? Hinata delicately hooked fingers under his waist band and began the delicate process of undressing her husband without waking him.
She had considered just using tailed-beast charka to shred the offending article, but they had destroyed several pairs of undergarments in the past few months, and they both had to deal with the awkwardness of maids finding bits of material scattered about the room. Thankfully, this morning did not call for such antics as the material slid freely down his legs after she got it down past his hips.
Naruto stirred as his boxers went past his knees. He took one look at Hinata, and grinned. "I see you are still quite the morning person!"
"You should talk," she teased as she grabbed the material of her purple and amethyst negligee and pulled it up and over her head. Hinata noticed a slight twitch of Naruto's dick as she exposed herself.
"I never get sick of that," Naruto chuckled.
"I never get sick of doing this," Hinata struggled to free herself from her simple purple panties. As they came off, she tossed them to the side and began crawling over top of her man. "I remember that first night when we were sixteen," she smirked, biting her lower lip. Naruto, too, grinned like a crocodile. "I wanted to do with you then," she straddled his hips, gently brushing his manhood along the length of her slit. "And now we can do it, whenever, wherever!" Hinata let her hips drop, swallowing his manhood whole.
"Ahhhh…" he moaned, still grinning. His length twitched inside her, "You feel that? You're the only one who makes it do that!"
"Good," she groaned, adjusting to the sensation of him inside her, "I'd hate to think if any of the girls still sending you panties with phone numbers written on them could do that"
"Hinata," his fingers traced along her thighs and butt, and she squeezed him inside her at the tickling sensation. "I want you to know that no woman could ever replace you," his serious expression softened into him giving her side eye, "and I seem to remember plenty of men sending you bits of lingerie asking you to wear it for them!"
"Hahaha! Guilty as charged!" she moved up and down with him. After the revelry, a tinge of worry came over her, "Naruto, you sure you're okay with this?"
"Hinata, I know that sex leads to babies sooner or later," he said.
"I mean, the Spring of Fertility, forcing the issue forward… you aren't worried…"
"No," he cut her off. His hands migrated up along her flanks. "I made my peace with it when we finally got married, and I don't want to make things awkward with your family asking when I'm going to produce an heir."
"Dad hasn't been hounding you again?" she asked as she moved up and down on him.
"No," he replied.
"Mom?" she paused moving up and down as she asked.
"Also no," he assured her. "Hinata, I want this," he pushed his hips up to remind them they were still in the middle of intercourse, "I want you!"
Hinata let her voices drop to a sultry octave as she guided his hands up to her breasts, "Then come and get me, boy!" She rode him up and down harder, causing his head to thrash side to side as she fucked his brains loose. Naruto's naughty hands continued to massage her breasts, almost painfully so, as he lost control and screamed as he came in her. Hinata ground their hips, herself climaxing as she clamped around his cock. "AHHH!" she let out a short, high-pitched scream before covering her mouth and giggling in embarrassment.
"Oh gods," Naruto huffed, out of breath, you're so fucking amazing!" The words warmed her along with the afterglow of sex.
"You have no idea what it means to me to hear you say that," she slid off him and sank into his side. Naruto held her close. In that moment, unfortunately, her alarm clock went off.
"Shit," Naruto's head sank back into his pillow. "I don't want to get up and umpire the Chunin Exams!"
"Heh," she stared down at his incredible naked body, "I don't want you to get up," she looked down at his manhood, "except maybe that part!"
"Not that I am not enjoying this, but we should get going."
"Indeed," she sighed.
"You still up for practice with the team at the oasis this weekend?" he asked.
"Wouldn't miss it," she winked, "we have a world to save."
"Does it ever scare you?" Naruto asked.
"What?"
"The thought that our children might have to deal with these freaks in the future?"
"I'm sure," she sighed, "our parents felt much the same way at the end of the Third Shinobi War, and then after we were born, not knowing what Obito had become or what other forces were in play."
"So, you are scared?"
"And you're not?" she asked
"I'm terrified," he said, "Himawari clearly didn't tell us everything."
"Naruto, she had a good reason not to; we have to figure this out for ourselves."
"I supposed you're right," he nodded. "Join me in the shower?" he went from serious back to opportunistic. My perv!
"Of course!" Hinata giggled.
Akemi Hyūga never expected to be doing a fertility consult with her own daughter. After losing family, village, and much of her heritage, she never let herself be comfortable in the knowledge that she'd live to see her daughter become a mother. "Good morning, Mom," Hinata said as she entered the office at the hospital.
Hinata wore her mission gear, form fitting and revealing of her shape. I suppose she could argue it will help her stay cool during the Chunin Exams. They both were scheduled to be medics on the sidelines. "Good morning, Hinata," she greeted. Judging by her daughter's earnestness and energy, Akemi could guess Hinata had probably had sex with Naruto before coming here this morning. Their lack of pregnancy certainly does not stem from a lack of them trying. Her sperm count is probably higher than most men's her age! Akemi bit down on her lips to stifle a chuckle. She had no room to talk, herself. Her treatment for cancer had ruined the chance for Hinata and Hanabi to have more siblings. Otherwise, Akemi easily could have seen her and Hiashi having more.
As Hinata sat down on the exam table, there was an awkward pause. One drawback to being the Shinobi World's leading authority of fertility treatment, sometimes it meant having to treat someone close to home. "So," Akemi started.
"So," Hinata said in reply.
"Well, I guess we should start at the beginning," Akemi said, "You and Naruto are in agreement?"
"Yes," Hinata nodded. "We're both kind of tired of waiting, and you know the clan elders are after me to secure our lineage."
"Please tell me your father isn't doing the same."
"Surprisingly," Hinata replied, "he's been mellow on the subject." Even Akemi was surprised – Hiashi had been pushing the baby issue since she was old enough to legally marry.
"Well, then," Akemi clasped her hands together, "I already reviewed the intake paperwork. You have discontinued birth control of all forms?"
"My shot would have worn off last month and Naruto hasn't kept it wrapped up since I passed my medical board exams."
"What about your personal care?"
"No douching, been taking prenatal vitamins, and eating a balanced diet," Hinata assured her.
"This may sound stupid, but have either of you had any other sex partners?"
"Mom!"
"Gonorrhea, chlamydia, and the like can be insidious," she reminded, "I'm treating you as a doctor, not your mother."
"No Mom," Hinata huffed, "neither of us has had any other sex partners."
"Not currently on any medications?"
"None."
"How are you feeling overall?"
"Fine, my breasts are just kind of sore the past few days."
The comment began spinning a wheel in the back of Akemi's head. No, it couldn't be, could it? Despite the improbability of it, the wheel in her head continued to spin. "Hinata," Akemi pulled out the leg rest built into the table and reclined the table, "Lay back for me."
"Is everything all right?" she asked as she laid back.
"I need to check your chakra network," Akemi replied. Relax, it could be anything or nothing! Akemi drew her chakra to her hands and rested them on Hinata's flat, toned stomach. Nine-Tails was where he'd been since before she was born. Hinata's chakra flow seemed perfectly normal. Akemi felt slightly lower and nearly jumped at the sensation. Not possible!
"Mom," Hinata's face tightened in concern, "is everything all right?"
"Hinata," Akemi traced her hand lower, sensing over Hinata's pubic mound. It was there – the unmistakable flittering of a new chakra sign sitting within her daughter's uterus. "Hinata!" she withdrew her hands and brought them up to her cheeks, tears streaming from her eyes.
"Mom!" Hinata sat up, panic in her eyes.
"My baby!" Akemi clutched Hinata in her arms. I'm going to be a grandma!
"Mom… am I?!"
Akemi had to nod vigorously, unable to summon words without crying. Eventually, she did let out a choked, "Yes!" She continued to hug her daughter and rock her gently on the table.
"I'm… pregnant!" Hinata said, clearly not believing it at first. "I'm…" Hinata placed a hand on her lower abdomen, "I'm pregnant!"
"Honey, congratulations!" Akemi exclaimed. "Should we call your husband?"
"He's at the Chunin Exams; I doubt he has his phone on at the moment."
"Are you all right if I call the in-laws and your father?" Akemi perked up, "I'm sure they'd love to see Naruto's face when you tell him!"
"Yes, please," Hinata blushed as she smiled. "My god, Mom, tell me I'm not dreaming! I really am going to be a mother!"
"Yes!" Akemi replied ecstatic. As she reached for her phone to call Kushina, a cold bolt ran down Akemi's spine. She flashed back to how high Kushina had been when finding our she was carrying a viable pregnancy. Akemi squeezed her phone as the memory flashed forward to her trying to reassure a gravely wounded Kushina after Obito's attack. It's just jitters. Everything will be fine. She dialed Kushina's number to share the good news.
The house phone rang as Kushina, Minato, and Akane sat on the living room couch. "I'll get it," Minato got up to grab the phone while Akane and she continued to watch the broadcast of the Chunin Exams. As a former Hokages, Minato and she could have easily exercised the right to join Kakashi in the Hokage's private box. However, the Fire Daimyo and his wife were in attendance with him. Poor Lord Sixth, he's probably pulling his hair out! The Fire Daimyo was one of, if not the most, boring men in all of the Land of Fire – maybe even the whole of the Shinobi World. It also didn't help the man was awkward and uncomfortable around kids.
"Uh huh, is that right?" Minato spoke nonchalant as to suggest it was a mundane call. However, Kushina caught the slightest chuckle in his voice. He only does that when he plans on having his way with you once Akane is taking a nap.
"And it looks as if this is no contest as umpire Naruto Uzumaki calls the round in favor of Suna," the announcer on the television distracted her. Kushina remembered Naruto's Chunin Exam, feeling like a lifetime ago despite being only about ten years. That day had been a doozy – playing the charade with the invading armies, rescuing Hanabi, Naruto getting appendicitis – discovering you're here because of your future granddaughter.
"Dear, it's Akemi," Minato interrupted her thoughts, "She wants to speak to you." Minato tried and failed to hide some level of amusement.
"Akemi?" Kushina wasn't sure if she should be elated or concerned – there was very little in between when it came to her friend and apprentice giving out news." Kushina got up from the couch, accepted the phone Minato held in an outstretched arm, and spoke: "Akemi?"
"Hi-yah, grandma!" Akemi's explosive energy transmitted from the handset. Kushina froze, again finding herself standing in the hospital room with her sick son, shaking an unfamiliar girl by the shoulders for having lured Minato away from Lord Third and Orochimaru. "G-Grandma, please! Don't!"
"What did you say?" Kushina repeated the words she'd spoken then. "What did you just say?!" she demanded, her fire mixing with euphoria and tears.
"I just told you your first grandchild is on the way!" Akemi squealed.
"Grandma…. I'm going to be a grandma…" Kushina whimpered through tears, "I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA!" She blindly dropped the receiver.
"YAH!" Akane clapped her hands as her father picked her up.
"Give your mom a kiss, Akane!" Minato held Akane out to kiss Kushina on the cheek.
"Kushina, are you there? Is everything all right!" Akemi's muffled voice came out of the phone into the room.
Kushina retrieved the errant phone, "Yes, everyone's fine!"
"I'll bet! Celebration dinner tonight at the Hyūga Compound. I'll call Teuchi!" Akemi ended the call.
Kushina hung up the phone and hugged her husband and daughter. Warm tears for joy leaked from her eyes. "Minato, tell me this isn't a dream!"
"It's not," he patted her back. "The future is beginning now."
The July sun beat down on Naruto as he stood on the sidelines between a Chunin-Exam match between two students. Unlike the Iron Shinobi Competition, the competitors were all fresh, and anything went as far as chakra techniques was concerned.
Of course, he was struggling to pay anyone any heed as a kid from Suna absolutely annihilated another genin from Kumogakure. Naruto remained disengaged as he called the match and gave an obligatory congratulations to the winner. His mind, however, wandered back to this morning. Hinata had come onto him, hot as she'd been on his eighteenth birthday – hotter.
As they cleaned up afterwards, Naruto couldn't help but notice something was off. Hinata's smell was different, and something about her chakra presence was different. He couldn't pin it down, but it was as if someone else had been close to her, in their bed. God, she wouldn't have an affair? Am I not making her happy? Did I do something wrong?
"Doofus," Nine-Tails chided, "She's been your best friend since you were born and your lover since your first boner, what possible motive might she have to throw it all away!"
Naruto couldn't argue with Kurama's logic. What few disagreements Naruto had with his wife since their marriage had been resolved peacefully. They had taken a long honeymoon followed by their recent vacation last month. All throughout, they had been intimate as frequently as when they were only a couple, perhaps more so now that medical-nin training wasn't in the way.
The next match came up. Naruto closed his eyes, gathering nature chakra around him. His eyes reopened in Sage Mode, enhanced by his Byakugan. It hit him almost immediately – something malevolent was present, and extremely close by. He scanned the crowd and their chakra signature; he scanned the surrounding areas – all to no avail. The hairs on the back of his neck stood at tiptoe. Naruto focused more intently, sharpening his gaze until he could see the very fabric of the cosmos as he had done on the Moon.
He saw it approaching like a meteor approaching from outer space. There were Ōtsutsuki approaching, several of them, heading straight for the arena. Naruto signaled for the match to stop and told both contestants to evacuate immediately and to warn everyone they saw. Both stared on in puzzlement but eventually turned and ran. Dammit, I'll never clear the stadium in time! Naruto reached for his cellphone and called Captain Yamato's number. "Naruto, what the heck is going on down there?" the other man asked, wondering why he'd called a match as such.
"YAMATO! Naruto roared, "Evacuate the arena NOW!"
Kakashi strained to maintain his mask of dignity and civility around the Fire Daimyo and his wife. While some of the other kages could be vain or self-assured, the Fire Daimyo was both, as well as aloof. Despite occupying the Hokage's box for the past hour, the man seemed uninterested in the extreme as he frequently checked his watch while his attendants waited on him and his wife hand and foot. It must be nice to receive a hereditary title.
Unlike the Fire Daimyo, Minato, Kushina, and he were only recognized as lords as a result of having held the title of Hokage. Even Lord Sarutobi in his youth hadn't used the title of lord, having come from what was once considered a lesser clan. As a result, Kakashi three predecessors exercised a degree of humility that would be foreign to the pomp and circumstance the Daimyo demanded.
An unsettling thought crossed Kakashi's mind as their demands and arrogance reminded Kakashi of Danzo Shimura. Perhaps another reason he's been so cold to the village the past several years. The Fire Daimyo initially backed Danzo to become Hokage until it was clear Minato was favored by the seated Hokage and all the prominent clan heads. It doesn't help you put him in prison and later he got sucked into the Box of Infinite Bliss.
Mindful of the tension that might arise, Kakashi has asked Shizune to stay home with the kids today, knowing full well that the barren Daimyo and wife held children in disdain. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a crying Sakumo or Yoshiko when the Fire Daimyo or his wife ultimately made some rude comment.
"Lord Fire Daiymo, milady," Kakashi bowed, "is everything to your liking?"
"The box is pleasant enough," the Daimyo said, "however, I can't fathom how anyone could watch this barbaric level of sport."
I can't fathom how people like you sent countless people out to die while showing such disdain for conflict up close. "The event," Kakashi did his best to remain diplomatic, "is certainly not for everyone."
"Did you compete in the Chunin Exams, Lord Kakashi?" Lady Shijimi asked.
Innocent as the question may have been, the words hit harder than Kakashi expected, "No… the Chunin Exams were cancelled at that time due to the Third Shinobi War." Kakakshi had always expected to go through the exam with Rin and Obito. Sadly, Rin didn't live to see the next exam, and Obito had been twisted by the Zetsu creatures and Madara Uchiha's influence.
"I see," Lady Shijimi replied.
"What the devil is going on about?" The Fire Daimyo's confusion mixed with annoyance. Kakashi stared down to the ring, seeing Naruto waving two combatants to the sidelines. What the…
Kakashi's thought cut off mid-sentence as there was a heavy, hot concussion that struck from behind, followed by the sound of an explosion and breaking glass. Then there was darkness.
Author's notes: Hi everyone. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. I must apologize in advance as I don't know if there will be another chapter before the start of the new year. I will certainly try, but I don't want to make an empty promise.
Inspiration for Naruto's ability to sense another presence and mistake a pregnancy for a possible affair was taken from The Other Presence by author WaterRolls. It is an excellent read for readers of Naruhina fanfic.
In case I am not back in time to say it, happy holidays to everyone, and I hope you have a prosperous new year ahead. Thank you again for joining me on this journey for the past five years! Stay healthy, stay safe, and I'll see you next chapter!
updated 12/13/2024: fixed an annoying typo regarding Akemi and her inability to give Hanabi and Hinata siblings.