Okami

by keoo19

"Happily Ever After" is how the fairytales go, right? But what happens after the curtains close? When the bliss of ignorance fades away? You're left with the reality of two people trying desperately to cling to their own shreds of happiness. All bets are off with a man who will do anything to get his family back, and a woman scorned who's just tired of fighting. KakaSaku, Rated M.

3. PROLOGUE: When The Air Shifts

When The Air Shifts

---

She stirred, awakening slowly as the soft golden glow of dawn peeked through her curtains. She drudgingly rolled over, ignoring the sights and sounds that marked a new day. Sighing, her body filled with an emotion that's marked her every morning for the past few months.

Dread.

She rubbed her tired eyes as they blinked open and she sat up in her bed. Staring out of that same window, she watched the hues of orange and pink illuminate the Village. She always considered herself a morning person, and in the past, this was a view she particularly favored. The apartment that she and Ino shared sat at the top of a hill, and her bedroom specifically gave her the perfect glimpse of all the activity inside of Konoha. Merchants setting up their stands in the morning, Ninja bustling to and from the Hokage tower; she got a front row view of the liveliness of the Village. Everyone continuing on with their lives, as if every day that she herself woke up didn't prove more of a burden than the last.

What was the point anyway?

Nevertheless, the intricacies of her complicated life weren't theirs to mull over. And what did it matter? In the grand scheme of things, her boy problems mattered little. She's been through way worse, she remembered. And in such a life as hers she'd doubt this would be the last time she felt like this.

So depressed that every day haunted her and every night just reminded her that it would all start over again soon. The repetition of emptiness.

At that moment she heard a knock on the door and inwardly groaned. She loved Ino with everything in her. And they were so close. But unfortunately, there weren't a number of fake smiles that she could muster that would fool her. So she stopped trying.

"Sakura," Ino glanced quickly at the untouched tray of food that lay forgotten on her bedside table. She exhaled sharply, quickly figuring that there was no use in arguing. "Do you know what day it is?" Sakura leaned back in her bed and gazed upward.

"Should I?" Ino smacked her teeth.

"We're leaving today." She moved her gaze from the ceiling to look at her.

"How long has he been out for?" Ino shrugged.

"Almost a month now. He's doing better." Her eyes switched back to the window.

"That's good." She stated noncommittally.

Unfortunately, Ino was right. Not even two days after Naruto's wedding, Sasuke checked himself back into rehabilitation. It was another month until he felt capable enough to switch to outpatient, and only a couple of weeks ago did he resume training. It was no doubt that everything he heard crushed him. How would the boy who traded puberty for vengeance know how to deal with heartbreak?

She did it. She was the single cause of his relapse. And the knowledge of that fact was enough to catapult her back into a deep depression.
She's felt like this a couple of times before.

The first time she was much younger. A shell of the woman she was now, lusting over the revenge-crazed boy, desperate to save him, convinced that her vows of love alone could bring him back from the depths of his own darkness that he suffered from. She was fooling herself back then and she was fooling herself now. When he left before, she felt useless and insignificant. All of her purpose in carrying on left with him.

What was the difference now?

She's matured, her temporal lobe has developed, and she realized that she can't save everyone. Especially since she can barely save herself. Her love for the boy was deep but she couldn't save him. Only he could do that.

The most recent time she's felt plagued by such emptiness was after the last war. It could do that to people, war. Erase their sense of security in self and more importantly in their reality.

Her role during the last conflict was largely as a Medic, to save the lives of those wounded in the main effort to protect the Shinobi World as a whole. She carried a great purpose back then, and even as she grew older, she could never forget the importance that her expertise held, even if it wasn't fighting on the front lines.

But even so… the burden of a Medic is that the lives of your comrades, nameless or not, every living soul falls under your healing hands. But sometimes no matter the skill or mastery, not everyone can be saved. She watched countless die under her hands; the light leaving their eyes as their essence passed on. Most of them came to her already at a point of no return. All she could do was numb the pain as they crossed over. And as grateful as she was to save the lives that she did, the ones that she didn't weighed heavily. So much so that she questioned her own purpose, if she was cursed to live the rest of her Shinobi life watching that of her comrades wither right beneath her fingers.

Everything she thought she knew she didn't, and as secure as she felt in life, proud to be a Medic, she still didn't feel strong enough. Maybe more lives could be saved if she could heal and fight. So she left. Call it an awakening, or a soul-searching journey, but regardless she thought that those who felt confident enough to call her a comrade wouldn't benefit from her unless she grew stronger. And even then, fate was so cruel, their lives could be taken at another moment's notice. During another war or power struggle. Everything she thought she knew vanished, along with her security. She didn't want to cling to others any longer. She didn't want to cling to anyone for that matter.

Depressed was the only way she felt she could describe that, and strength was her only remedy to push on. Until someone forced themselves back into her proximity to remind her that no matter how fleeting their existence in the Shinobi World was, they should still live while here.

So why…

How could what she felt back then even fit into the same category of what she feels now? It was nowhere near life or death, no struggle for revenge or power, and she wasn't licking her wounds from a war. So why?

It was a mix of the two, Sakura figured.

She couldn't save Sasuke. In fact, according to his admittance, she was the reason he was so lost. She was hellbent on isolating herself from others, because why get so close when it could be her loved ones' lives underneath her hands, clinging to her as their only hope? And it was Kakashi that made her realize that someone putting their trust in you did indeed give you purpose, that clinging to others wasn't a weakness but a sign of strength. That even though life could be here and gone tomorrow, the amount of power it takes to trust someone other than yourself with your life is immense.

How could she not see that?

Through every mission he called on her on to have his back, and every time he blindly trusted her to heal him and keep him alive, keep him from getting stabbed, did he know that he was saving her? Healing her? But what did she turn around and do to him?

She could never be sure where exactly she stood with him, right up until the wedding where he asked her to choose. It was right in front of her the whole time. For years he requested her and only her, choosing the most meaningless tasks just to be in her presence. He must've thought himself a fool just like Sasuke. Because in the end, she still clung to her false sense of security. An ideal she thought she had abandoned after the war. Her security was Sasuke. He loved her for sure, and he's only known her. Realistically, they've only known each other.

Truth be told, she was scared. What if she chose Kakashi and everything she refused to see was the illusion she thought it was? He was just trying to protect her, he was just preventing her from going down a path of loneliness that he once walked. To allow herself to even believe the opposite was frightening; getting close to him just for him to perish like so many of their comrades had.

In the end she could guess she succeeded, pushing him away like she did everyone else.

'Well here, I'll make your decision for you. Go cling to Sasuke. Cling to your happily ever after.'

His cold words haunted her. Each day, they rang in her head. The bad memory re-living itself over and over. Each night, a nightmare.

But that's what she wanted, right? She wanted to be alone. She wanted to separate herself before everything that she cherished was stolen from her. She got what she asked for.

She sat up in bed and palmed her face, digging the heels of her hands into her eye sockets.

It wasn't life or death. So why did she feel like she lost everything?

She heard Ino sigh, bringing her out of her reverie. Her will to argue was gone as well. She felt her piercing blue eyes analyze her every move. At this point, she's run out of things to say.

"I have to leave but there's fresh breakfast on the table." Sakura mustered a small smile, despite her disheveled look and the wisps of hair that she hadn't washed in days framing her face.

"Thanks, Ino." They shared a look as she forced a smile on her features. Sakura frowned. Maybe the blonde did have some fight left in her.

"Sakura—"

"I'm fine." She quickly waved her away. "And I'll eat. You go." A worried look still marred the tall woman's features but she nodded. She figured the timeline for her mission didn't allow for much badgering today. After all, Sakura did spend the weekend in bed. Like she did every weekend for the last three months.

"Some Shinobi have their Quarterly checkup today, Sakura." Her eyes widened when she realized who she meant. "But the Quarterly Hospital Report is due today as well. If you make it early enough, you can make yourself busy with that and brief it to Shishou versus conducting any examinations." Sakura swiftly moved the covers and shifted off of the bed. "Do you know where he is now?" She started shedding her clothes as she headed for the shower.

"No, the bastard has been dispelling my summons. If he's smart, and I know he is, he's figured the same thing as you and will try and beat me to the Hospital." Ino shook her head.

"I swear the motivation to avoid this man…" She grumbled. "The lengths that you will go to just to avoid him, rather than actually facing your problems head on amazes me." She finished as Sakura quickly placed a peck on her cheek and moved past her to the bathroom.

"I love you, Ino!" She shouted after her. She cut on the water to the shower and closed the door to the bathroom. She slid against the door to the floor and placed her face in her hands.

Once again, Ino was right.

She put more energy into avoiding any interaction with Kakashi than actually seeing what a conversation with him might rectify.

She sighed and stripped her clothes, stepping into the steaming hot water. She stood there a while, letting the stream wet her hair and disguise the tears that fell onto her cheeks.

She was a mess after the wedding; the two men's words piercing her soul making it impossible for her to do anything. She couldn't think, she couldn't eat—the memories of their painful interactions had such a hold on her she could barely breathe. Kakashi searched for her immediately, obviously assuming that the two of them would escort the vendors back to where they came just as they brought them to Konoha, but she was nowhere to be found. He continued to search for her, seemingly assuming that things would go back to normal as they always have.

As if his words don't haunt her to this day.

How could she go back to normal like that? As if the pain of hurting both of the men she loved didn't ache her to her core?

She used her hands and ran them through her hair.

She couldn't. She wouldn't.

The moment she realized Kakashi was hunting her down was the moment she started summoning her slugs to follow his every move.

It didn't take long for him to catch on. He probably caught on immediately and played along. But it was only two weeks before he started dispelling them. She had to get smarter. Since she bailed on him to escort the vendors back, he hasn't stopped requesting her on missions. So she took herself off the mission roster. That didn't deter him. She picked up more shifts at the Hospital, but he found her there. So she started taking night shifts, working at the clinic, taking house calls, whatever she could do to keep her schedule as unpredictable as possible. It's been going on for three months. She's not sure how much longer she could avoid him. But today isn't the day that she's going to find that out.

She exhaled and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel on her way out of the bathroom.

She loved Kakashi. She was in love with Kakashi. And she didn't choose him. Instead, she chose fear. She chose false security. She chose…

She tilted her head back against the bedroom door as she let the towel drop.

She chose what was supposedly her happily ever after. Sasuke went to rehab. He did the work. He did everything she asked him to but she still felt something was missing. Like she didn't belong there.

Why did she go back? She did everything she could to avoid him. She found solace in someone who cared. Someone who did his damndest to bring her back. Someone who was there for her when he wasn't. When he couldn't. But she still…

That's what plagued her honestly. How could she face him? How could he face her.

He knew, everything. And yet he still…

She didn't have the answers. So she avoided him like she avoided Sasuke during rehab. Like she avoided reality after the war. She scoffed. Of all the things to pick up from them…

She quickly got dressed in her medic skirt and top. Again, this was nothing she planned on solving today. She would continue as she has the past three months. So that would include quickly getting to the Hospital before he found out his Quarterly was today and she was saddled with examining him.

If it was one thing Sakura found she was good at, it was running away.

---

"But Shishou we could really use your help with examinations today." Her apprentice pleaded. She turned and looked back at her with apologetic eyes.

"I know, I know. But here's the trade-off I can offer you." Sakura leaned in closer at the desk as she shrugged her arms into her white overcoat. She politely grabbed the report from the younger Medic's hands. "There are 6 missions scheduled to come back in tonight. I'm on shift this evening, so I'll take all of them myself so you and everybody else can enjoy the night off." The girl frowned as she contemplated the offer.

"While that does sound nice…" She trailed off before her eyes widened. "Shishou, Kakashi-senpai's exam is always the most difficult and usually takes the whole dayshift to complete. He's on the schedule for us today!" Sakura rolled her eyes. She knew that. That's exactly why she's trying to get out of it. "His last 3 exams only took you an hour each time, and really allowed us to allocate resources—" Sakura held her palm up.

"What's it going to take, Aiko." She deadpanned, ready to cut the small talk. The girl looked upward as she pondered.

"My shift, Thursday and Friday. Along with the missions tonight. And your usual shifts." Sakura cursed. Was it really worth it?

"Done." She guessed it was. The girl squealed in delight as Sakura grabbed the report and headed out of the building.

"Thanks, Shishou!" She called after her. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," She grumbled.

She walked the familiar steps to the Hokage Tower as the sun continued to rise. It was a slave shift Sakura was taking, all to avoid Kakashi. Over 80 hours at minimum. At least after her night shift on Friday she'd be able to enjoy her weekend. Her weekend to do nothing but rot in bed. None the matter.

She bounded up the steps of the Tower and nodded at the Anbu Operatives as she knocked on the large double doors.

"Come in," She heard from inside.

"Shishou." Sakura said with a smile and a curt bow as she pulled up a chair and placed the report on her desk. "Early day." Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, a lot to do today, ensuring the wellness of our active Shinobi is being maintained." She said slowly as she leaned in closer. "Which is why I'm wondering why it's you here to brief when I'm sure your expertise is of better use at the Hospital. Especially as Head Medic." Sakura looked away.

"I'm training them to be independent." She muttered under her breath. Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Cut the bullshit." She grabbed a clipboard from the far corner of her desk. "Now who's on rotation to be examined today…" Her red manicured digit traced down the list of names. "Shikamaru, Itsuki, Sasuke just left for his mission with Ino…" She rambled on as her narrowed eyes continued to shift from the paper to Sakura. She watched her finger stop on a name and they both locked eyes. "Kakashi, huh."

"Shishou, he's getting too old to still be giving the Medics a hard time. They'll be fine!" She rolled her eyes again.

"Oh, please. That man will never be too old to play games. As long as he feels his time is being wasted, he will do the same to others. Thus making an already complicated day more excruciating." Sakura looked down at her fingernails. "Care to explain why you can't examine him? Knowing if you conduct it, he'll be in and out in no time?" She bit her lip in response. "Or rather, why you've taken yourself off of the mission roster." Her head whipped back up.

"Shishou, there's no way you're concerning yourself with something as insignificant as the mission roster!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Oh, I wish I didn't have to. But for the last three months I've had a certain one-eyed bastard at my desk begging me to forcibly put you back on." Sakura tipped her head back as she groaned. "Now I don't get too in the weeds with matters like that, especially since you're compensating your Active Duty time with Hospital hours and I know you're being put to work there." Sakura exhaled. "But it becomes a problem when that same bastard refuses to take missions himself." Her eyes widened.

"He literally can't do that. Unless he's been supplementing his hours teaching at the Academy." She pursed her lips.

"You know that he's not. It would take an act of God to get him to teach again, considering he didn't want to take you three on as students in the first place. But also," She pointed a finger and lowered her eyes dangerously. "You've been using your summons to tail him." Sakura groaned again as she placed her head in her hands.

"Kami, he snitched on me?" She breathed exasperatedly. Tsunade's eyebrows furrowed at her admittance of guilt. "So he's literally just not working. Can't he be thrown in jail for that?" She exclaimed. Tsunade tilted her head to the side as her eyes narrowed in confusion at her sudden readiness to get her partner thrown into prison.

"Yes…" She started cautiously. "He was incarcerated for a week. He made friends with all the wardens." She leaned over in her seat, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sakura look, I wish I didn't know what was going on between you two, but he's told me about that as well. Honestly, he's been in here a lot." Sakura was mortified. "Why don't you just talk to him?" She raised her head.

"I don't have the answers yet, Shishou. I can't talk to him until I can get the answers." She responded, her voice small. Tsunade's eyes softened a bit before she sighed.

"Well, I don't have the money to keep Kakashi off the mission roster any longer. At least until Sasuke goes back to taking missions regularly." She shrunk back even further. "So you'll have to figure something out. Fast." Sakura's eyes widened.

"And by fast you mean—"

"I mean, you're leaving on a mission with him tomorrow."

"Shishou, you hate me." Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"No, I could never. You know that. He just got to me first." She shrugged her shoulders.

"When?"

"He thought his examination was yesterday, so he showed up during the night shift to try and get it taken care of. Imagine? Kakashi being early for once." Of course, night shift. Her shift. And of course the Hokage knew what her afflictions were the whole time. She was baiting her. She had to get her entertainment from somewhere, she guessed, being holed up in the Tower all day every day. "Also, from an economic standpoint, his argument makes more sense. Together your success rate in the field is second to none, also bringing back the least amount of injuries to be healed in Garrison." No matter how much her Shishou felt for her petty woes, she still had a Village to run. But tomorrow? That gave her next to no time to mentally prepare. She exhaled deeply.

"Can I at least brief the Hospital Report?" Tsunade chuckled dryly.

"About that. Like we discussed, when you conduct his exams, he's in and out. We don't have the resources to waste on his bullshit today. So many Ninja are behind on their Quarterlies." Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. "Besides, in order to accept our client's offer for the mission, he has to be up to date. He'll be waiting at the Hospital for you any minute now. Shizune!" She called as Sakura's mouth dropped open.

"Shishou?" Shizune answered as she appeared beside her desk.

"Fetch Aiko to brief this report, please." The woman nodded before giving Sakura an apologetic look and disappearing again.

"Thank you, Shishou, for ruining the rest of my life. However long that may be." She grumbled.

"Look, Sakura. If anyone knows about problems with men, it's me, I assure you." She said with a pointed look. "And I would love to hear your side, considering his sounds convoluted and highly exaggerated, but we just haven't the time today." Sakura ran a hand through her hair as she nodded. "The only advice I can give you, is to face your problems head on, before decades pass by and all you're left with is liquor and regret." She finished, her tone solemn. That was everyone's advice today. Go figure. Sakura stood, her lead-filled limbs giving another bow before leaving the office.

"And Sakura?" She paused at the door and turned her head slightly.

"Yes, Shishou?" She heard Tsunade sigh.

"You have to eat." She emphasized, her voice showing concern. Sakura pulled at her top with her fingers, that did seem a little looser than usual. Her shoulders dropped. She probably looked terrible.

"Yes, Shishou."

Well when she left it on that note how could she argue with her?

She's only heard the drunken stories about her Shishou and Jiraiya, considering Tsunade would never admit her true feelings about The Toad Sage out loud, but a drunk soul never lies. And her Shishou loved that man. And now he was gone.

While Sakura could see that her heart was in the right place, that doesn't make today or tomorrow any less daunting.

So much for running.

---

"I'm sorry, Shishou."

"It's not your fault, Aiko." The girl nodded before leaving with Shizune. It was a shit deal anyway.

Her shoulders dropped as she exhaled deeply. She felt him before she could even see him. It was faint but, it was like years of proximity with him had her recognizing his chakra signature as if it were her own.

"Sakura…" She heard his deep baritone drawl out as she turned slowly to face him. She saw him seated against the wall; his body relaxed against the chair and his head leaning against the partition. He was dressed in a hospital gown and slippers; his undershirt that was attached to his mask on full display. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on his lone eye. It was hooded, low. He forewent his Hitai-ate, obviously, so the eye that housed the Sharingan was closed. But he returned her gaze.

Her attention switched to his hand, which was currently loosely holding onto his mobile IV… that was currently hooked up to his veins.

"A nurse ambushed me." He said, the outline of his lips turning up into a smile. Her lips parted. 'Ah.' She thought. "What a shame, I wanted to hang out with all of them today." She held back her own smile. Aiko wasn't her apprentice for nothing; she figured the girl, who was no older than 18, probably restrained and sedated the Copy-Ninja herself. Which was no easy feat she may add, considering that's something even Sakura still has trouble with. "I guess they're not the only ones avoiding me." She frowned as she approached him, untangling his feed that had clear signs that he tried to eject them himself, probably before the drugs kicked in.

"Come on, let's go to the examination room." She slid his IV stand out some to allow him room to stand. His hand lightly held onto her forearm, causing electricity to shoot up her spine. They locked eyes. She immediately grabbed his upper back, assisting him in raising himself as she averted his gaze. His gait was sluggish as she helped him to the room and deposited him on the exam table that was prepped for them. He threw his head back and exhaled and she sat in a rolling stool and scooted to the computer. She scanned her ID and began to type.

"There's no way my vision can be checked." He pulled at the skin beneath his dilated pupils. "Or my reflexes. How long is this sedative supposed to last?" She hummed.

"Possibly a couple of hours."

"Nothing we can do but wait then. And talk." A silence fell over the room. While she was thankful for Aiko making her job easier, she inadvertently cornered her. Even though her examinations with Kakashi took considerably less time, the man was still a clown. He baited her to catch him in the beginning as well. He saw it as "training." She was trapped, she figured, and forced into proximity with him. He was right, so much time to talk. She scoffed, as she stood to close the door. Leaning back against it, she threw a piercing gaze at him. One arm was situated behind his head and one leg was propped up, the other arm toying with his IV stand.

"I don't have the answers." She said firmly. He chuckled, rolling his eye.

"You don't say? Or was avoiding me for three months a prolonged game." She frowned.

"I don't—"

"That's your tactic, Sakura?" He said, laughing. "I know. Let's figure them out. Together." He whispered, his eye searching hers. She softened. "Me first?" He offered. She nodded slowly, moving back to the stool and pulling up to him. "You're truly making this "courting you" thing really hard." Her eyes widened.

"Courting?" He shook his head and sneered.

"Yes." He stated. She blinked, taken aback. "At first, I…I felt like I needed to protect you. To save you." She looked away. "And while I'm well aware you don't need saving, and that you could do it all yourself, I felt a little help wouldn't hurt." He said with a small smile. "You carried the weight of the war on your shoulders. The people you saved, those you couldn't, it was heavy wasn't it?" She fiddled with her nails as she watched a tear-drop wet her fingers. "And no one should have to carry that alone. Especially since you're the reason all of us are still standing here. I'm grateful for you, in more ways than one. You allowed me to feel for someone. And I'm a selfish man, Sakura. So now I just want you to myself." She quickly wiped her tears with the backs of her hands before looking up at him.

"This is just the drugs talking." He scoffed.

"My lips are looser, as with alcohol. But don't disregard my words. Rather, look at my actions. For years I've wanted nobody but you by my side and I would do anything to get it, including sabotaging anyone in my way."

"Hatori included."

"Hatori especially." He said, pointing a finger at her. "It's you, Sakura. For me, it's you. And I'll continue to prove that as long as I live. Hopefully this examination to assess my wellness proves that I can make it a little longer." He chuckled. "It's okay if you don't have the answers right now. It's okay if you don't have them tomorrow, next month or next year. I'll wait and give you whatever space you need." She sniffled.

"We have a mission tomorrow." He snickered.

"Ah. Right." He shrugged. "I told you I'd sabotage anyone in my way. You're not exempt." She rolled her eyes. "I'm also a manipulator."

"Try a liar."

"Do you know what that took? A day of dilly-dallying sacrificed. Do you see me now?" He weakly raised the arm connected to the IV.

"Let me switch out your fluids so that we can speed this process up." He nodded.

"Your turn." She frowned.

"Do I have to?"

"Sakura, I swear I'll break out of here right now and make you chase me. I'll let you choose how you want to spend today." She sighed, knowing that wasn't only a threat, but a promise. That and he loved getting a kick out of frustrating the nurses. Unfortunately for Sakura, that was her role today. She hung a new IV and changed out his leads before sitting back on her stool with a huff.

"Kakashi, I… I don't have the answers." He rolled his good eye.

"I'm sure we've concluded that, yes?" She sighed.

"No, I mean—I don't have the answers as to why I didn't choose you." She whispered as he gazed intently back at her. "There was no reason for me not to. We did our thing for longer but it wasn't just the amount of time we spent together. It was how my whole psyche relaxed when I was in your presence. I always felt safe and I always felt protected. Not just in a physical sense but, my heart. There was… no pain there. No trauma. Outside of having to explain to others why I was never available for their missions—"

"Next time they've just got to be quicker." He quipped. She frowned.

"And even if they were, you'd snatch me right back faster than hot rolls at the market."

"Very true." She looked away.

"To be honest, I…We carry a lot of guilt." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"What do you mean?" She bit her lip as she contemplated speaking. She ran her hands through her hair and toyed with it a moment as she gazed out of the window. "Sakura—"

"We gave him the drugs, Kakashi." She whispered. "Me and Naruto. But it was me first." She shook her head. "The moment he returned, me and Naruto spoke briefly. He told me how much agony he was in and immediately I knew what to do. It's what we always do for patients who suffer with PTSD, you know?" She exhaled. "So for 48 hours I doped him up so that he could finally feel…feel something other than pain and hatred and he was just so happy. And after seeing him plagued by revenge for so long it was like I could finally breathe. He could breathe. For a moment, just a moment, I was filled with so much joy. But after I left his cell, I was so haunted by the deed I had done. I took the most strenuous mission on the roster and left. Naruto went to his cell after me and saw his condition and I know he felt the same way that I did. So he continued to feed him." She put her head in her hands. "The guards reported it of course. "No one knew where he got them from," was their account. Figures right?" She stated sarcastically with air quotes. "But everyone knew. And from that moment his addiction was bred. He started self-medicating. I never gave him drugs again but I can't say for sure that Naruto stopped. We both know what we did to him." Kakashi looked on.

"Sakura…"

"Me and Naruto have never spoken about it out loud. Never. And Sasuke never blamed us. As many arguments as I've had with him trying to get him to stop he never used that as an excuse. Never. Not once did I hear about me feeding him the damn drugs and getting him addicted in the first place. And it—" She forcefully grabbed the fabric of her white coat above her heart. "It tortures me, Kakashi. And because of that, a part of me felt like I owed him. I owed him enough to try."

"I'm sorry…" He whispered.

"Why? We did it to him. Without a kunai to our head. We had him back and we just wanted him better. Instead, we just ruined his life." She said with a dry chuckle. "But even without the guilt plaguing me, I didn't feel how I felt with you. Me and Sasuke were great friends during our relationship but that didn't mean it had to be romantic. And I realized that very early. But you know things started getting serious when he was committed to having children. I couldn't bear the thought of being the reason his life was ruined and trying to start one with him at the same time. So I tried to support him during rehab but there you were at every corner—"

"Sabotage at its finest. What a dick." He said sarcastically.

"And I confirmed that I couldn't be with him." She continued. "But facing that reality, after all he did for us, all I could do was run. It was hard to face him. Even then I was scared, he was fresh out of rehabilitation, fragile, I just…I was afraid what would happen if he felt like everything he did to get me back was for naught. I was so scared and so reckless that it ended up happening anyway and he ended up relapsing. Then right back in rehab." She shook her head again and sighed. He pulled his mask down.

"I shouldn't have said that to you. At the wedding." She looked up at him. "I taunted Sasuke and emotionally he's a child so I already knew that wouldn't go over well. It would only make things worse for you." He toyed with the edges of her coat with his fingers. "In combat, during the fog of war, we have to make split second decisions with our gut that typically changes the course of our lives. We have to trust our gut." He whispered the last part. "In that moment, when faced with two options that would alter the course of your life—I thought if you chose me, then I knew that everything I did, chasing you, making everyone else's life a living hell, it wasn't fruitless. That I could actually have my happily ever after. It was childish, I know." He sighed. "And in retrospect the timing was awful. We just talked about how you would feel if you saw him less than 24 hours prior. But I still…" She watched as he pursed his lips. "I had hoped you would understand immediately but it just caused you to retreat again and had me feeling like an idiot for three months. Look what I did to you." He gestured to her body and she assumed he could also tell she lost weight. "And I tried damn hard to find you. I probably showed up to your door a hundred times, so much so that I know Ino is sick of me. I've never stepped foot in a Hospital so much in my life trying to catch your shift. You just didn't want to be found. I guess this is what I get for not talking about my feelings." She placed her hands over the fingers that were idly trifling with her coat.

"Is that why you pulled your mask down?"

"I pulled my mask down so that you would know that I'm serious. That even though I'd do it again—taunt Sasuke, sabotage any and everyone in my way of you, including you, that I meant everything I said." Her eyes softened.

"Do you love me?" He grabbed her hand.

"More than that. I'm in love with you. With everything in me. And I've known that for a long time now." Tears welled in her eyes.

"I'm sorry it took three months. You waited all this time…" He laughed.

"Well, if that showed that I'll go to the ends of the earth for you—fight tooth and nail to make sure you understand that it will always only be you, then I'll wait however long."

"Really?"

"I'm lying. The sentiments are the same but I'm not a patient man and I don't have many more years left. So I'll also do whatever to speed that process up." He finished with a chuckle. She smiled back.

"That sounds more like you."

The weight that sat on her chest for months seemed lighter.

It's just that… Kakashi wasn't the only person she was avoiding.

---

"This is a very ironic meeting spot, Sakura." She sat under a large tree, barefoot, as Sasuke moved to take a seat beside her. He nudged her shoulder as he sat down.

"This is the first place we met when you were allowed outside time during your House Arrest." He tilted his head upward in understanding.

"Our safe spot, we called it." She nodded. She twiddled strands of grass beneath her fingers.

"How are you?" He shrugged.

"Better. Clean, again. I'm told it's okay to drink." She looked over to him.

"Do you want to?"

"It's better than nothing, I guess. Being sober sucks." She laughed at his bluntness.

"How do you think the rest of us feel?"

"Like losers." He said with a huff.

"Don't start going superior on us again, Sasuke." She chuckled. "How was the mission with Ino?" He shook his head.

"A bust, once again. I'll talk with Tsunade-sama this week. I think we need to attack it from a different angle. I know they're out there."

Being non-affiliated to a Village allowed Sasuke access to information that typically couldn't be found during your run of the mill mission. While he was an enemy of the leaf, he heard intel of there being members of the Uchiha Clan scattered about. They lived as civilians and wanted nothing to do with the Shinobi World, but just being able to bring someone of his blood back to the Village would be monumental for the Restoration.

It only made sense. When the higher power got word of the Coup D'état and made the decision to eliminate his Clan, those who were privy to the planned overtake of the government and wanted nothing to do with it feared for their lives and fled the Village in secret. It was a very small number and in return they abandoned the Shinobi life in its entirety. They would be head-hunted for the rest of their lives if they didn't.

None of the leads that Sasuke found while he was a rogue ninja proved fruitful, and that played a big factor in him turning himself in. He couldn't do it by himself. So he came back home to ask for help in exchange for him paying penance. And with the restoration of the Uchiha Clan being something that only stood to benefit Konoha, the conditions of his surrender were accepted. They would do it right this time, the Clan headed by Sasuke and using the previous Massacre as a deterrent for history to ever repeat itself.

Ino has been accompanying him on these missions in order to get into the subconscious of those who were believed to have information, but to no avail. It was frustrating for him, to say the least.

"I'm going to ask Kakashi for help. He was never a criminal so it would be easier for him to get into the places I can't. And though he's not of direct blood, two Sharingan users are better than one. Well, one and a half." He joked. "Is that who we're here to talk about? Kakashi?" She nodded.

"I should've told you." He scoffed.

"No shit." Her head whipped around to face him.

"You would've understood?" Her words provoked an eye roll.

"Not in the least, but it would've kept me off of drugs the second time." She frowned.

"Right."

"Look, I get it. I wasn't really here—"

"You weren't here at all." She pointed out.

"And Kakashi was." He finished, throwing her a look. "I can't be mad at you for being confused in my absence." It was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Confused? Sasuke, you're so self-centered. It was a childhood crush for Kami's sake!" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know," He started sarcastically. "Seemed pretty real to me." She shoved his shoulder.

"And what did you know about love back then anyway?" His eyes widened.

"God, you're in love with him?" Another shove. "I can refer you to my Hospital if you need help."

"You mean the Hospital with the pretty nurse that's been taking care of you? No thanks." She grumbled. He furrowed his eyebrows. "She gushes about you." He quickly turned to her.

"You've spoken to her?" He blurted out.

"Only once, but by that reaction I can tell you're smitten with her, Sasuke-kun." She laughed as he frowned.

"She's nice." He said, kicking his sandal into the dirt. "And she's helped a lot. I guess it's easier to talk to someone you haven't traumatized for half their life." She clapped.

"Now you get it!" He rolled his eyes again. She sighed. "Really, Sasuke. It wasn't my intention to be a trigger for you, or cause another relapse after you worked so hard to get clean. And under false pretenses at that." She whispered. She remembered telling Sasuke they couldn't be together because of his addiction, but it was only a half-truth.

"I'm not going to lie and say that you don't make me want to shoot up every time I hear you and Kakashi mentioned or even think about the two of you—"

"Watch it," She warned.

"But in all actuality, I have self-control. I could've stayed clean, but I didn't want to. Reality sucks. And now I have to live in that reality without you. But without you and drugs? That is true hell." She narrowed her eyes.

"You sure you aren't high right now?" He laughed.

"Trust me, if I was high, I'd take you to the other part of the woods where I had my way with you many a time. Our actual safe spot." She slapped a hand to her head.

"Sasuke…"

"I'm not kidding, but I'll say "just kidding" for the sake of this conversation." He said, patting her on the head. She swatted his hand away. "Sakura, I can be content with just having you in my life." She grabbed his hand and offered him a small smile. He shook his head. "I'm lying again. Honestly, he's old. What do you—" She snatched her hand back and raised it to smack him. "Okay." He said, scooting a few feet out of her reach. "If he is who makes you happy, then I'm happy. And not just high-happy—truly happy. And that's not a lie." He said. "I've caused you a lot of pain in this life…actually I think we're even now." He paused as he put a finger on his chin. She frowned. "But I'm grateful for you, Sakura. You and the idiot. I learned in therapy that you guys' love made it easier to come back. Knowing that there were people who never gave up on me. I'm grateful to have been loved by you." He said sincerely. "Can't say the same for Kakashi, though." She giggled.

"I'm sure he loves you too. In his own way." He rolled his eyes.

"Sakura, can you promise me something?"

"Anything." He exhaled.

"If it doesn't work out between you and the old man, can you come back to me?" She quickly looked around for a branch to throw. "Really. Because I miss you. And I miss that ass—" She blinked in disgust.

"Do you want me to hit you?"

"Why is that always your first resort?" He questioned. "Anyway, It will be hard to find a woman, now that you've left me. For our Sensei, nonetheless." She frowned and dusted her bottom as she stood.

"Former," She said cheekily.

"Regardless. I'm damaged goods now. Women will think I can't perform." She rolled her eyes and started to head out of the clearing.

"Wouldn't want them thinking that now, would we?"

"Wait!" He called. She paused and turned her head slightly. "Tell me, do you do the things to him that you used to do to me?" He said with a smirk on his face. She pursed her lips.

"Well, I was with him first, so where do you think I got the inspiration?" She said smugly. The smirk all but wiped from his face and all that was left behind was a pained expression.

"How could I forget!" He called after her. "You know just how to hurt me!"

---

1 YEAR LATER

"What if I take over your duties?"

"You barely performed as a Hokage the first time, I'm supposed to believe you'll do it now under duress?" He snapped his fingers and pointed at her.

"Duress! Precisely, Hokage-sama. It's motivation." She rolled her eyes.

"Naruto is literally next in line. I no longer need you."

"But that's years from now. He just had a kid—you have a soft spot for him. I see you staying on for another 4."

"This literally isn't about you. Why are you so worked up over who comes anyway?" He frowned.

"It's my wedding too…" He muttered under his breath.

"Pfft. Barely."

"Hokage-sama—"

"Kakashi. Like I told you yesterday. And the day before that, and the day before—what I've been telling your ass all month. You were a former Hokage. No matter how short the stint was," She growled. "It's only right that all Shinobi attend." He pointed a finger at her.

"Aha! You said "only right," that's not law!" He exaggerated with air quotes.

"I'm standing Hokage, would you like for me to make it one?" He ran both of his hands through his hair as his demeanor was visibly distressed. "My question is, why do you always think you can waltz in here and barter with me? You're constantly demanding something—you know I can have you hanged?" He removed his hands from his face.

"Wait, we still do that?"

"I'd make an exception for you." He sighed.

"Well let's get it over with. I'm sure hell would be a better fate than this one." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Sakura has not complained, not once, about the wedding. You know, the ceremony that is all about the bride."

"That's where you're wrong, Hokage-sama." He raised a gloved finger. "It's about love. And the official tethering of my balls to Sakura's chain." She raised an eyebrow.

"And my apprentice chose you over the Uchiha? I thought I taught her better."

"No takesies backsies." He quipped. "But that right there proves my sentiment exactly."

"And what's that?" He pursed his lips.

"Everyone thinks Sakura can do way better than me. "He's outdated. He's your former Sensei. His sperm probably doesn't even work." He mocked.

"He's an asshole." She muttered as his eyes widened, feigning surprise.

"They're saying that too?" She frowned. "Look, forcing everyone to come to the wedding when the majority of them don't even support us seems moot." He pleaded.

"You are one of the most formidable Shinobi I have under my charge. My most trusted one at that. You never cared about what anyone thought, considering you walk around reading porn all day. Why do you care so much about this?" He exhaled deeply.

"It's for her." He whispered. Her eyes softened. "She's never said anything but I know it gets to her. If I hear even the slightest shit talk during the wedding or reception, it's liable to turn into a funeral very quickly."

"How sweet, Kakashi. Albeit a bit extreme." She said as she raised her eyebrows. "But the reason they talk is envy, not necessarily them objecting to your unity. Once Sakura and Sasuke didn't work out, every Ninja walking this Village thought they had a chance. And then to be undermined by you?"

"Ouch."

"We don't even do arranged marriages anymore, but I had the heads of very prominent families in my office trying to suggest a union." He raised his eyebrows, taken aback. "Do you know how many complaints I got from Itsuki about other Shinobi claiming you use your rank to get what you want? They never mentioned her by name, but we all know what they meant. They want Sakura, Kakashi. They don't care about you. It could be a whale in a montsuki and they'd be upset." He tugged at his standard Shinobi top.

"You're not calling me fat, are you…?"

"Kakashi."

"It's all the more reason for it to be a private ceremony! With just friends. Like you, Hokage-sama." He offered with a bow.

"I'm the officiator. I have to be there. And if I didn't, I'd be there for Sakura. Not you." He gasped.

"We're not friends?!" A look of disdain marred her face.

"I'm your father's age. I'm not your friend, Kakashi." His head jerked back.

"God, you're old—" He sidestepped a senbon aimed for his face. Wisps of silver hair floated about the room before falling to the ground. "Message received, Hokage-sama." He said with another quick bow before he turned to leave. "Just saying, if there is a murder at my wedding, the blood will be on your hands." He pushed open the large double doors. "Thankful for conjugal visits at least." He muttered under his breath as he took his leave.

He bounded down the steps of the Hokage Tower and into the warm afternoon air.

He reached to pull out his book and hesitated as the Hokage's words rang in his ears. He settled for shoving his hands into his pockets as he frowned.

He didn't care about what anyone thought. He cared about what Sakura cared about. And she cares.

What he wouldn't be able to live with is any opposition causing her to get cold feet. He could live with getting rid of the opposition. Technically, he was a professional murderer within the confines of the law. He never cared to mingle with other Shinobi, so what was one more nameless Ninja dying under his blade?

He sighed again. All of this wedding business has been getting him out of sorts. And only by association. Sakura has been stressed about whatever she has to stress about, and the fact that he hasn't stressed at all just throws her over the edge. She's withheld all affection from him, and for the past month, a good chunk of their conversations have consisted of her yelling at him about how much he didn't care. But he did. And that's why he's spent the past month at the Hokage's desk. If he had it his way, it would be a small ceremony with the people she loved and the people he subsequently didn't particularly mind.

Now that he thinks about it, he's spent the whole month getting yelled at. Sakura, Sakura's mother, the Hokage, Ino, Kurenai, Naruto, even though that's how he typically communicates. He was tired. And he was ready for the day to be over so he could accomplish the next task on his list.

Knocking Sakura up.

---

"Kakashi, you literally can't be here."

"What happened to the Honorific?" He muttered under his breath. "I'm here to see my wife, Ino."

"She's not your wife!"

"Yet."

"Ughhh, please just go away. You can't be here."

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Because the wedding is tomorrow dumbass and it's bad luck!" He rolled his eyes.

"I literally saw her yesterday. And I'm going to see her tomorrow. And every day for the rest of our short lives. I don't see how today is any different." He deadpanned. The door slammed in his face as he sighed. First the Hokage, now Ino. He heard commotion on the other side of the door.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's voice called. "I'm sorry. I don't care, but Ino and Kurenai will kill me." He frowned.

"Kurenai's there too?"

"Yes, dumbass." He heard her voice say. Another sigh.

"I miss you and I keep getting yelled at." She chuckled.

"Just until tomorrow, Kakashi. And it will all be over."

"Sakura?"

"Yes…?" He pulled at his top again.

"Would you love me if I was a whale?"

"What?" She breathed.

"Nothing." He said with a shake of his head. "Tsunade-sama won't humor me either."

"It's practically her and my mother's wedding. I told you a couple of weeks ago to stop wasting your time."

"Yeah, well."

"There's something else too."

"What's that?" There was a pause.

"Sasuke will be up there with you."

"…"

"Kakashi, are you still there?"

"Yeah, that's a no, Sakura."

"But Kakashi—"

"I have my own groomsmen. There's Genma, Guy, Yamato, hell, I'll throw my dogs in suits if I need to." He could practically hear her frowning on the other side of the door. "Sakura…"

"We literally talked about this!"

"Yes, and I remember saying that I can tolerate him from afar."

"It doesn't make sense to have Naruto up there and not Sasuke." She argued.

"Who said Naruto was going to be up there?"

"You don't listen, Kakashi." He shifted on his feet.

"That's because the bride brigade is going to do whatever they want, anyway." He muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, dear." He sang. He was really tired of getting yelled at. "You honestly want the man who tried to steal you from me standing up there at my wedding?"

"He didn't—oh please, Kakashi. Now you're just being childish." He frowned again.

"I'm being childish? I—" The door swung open, and instead of being greeted by his pink-haired fiancée, it was angry red eyes that met him. She shut the door behind her as she leaned against the frame.

"Kakashi." He smiled.

"Kurenai, lovely to see you. And not my wife." He said sarcastically as her eyes narrowed.

"She's not your wife."

"Yet. What is up with you women?" She rolled her eyes.

"You're making this about you again." He looked around in disbelief.

"I'm sorry—is it just me or is everyone making it seem like Sakura is getting married to herself?"

"Do you know anything about weddings?" He waved a hand at her.

"Hello, orphaned at 5 here. And also led a particularly dangerous lifestyle. First war at 13, remember? You should know, you were there." She narrowed her eyes. "The first wedding that we even went to was Naruto's. Since you and Asuma wanted to get married in secret." He grumbled as she sighed.

"Well, what do you think Asuma would do in this situation?" He rolled his eyes.

"Anything you wanted. God knows that man was pussy-whipped—"

"Exactly." She said through forced tones, ignoring his language. "Happy wife, happy life. You do what she says, and you continue to live. Does that make sense? Don't ruin this for her." He sighed.

"I thought you were supposed to be my friend."

"Yes, by association due to my dead husband." She deadpanned.

"We also grew up together," He pointed out.

"True, but you're a boy. And you gave me Sakura. So I'm sorry, but I've switched sides." He looked upward as he shoved his hands into his pockets again.

"Everyone seems to leave me for Sakura." She rubbed her hand on her shoulder.

"Yes because out of the two of you, she's not insufferable." He placed a hand over his heart.

"You're so mean."

"We grew up together, remember?" He frowned.

"None of this would be happening if we lived together, Sakura!" He called, hoping she heard him through the door.

"She's not living with a man before she's married!" He heard her mother call back. His eye widened.

"She literally lived with Sasuke for the 30 seconds they were together."

"She obviously had no intention of marrying him." He rubbed a hand over his good eye.

"Nothing is making sense anymore…"

"Go home, Kakashi. Genma and Guy will meet you there to keep you company." He shook his head.

"So it gets worse, huh."

---

"Kakashi, my back."

"I'm sorry."

"And I can't breathe." She rasped as she held onto the counter separating the living area from the kitchen.

"She just needs a little more room that's all. Come here."

"He is pressing against my lungs. And being insufferable. Just like his father." She begrudgingly walked in front of him, pouting, her pregnant stomach pressing against him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and swiftly turned her around. He lowered his head to her neck as his hands slowly reached underneath her midsection and he lifted her belly. She immediately relaxed against him and exhaled, tilting her head back.

"I just want to be close to you. Is that a crime?" He whispered into her hair.

"It is when you suffocate me at night." She said, frowning. He released her belly causing an immediate reaction. She turned around to face him. "Hey!"

"I wouldn't want to suffocate you." He said, laughing. She huffed, stomping over to the couch and plopping down.

"I'm sick of being pregnant." She grumbled.

"I'm not. Is it sick that I'm turned on?" She shot him a look.

"Very." He shrugged. "I'm as big as a house."

"I haven't noticed." She raised her eyebrows.

"You can't be serious." He moved to sit beside her and lifted her top to caress her belly.

"Sakura, your ass has always been fat. But I guess…" His hands traveled up her shirt. "I guess your breast grew. Hm. I'm so grateful." He leaned over to kiss her stomach. "Thank you, baby girl." She rolled her eyes.

"What a bastard." She muttered under her breath. He gasped.

"You're not talking about the baby right? Because I didn't have a daddy but I'll make sure hers sticks around." She frowned.

"With comments like that, you won't be." He raised his hands.

"I'm just appreciate of every change your body is going through, even though you can't breathe, you can barely walk, and your back always hurts." She sighed.

"This baby is sucking everything out of me."

"Lightning affinity. Not conducive with earth at all."

"Of course, he had to take after you." He kissed her on the cheek before getting up.

"Water?"

"Pickle juice?" She said, her voice small. His lips turned up in disgust. "It's not me, it's the baby." He shook his head.

"No, no, the baby is definitely taking after you." He said, reaching into the fridge. He grabbed the jar and went back to the couch. He handed it to her as he sat down.

"Thank you." She said. "Shouldn't you be prepping for your mission with Sasuke? It leaves tomorrow right?" He grabbed her legs and propped them up on his knees.

"He's a big boy. If he can make it out in the scary world as a fugitive, I'm positive he'll fare well without me." She frowned.

"But he needs you though." He rolled his eyes as he rubbed her legs.

"Sakura, you're a couple of weeks out. Who's to say you won't have that baby any day now? I do not want to be running around a different country with that maniac while you give birth to my daughter." She exhaled.

"He seems pretty damn comfy if you ask me." She grumbled.

"And you seem pretty damn adamant that she's a boy," He pointed out. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No, we pinky sweared. It's a surprise." He stopped, raising his eyebrows. "I didn't check I promise!" She blurted out with her hands raised. "I barely have the energy to heal a cut, what makes you think I have it in me to do a fetal exam?" He continued to rub her legs. "Besides, you've been pretty confident it's a girl yourself. I would've thought you wanted a son." He shook his head.

"I get to experience you every day. Imagine doubling that." Her eyes softened. "That and I feel like this is a chance to do it better. You're way too defiant and you don't listen. I'm going to make Sakura 2.0 my perfect minion." She frowned.

"You know what, Kakashi, in a regular situation I would slap you, but coincidentally that's the exact reason I want a son." She rubbed her stomach. "A momma's boy. We can join forces and rise against you." He chuckled.

"Planning a coup before she's even out of the womb. Typical."

"I don't win many arguments—"

"You win every argument."

"But there's strength in numbers." She continued.

"Well, just a few more weeks and we'll find out who wins this one." He said.

"In the meantime, I'll keep our baby nice and warm in here, and you go help Sasuke." He sighed.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me?" She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"The faster you help Sasuke restore his clan, the sooner he'll realize he needs to reproduce and shack up with the nurse." His eyebrows furrowed.

"And I care about his sexual proclivities because…?"

"You care because if he realizes he likes the nurse, you won't have to endure him talking about me anymore." He swiftly moved her legs from his knees and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Mission planning it is." He stood, producing a scroll. He bit his thumb and drew blood, scribbling on it with his fingers. He threw it to her. "Here, I need your blood and chakra on that so you can summon my dogs, too. To watch you and also pass word to me in the event that something happens and I'm not here." She grabbed the scroll and held it to her chest, her eyes watering.

"You're giving me your dogs?" She whispered. He rolled his eye.

"No need to be emotional about it, Sakura. I will always be their primary, but this is for safety. If I ever can't get to you or if I'm ever too far. I'm not giving you your own dog. That will be for the baby." She frowned, quickly flicking the tear from her eye.

"Way to ruin a moment, Kakashi." She grumbled. "Wait, who said the baby will have a dog and not a slug?" His face scrunched up.

"I thought we were raising the baby to fight?" Her mouth opened in retort and he immediately raised his hands. "Not saying that your slugs are not phenomenal because again they have saved my life many a time," He blurted out quickly, knowing what she would say. "But you can only have one summons as your primary or else you lose their effectiveness in combat." She frowned.

"Well, let's just let the baby choose then." He headed to the door and quickly put on his sandals.

"Another argument I'll probably lose."

---

"Sakura let you go?" Sasuke asked.

"She practically forced me to. Trust me, I'd rather be anywhere but here." Kakashi assured as he walked up to him at the ramen stand and took a seat.

"Sensei! Teme!" His head whipped back to see none other than Naruto bounding up.

"Naruto's coming?" Sasuke shrugged.

"He insisted." Naruto took his place beside Kakashi and repeatedly rang the bell for service before someone showed up to take his order. He frowned when he didn't recognize him.

"Is the old man too tired to work now?" He grumbled before placing his order. He sighed and turned to Kakashi. "How's Sakura?" He asked as he waited.

"Still pregnant as hell." He said as he ran a tired hand through his hair. "And requesting the darndest things." Naruto quickly nodded in agreement.

"Hinata used to ask for pancakes, jalapenos, and cottage cheese." He cringed in disgust as he remembered.

"I still can't believe you stole her from me. It seems like a never-ending nightmare. So goes my life." Sasuke finished with a deep sigh. Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows.

"You do remember she left you, right?" Sasuke lowered his head.

"Painstakingly so."

"Will you ever get over it?"

"Not anytime soon." It was Kakashi's turn to sigh.

"Something every man wants to hear about his wife." Naruto butted in.

"What about the nurse?" Sasuke frowned.

"What about the nurse?" Naruto slapped a hand to his forehead. "Look, I don't have anything to give to anybody. Which is why it's so important to restore my clan. So when someone does end up taking my family name it will be something noteworthy again. And not stained by betrayal and distrust." He grumbled as he shook his head. "Sakura was the only exception. She'd marry me if all I had were the clothing on my back." Kakashi smacked his lips.

"Which is true and she still didn't." Sasuke glared.

"Sasuke, you've actually put thought into marriage? You must be high." Naruto joked.

"As a kite." Both of their heads snapped to look at him. "What? It's a medicinal herb that doesn't affect your reflexes and reactivity for long. It was prescribed by my doctor and keeps the nightmares at bay. But it does nothing for the reality that I live in with Kakashi and Sakura together, though." Kakashi frowned as Naruto followed up, concern etched on his face.

"Can't you get addicted to that?"

"I guess. But it's legal and safer than shooting up in alleyways." Kakashi scoffed.

"I remember that. Oh how far the prodigy fell from grace."

"Well, she still loved—"

"How many times can you bring up Sakura in a conversation?" Kakashi interrupted, annoyed.

"While under the influence? As many times as it takes to ruffle your feathers."

"Unlike you, I don't have drugs to keep me unbothered."

"It's a herb."

"I don't care."

"And I'm literally clean. I had to be for 2 years to even be considered for it." Kakashi shrugged.

"Don't try to convince me, tell it to your probation officer."

"Anyway, that's why I'm forced to bring Kakashi with me to help find them. My family." He exhaled. "He's a Sharingan user. Even if he is a thief—"

"It was a gift."

"You're a pathological liar. No one believes you."

"Says the addict who had to fake drug tests and couldn't keep a woman." Naruto frowned.

"Will you two be like this forever?"

"Yes." They said in unison as they both looked at him. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing trying to go out of the village anyway? I thought you retired from the mission life." Sasuke said.

"Well, I did. I love being in the village. And while there's a lot to do out there, there's even more to do here. Leaf needs us. Shinobi and civilian alike." Kakashi pursed his lips.

"I couldn't care less about them."

"I literally hate everyone." Sasuke finished. Naruto narrowed his eyes and continued.

"But I do miss the thrill of it all. Soon, Kakashi won't be taking missions either. Sakura would hate that."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked.

"Your kid…?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"I mean, of course. But eventually life goes on, right? We made the decision to raise our kids as Shinobi and that's just what comes with it." Sasuke looked over in horror.

"Kids, as in plural? You plan on having more?" He asked incredulously. "I should just kill myself now." Kakashi snickered.

"You'd be doing me a favor." Sasuke frowned in response.

"You know what, I wouldn't give you the satisfaction. What, you want another eye too?" Kakashi turned to him to rebuttal but Naruto spoke up again.

"Hinata was content with staying at home and just training Minato. But Sakura is nothing like that. You're going to be domesticated, Kakashi." He rolled his eyes.

"Before my father killed himself, he was gone on missions all the time. Even after my mother died and it was just me and him." Sasuke raised his eyebrows.

"You see no issue with that?" He asked. "Wow, this kid is going to be so fucked up."

"Coming from an Uchiha? What a statement." He quipped.

"Sensei, that's why I'm here. So we can prevent that from happening. I wanted to come to help guide you into fatherhood." Naruto said as he slapped a hand on his back.

"Oh, how the roles reversed." He said sarcastically.

"Well, I'm just paying you back for all you did for us." He cheesed. Kakashi pointed a finger at him.

"For the record, I didn't want to be your Sensei. I didn't choose any of you. The only one I chose was Sakura."

"And that will haunt me for the rest of my life." Sasuke said with a shake of his head.

"And by every definition of the word, I failed. Sasuke became a criminal—I'm actually not sure why we let him back."

"I did my time." He said with a shrug.

"You bribed the Elders with your bloodline limit." Sasuke hummed.

"Touché."

"Naruto, you went on to Jiraya," He continued. "And my sweet cherry blossom left me for the Hokage."

"You failed her too." Sasuke muttered.

"You probably shouldn't refer to her as your "sweet cherry blossom" when talking about the past, Kakashi." Naruto said with air quotes.

"So what? We're married now." Sasuke shook his head again.

"Regrettably so." Naruto raised his chopsticks to his lips and slurped his ramen before he changed the subject.

"So, I've been doing research." He brought up.

"On what?" Kakashi asked.

"How to transfer the Kyuubi into Minato." They both froze.

"Don't you need a sacrifice for that?" Sasuke spoke up.

"And why subject him to that, anyway?" Kakashi asked.

"Because when I die, he'll run loose regardless and there's no one I'd rather him connected to than my son. If the tailed beasts are going to be around, I'd rather keep the most powerful one in the family. I also spoke to Baa-chan about it."

"So you're planning on dying soon." Sasuke stated. Naruto laughed nervously.

"I want to see if I can do it without dying, preferably." He said with a chuckle. "Like starting off with just transferring part of the tailed beast. Me and Kurama have an understanding relationship."

"So he's listening now." Kakashi said.

"Well, he always is." Naruto tapped two fingers to his skull before he exhaled. "Even what my dad did is forbidden and the information on it is not only complicated, but there's not a lot of it."

"He was my Sensei, and also the smartest ninja in the Shinobi world to date. Anything he learned about transferring tailed beasts he would probably put it in an indecipherable code to keep it from getting into the wrong hands." Naruto pursed his lips.

"Well, that's where you come in, Sensei. I know he was practically like a father to you after yours was gone, which kind of makes us brothers—" Kakashi raised a hand.

"Stop."

"But you knew him. More than anyone else still living. So I'm sure you can help me figure out the way he thought."

"But don't you think if there was a way to transfer the tailed beast without a sacrifice he would've taken that route? Versus killing himself and Kushina-san?" Naruto frowned.

"Obviously, but that's why I want to try one tail at a time. That's something he didn't have—time, and Kurama was also running loose and not connected to a human." Kakashi nodded in understanding. "Everything is different now. It's been over two decades. Knowledge, technology, everything has advanced. It will take a while but I feel like I'm close." He said, his voice solemn. "But that's also why I wanted to come. If there are people out there who know about the unfathomable possibility of there being stragglers of the Uchiha Clan, there has to be someone out there that has something on the forbidden information about the tailed beasts." Sasuke pulled out a map and spread it across the top of the stand.

"Well, we can start with where we're going to go tomorrow."

---

"Boss." Pakkun appeared in a puff of smoke, panting. "Your mate. Your litter is coming." Kakashi froze as Sasuke and Naruto whipped around. Naruto lightly shook Kakashi's shoulder to snap him out of it.

"We have to get back!" Naruto exclaimed. Kakashi grabbed at his scalp in exasperation. He was stunned.

"That woman—she literally doesn't listen. I told her—" Naruto interrupted him.

"Enough of that now. We need to get back." He looked to Sasuke. "I know it will take a lot, but your hawk will be the fastest." Sasuke kneeled as he drew blood.

"Let's get back then."

---

Kakashi burst into the Hospital room out of breath. Tsunade, Ino, and Aiko turned to him in surprise as Sakura smiled sheepishly.

"I guess I am stubborn. Who would've thought? Almost immediately after you left the Village too." She panted. Her long hair was put up into a ponytail and wisps of her pink strands that usually framed her face were sticking to it from the sweat. He dropped his pack and rushed to her side, grabbing her head and placing a kiss on it.

"If it takes active labor for you to agree with me, we should do this more often." He chuckled.

"Thank you for rushing back." She whispered. His head jerked back.

"What? You thought I'd rather stay with that egotistical maniac and the babbling idiot versus being here?"

"Hey—" Naruto chimed in as he and Sasuke came into the room.

"Out!" Tsunade yelled as Sasuke frowned.

"I've already seen—" Sakura winced in pain.

"Sasuke, I love you, but now is not the time."

"Fair." He said as Aiko ushered the two of them out. Sakura started to groan as Ino looked at the screen next to her.

"Another contraction is coming! This is it!" She yelled. "Kakashi, grab her hand, she needs you." He looked down at the broken railings beside her.

"You're advocating for my fingers to be crushed?" He asked with his eye wide. Ino rolled her pair. Tsunade lifted her gown.

"She's tearing already," She stated. He frowned.

"I would've for sure thought I helped with that." Tsunade turned and looked at him, her face marred with disgust.

"That's literally not how it works, you bastard." Aiko came back into the room.

"Unless you're walking around with a penis the size of a newborns head, you should really keep your comments to yourself." Ino remarked snidely.

"It's my first time."

"It's common sense." She threw back at him.

"Noted." Aiko threw him an apologetic look.

"Kakashi, he's coming." Sakura groaned again as she threw her head back against the hospital bed. He moved beside Tsunade. He peered inside her gown and let out a sigh of relief.

"I see silver hair—thank God."

"Kakashi, do you want this baby to be a bastard?" Sakura breathed. He nodded and moved back to her side.

"As Ino said, I'll keep my comments to myself. My hand, dear?" He offered and Sakura immediately snatched it. He grunted as he felt the pressure of her squeeze.

"This is what I asked for, this is what I asked for…" He repeated to himself as a bead of sweat dropped down his brow.

"Come on, Sakura!" Tsunade urged as Sakura continued to groan. "One more push!" She let out a strangled yell and a silence fell over the room. Tsunade quickly scooped the baby up and Ino grabbed a clamp for the umbilical cord.

"Senpai, it's a girl." Aiko said with a tear in her eye. Kakashi froze as scissors were pushed into his hands. "Cut it here," She directed as he moved mechanically, still in shock.

"It's a girl?" Sakura breathed as tears flowed down her face. "Kakashi, t's a girl." She cried, her face full of joy. Aiko quickly grabbed the baby and pulled her over into a corner in the hospital room. Soon, the area was filled with the sounds of a baby's cry. Sakura's echoed right after that.

"Sakura, there's a lot of blood." Tsunade said. "We're going to work on you, okay?" She nodded, her eyes dazed as she looked up at Kakashi. He moved back to her side and grabbed her, kissing her forehead repeatedly.

"It's a girl," He whispered into her head as Ino's glowing green hands were placed on her bare chest.

"It's a girl…" Sakura repeated before her eyes rolled back.

"Sakura?" He panicked.

"Ino—!"

"I'm on it, Shishou!"

"What's happening?" He asked frantically.

"Just give us a moment, Kakashi." Tsunade said as Ino prepped the bed for movement. "We got her, I promise." She assured as they quickly rolled her out of the room. He stood there, stunned.

"Senpai?" Aiko said, her voice small. He blinked his eye into focus. She was in front of him, bouncing a baby in her arms with a tuff of silver hair. Beneath his mask, his mouth was agape. "She needs your skin." He nodded slowly.

"Can you…Can you close your eyes?" He whispered. She immediately nodded in understanding as he shrugged out of his vest and pulled his long-sleeve top over his head. He paused a moment before pulling at the undershirt connected to his mask. He reached for the baby and brought her to his chest. Aiko hurriedly left the room. He cradled her head and bounced, just as he saw the younger medic do.

The world stopped.

This was the little human he was now responsible for? How do you even care for a child? And what of Sakura? Panic couldn't help but rise in the pit of his belly. There were no better hands that she could be in right now than the Hokage herself. And she promised…The feeling he felt in his chest was indescribable at that current moment. He unconsciously grabbed her hand and little fingers curled around his. He looked down and bright green eyes blinked open.

His heart swooned.

It was as if everything immediately made sense.

A lone tear fell from his open eye. This was the little human he was now responsible for. And he would care for her until his dying breath.

It felt like an eternity before Sakura was wheeled back in, both Tsunade and Ino were taken aback at the sight.

"Kakashi, your face…" Ino whispered in disbelief.

"Don't worry, I'll distort your memory later." He said as he continued to bounce, never taking his eyes off of his daughter. "Is Sakura—"

"She's fine," Tsunade assured with a smile. "She just needed some blood and a little extra attention but she'll be waking up soon." He tore his eyes away from his daughter a moment to stare at Sakura's sleeping form. "She's fine." She said again. He nodded before going back to the cooing baby. He was mesmerized, in every sense of the word.

"I have a daughter." He whispered.

"We have a daughter." Sakura spoke as her eyes blinked open. He quickly rushed to her side, bending over to place a kiss on her lips before depositing the baby in her arms. "And she's beautiful." Kakashi smiled.

"Just like you." Ino cooed at the baby over her shoulder. Sakura smiled in delight as tears fell down her face.

"And her eyes," She whispered. He chuckled.

"I guess your genes fought hard on that one." Tsunade pulled out a clipboard.

"The name?" Sakura looked up at him.

"Kakashi, you got it." He smiled again, this time from ear to ear.

"Kimiko. After my mother." He said lovingly. "Kimiko Hatake." Tsunade nodded, her eyes glistening.

"Okay." She said after scribbling on the clipboard. "We'll leave you to it." Ino kissed Sakura on the cheek and dragged herself away.

"Wait," He said, as they both turned to look at him. The eye that housed the Sharingan opened and flashed, the black tomoe seal spinning. In that same moment, his undershirt was back on and his mask was up. Sakura laughed.

"Yes, he takes it that seriously." She answered for them. Ino pouted as the door opened again and Aiko entered the room.

"Um, Naruto-senpai said he's tired of waiting." Sakura nodded before looking up to Kakashi.

"You sure Sasuke is mature enough for this?" She nodded again.

"I'm sure." She looked to Aiko. "You can bring them." The girl nodded before all three of them exited. Kakashi's attention turned back to Kimiko. He let her hand wrap around his finger again. "You ravaged my uterus, little girl." Sakura whispered as she kissed her brow. "Tore it up."

"Like a wolf." She chuckled, smoothing the silver hair on her head.

"She does kind of look like Kiba in his wolf form, huh." Kakashi leaned over.

"Hey, little wolf," He wagged his finger in her hand as she blinked up at him. "You gave your mom a hard time in there. It makes sense because that's exactly what she does to me." Sakura frowned.

"30 minutes. She's been out of the womb 30 minutes, Kakashi. No need to start your uprising just yet."

"30 minutes and I already know I would level a Village for you." Kakashi stated in awe. "Just like I would for your mom." He finished as he kissed the top of Sakura's head.

The door opened again and Naruto and Sasuke came through. Naruto quickly came to Sakura's other side and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"She's beautiful, Sakura." Naruto said gleefully. He looked back and forth between Sakura and Kakashi. "Can I hold her?" Kakashi gave him a swift nod and Sakura raised the baby. Naruto held her out in front of him. "I was sure you would be a boy, but no matter. You have a big brother that might be a little disappointed, though." He chuckled as he brought her to his chest. "Either way he's so excited to meet you." Sasuke came to Naruto's side and his lips upturned in a small smile. Sakura gestured for him to hold her and Naruto passed her to him. He looked uncomfortable at first, before Kimiko blinked at him and Sakura saw what she could only describe as joy.

"You did good, Kakashi." He stated as Kakashi nodded his thanks. Sasuke looked back down to the baby. "You can call me Uncle Sasuke," He started as he began to bounce her. "But I could've been daddy—"

"Sasuke, give me my daughter back."

---

1 YEAR LATER

"Hey, Shishou!" Sakura readjusted the baby on her hip as her apprentice bounded up to her. "Hey Kimi," Aiko gushed as she tickled the baby's stomach. "Yui-san is waiting for you in there." She pointed to the open examination room as Sakura nodded and walked toward it. She was met by an older woman with long gray hair. She gave her a slight bow.

"Yui-san." The older woman smiled.

"Sakura, how are you and Kimiko?" She asked as she took the baby from her arms and placed her atop the table on a small scale. Sakura sat in the chair against the wall.

"She's good. She's already walking. I have to fight with her to hold her," Sakura grumbled.

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" She nodded in agreement. She pulled her stethoscope from around her neck and popped them into her ears, then placed the chest piece into Kimiko's onesie and waited. She then scribbled something on her chart. "Sounds good here. She just needs her shot and the both of you will be good to go." Sakura bit her lip as she rubbed her hands together in worry. Yui grabbed a syringe and quickly placed it into Kimiko's thigh. The baby only blinked in response. She rubbed the spot and placed a bandage on it.

"She's strong," Sakura breathed as she fought back tears. Yui laughed as she deposited the baby back into her lap.

"Is she still breastfeeding?" Sakura nodded.

"I'm weaning her off now. We've started to introduce solid food." Yui nodded.

"The only thing I have to remind you of, which is what I remind every medic with children," She threw her a pointed look. "They are babies, so they make get scratched up from time to time, and your instinct is to heal. But do not use your chakra on her except in dire or life or death situations. She's far from developed and we don't want your chakra to interfere with that." Sakura exhaled.

"I hope to never be put in a situation like that, honestly. But who knows, with the way my husband throws her around." She grumbled as Yui laughed.

"I hear that often. Men typically want a son to roughhouse." Sakura stood to leave.

"That's funny because Kakashi actually wanted a daughter. I can only imagine what he'd do with a son." She said as she shook her head. "Thank you, Yui-san. I'll see you next time." She waved as she exited the room.

She placed kisses on Kimiko's cheek, earning her giggles, as they walked toward the exit of the Hospital. A figure intercepted her on the way out.

"Sakura!" She said excitedly before bowing. Sakura's eyebrows raised.

"Natsuki? Hey, how are you?" She asked. The pale-eyed woman clutched her hands at her chest.

"I was hoping to find you here." Now Sakura was really confused.

"You were looking for me?" She blushed.

"Yes. I wanted to talk to you." She looked away. "About Sasuke-san." Sakura's features softened.

"Aiko," Sakura called. The young woman bounded up to her side. "Do you mind babysitting Kimi for a moment?" She asked.

"Gladly!" She responded with glee as she eagerly took the young girl from her arms.

"Now, what is it you wanted to talk about?" She avoided her gaze as she picked at her fingers.

"I hope this isn't inappropriate, and as his doctor I know it's illegal to break confidentiality, but—" Sakura raised her palm.

"Natsuki, I promise you. Everything that Sasuke talks about, we probably went through it with him." The woman nodded before she sighed.

"I've been working with him for two years. And he talks about you." Sakura pursed her lips. "What you guys went through growing up, what you went through after he came back—"

"I know I did a lot to him. Some things I'm not proud of." She defended. Natsuki immediately shook her head.

"No, no. Nothing like that." She looked away. "I know you're with Kakashi-san, and it's not you but…" Sakura's head tilted upward in realization.

"Natsuki, like you probably know, we went through a lot as kids. I mean just him alone…" She trailed off. "And that altered his brain chemistry. Then we grew up and, I don't know if he's told you, but he did try to kill me once or twice." She chuckled dryly. "Our relationship, I don't think it was ever supposed to be romantic. But we tried. And we failed. And for half of our lives we both thought that was what it was supposed to be. But then I moved on, and I had a baby. So I guess it's hard to unpack that. Everything he's been through, honestly." She nodded. "Unfortunately, in a way, me and Sasuke are trauma bonded." She sighed.

"I just don't…I don't think anyone could ever replace you, Sakura." Her eyes widened.

"No, they couldn't." Natsuki met her eyes. "And they wouldn't want to. I don't wish the origin of our relationship on anyone, Natsuki." Sakura shook her head. "Just look at it like this. My boys are the most trauma-filled out of all our comrades we grew up with. Including my husband. And that's a lot. But Sasuke? And therapy? In the same sentence?" She scoffed. "That's unfathomable. For two years at that. For him to even open up to someone who wasn't there to go through what he went through—hell, for him to open up to anyone outside of me and Naruto speaks volumes. We were his safe space. Because we've seen him at his darkest moments. And now you have, too." Her eyes lit up with emotion. "He let you in, and he's not on drugs. You've helped him in a way that none of us could." She finished gratefully.

"He's made great strides over the last couple of years…" She trailed off.

"He also likes you." Sakura added. Natsuki's eyes widened and she raised her hands in defense.

"N-no, that's not—" Her gestures immediately reminded her of Hinata.

"It's okay. I know you like him, too. And I think you've done enough as his doctor, don't you?" Sakura finished with a small smile and a wink. Natsuki blushed and nodded in understanding.

"Yes. I understand." Sakura reached out her arms as Aiko brought her giggling baby back.

"Well then, go get your man."

---

"It's so stupid. Me and Kurama have been together over 23 years. You would think he wouldn't be so stubborn about this." Naruto grumbled.

"And how many of his tails have you extracted and transferred to Minato?"

"Four," He said, holding up his fingers. "But he won't communicate with him or build a relationship. Which just leaves Minato with loads of chakra and no way in knowing how to control it." Sasuke looked over at him.

"Isn't that your job? To teach him?" Naruto frowned.

"I'm no Jiraya," He whispered. "Hinata helps him a lot with meditation. She's much better at it than I am. Teaching kids are tough, especially at this age. No attention span whatsoever." He huffed.

"Give him a break. Your attention span at your age is still lacking."

"Hey!" Sasuke shrugged.

"Sorry to interrupt, Naruto-san."

"Hm?" He swiveled around in his stool at the ramen stand to be met by Natsuki, fixated in a bow. He grinned.

"Oh no, he's all yours, sister." Sasuke glared at him. "What? She's Hinata's cousin, so technically she's my in-law." He argued. "But that's not what I was referring to," He teased as he continued to grin, nudging Sasuke's shoulder.

"Get out of here, Dobe." Naruto immediately frowned.

"But I was eating," He whined.

"Take it to go." He pouted, grabbing his bowl of ramen and winking at Natsuki as he walked away. She took a step closer to Sasuke. "I've been out of the Village a lot, but I can restart my sessions again. Me and Kakashi are taking a break, so I'll be here for some time." He finished as he took a bite of his ramen. She clutched her chest and exhaled deeply.

"Sasuke-san, I can't be your doctor anymore." She blurted out. There was a silence between them for a long time as he contemplated her words. He then brought his chopsticks back to his lips.

"Who needs therapy anyway?" He settled on saying as she blushed.

"I just came to tell you that." He turned and looked at her.

"All this way from the Hospital?" She smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, it was my lunch." He turned back to his food.

"Well, you can sit and eat with me. If you want," He offered. If possible, her face got redder.

"Thank you, but I have to get back." He pushed his bowl away and stood.

"The least I can do is walk you, then." She immediately raised her hands but he lightly grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her along. "And I can repay you for your lunch tomorrow since you went to all that trouble today." She smiled up at him as they fell into step.

"I'd like that."

---

"Are you ready to see daddy?" Sakura asked Kimiko as she played with her hands. "I know I am."

"I'm not doing this right now." She heard him say as he stood at the Village gates, bartering with the Chunin that sat at the entrance.

"But Kakashi-senpai, it was S-class and the Hokage mandates—" He sighed, annoyed.

"Yes, I know what the Hokage mandates. I'll turn it into her myself." He heard the coos of a baby and his head whipped around before he appeared at Sakura's side, scooping Kimiko out of her arms. "Hey, little wolf!" He said excitedly. "Did you miss me?" He twirled her around before barraging her face with masked kisses. Sakura gave an apologetic look to the Chunin.

"I'll make sure it gets turned in, expeditiously." She said before they walked away. Kakashi sat Kimiko on his shoulders as they headed down the path toward their home. "Do you want to be thrown in jail? Again?" He rolled his eye.

"Tsunade-sama is soft. She wouldn't throw me in jail again with a baby this young." Sakura shook her head.

"You would be the one to try and force her hand." She snickered. "Sasuke literally got back this morning. Why didn't you guys come together?"

"He literally hopped on his hawk and left me. Said he needed to get back and set up his sessions again." Sakura smiled to herself.

"I'm going to invite them all over for dinner tonight." Kakashi groaned.

"It can't just be me, you, and Kimi?"

"No arguing here, you don't have a choice." He sighed.

"It was worth a shot."

---

Sakura tickled Minato as he erupted in a fit of laughter and rolled on the ground. Kimiko was currently on Sasuke's lap playing peek-a-boo. She reached for his hands to pull them apart and when she did, his eyes flashed red. She clapped her hands with excitement as Naruto continued on with his story.

"And then, and then," He could barely finish getting it out as he laughed, doubled over with his hands on his knees. "Sasuke said, "You can have lunch with me, if you want." Sakura, how did you even go for this loser!" He finished, imitating Sasuke's voice. "He has no game." Sasuke glared, looking over at Naruto with his Sharingan blazing.

"Shut up, you bastard. At least I made the first move. You couldn't see that Hinata was in love with you even if it slapped you in the face. And it did, multiple times." Naruto frowned and pointed at him.

"She literally had to quit being your doctor so that you could have the balls to date her." He taunted. "Or was it that she was tired of your trauma dumping?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"It's literally her job." He mocked. "Dobe." Sakura shook her head.

"Alright, you both are losers. Can you quit now?" Kakashi pulled a book from his pocket and Sakura's head immediately whipped around. "Aht!" He froze, and then sighed, replacing it to where it came. "You can read something else. It won't kill you." He frowned.

"My family time, my books, what else do you want to take from me?" He muttered under his breath. Naruto beckoned to Kimiko and she climbed down from Sasuke's lap. He whispered in her ear.

"You have a daughter, remember? What happens when she learns to read?" He shuddered and then nodded.

"I'll burn them." Kimiko ran to Kakashi and jumped on his lap, her fingers grasping the edges of his mask. Immediately a cloud of smoke engulfed the other side of the room.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Naruto exclaimed as he waved the smoke away. When it cleared, Kimiko was seated on his knee and his mask was up.

"I didn't copy over a thousand jutsu just for fun. I didn't know it then, but it was for when idiots like you try to use my daughter to take advantage of me." Sakura chuckled and moved to Kakashi's side as Naruto pouted.

"How come Sakura gets to see your face and we don't?" He whined. She raised a slender pink eyebrow as one hand rested on her hip and the other against the top of the armchair where Kakashi was seated.

"I had to have sex with him to see it. Are you willing to do what it takes?" She taunted, a smirk on her face. He frowned.

"I thought we were family." Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows.

"Far from it. My family is beside me." She playfully smacked his arm.

"He's teasing you." He looked up at her.

"Am I?" Kimiko crawled down and stumbled back over to Sasuke, looking to continue their game.

"Little wolf, that's enough." He said as she pouted.

"It's okay, Kakashi. Having my Sharingan activated doesn't consume my life force like it does yours." Kakashi narrowed his eye.

"Sasuke, get out." He deactivated his Sharingan and stood, placing Kimiko back on the ground.

"Whatever . I need to go to the Hospital anyway." Naruto burst into another fit of laughter.

"I'll go with you. Hinata's that way. Come on, Minato." The two-and-a-half year old pouted before raising himself from the ground.

"Stay far away from me." Sasuke said as he glared. Naruto opened the door.

"Try taking her on an actual date," Sakura called after them. He paused.

"I took you on dates all the time." She frowned.

"Sparring isn't a date, Sasuke." She deadpanned.

"What, you thought it was romantic." He finished before shutting the door. Kakashi pulled his mask down and sighed. She chuckled, knowing what he was about to say.

"He just does that because he knows it gets under your skin. Sadist remember?" He rolled his eye. "Stop getting riled up so easily." He frowned in response.

"He said he can't wait for me to start taking missions without him again so that he can keep you warm at night." She choked out a laugh behind her hand. "It's not funny. This is the man you wanted standing next to me at my wedding." He said, pointing at the door.

"Our wedding, and he wasn't directly next to you. Just in your vicinity." She joked.

"No, your wedding, because why the hell didn't I have a say in anything?" She shrugged.

"Well, you chose our daughter's name." He nodded.

"Rightfully so. And I'll choose the next kid, too." She threw her head back.

"Kakashi, she's only one. My womb is still healing." He sighed deeply.

"How much longer do I have to wait?" She put a finger on her chin.

"When Naruto becomes Hokage." He frowned.

"I don't care how tired that lady acts. She's never going to give it up." Sakura laughed.

"She's traumatized. She's just taking her time and making sure he's fully prepared. Remember the last time she gave it up?" He rolled his eye again.

"Well, I try to forget but everyone loves to remind me." He grumbled as she shook her head.

"Plus he's still young. And we're not in war time. There's no rush."

"You guys may be, but I'm not getting any younger." She scoffed.

"Trust me, I know. Your hair is starting to gray." He reached up and toyed with a strand between his fingers.

"There's no way you can tell." She raised her eyebrows.

"I wake up with it stuffed in my nostrils each morning. I think I see it close enough to tell the difference." She finished as she walked into the dining room and started placing dishes in the sink. Kimiko climbed back into Kakashi's lap and he threw her onto the couch. She began to squeal as she teetered back over to him.

"Again!" She babbled.

"Don't hurt my child, Kakashi" Sakura warned as he threw her again.

"Again!" She screamed. He laughed.

"She's strong. Just like her mama." She shook her head.

"You're not tired?" His head jerked back.

"Tired of what?" He asked as he threw Kimiko once more, earning more squeals "Playing with my daughter while the love of my life is within arm's reach? No. This is what I wanted. Truth be told, I want more." She paused at the sink.

"More what?" He tried to hold onto Kimiko, but she started to climb him, sitting herself on his shoulders.

"More kids, more of you—this is probably that high that Sasuke has been chasing." She smiled softly.

"I would've never have thought this would be our future." He paused as Kimiko leaned over to place kisses all over his face.

"Me neither. But I'd argue with anyone. I'm the richest man in the world."

"You think so?" He nodded.

"I mean monetarily wise too; this house was paid for off of the years I slaved as a child." She snorted. "But no, looking around, very few men ever live to relish in things like this." She continued with the dishes in the sink.

"You better not ever forget it." He scoffed.

"I doubt you would ever stop reminding me."

Is this what fear almost caused her to miss? This life with Kakashi, with her daughter?

No one could've predicted the Copy-Nin settling down. With Sakura, nonetheless. But it was him who saved her, it was him who reminded her that yes, life was fleeting but why not live while we're here.

All those years ago, Kakashi courting her, promising to love her and be by her side. This was her happily ever after.

Or so she thought.

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Stay tuned for the next chapter, the last flashback. Okami Chapter 4! XD