The Red String of Fate: New Generation

Two Boys Are Better - Kakashi

"193."

The nurse saw him coming.

"Thanks!"

This was not the first time he had busted into the hospital like this.

"Mizuka!"

He burst through the door to find his wife laying in a bed, looking exhausted. A couple of healers were hovering over her. She had a yukata on that was open in the front and she had a small brown-haired baby suckling at her breast. She put a silent finger to her lips, shushing him. He walked over and fell to his knees beside her bed in shock, still holding Sakumaru securely against his chest.

"W-Who is this?"

"This is Inari. His mother's dying wish was that I save her son. I promised her he would have a good life in Konoha."

The baby was skin and bones. He was barely moving.

"Is he..."

"He looks better than he did yesterday. I think I'll be able to pull him through at this point. He's been suckling for the past two days. He was born right before the earthquake and was stuck in the rubble with his mom. She ran out of milk before we found them.

Kakashi leaned in to get a better look at the little boy, moving Sakumaru up to his shoulder, who was busy sucking on his little fingers.

"Inari...."

Mizuka reached out sweetly to touch Sakumaru's white hair.

"How's my little guy?"

"He's great. We had a great week together."

Kakashi kicked his shoes off and pulled back the covers, climbing in next to his wife with his son cooing on his chest. Mizuka took Sakumaru from him with her free arm and nuzzled him into her neck.

"My sweet baby boy. I missed you so much."

Kakashi watched the tears roll down her cheeks as she kissed his soft white hair. Sakumaru's head lay on her chest, his bright eyes staring up at her. Kakashi could tell that the tiny boy missed his mother terribly.

"How are Sakura and Ino?"

"They're fine. I told them to just go home after they brought us here. I'm guessing they stopped by your office first?"

Really?

"Of course. Are you sure you're okay, Z?"

"Yeah. I just know that you're already under a lot of pressure; I don't want to worry you or burden you any more than you already are."

He couldn't help but laugh.

"You and the kids are never a burden."

"The kids?"

Mizuka looked as if she would cry.

"Well, yeah. We're adopting that little guy. If his mother entrusted us with his life and future, then it only seems right. Do you think we can handle two infants, Z?"

"It's going to be tough, but of course we will. And they'll have each other, which will be wonderful. And we can be our own even larger family, now."

Kakashi snuggled into his wife, breathing in her scent like he used to when they had a lot more time and a lot less responsibility.

"Do you ever miss the days before babies and becoming the Hokage? Where we had plenty of time and nothing to do but lay in bed all day? Hot sex and late nights talking?"

Kakashi looked up at her, surprised.

"We'll have that again, Z. Things have been nonstop for the last year, with my appointment as the Sixth Hokage, your pregnancy, Sakumaru and now Inari. Things will calm down and, even though things will never be quite the same, they'll be even better with these guys."

She handed Inari to him and reached out for Sakumaru. Kakashi looked into the boy's bright eyes and he could feel his heart instantly swell for the child. The noises in the room were the most comforting thing he had heard all week: Mizuka cooing at Sakumaru, and his answer in noises and laughs and bubble blowing.  His family was together.  And the soft breathing noise of Inari on his chest. If having one boy is good, two boys would be even better.