All for the Sake of Pleasure

Chapter 37

It had been over a month already. Kakashi had said it may take several weeks, but Iruka had not realized exactly how long those weeks would seem to be. Each day dragged by as though time slowed to a crawl. Though his entire day was filled – classes, Saki, and Sasuke taking up the majority of his time – Iruka always found those few moments when thoughts of Kakashi filled his mind.
As he had formed the habit of doing, Iruka spun the silver band around his ring finger as he let out a saddened sigh. It did not matter that Naruto and Kakashi were in little danger, so Iruka knew better than to worry himself sick. It made no difference that Iruka had his hands full with his genius son and, now, a hormonal, pregnant jounin. He just wanted to have Kakashi's arms around him again and the sooner, the better.
Thankfully, the image in front of him was enough to make Iruka smile despite the loneliness. Sasuke had, once again, fallen asleep on the couch. For the first time in a while, however, Saki apparently let his tired babysitter actually take his much-needed nap instead of poking him awake or yelling in the jounin's ear. In fact, the little brunet was acting like the perfect angel; Saki was currently curled up in the crook of his uncle's arm, happily drooling all over Sasuke, every once in a while giving a kick that reminded Iruka of Pakkun in the middle of one of his puppy dreams. Maybe Saki was spending a bit too much time with the ninken...Iruka had caught his son gnawing on one of Bull's chew toys the other day...
Not for the first time, Iruka was ecstatic Saki was soon going to have someone human close to his own age and intellect to play with. Looking at Sasuke, his child had a good chance of being a progeny just like him. Then again, the baby may just take after Naruto more than Sasuke. Poor Ichiraku's would never survive if there were two Narutos in the village!
Slowly, as not to wake the sleeping pair, Iruka slipped back out of the living room and walked towards the kitchen. Depositing the bags of groceries on the counter, Iruka let out a sigh. Sasuke had to be eating his weight every day. Since discovering he was expecting, and checking with Tsunade to find out that the baby was perfectly healthy, Sasuke had become the epitome of pregnancy. Iruka had to deal with the strangest cravings – pickles and ice cream being the most appetizing thing he had seen the young jounin eat in weeks. Sasuke's energy was slowly returning to him; now the jounin only took two naps a day along with his eight hours a night. Then there were the hormonal ups and downs that left Iruka with a headache, not even knowing what he said or did to make Sasuke lose his mind in the first place.
If he was anywhere near half as bad as Sasuke, Iruka owed his two brothers more than words could ever say. That, however, would not spare Naruto from the throttling he was going to get when he came back. Iruka could not help but want to strangle his brother for taking so long to get back to Konoha. He better be back soon so that he could witness just what his lover was like when pregnant. Ahh, vengeance was sweet.
Iruka let out a little chuckle, imagining how Naruto would cope with Sasuke, whose mood swings now made Iruka's occasional bursts at fellow shinobi look like nothing. Sasuke had actually sent the poor girl at the grocery store into a fit of tears when she said they were out of his favorite juice. And that was why the jounin was no longer allowed to go buy groceries. In fact, that was pretty much why Sasuke had holed himself up in the Hatake mansion for the past month. The last time he went out, someone had dared to make the comment that the jounin was putting on a little bit of weight. No one had seen that sweet little old lady since.
Oh, yes, this was the perfect way of getting back at Naruto for all those years Iruka had to put up with his brother's trickery.
With a soft cackle, Iruka began putting away the groceries. The cashier at the grocery store had eyed him strangely when he bought three dozen eggs tonight, obviously realizing by now that the chuunin had gotten the same amount for nearly every day the past two weeks. But eggs were one of the things Sasuke constantly craved, so Iruka made sure to have a stack of cartons in the fridge.
So far, Tsunade was the only other person who knew of Sasuke's condition. The raven-haired jounin, understandably, did not want to tell anyone until he got a chance to give Naruto the good news. However, Iruka was running out of stories to tell the cashiers who now knew him by name – as they should, considering Iruka went every day and spent a small fortune. Not that he was complaining, of course. Sasuke was always welcome, but Iruka's wallet would be thankful when Naruto and Kakashi came back.
Hearing a knock on the door, Iruka turned from the fridge, where he had been contemplating where to stuff the pineapple Sasuke had demanded Iruka pick up tonight. Having already grown accustomed to the pregnant jounin's tastes, Iruka could only imagine there was going to be ketchup or hot sauce smothering pineapple bits later tonight during one of Sasuke's many late night snacks.
As he tried to shake the thought of such a combination from his mind, fighting the urge to lick anything to get the imagined taste out of his mouth, the brunet walked towards the door. Sasuke was certainly not expecting anyone, nor was Iruka, so who would drop by? Gai and the majority of their other friends knew how to bypass the shields and traps around the mansion. Only strangers (and Naruto) knocked.
As Iruka opened the door, he got a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Even before he fully took in the white mask and distinctive uniform, Iruka stumbled backwards. There were very few reasons an ANBU member would be standing in front of him. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, and for an instant, all Iruka could hear was the blood rushing through his ears as his heart pounded. He could barely hear the strangled gasp that came from his own throat.
After a moment, two of the masked man's clipped words finally started filtering through Iruka's fear. "...hospital... returned..." With his message relayed, the ANBU member disappeared in a puff of smoke. Numb, it took the brunet a moment to comprehend those very words. Finally it clicked. They returned! Almost instantly, he recalled the other word he had picked up. The hospital. At least one of them had been injured.
Iruka spun around, about to go wake Sasuke up to tell him, but nearly jumped when he saw the tall jounin standing next to him. Iruka knew he shouldn't be surprised that Sasuke was already wearing a jacket; he had learned from living with Kakashi that jounin could ready themselves in the blink of an eye. Of course, Sauke's reflexes had been a little lacking as of late. Glancing down at something Sasuke was holding out to him, Iruka smiled slightly when he recognized his own jacket. The brunet had the feeling Sasuke must have been somewhat awake earlier to have been woken up so easily by the presence of an ANBU member. Then again, as captain of the elite group, Sasuke was probably hyperaware when it came to one of his team members.
"They're fine. Probably a few scratches or they are giving their report to Tsunade," Sasuke reassured Iruka, but they both knew it was a lie. The glimmer of wetness in Sasuke's eyes revealed his fear for his lover. Then there was the tenseness to his entire body, showing just how difficult it was for the jounin to keep a handle on his emotions. Iruka knew it was only a matter of time before Sasuke lost that little bit of steely control. It was a wonder Sasuke was not already a hysterical mess at just the mention of his lover.
To keep Sasuke from breaking down, Iruka gently ruffled the jounin's hair and received a glare from the young man. "So what are you going to say to Naruto?" Iruka asked, chuckling at the blush that immediately raced across Sasuke's cheeks. There was no way to break the news to Naruto gently.
XXX
Iruka hurried through the bustling halls of the hospital, his eyes searching for the signs that would direct him towards the intensive care unit. At least the girl at the front desk finally told him where Naruto and Kakashi were – of course, it was after Sasuke blew up at her and probably frightened three quarters of the hospital staff in the process. He scared the receptionist so much, all she could get out was 'ICU' before she passed out, so they did not even know who was hurt and how badly.
He could sense Sasuke was lagging behind him, stopping to catch his breath and press a hand against his slightly visible belly. Apparently the baby did not like being jostled around. The few doctors and nurses who dared to look at the jounin curiously very quickly raced away in terror as Sasuke gave them his infamous 'evil glare' that had only become more frightening as his pregnancy progressed.
Knowing Sasuke would catch up eventually, Iruka continued making his way through the maze of hospital corridors. Finally, he skidded down a hall and caught a glimpse of blonde hair. His back was facing the brunet and his clothes were in tatters. But Iruka would know that blonde spiky hair anywhere. Even as Iruka recognized that bright shade as his brother's, Saki let out a happy squeal.
"Nani!"
The jounin turned his head hesitantly to look towards Iruka and Saki. Instantly, Iruka could see the difference in his brother's features, then again, who could miss the jagged slash that ran down the jounin's once near-perfect face? Even though he had spent nearly his entire life as a shinobi, Iruka still cringed at the deep gash across the jounin's cheek. It made little difference to Iruka that there was a medic nin currently stitching up the side of Naruto's face. His stomach turned all the same as he caught a glimpse of shocking white underneath the bloody mess.
Despite the pain the blonde must be in, Iruka saw his brother's eyes soften as he looked at his giggling nephew. Suddenly, those azure orbs focused on something behind Iruka and widened slightly. Despite the knots holding his cheek together, a small smile pulled at the corners of his lips. Naruto moved to stand from the cot he was sitting on, but did get to fully stand up before he froze at a booming voice that shook the very walls.
"YOU ASSHOLE!"
Suddenly, Naruto was thrown across the corridor as a loud crack rang out through the hospital. For a moment, Iruka was too shocked to reprimand Sasuke for cursing in front of his son. He had not known Sasuke could still move that fast. Then again, watching as the tall jounin bent over to rest his hands on his knees, panting heavily, that quick movement had taken its toll on him.
Naruto, struggling to stand up from the rubble that had once been a wall, rubbed the back of his head for a moment before his gaze snapped up from the floor and his blue eyes filled with a fiery anger. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR, DUMBASS!"
Iruka very nearly laughed. That was the Naruto he loved. Even though one side of his face was nearly unrecognizable, covered in blood and black stitches, his mission had not changed him in the least. And, if Naruto was acting like his usual self, Kakashi was fine. Iruka glanced around for his fiancé, but did not see him. Of course, knowing Kakashi, the Copy Ninja was probably hiding from Tsunade so he wouldn't have to hand in a mission report.
"What is going on out here!" Iruka jumped slightly when he heard Tsunade's booming voice echo through the halls. Seeing the wall now in shambles, an evil glint came to her eye. "You...why can you just sit out here like a normal person! You are paying for that! And you are on desk duty for a month!"
"But Tsunadeeeeee!" Naruto whined as he rubbed his swelling cheek where there was a distinctive handprint visible for all to see. Thankfully, it was on his unstitched cheek, though it looked like Naruto may have already torn a few stitches when he had gone through the wall. "It's not my fault! THAT ASS HIT ME FOR NO GOOD REASON!" Naruto's blue gaze shifted as he shot daggers at his lover and pointed at the jounin, but his expression quickly changed. Sasuke's back was facing Iruka, but the brunet knew that slight trembling of his shoulders. He knew that soft airy sound all too well. And, from the fear and worry filling Naruto's features, he had yet to see one of his lover's crying fits.
Oh, vengeance was far better than Iruka had ever anticipated!
"B-Baby...I didn't mean it...you just caught me by surprise..." Naruto put his hands up pleadingly as he took a hesitant step towards now his openly sobbing partner. "Please, don't cry, Sasuke," he whispered as he pulled his lover into his arms. Sasuke rested his head on his lover's shoulders, his own arms snaking around Naruto's torso and tightened, as though assuring himself Naruto really was there. The blonde, whose lips were taking on a bluish shade as he gasped for air, did not seem to be too happy about his lover's death-like grip around him.
"I-I missed y-you so...so much."
"Oi, gotta breathe..." Naruto barely got those words out as he flailed futilely. Suddenly, he froze as a strange look came over his face. In the blink of an eye, he somehow broke out of Sasuke's embrace and began pointing an accusing finger at his lover – or, more specifically, his rounding belly. Iruka couldn't hold back a chuckle, wondering if Naruto had felt the baby move. From the odd look Naruto was giving Sasuke's abdomen, Iruka had the feeling Naruto's child had just given him a swift kick or two for upsetting his other father. "What the hell was that?"
What joy Sasuke had felt at seeing his lover safe and sound disappeared as his shoulders stiffened. At the same time, the raven-haired shinobi took a deep breath. Iruka winced, recognizing that stance. Oh, Naruto was going to get his ear yelled off in three...two...one...
"DON'T 'WHAT THE HELL' ME, YOU ASS! YOU LEFT ME FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH!"
"I WAS ON A MISSION! IT WASN'T MY FAULT WE WERE AMBUSHED!...Oi! Don't go changing the subject!"
Iruka shook his head, slowly moving to cover up his son's ears. He had the feeling things were going to get R-rated very soon. With both Naruto and Sasuke screeching at one another, it was only a matter of time before someone said something that really set the other off. Somehow, it was a wonder those two polar opposites could love each other as much as they did. Then again, Naruto had once told Iruka that their make-up sex was out of this world. With a disgusted shiver, Iruka shuffled towards the Hokage, who was shaking her head in despair. As he moved to stand next to the woman, Iruka could swear he heard her mumble "why the hell did I pick that to be my heir?"
"Because he is the best our village has to offer?" Iruka suggested with a small smile, which only made the Hokage moan in despair. Studying the medical genius for a moment, Iruka noticed several details he had missed before. Tsunade was not her usual tired and stressed self, but completely exhausted. Her haggard expression was nothing in comparison to the blood that stained the front of her robes. A sickening feeling bubbled up in Iruka's stomach as he studied the splatter, knowing exactly where his fiancé was. "K-Kakashi?" Iruka whispered, praying he was wrong and those red stains were not from his lover, but the look in Tsunade's eyes as she turned to him confirmed his suspicions.
"He's stable...but weak. He took a katana to the abdomen...it was meant for Naruto. They were ambushed by a group of missing nin halfway back to Konoha. When Naruto got him back here, he had lost so much blood already...I'm sorry – I could only spare a moment to send someone for you and Sasuke." Iruka nodded his head in understanding. From the tone of Tsunade's voice, Naruto and Kakashi had been in the hospital for some time already, but it was only a short while ago that Tsunade could take the time to send an ANBU member to inform Iruka.
"The blade did a lot of damage...we stopped the bleeding and healed as much as we could, but Kakashi is looking at a month or two of recuperation. I would tell you to keep him on bed rest, but I know he won't listen to anyone. Just don't let him strain himself too much and he'll recover."
"T-Thank you, Hokage-sama," Iruka whispered, not knowing how to express how grateful he was that she was in the hospital to take care of Kakashi. Despite knowing Kakashi was going to be fine, tears began to prick at Iruka's eyes. He could have been so close to losing him – and he would have never been able to say goodbye. "C-Can I see him?" Iruka asked quietly as he looked down at Saki. The baby smiled as he brought a hand up to pat Iruka's face, as though to reassure the chuunin.
"He is drifting in and out of consciousness, but Naruto's outburst just woke him up. He is a little out of it from the pain medications...but he did ask that you not bring Saki in. He...he didn't want to scare the baby," Tsunade admitted, sighing as she looked down to the little brunet in Iruka's arms. As though he understood the Hokage's words, Saki turned to look at her, holding out his chubby arms to the powerful woman.
Wordlessly, Iruka handed Saki over. The baby let out a happy squeak that sounded far too much like "grandmaaaaa". Tsunade's eye twitched at the name even as she gestured at the door she had come out of earlier. With a quick glance to Naruto and Sasuke, who were still arguing in hisses and whispers, Iruka slipped into the room. Quietly, he closed the door behind himself.
Taking a quick look around the room, Iruka winced when his eyes landed on the hospital bed. He could instantly understand why Kakashi had asked to keep Saki outside. The sheer amount of tubes and wires connected to the bed's sleeping occupant was frightening. Iruka's eyes filled with tears as he moved to gingerly sit down in the room's sole chair. Sliding forwards until he was perched on the uncomfortable chair's edge, Iruka took a pale, unmoving hand in his own.
Gently squeezing Kakashi's hand, which was far too cold and pale for comfort, Iruka studied his lover. Kakashi looked so small and fragile. Gone was his lover's normal skin color, replaced by an ashen shade that could only be described as bloodless. If anything, Kakashi's bare flesh blended in with the white hospital sheets and the staggering amount of gauze covering his body.
Iruka could hear the beeps and clicking of the machinery surrounding the bed. Iruka listened to the steady, soft bleep of the machine monitoring Kakashi's heart and let out a shaky breath of air. His eyes followed the tubes, wincing as he saw needle after needle piercing his lover's arms. Kakashi hated needles; he hated hospitals. Most of all Kakashi hated medications that put him to sleep or dulled his senses. Iruka had learned all of this about his fiancé in bits and pieces as Kakashi hesitantly talked about his past. The brunet could not fault his lover for his fears and fierce dislikes. If he had a similar history, he too would hate this place.
"As soon as you are strong enough, you're coming back home," Iruka whispered as he brought up a hand to brush his lover's cheek, careful not to move the breathing mask that covered most of Kakashi's bare face. As though the jounin understood him, the corner of his colorless lips twitched upwards. Iruka smiled at that tiny response before he went back to studying the rest of Kakashi. His lover's bare chest rose and fell gently with each soft breath Iruka could hear despite the hum of machinery around them.
There were a few minor scratches and bruises scattered across Kakashi's chest and arms, nothing that would take more than a week or two to heal. Almost reluctantly, Iruka shifted his gaze down his lover's torso and, before he could stop himself, the brunet let out a gasp. Unable to stop the tears from flowing down his cheeks, Iruka had to cover his mouth with a hand to muffle his sobs. With a gentle touch, Iruka hesitantly brought his fingers to the thick layers of gauze covering lover's abdomen. Even in the dim lighting, Iruka could make out the characters written across his lover's pale skin, or at least those not covered up by the bandages. Only near-fatal injuries warranted the use of seals. That little reminder of how close Iruka had been to losing Kakashi was like a sharp knife to his heart.
"M...maa...keep looking...at me like that...a-and I'll...have t'jump you." Iruka let out a watery laugh as he heard that halting, hoarse voice. Quickly wiping at his eyes, the brunet looked up into his lover's face. Kakashi looked back at him with exhaustion and pain in his mismatched eyes. Iruka would have wondered if the pain medication was not working, but he knew Kakashi too well. His lover had only agreed to the lowest dose possible, making it so that he wasn't writhing and screaming in pain. That knowledge, however, did not make Iruka feel any better.
"Idiot...it was s-supposed to be a simple mission," Iruka whispered, his words catching on a sob. Underneath the face mask, Kakashi grimaced. Gingerly, Iruka cupped his lover's cheek, tears flowing freely down his bronze cheeks. "Tsunade said you'll be fine...but it'll be a long recovery..."
"J-Just more t-time at...at home to s-seduce you..." Kakashi joked weakly as he turned his head so his cheek was resting in Iruka's hand, the only loving gesture he could manage at the moment. Iruka shook his head as he let out a soft laugh. Even incapacitated, Kakashi was a pervert.
"You aren't going to be doing any seducing for a while," Iruka replied as he shifted, sliding onto the edge of the hospital bed. Careful of the wires, tubes and everything else hooked up to his lover, the brunet leaned forwards and brushed his lips against Kakashi's forehead. "You are on bed rest until you heal."
"Bed...perfect place t-to-"
"To sleep and recover," Iruka interjected before Kakashi could think of anything else a bed could be useful for. The jounin eyed him, a flicker of amusement in his pained gaze. "Anyways...you are going to have your hands full for the next few months anyways...no chance you'll get lucky with two houseguests."
"Maa?"
"Naruto and Sasuke are going to be staying with us for a while." From the look Kakashi gave him, Iruka knew his lover was waiting for an explanation. Iruka had talked it over with Sasuke the moment Tsunade had confirmed their suspicions. Okay, it was not so much 'talk' as 'demand' that the two young soon-to-be parents move into the gigantic Hatake mansion until after the baby was born and they adjusted. Iruka knew that his lover would not be angry or annoyed that he had opened up their home to the two jounin. If anything, he had the feeling when Kakashi found out, he would go on another renovation spree and put in another nursery in the same wing as Naruto and Sasuke's guestroom. Iruka opened his mouth, about to explain that to Kakashi, but the happy couple beat him to it.
"FA-FA-...DID YOU SERIOUSLY JUST CALL ME FAT?"
"I JUST SAID YOU PACKED ON A FEW IN THE MONTH I WAS GONE!"
"I'M PREGNANT, YOU ASSHOLE!"
"Pre-pre..."
Iruka winced, hearing a loud thud from the other side of the door. Well, there was Naruto's first response to learning he and Sasuke were adding a new member to their family – to faint on the hospital floor. And, in true Naruto fashion, it would probably be hours before they could rouse the unconscious father-to-be.
"D-did I hear...that right?" Kakashi asked quietly, his eyes wide in surprise. Iruka bit his lip to stifle a chuckle as he nodded his head. His lover had the same expression on his face that Sasuke did when he had first learned of the baby growing inside him. Almost as quickly as that surprise appeared, sadness replaced it. Realizing what thought must be going through Kakashi's mind, Iruka winced. Kakashi was not a genius for nothing – in an instant, he must have understood how Sasuke's pregnancy had been possible. He had already thought about the implications of his and Iruka's one night together using that same copied jutsu.
Iruka did not have to look at gauze covering up his lover's abdomen to know where Kakashi's thoughts had gone. If they had defied the odds and they created a new life that one night, it would not have survived an attack that had risked the life of the Copy Ninja. Despite knowing that painful fact, Iruka still tried to sense any flicker of energy that would prove Kakashi was the luckiest person to exist, but felt nothing other than the powerful seal on his lover and Kakashi's own weakened chakra. And though he knew it was impossible, the proof still hurt.
"S-Sorry," Kakashi whispered as he used what little strength he had to wrap his fingers around Iruka's hand and squeezed. Though his grip was pitifully weak, it still made Iruka smile as he returned the gentle pressure.
"Don't apologize. You couldn't have known – and the chances were so small in the first place..." Iruka trailed off as he brought his lover's hand up to his lips. Gingerly kissing the back of Kakashi's hand, he had to fight off a batch of tears. A small part of him had been so excited. The rest of him, truthfully, had been terrified. Much like his one scare, he wondered if he was ready for another child. What if Kakashi did not want to have more children? Iruka could not imagine his powerful lover wanting to be the one to carry their next child.
"We can try again," Kakashi stated with the tiniest shrug of his shoulders. Iruka stared, wide-eyed, at his lover's unspoken confession. Kakashi knew just as well as he did that the jounin could not impregnate Iruka a second time, short of another miracle. And lightening rarely struck twice. That meant Kakashi would not mind using the jutsu again to see if their chances were better if the roles were reversed?
"R-Really?" Iruka whispered in awe. A smile tugged at his lips as he imagined Kakashi pregnant: cranky, hormonal, hungry constantly – hornier than he normally was. Iruka might not survive nine months of Kakashi's increased need for sex! But there was one image that made the brunet's heart skip a beat. Kakashi touching his curved belly with the same awe Iruka had felt the first time he felt Saki kick.
"Maa...you weren't the only one who enjoyed that night." Iruka blushed furiously at his lover's tone, the lust dripping of every whispered word. He was right! No matter what condition Kakashi was in, he was a complete pervert! Pregnancy would only make him a thousand times worse!
XXX
Tsunade had said bed rest, but Kakashi had refused to remain cooped up in their bedroom without anything to do, so after an hour of arguing the day Kakashi was discharged from the hospital, Iruka found himself carrying his lover downstairs. Arranging Kakashi on the couch so that his fiancé was comfortable was easy enough. Getting Saki to leave the poor man alone, however, was another story entirely.
"Daddy!" Saki let out a high-pitched squeal that made Iruka's ears ring – and he was two rooms away from the pair of geniuses. Hearing the beginning notes of Saki's newest song on his xylophone, Iruka let out a chuckle. Saki should be part of the Torture and Interrogation squad with that damn instrument of his! No missing nin would be able to stand that clanging for more than a few minutes.
Moving quickly to save Kakashi's sanity and his hearing, Iruka swooped into the living room, picking up their son and simultaneously kicking the xylophone towards a very grateful Pakkun at the same time. The pug let up a prayer of thanks before disappearing with the damnable xylophone before Saki could notice its absence. Moments later, the tiny ninken returned without the instrument, but with a satisfied grin on his face. Iruka could only hope Pakkun dropped the xylophone off of a cliff into a lava pit somewhere.
"Remind me to kill Sasuke for getting him that," Kakashi grumbled as he opened his eyes to look up at his fiancé and son. Saki giggled, waving his arms around at the mention of his new favorite person. Almost as though summoned, the young jounin walked into the room with all the stealth of a herd of elephants.
Iruka had to bite his cheeks to keep from grinning as he watched the once lithe and graceful shinobi in his attempts to sit on the room's unoccupied couch. Kakashi, on the other hand, let out a snort as Sasuke somehow maneuvered onto the low piece of furniture. Saki could only giggle uncontrollably before transporting himself from Iruka's arms to his uncle's lap.
"Baby!" Saki squealed as he began playing with his uncle's belly. Iruka had known better than to be dumbstruck the first time his son poked his uncle and cried 'baby!' No one had tried to explain Sasuke's weight gain to the toddler, yet he somehow understood. It wouldn't surprise Iruka if Saki had already started picking out names for his cousin. Saki let out a giggle as he placed both his little hands over one spot on Sasuke's abdomen. Having watched his son do this more than once, Iruka knew he was feeling the baby's chakra and the fluttering movements.
"Oi, where's Naruto?" Pakkun asked as he jumped up onto the couch, careful not to step on his master's heavily bandaged abdomen, and curled up by the jounin's feet. Ever since being woken up at the hospital by a very annoyed Tsunade, Naruto had been clinging to his lover. It was almost sickening, except Iruka was far too amused by it. Naruto, much like when Iruka had been pregnant, said all the wrong things. At least Sasuke had found the restraint to keep himself from putting Naruto through any more walls.
"Pineapple," Sasuke stated with a sagely nod of his head as though that explained everything. And, sadly, to Iruka it did. The spiky fruit was the only thing that would make Sasuke happy, and Naruto was his lover's very willing slave. Imagining Naruto in the fresh produce section of the grocery store, Iruka chuckled. It was a place Naruto had rarely, if ever, visited. He lived off ramen, and 'vegetable' was a curse word to him. Iruka could only wonder if his brother had any idea what a pineapple even was. It would explain why Naruto had been gone so long.
Hearing the front door open, Iruka knew Naruto must have broken down and asked someone at the grocery store for help. The next words out of his brother's mouth confirmed Iruka's suspicions.
"Oi, did you know these things look like Shikamaru's head?" Naruto asked as he wandered into the living room, his arms filled with bags of pineapple. Iruka did not even have to take a second to wonder why his brother looked like he was opening up his own fruit stand. So intent on pleasing his pregnant lover, Naruto must not have asked how many pineapples Sasuke wanted...so he proceeded to buy the grocery store out of the tropical fruit. Iruka let out a sigh as he shook his head. Where was he going to put all those pineapples? With that thought in mind, the brunet wandered back towards the kitchen to start rearranging the refrigerator.
Iruka found out very quickly that there would be enough room to put the twenty-odd pineapples in the fridge. Either Sasuke went on a food binge when no one was looking or somewhere in the fridge was a portal to another dimension, one that now contained enough food to feed an entire army or one very hungry, pregnant jounin.
"Was he like this the whole time I was gone?" Naruto whispered hesitantly as he walked into the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder nervously. Iruka understood his brother's fear. Along with his sense of smell, Sasuke's hearing had become ultra-sensitive in his pregnant state.
"Worse," Iruka mumbled as he took the bags of pineapples from the wide-eyed jounin and stuffed them into the empty fridge. "He isn't an emotional wreck now that you're back," the brunet explained as he quickly closed the refrigerator door before the spiked fruit began falling out in an avalanche. Leaning back against the door, Iruka let out an exhausted sigh. It may be more work having Naruto and Kakashi back home – cleaning up after the blonde and taking care of his incapacitated fiancé – but Iruka would not want it any other way.
"Thank you..." Naruto said softly as Iruka found himself in an unexpected hug. Leaning against the tall jounin, Iruka smiled. If it was possible, in the last few days he had become even closer to his little brother. Somehow, in the short time since Naruto learned about his approaching fatherhood, he had matured into an adult. Most people would never notice the difference, but to Iruka, it was all too obvious.
Turning in his brother's arms, Iruka looked up at Naruto's face. Thanks to the Kyuubi's healing abilities, Naruto no longer needed his stitches. The blonde's fast healing, however, did not spare him from the angry red scar that now trekked down the right side of his face. In a few weeks, the mark would fade, leaving a pale line that would reveal just how close Naruto had been to losing an eye.
"For what?" Iruka asked as he gingerly touched the edge of the newly acquired red depression on his brother's face. If he was not so attracted to a certain silver-haired man he was about to marry, Iruka would have admitted Naruto's new scar gave the already handsome man a bit of mystery; it added some danger to his pretty-boy features. In Sasuke's own words, the scar was 'sexy as hell' and Iruka was not about to argue with the hormonal jounin about his lover's sex appeal.
"For helping us out..." Naruto admitted as he cracked a small smile. Iruka shook his head, about to tell his brother that it was nothing, but was stopped with a single look from Naruto. In that look was a level of maturity Iruka was still amazed to see in those blue orbs. "You have more than enough to do, taking care of Saki...and now with Kakashi recuperating. But...I-I appreciate everything you're doing for us."
Iruka studied his brother, hearing a strange tone to Naruto's voice. If he didn't know any better, Iruka would have called it fear. "Is everything okay, Naruto?" the brunet asked softly as he cupped his brother's scarred cheeks so that Naruto could not look away. His blonde gaze dropped, a clear sign something was wrong. Iruka thought back through the past few days and saw a pattern. Naruto had been his usual bouncy happy self whenever Sasuke was around, but this more mature version of the blonde only appeared when his lover was not in the room.
"Naruto...are you...are you happy about this baby?" Iruka questioned, tilting his brother's face so that Naruto was forced to look him in the eye. The haunted look in those blue orbs was the only answer Iruka needed.
"It isn't...it isn't that I'm not happy. I am...it's been Sasuke's dream to have a family of our own for so long. He's even had names picked out since we were sixteen," the blonde admitted hesitantly with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I'm not asking about Sasuke, I'm asking about you," Iruka pointed out softly, brushing a few strands of his brother's shaggy hair away from his face. Tucking the blonde locks behind one of his brother's heavily pierced ears, Iruka sighed. "If you have any reservations, you really should talk to Sasuke now. If you don't want this baby-"
"It's not that," Naruto quickly interjected with a shake of his head. "It's just...I don't know if I can do this." The blonde sighed as he shrugged out of his brother's embrace. Turning his back to Iruka, Naruto ran a hand through his messy locks and sighed deeply.
"Do what?"
"This. Being a father...having a family. I mean, you, Kakashi, Sasuke...you all had families. You knew what it was like to have parents, even if it was only for a little while. I didn't have that. All I know is how to be a brother. I was just getting used to living with Sasuke. Without him or you around, I wouldn't eat anything other than ramen. I don't know how to clean or do laundry or otherwise take care of myself. All I know is how to be a shinobi. And now, I'm going to be responsible for a little baby. I don't even know if this baby is going to be normal – I can only hope that some part of the Kyuubi didn't transfer to him."
Iruka did not have to ask if Naruto told Sasuke of all these insecurities. Shinobi were not the kind of people to talk about their fears and worries, especially to those they wanted most to protect. Sasuke had no idea what was weighing on Naruto's mind. With a gentle touch on Naruto's shoulder, Iruka turned the jounin towards him.
"Do you think Kakashi and I were prepared for Saki? It has been over a year and we are still figuring things out. You don't have to be perfect to be a father; you just have to love your children with all your heart and do your best to raise them," Iruka said softly as he brushed a finger against his brother's newly scarred cheek. "You and Sasuke love each other. And you aren't too old to learn how to cook or clean. Sasuke would love to teach you. No matter how hard things will get, you'll find a way to make everything work. Even if your child turns out to be a little demonically enhanced monster just like you were." Iruka smiled at his last statement, recalling just how many sleepless nights Naruto had once given him.
"I think he might be..." Naruto admitted, a small smile tugging at the corner of his pursed lips. "The little brat has a strong kick...I think he was trying to kill me last night – and somehow, Sasuke slept through the whole thing." Iruka could not help but chuckle at the look on his brother's face.
"Who says the baby is a 'he'?" Iruka asked with a shake of his head. Sasuke was hoping for a girl, but much like Iruka, he had told Tsunade he would not be her guinea pig when she asked to do some more tests. For that reason, no one knew the sex of the baby, but Iruka knew that, once Naruto and Sasuke's bit of news became public knowledge, there would quite a bit of betting over the baby's gender. Then there were going to be the many bets over who the baby was going to take after. Iruka could not help but recall the image Sasuke once painted for him – a little blue-eyed, hyper monster with her long, wavy black hair pulled back in pigtails. She would look completely innocent until she smiled that Cheshire grin of hers that matched Naruto's perfectly.
Yes, that was the little baby that was constantly kicking her blonde father. Iruka opened his mouth, about to tell Naruto just what his and Sasuke's image of the baby was, but he lost the ability to speak when he heard something that made his blood run cold.
"AAAAHHH!"
Before it fully registered in Iruka's head that the screech was Sasuke's, he was skidding into the living room. His eyes flew around the room in search of an attacker, but there wasn't one. Behind him, he could feel Naruto's demonic energy flooding the mansion, setting up shields that not even Tsunade could break through. Slowly moving to stand up from his crouched position, Iruka looked down at his hand in surprise. He did not recall when he had grabbed a kunai, but the blade was in his tight grip, prepared to destroy whoever dared make Sasuke scream.
His heart still racing, Iruka surveyed the room again. Sasuke was in the same seat he had been in when Iruka left the room. Kakashi was still lying on the couch. Saki, however, must have transported himself considering the fact he was now sitting on his father's thighs, his tiny hands gingerly touching Kakashi's bandaged abdomen as he giggled happily. If not for two glaring changes, Iruka would have thought he had been hearing things and that nothing was out of the ordinary.
One: Sasuke was barely able to keep himself upright, he was laughing so hard. Every few seconds, one of his shrieks of laughter would come bubbling out of him, thus explaining his earlier scream. Even his face was covered in tears as he continued laughing as though he was making up for all those years in his childhood that he had a stick up his ass. A quick glance to Naruto told Iruka that the blonde was just as mystified as him – and perhaps even a little frightened at Sasuke's uncharacteristic behavior.
Two: Kakashi looked like he had seen a ghost. Whatever had made Sasuke laugh like a crazy person had also drained the blood from his fiancé's face and left him staring at his son with the strangest of expressions. Iruka could not even begin to put a name to the emotion in his Kakashi's mismatched eyes.
"Kakashi?" Iruka moved slowly to kneel next to the couch, his fingers reaching out to touch his lover's cool skin. If not for the fact Sasuke sounded like a pack of hyenas, Iruka might have been worried something horrible happened to his fiancé while he was in the kitchen. But if Kakashi was not hurt or sick, then why was he like this? The jounin made no movement or sound indicating he was aware Iruka was kneeling next to him. He remained frozen, his confused, questioning – and truthfully, mildly horrified – gaze focused on his only offspring.
"Kakashi? Are you okay?" Iruka gently slapped his lover's cheek, hoping to snap the tall man out of his current state, but Kakashi did not even blink. Seeing he was not going to get his lover to explain what just happened, Iruka sat back on his heels and glanced over to Sasuke. He wasn't going to get much help from him – Sasuke looked like he was moments away from dying of laughter and Naruto was dancing around nervously, trying to figure out what had happened to the Uchiha.
That left one suspiciously silent ninken. Iruka shifted his gaze to Pakkun, whose expression mirrored his master's so perfectly, Iruka could not help but wonder if they had been caught in some strange enemy jutsu. Either that or one of the pineapples had plummeted out of the fridge and hit him on the head – yes that made more sense. He had been knocked out by falling fruit and was having a hallucination when in fact he was sprawled out across the kitchen floor.
"Papa!" Iruka's eyes flickered to his son, half expecting the little terror to have two heads or some other nonsense, thus proving his hallucination theory. That hope was quickly dashed. Saki looked perfectly normal and he was acting like his usual bouncy self. Iruka shook his head a few times before he moved to lift Saki off of Kakashi's lap. The brunet could only assume that their son was hurting Kakashi's still-healing abdomen and that was what was causing Kakashi's strange reaction. But, even before he got a chance to pluck Saki off of Kakashi's lap, Iruka learned just what had happened mere moments before from his son's own mouth.
"Babies!" Saki squealed as he continued to touch his father's bandaged abdomen. If under different circumstances, Iruka would have tried to rationally explain to his one-year-old that Daddy's belly looked bigger because of all the bandages, not because he was like Uncle Sasuke. But he knew his son – and he knew his child, someone who could not even walk yet, was already able to sense chakra better than most elite shinobi twenty times his age.
All it took was a single split-second of focusing on his lover's abdomen for Iruka to adopt the same expression as Pakkun and Kakashi. Not even a pre-genin – or one genius baby – could miss the unfamiliar flickering of chakra once they knew where to look.
"Oh, c'mon, not you too! What the hell is going on?" Iruka barely registered his brother's whining as he continued to stare at his fiancé's abdomen, now understanding Kakashi's odd expression and the horror it had contained. There was only one thing that truly terrified Kakashi. He could handle an entire army of missing nin without a second thought. He could fight monsters and demons, never thinking twice about the danger he was in. He could even grit his teeth and sit in the hospital and be drugged if he had to. None of those things frightened the infamous Hatake Kakashi as much as one tiny brunet – his own son – and the mischief Saki would one day get into because of his intellect and abilities. It was a frightening thought to imagine the day Saki began walking and talking in full sentences, much less when they allowed him near sharp objects. And the kind of horror showing in Kakashi's features was that same kind of terror, except multiplied by two.
"Two?" Iruka was roused by his lover's hushed tones. In it was not just the fear that filled his fiancé's features, but awe and a touch of joy that could not be washed away by the unholy terror that would fill the years to come. Tearing his gaze away from Kakashi's midsection, the brunet found himself beginning to chuckle. Within moments, his laughter became uncontrollable and Iruka began to resemble Sasuke, who had started hiccupping because he was laughing so hard.
"All of you have lost your minds!" Naruto proclaimed, about to throw his hands up in the air and go get some ramen, but then he too sensed the unfamiliar chakra and froze where he stood, his gaze frozen on his ex-sensei's abdomen. "What the..." And, from the widening of those blue eyes, it took Naruto the same amount of time as everyone else to realize that the energy was not one foreign chakra signature, but two.
Twins.