Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

All For the Sake of Pleasure	By : Kanemoshi Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Kakashi/Iruka Views: 8220 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters and did not make any money from creating this story.

Chapter List
- 35
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- 37
Chapter Thirty Six
Iruka leaned against the door frame as he watched his lover sneak around the large nursery room with all the stealth Konoha shinobi were known for. As considerate as it was for Kakashi to try making no sound as he picked up the toys and organized the room, the jounin must have realized that their son inherited his ability to sleep through anything. Kakashi could make enough sound to wake their neighbors down the street, and Saki would have just continued on making that cute snuffling sound as he slept in his crib. Iruka nearly cried out of sheer joy the first time he realized Saki had developed his other father's uncanny skill of sleeping through the end of the world. Shaking his head, the brunet slipped into the room and began picking up the remainder of the stuffed animals Saki had been using to create what must have been a fort, considering the towers of teddy bears that seemed to defy gravity.
"Maa…is it possible to have too many toys?" Kakashi finally asked as he stuffed a giant orange frog into Saki's toy box. The stuffed amphibian – one of Naruto's many gifts – was Saki's favorite right now, so wherever their son was, the neon orange frog was sure to be. Normally, it was fine, but having those big plastic eyes staring at him first thing this morning as Saki tried to wake him up very nearly gave Kakashi a heart attack. Whoever thought about giving those things realistic eyes was a sick, sick bastard.
"He's only going to get more," Iruka pointed out, to which Kakashi whimpered quietly. "Tomorrow is his birthday and Christmas."
"Don't remind me," Kakashi grumbled as he shoved the orange frog's head deep into the toy box so that he did not have to endure its creepy gaze anymore. Despite his tone, the jounin was downright ecstatic for his son's first birthday. Maybe he did go a little crazy with the presents he had gotten, but what parent didn't spoil his child on his birthday? But Kakashi's buying spree was nothing compared to Naruto and Sasuke's. The two young jounin had an entire room in their apartment dedicated to Saki's presents.
"You never told me what you wanted for Christmas," Iruka commented, stepping behind his lover and wrapping his arms around Kakashi's torso. For weeks, he had been trying to get Kakashi to mention one thing he wanted. Now that Christmas was only a day away and Iruka had yet to get something for his lover, the brunet was getting desperate. Kakashi had all the Icha Icha books, he had the movies. He had every weapon known to the shinobi world. Iruka had thought of just about anything he could get his lover, only to shoot down the idea. Every time he asked Kakashi, he always got the same answer – and tonight was not going to be any different.
"Maa…you know what I want," Kakashi replied, his voice becoming seductive as he turned in Iruka's arms so that he could face his lover in just enough time to see Iruka's eye twitch. At first, his requests were just to annoy Iruka, but seeing how against it Iruka was, he became curious. Curiosity turned into interest and interest into need.
"But why?" Iruka asked in exasperation as he rolled his eyes.
"Because you keep saying no."
If Iruka could have gone back in time and slapped some sense into himself before he ever produced the Sexy no Jutsu, he would have. Then again, it gave him Kakashi and Saki. That made everything worth it. With a sigh, Iruka dropped his head against Kakashi's chest. Despite his reservations, he found himself nodding. "Alright, just once – but you never ask again."
"Seriously?" Amazement and disbelief laced Kakashi's words as the jounin's eyes widened. A part of him wanted to do a victory dance, but all thought left his mind as the implications of Iruka's words finally hit him. Finally, after so many months of begging, Iruka was agreeing to his requests. Kakashi, not a man to look a gift horse in the mouth, moved with the speed his profession was known for and threw Iruka over his shoulder before his lover could reconsider.
With a muted squeak, Iruka wriggled in attempts to free himself, but in his current ungainly position he could only squirm futilely. No shinobi should be slung over his partner's shoulder like a sack of rice! In response, Kakashi only chuckled and patted his lover's behind as he sauntered down the hallway towards their bedroom. For a brief moment, the jounin let up a prayer of thanks to Naruto and Sasuke for helping him finish the mansion in time for Christmas. Not only would his son have his first Christmas in his ancestral home, but it meant that now he and Iruka had several rooms separating them and their child. No more nights of worrying of waking Saki up with their nightly activities. No more Pakkun walking in on them in search of his little master. No more having to squeeze into Iruka's tiny bed that had been designed for only one person.
As the jounin meandered into their bedroom, he quickly glanced over the gigantic bed. The day they bought it, Iruka could barely speak he was blushing so furiously. Then again, Kakashi was putting all kinds of ideas into his lover's head as they went from furniture store to furniture store. It had only been a matter of time before Kakashi fell victim to his own methods and transported his lover back home without warning to show him just what kinds of ideas their day of shopping had given him.
"Put me down!" Iruka hissed as he squirmed again, this time letting out a squeak of surprise as he abruptly dropped off of Kakashi's broad shoulder onto their bed. Despite the darkness of the room, Iruka could imagine the satisfied smirk on his lover's face to match the deep, seductive chuckle.
Iruka felt a knot in the pit of his stomach forming as he heard the distinctive poof of a henge. What if he couldn't do this? Would Kakashi be hurt? Why the hell was Kakashi so curious anyways? Before he got the chance to voice his concerns, he felt a gentle touch on his fingers. Almost immediately, he jerked his hand away from the unfamiliar caress. Those were not Kakashi's heavily scarred and calloused fingers. Gone was his lover's rough, uneven skin – the sign of a man who summoned his canine companions almost daily. Fighting the urge to squeak in surprise, Iruka remained perfectly still as those different hands danced along his arm.
"What's wrong, Iruka?"
As nervous as Iruka was, he found himself snorting at the high-pitched voice that filled his ears. He would have thought Kakashi would choose a deeper voice for his sexy no jutsu, so the girlish squeak that next hit his ears sent the chuunin into peals of laughter. Who would have thought that, of all the different types of women Kakashi could turn himself into, he would pick one who sounded like she had just breathed in the whole tank of helium?
Another poof echoed through the room, along with a squeaky 'hmph'. Iruka barely got the chance to catch his breath before Kakashi sent him into a whole new fit of hysterics as the jounin spoke again. "Maa, I didn't exactly have time to practice – unlike you, Naruto and Sasuke, you perverts."
Gone was the voice of a hyper teenager, replaced by a deep tone that could have passed for a man's. Considering it was most certainly not Kakashi's deep pitch, Iruka could only imagine the most assuredly butch woman that would match such a baritone voice. Thankfully, the room was pitch-black so Iruka could not see a single feature of his temporarily female lover. The chuunin had the feeling that if he could see his lover right now, Kakashi would lose any chance he had of trying out sex as a woman.
A third poof and Iruka learned the truth of the statement 'third time's the charm.'
"You never told me why you kept saying no."
Iruka let out a soft squeak at the sound of Kakashi's third attempt at being a woman. This time, Kakashi had compromised between his last two tries – giving himself a voice that was neither too high nor too low. Instead, it could only be described as an airy tone that made Iruka, despite his reservations, want to know what Kakashi looked like. Would he have chosen a woman like Naruto – a curved hourglass figure that straight men would drool over? Or would he have gone down a path similar to Sasuke? Iruka had seen the raven-haired man's attempts only because Sasuke had come to him for a little bit of guidance before his anniversary and, despite the mild disgust at helping his brothers with their sex life, Iruka found it touching Sasuke wanted to change very little about himself. Because, no matter what else, Sasuke had wanted to make sure Naruto was making love to him and not some fantasy woman.
"I-I…um…" Iruka scuttled backwards across the bed as he felt the bed sink under a new weight. From the slight dip in the mattress, he could only guess that this form was a fraction of Kakashi's normal size. As she moved closer to him, Iruka assumed that Kakashi had chosen similarly to Sasuke. He did not feel a noticeable curve to her hips as she slid into his lap. There were no massive breasts pressing against his chest as she leaned into him, her warm breath blowing against his neck.
A shiver went down Iruka's back as his lover's tongue teased the sensitive spot on the side of his neck. No matter what form Kakashi took, the jounin apparently did not lose any of his ability to seduce Iruka with a single swipe of his tongue. Biting his tongue to suppress a moan, Iruka tilted his head back in response to his lover's ministrations, for a moment forgetting that the person on his lap – for at least a short while – was an undoubtedly beautiful woman.
Gentle nips against Iruka's collarbone were his undoing. Kakashi knew far too well how sensitive he was when it came to his neck, but Iruka was helpless to stop his feminized lover as the jounin continued marking his neck. If anything, Iruka unconsciously begged for more with each whimper that escaped his lips as he leaned back until his head came in contact with the headboard with quite a bit of force. Barely noticing the twinge of pain as his skull met with the heavy wood behind him, Iruka could only focus on the fingers slipping underneath his shirt.
Then, as those soft, unfamiliar digits ran along his abdomen, Iruka found himself shocked back to reality. Squirming out of his lover's reach, and in the process throwing Kakashi from his lap, Iruka recalled exactly why he was against all of this in the first place.
"What's wrong, Iruka?" The chuunin shook his head at the unfamiliar voice that hit his ears. Every part of him told him that it should be Kakashi's deep, rumbling tone that he was hearing. That was Kakashi's distinct scent that his nose was picking up. Those were Kakashi's nips and licks that always sent his head spinning. That intense stare that sent his heart racing was most certainly Kakashi's. But those were not Kakashi's hands. That smaller frame was nothing like his lover's powerful, muscular body.
"I-I don't know if…if I can do this," Iruka admitted quietly with another shake of his head. "I didn't want to hurt you-"
"Hurt me?" Despite the unfamiliar tone, Iruka could still clearly hear the confusion in his lover's voice. And, even though he could see nothing, he knew Kakashi was cocking his head to the side – a habit of Naruto's that had rubbed off on his sensei years ago. It was a mannerism Kakashi had passed off onto their son as well. That small reminder of the man Iruka loved was enough for him to work up the courage to admit the one thing he had never been able to say to Kakashi before.
"You…you've loved me no matter what I looked like. I-I love you…but I don't like women. I didn't want you to think that there was something wrong with you and-" Iruka was cut off as two soft fingertips pressed against his lips.
"That's why you kept telling me no?" Kakashi asked quietly. Of all the scenarios the jounin had run though, he had never once considered Iruka's adamant refusals to be an attempt to protect him. He had only thought Iruka wanted to cling to whatever odd form of modesty he thought he was maintaining – or that it was Iruka's own way of gently turning down the opportunity to be the dominant partner for once.
Iruka, his lips still covered by his lover's fingers, could only nod in response. Instead of the grumbled 'baka' that Iruka had been expecting, the brunet was only met with a soft sigh. It was not one of exasperation, as Iruka would have thought would come out of his horny lover. He did not know how to even describe the noise, other than it was one that hit his heart with surprising force.
"You should have told me. I wouldn't have pushed you if you had," Kakashi said. Even before those quiet words hit Iruka's ears, the warmth of his lover's body was gone from his lap. Without warning, the bedroom was flooded in light. Iruka winced at the abrupt change and it took his eyes several moments to adjust.
When Iruka could finally see clearly again, he found himself rubbing at his eyes, certain he was seeing things. Instead of the woman he had been expecting to see in front of him – a woman who would have looked more at home on the cover of one of Jiraiya's books – Iruka found himself staring at a gangly teen. Pale legs were pulled up to the teen's chest, making it impossible for Iruka to guess on gender.
"I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to, Iruka." The brunet found himself staring in amazement as the teen spoke. That voice was due to Kakashi's jutsu, but now seeing the face that accompanied it, Iruka could not describe it as either male or female. All he could call it was young – and if he had to take a stab at what age, he would have to guess seventeen.
The same age Kakashi had been when he acquired so many scars, both on the inside and out. The age when the boy Kakashi had once been had been destroyed. The age at which Kakashi's facial features were broken for the first time, erasing the delicate bone structure Iruka had always had the feeling his lover had once had.
Unable to stop himself, Iruka shifted so that he was close enough to touch the teen's cheek. Gently, he turned that hauntingly beautiful face toward him so that he could see it in its entirety. Unmatched eyes flickered up to look at him before returning to stare at the bed, giving Iruka a chance to stare in awe. Unsurprisingly, the only mark on the teenager's face was a reddened scar that had yet to fully heal. Iruka leaned forwards, pressing his lips against the achingly familiar mark.
"Why this form?" Iruka asked quietly as he sat back, brushing back the teen's shaggy silver hair to expose a pale, unblemished neck. As he expected, Kakashi shrugged, but after a moment of staring at his lover, the jounin finally spoke.
"I couldn't turn myself into a woman – it always came out wrong, as you heard before," Kakashi admitted quietly. As strange and unfamiliar it felt to acknowledge his inability to master a jutsu, Kakashi also felt relieved. He had finally found something that he could not do perfectly; it was a healthy dose of humility. The harder he had tried to master Iruka's jutsu, the worse it came out. Many of those attempts, Kakashi refused to ever recall they were so pitiful and, in some cases, downright frightening. Finally, he had given up on creating a beauty that would have been on par with 'Keiko.' Instead, he tried to conjure up a form that he thought Iruka would like. He tried to create a form that was still him but only slightly feminized. Continuing, Kakashi gestured at his body. "This just happened to be the most feminine I ever looked and was the only way the jutsu didn't turn out ridiculous."
Iruka had the feeling there was more to it than that, but he was not going to pressure his lover. He could understand that Kakashi did not want to change himself into someone that did not truly exist, so he had kept his body the same – at least as much as he could while still changing genders. He had only rewound the clock on his face and body, giving Iruka a glimpse at the beautiful, delicate teenager he had once been. And right now, that teen had an angry, hurt look in her eyes as she looked at Iruka.
"I thought switching roles for once would be fun, but I'm not going to force you."
Unable to help himself, Iruka winced at his lover's choice of words. Force. It was no wonder Kakashi had every appearance of being angry – whether at himself or Iruka, the brunet had no idea. Kakashi knew what it was like to have no say when it came to sex; it was unsurprising he would never want to put Iruka into any kind of situation where the chuunin's opinion was not taken into consideration.
"Baka, I never said you were forcing me," Iruka grumbled as his fingers slowly ran through his lover's impossibly silky hair. But why would Kakashi even want to be a woman? Iruka could understand Sasuke's reasoning. He only wanted to make Naruto happy. What was Kakashi's motivation? Was he just curious about sex as a woman – as was Tsunade and everyone else in on that stupid bet of hers? But Iruka could not help but think that there was more to it than that.
It was then Iruka thought about Kakashi's other statement. Switching roles was not that unusual of a thing in most relationships, at least with the people Iruka had been with over the years. Iruka had been both seme and uke, depending on his lover at the time. But there was no taking turns with Kakashi. Iruka would have never even thought about the possibility, having learned about his lover's past. It had nothing to do with Kakashi's trust in Iruka; it was ghosts of the past that kept Kakashi from being able to voluntarily give up control.
This demand to try out sex as a woman may have ulterior motives. Oh, Kakashi's stubbornness was a good part due to his perverse nature. But how much was his subconscious? Did Kakashi unconsciously fight to learn the jutsu and put it to use because he knew he would be physically weakened and, as such, would not risk hurting Iruka if he had a particularly bad response? Or was it that the sex would be different enough that he would not be reminded of his captivity?
It may be nearly impossible for Kakashi to actually be uke, no matter how much he wanted to – no matter how much he wanted to, in his own way, to show Iruka that he trusted him unconditionally and to prove to himself that his past no longer had the same hold on him. Yet he was still going to do everything he could to try.
Iruka did not say a single thing. He couldn't even if he tried. He nearly choked on a sob as he thought about Kakashi and how much this meant to his lover. Without another thought, he cupped his lover's pale cheeks and tilted Kakashi's face upwards, forcing the jounin to look him in the eye. "I want to try…I can't promise anything, though," Iruka whispered before brushing his lips against Kakashi's.
When he felt those soft lips turn upwards in a perverse smirk, Iruka knew. He had been played. He had been tricked by a master of deception. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as the brunet ran through the past few moments and realized he had missed something. He had overlooked a flicker of chakra behind him.
Iruka let out a squeak as he felt a pair of familiar, calloused hands slip underneath his shirt and begin to slide the material up his torso. He did not have to turn around to know whose muscular chest he was being pulled against as his shirt was all but torn off. He knew that deep, rumbling voice far too well to mistake it for anyone else.
"I think I can help with that."
Despite his best attempts to glare at the mischievous teenager now crawling towards him with a playful smirk on her face, Iruka lost all ability to stay angry with his devious lover as those masterful hands dipped beneath his waistband to toy with his stiffening member. Letting out a gasp, the chuunin unconsciously leaned against his lover's familiar chest, tilting his hips to press his cock into his lover's hands. Even before he got the chance to catch his breath, Iruka found another set of fingers dancing along his skin.
"I-I didn't agree to th-this!" Iruka cried out airily as he tried to distinguish which set of hands belong to who, but lost all chance of figuring it out when either his lover or Kakashi's doppelganger began grazing their teeth along his neck. His head spinning, the only thing Iruka could do was turn his head to the side and expose more of his sensitive skin to whichever Kakashi was leaving a trail of marks down his neck.
"Maa, you said you wanted to try," Kakashi pointed out from behind Iruka. Unable to help himself, the brunet whimpered at the deep, seductive tone to his lover's voice. He knew that pitch and the hours upon hours of pleasure it always led to.
"I…I didn't say anything a-about a threesome!"
From the two sets of chuckles Iruka's words received, the brunet knew that it was going to be a long time before he fully understood his lover. He could not have been more wrong about Kakashi's motivations for trying out sex as a woman. This had nothing to do with closure for Kakashi – or at least such a minimal amount Kakashi did not even think about it. Tonight had everything to do with his lover being an unrepentant pervert.
"We'll make sure you like it, Iruka."
XXX
Iruka groaned, unable to do anything else. He couldn't even roll over onto his side, his entire body was so sore and deliciously tired. Instead, he shifted his gaze over to the head of silver hair that was covered with a layer of soft white feathers. There went their brand new pillows – then again, Iruka wasn't expecting them to last all that long, considering his and Kakashi's sex life.
Somehow, the brunet mustered up the strength to turn onto his side as every muscle in his body screamed. He had had some particularly energetic nights with Kakashi before, but there had only been one of him to go around last night – and two of Kakashi! It wasn't fair! Then again, Iruka couldn't complain. Last night had been…well…
A giggle bubbled up in the back of the brunet's throat as he leaned towards his lover and brushed some of the hair away from Kakashi's face. Unsurprisingly, he was met with a youthful face. At some point during the night, Iruka had figured out that the "real" Kakashi was just a clone and the young woman Iruka was buried inside was his lover. He wasn't too sure how he knew for certain, but he just knew.
"Morning, sleepy head," Iruka whispered as he ran his fingers along his lover's temporarily delicate, feminine features. In response, Kakashi huffed adorably before snuggling closer to the pillow. Content just to watch his lover sleep, Iruka pulled the blankets up to cover Kakashi's nude frame. The jounin mumbled a contented sound, but otherwise remained blissfully asleep, sprawled out across their gigantic bed on his belly.
Unconsciously, Iruka's fingertips danced along his lover's bare back in a soothing pattern as he watched the powerful jounin sleep. Proof of their night was scattered across Kakashi's visible skin. Faint scratch marks from Iruka's whiskers covered the teen's face. Dark marks from a sleepless night lay below the jounin's closed eyes. Reddened spots marked Kakashi's shoulders and back.
After a few more minutes of watching Kakashi sleep, Iruka found himself thinking about how much his life had changed since meeting his lover. Kakashi had turned his life upside down. He had changed everything Iruka had once known. And Iruka could not have asked for anything more.
"I love you," Iruka whispered, not knowing any other words that could possibly encompass everything Kakashi had come to mean to him in such a short period of time. Kakashi had shown him love and passion. He had shown him the humor in life. He had given Iruka the most precious gift – their son.
"Saki!" Iruka squeaked as he flew from the bed, already dancing around the room to dress himself in something appropriate. Kakashi grumbled as he sat up, rubbing his eyes before stretching and yawning. The jounin shifted, unashamedly revealing that he had altered his jutsu at some point while Iruka slept to return himself to the proper gender.
Despite the flurry of downright dirty thoughts that went through Iruka's mind as he studied his beautiful, very young lover, he did not have time right now to put all of them in action. Today was Saki's birthday. That meant it was also Christmas and at least a dozen shinobi would be coming for dinner – not to mention Naruto and Sasuke who were probably on their way over at that very moment.
And as Iruka heard the click of a door opening, he recalled the horrible truth. Naruto had awful timing.
"MERRY CHRIST…mas?"
Iruka winced at his brother's high-pitched tone, one that somehow went up an octave as blue eyes focused on the naked teenager in Iruka and Kakashi's bed. In true Kakashi-fashion, the jounin only stretched some more, not caring that his ex-students were getting quite an eyeful. Sasuke could only grumble before turning around and walking in the direction of his nephew's nursery. Naruto, on the other hand, was frozen in place, an accusing finger pointed at the silver-haired teen.
"I-Iruka…y-y-you're cheating on Kakashi? How could you!" Naruto demanded as accusing blue eyes turned to the brunet. Iruka could only shake his head, not knowing how that could possibly be their next Hokage. Sure, Naruto was powerful, kind, and otherwise exactly what their village needed now. But sometimes, one had to wonder if he wasn't hit on the head a few too many times as a child. "And with a kid?"
"Baka," Iruka could only mumble under his breath as he flung a pair of boxers at his still-indecently dressed boyfriend. Kakashi made no move to get dressed. Instead, he turned to stare at Naruto until the blonde's jaw dropped, obviously finally realizing that the would-be home wrecker had the same eyes as Kakashi.
"OI! Whatever kinds of creepy things you guys do in bed is your thing, but I don't wanna know!"
"Then stop breaking in first thing in the morning," Kakashi grumbled with a yawn, his voice slightly lower than it had been last night when he had been female. Finally awake enough, the jounin dropped the last of his odd sexy no jutsu and threw on his boxers before they could hear about how Naruto was going blind.
Iruka shook his head at the two jounin before he went off in search of Sasuke and Saki, discovering the two of them, unsurprisingly, in the nursery. What was surprising, however, was the odd look on the raven-haired man's face as he watched his nephew sleep. Iruka studied the tall man, unable to break the silence. It was not normal to catch Sasuke in one of his exposed moments, when Iruka could see the fragile, lonely boy he had once been until he had accepted Naruto's love.
Finally, Iruka could not stand the saddened look on the jounin's face any longer. "Are you okay, Sasuke?" Iruka asked as he hesitantly stepped into the room, not wanting to startle the ANBU captain. He had learned from Kakashi that it was never a good idea to surprise a jounin. It was obvious Sasuke was deep in thought; it took several moments for the jounin to finally turn to Iruka and nod his head in response.
"Just wishful thinking," Sasuke said quietly as he leaned against the crib's railing, turning back to watch Saki sleep. With a deep sigh, he continued, "You and Kakashi are so lucky to have him. If I could give Naruto a family…I would in a heartbeat."
Iruka found himself instinctively moving to wrap his arms around the tall jounin, knowing nothing he could say could get Sasuke out of his current mood. Whatever it was that had gotten into Sasuke, Iruka had the feeling that only time could help the ANBU captain. Sasuke knew he was surrounded by a loving family, but what he wanted was more than brothers and a beautiful nephew. He wanted a child of his own.
"If we could, Kakashi and I would have another…" Iruka finally replied as he leaned his head against Sasuke's chest, his gaze focusing on the baby. As he watched his son sleep, Iruka's chest tightened. Who would have thought a jutsu gone awry could have given him such a precious gift? If only he knew exactly how conceiving Saki had been possible, perhaps Naruto and Sasuke could one day have a similar miracle. That thought gave Iruka an idea.
"After the holidays are over…I'm going to go talk to Tsunade-sama," Iruka stated, knowing that there was no reason for him to keep his unique jutsu a mystery anymore. Not when he was selfishly keeping his brothers from having any chance of a similar future. A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips when he saw the confusion flash in Sasuke's dark eyes. As the jounin started to figure out what Iruka meant, Sasuke's eyes widened and Iruka found himself in a crushing hug that stole the very breath from him.
Awkwardly, Iruka tried to return the embrace, but his arms were almost completely pinned to his sides. Instead, he rested his head against the jounin's shoulder and listened to Sasuke's raspy breaths of air, a mixture of a laugh, a gasp, and perhaps even a sob. A few years ago, Iruka might have been terrified at the Uchiha's response. Even a year ago, he might have been worried that something was wrong. Now, he knew that Sasuke was only beyond grateful and moved by Iruka's offer.
Finally, Sasuke slowly released his death-like grip and pulled back, giving Iruka a chance to breathe. Gasping for air, Iruka stumbled back slightly, grabbing the edge of the crib for support. After a few deep breaths, the chuunin was able to look up at the ANBU captain and see the awe in Sasuke's gaze.
"Thank you," the jounin whispered as he quickly wiped at suspiciously bright eyes, erasing any hint of tears before they had the chance to stain his cheeks. Iruka could only smile at the young man, knowing that he was one of the few people who had ever seen that warm look in Sasuke's eyes.
"Think of it as a Christmas present."
"We're opening Christmas presents already!" Naruto's voice echoed throughout the house and, even before Iruka and Sasuke had the chance to turn towards the nursery door, the blonde was there with a look of excitement that would have been far more fitting in the eyes of a five year old than the village's next Hokage.
"It was something for Sasuke," Iruka replied with a shake of his head, wondering if his brother would ever grow up enough to stop acting like a child on Christmas. He desperately hoped not. That childish joy and excitement was so much a part of Naruto that Iruka could never imagine his brother without it.
"What'cha get?" Naruto bounded over to his lover in search of some brightly-wrapped present, only to pout when he realized Sasuke held nothing in his hands. Grumbling, the blonde turned to Iruka. "What did you give him?"
"Hope," Iruka replied with a smile. It was not his place to inform Naruto; it was Sasuke's choice whether to tell Naruto now or after they figured out if such a thing was possible for anyone other than Iruka. The brunet had the feeling Sasuke would wait until after Tsunade figured everything out, not wanting to get his lover's hopes up if it turned out Iruka truly was a special case and it had little to do with his jutsu.
"Whaa? How do you give hope? And hope about what?" Naruto continued firing off questions even as Sasuke began dragging his lover out of the room and towards the kitchen. Once he could no longer hear his ranting brother, Iruka let out a sigh of relief. It was far too early in the morning to hear Naruto's voice. Iruka much preferred the deep, rumbling voice that got him to spin around and blush.
"Why do I have the feeling this has something to do with your jutsu?"
"Ehh…well…erm…" Iruka scratched the back of his head, unable to stand his lover's knowing look. Kakashi had a way, by just raising a single eyebrow, to make anyone want to spill every secret they ever had. "We were going to see if Sasuke could…well…"
"If he could use your jutsu to conceive? I thought Tsunade said you were the only one who could," Kakashi pointed out as he wrapped his arms around his lover, resting his chin on Iruka's shoulder as he glanced down at their slumbering son. Somehow, Saki was able to sleep through his energetic uncle's whining. Regretfully, they would have to wake up the little brunet soon or else Naruto would go insane waiting to open the mountain of presents downstairs.
"I've never let her do any tests to see exactly how we had Saki…maybe it is something Sasuke could learn," Iruka replied quietly as he followed Kakashi's gaze. The corner of his lips twitched upwards as he watched the baby begin to rub his eyes with those tiny fists of his. "Can you believe Saki is a year old already? It seems like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant."
Iruka could all but feel the smile that graced his lover's face as Kakashi brushed his fingers across the brunet's taught abdomen. Gone was the slight roundness, thanks to Kakashi and the man's insatiable lust. The stretch marks had begun to fade, but Iruka knew they would never be completely gone, serving as a visible reminder of what he had gone through. What always touched Iruka most of all was the constant tingle of chakra that ran in a pattern of lines across his abdomen. Even after all this time, Kakashi had refused to remove the seal. Even if he left on a mission, Kakashi always wanted to be there for his lover – protecting him, taking care of him – in spirit.
Nuzzling against his lover, Iruka let out a content sigh. It was unbelievable that twenty months ago, he had taken on a stupid bet for Tsunade – and he had been given more than he could have ever hoped for because of it. "Thank you," he whispered softly as he pressed a kiss against his lover's neck.
"I should be the one thanking you." Kakashi gently turned Iruka in his arms so his brunet was facing him. Digging into the pocket of his pants, the jounin felt for the tiny box. Finally brushing against its velvety cover, he wrapped his fingers around the object. To think, something so small could be so important. Swallowing heavily, Kakashi looked into his lover's eyes. "I-I want to ask you something…"
"Of course." Iruka furrowed his eyebrows. There was a strange sound to Kakashi's voice that Iruka couldn't quite place. It took him a few moments of staring at his lover's face to realize just why Kakashi sounded so different all of a sudden. Kakashi's tone lacked its normal confidence; for the first time since he met Kakashi, he could see the uncertainty in his lover's features. But what could Kakashi possibly be unsure of?
"I've…I've been meaning to ask you for a while…" Kakashi stumbled over the words, forgetting the eloquent speech he had prepared weeks ago when he had finally picked out the perfect ring. Gone was his ability to even speak, much less tell Iruka just how much he meant to him. He couldn't find the words to tell Iruka how, because of him, Kakashi now had, not simply a house, but a home. Iruka had given him a family that Kakashi never dreamed of one day having. Because of Iruka, he was no longer alone.
"W-Will you m-"
"OI, STOP BURNING SAKI'S POOR VIRGIN EYES AND GET DOWN HERE! I WANT MY PRESENTS!"
Iruka dropped his head and shook it in amusement. Only Naruto could possibly be less mature than his year-old nephew. Then there was his ability to wake the dead from across the house. Hearing a little sniffle, Iruka swooped down and picked up his whimpering son before Saki could work up enough air to cry. A gentle kiss on the baby's head was enough to make Saki's hiccupping turn into laughter as he wrapped his arms around Iruka's neck, squealing 'Papa' over and over. Iruka turned back towards Kakashi and could only raise an eyebrow as he watched his lover mumble to himself as he repeatedly hit his forehead into the wall. The brunet could swear he heard his lover grumble something about killing Naruto.
"What were you going to ask me?" Iruka asked hesitantly as he shifted Saki in his arms. After a moment, Kakashi stopped putting a dent into the wall and turned to look at Iruka with a look that told the brunet that he was going to have to keep Naruto a far distance from Kakashi if the blonde wanted to live to see another day.
"I'll ask you later," Kakashi grumbled with a shake of his head. There went his perfect moment to ask Iruka. If he got the chance, he would strangle Naruto's little neck. Of all the people to ruin the atmosphere, it had to be that loud-mouthed idiot. Naruto knew what Kakashi was planning on asking Iruka. Kakashi had even bowed to tradition and asked the moron for permission, so there was no way Naruto could have forgotten that awkward conversation much less the plans he had dragged out of Kakashi.
He was going to ask Iruka Christmas morning, before they got too busy with presents, guests, and everything else. He wanted to ask Iruka when it was just the two of them – well, both of them and Saki. He wanted to give the romantic speech he had planned for so long. He wanted to tell Iruka how much he loved him, how Iruka had changed his life in ways Kakashi had never dreamed of.
And that moron ruined it.
Although he cared for Naruto immensely, right now he wouldn't think twice if given the chance to throttle his future Hokage. Hadn't he and Naruto – mere minutes ago – gone over the last details after Iruka had left the bedroom? Hadn't Naruto handed him the velvet box this very morning after holding onto it for weeks so that Iruka did not stumble upon it in his compulsive cleanings of the house?
"You sure?" Iruka cocked his head to the side, wondering why on earth Kakashi was grinding his teeth. Whatever Kakashi had been about to ask him, it must have been something important. From the look on Kakashi's face, Iruka knew he wasn't going to hear his lover's question for some time.
"Un…go down and make sure Naruto doesn't start tearing into presents. I'll get Saki cleaned and dressed," Kakashi mumbled as he plucked their son out of Iruka's arms. The baby giggled as he landed a wet kiss on his father's cheek. The jounin cracked a small smile, unable to stay in a bad mood when cuddling his affectionate son.
"I love you." Standing on the tips of his toes, Iruka brushed his lips against the discolored spot on Kakashi's forehead – a result of his lover's attempts to put a hole into the wall with his head. Shifting his weight back onto his heels, Iruka studied his lover. What had Kakashi been about to ask? Why wouldn't he ask now? And why had his lover been fiddling with something in his pocket? Kakashi wasn't the nervous, fidgety type. What could he possibly have been holding onto that was so small, Iruka could not even see an outline of it in his pocket?
"Love you too," Kakashi replied, watching his lover for any indication Iruka figured out what he was about to ask him. From the slight confusion in Iruka's brown eyes, however, his brunet had not yet realized. Kakashi was strangely thankful. He wanted to surprise Iruka. To keep his lover's mind off of his question, Kakashi smirked as he spoke. "Mind making coffee? After last night, I'm going to need it."
Iruka blushed brightly at Kakashi's subtle reminder of their night of depraved pleasure. As exhausted as Iruka was, his lover had to be twice as tired considering he had somehow kept up a jutsu the entire night as well as maintained his clone. Still the shade of a tomato, Iruka wandered out of the nursery, his head filled with memories from last night.
Kakashi shook his head as he watched his lover leave. Sometimes it was too easy to distract Iruka by embarrassing him. Then again, Kakashi loved how easy it was to make his lover blush and stutter. The jounin smiled as he looked down at Saki.
"Dada?" Saki's chubby little fingers stretched up to touch the red mark on Kakashi's forehead. The jounin could only chuckle, wondering what had gone through Iruka's mind when he had seen him banging his head into the wall.
"Alright, you. Time to get dressed…then presents!" Saki squealed at his father's excited tone, clapping his hands together. Kakashi, with almost a year's worth of experience, had his son changed and in his clothes in a matter of moments. Eyeing the baby, now dressed in an adorable little dress shirt and slacks Iruka had picked out for him, Kakashi let out a laugh. Saki looked just as comfortable in the fancy clothes as Kakashi did whenever he was forced to get dressed up. And, from the pout on Saki's face, the outfit may not make it past breakfast if the baby had anything to do with it.
Knowing something that would make Saki smile, Kakashi pulled the tiny box out of his pocket. Opening it, he placed the velvet-covered box into his son's grabbing hands. Saki studied the silver ring, letting out an 'ooooo' as he touched the band of diamonds than ran around the entire piece of jewelry.
It had taken so long to pick out the perfect ring for Iruka. His lover would never want anything too ostentatious, so Kakashi did not buy one a ring set with large stones. Iruka would not want something that was too expensive, even though Kakashi could well afford any ring he had seen in the jewelry stores. But no store had anything that matched those two seemingly simple criteria. Kakashi had even brought Naruto and Sasuke on one of his adventures, praying that those two could help him pick out a ring, but neither could find anything that they thought Iruka would like. Finally, Kakashi had found a little antique store on the other side of the village when he wasn't even looking for a ring, but furniture for the house. Amazingly, while he was looking at tables, he saw a display case. In the glass box were numerous antique necklaces and other glittery jewelry, but what caught Kakashi's eye was a little blue velvet box with a ring nestled in it. It had been perfect.
"Think Papa will like it?" Kakashi asked his son as he leaned against the changing table so that he was at eye level with Saki. The baby giggled, which Kakashi could only guess was an affirmative response. "I think he'll say yes…I hope he does…" the jounin whispered, revealing his unease. One word – one simple response – and Kakashi could either have everything he could have ever wanted in life or have his heart dashed to pieces. With a sigh, the jounin picked up his son's pajamas and quickly threw them into the hamper. Turning back to his child, he saw a sight that made his blood run cold.
Saki was sitting up on the changing table, playing with the blue velvet box, but what made Kakashi's heart skip a beat was the distinctive lack of a certain silver ring in said box. "Saki…where is the ring?" Kakashi asked slowly as he studied every inch of the changing table for the ring, but he couldn't find it. Lifting his son from the table, Kakashi found that Saki was not sitting on it. Gently, he set the baby back down and checked to see if the ring was in Saki's clothes, but to no avail. Dropping to the floor, he felt along the plush carpet but found nothing other than toys Saki had hidden underneath the furniture.
"Saki, what did you do with the ring?" Kakashi asked again as he ran a hand through his hair. The ring had to be somewhere in the room, but where? He had only turned away from Saki for a second…his son couldn't have hidden it too far in that amount of time. Sighing, Kakashi began checking the drawers to see if the ring had somehow fallen into one of them. Next came the hamper and after that, the crib.
XXX
Iruka raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at Naruto, who was wiggling in a way that told the chuunin his brother was mere moments from tearing into the pile of presents – with or without his nephew. What on earth was Kakashi doing upstairs? It was already over half an hour since he had come downstairs to put on a pot of coffee. Iruka had heard a few bangs of dresser drawers opening and closing, but it should not take that long to get Saki dressed.
"Oiii…when do I get to open presents!"
"Baka, those are for Saki, not you," Sasuke grumbled in response before taking another sip of his coffee. Naruto only whined in response, obviously forgetting that he had opened all of his presents from Sasuke at midnight because he could not wait for morning like any sane adult.
Iruka let out a sigh of relief when he heard Kakashi finally come down the stairs. Watching as Kakashi wandered into the room with Saki in his arms, the brunet could only raise an eyebrow in amusement. Kakashi's hair stuck out even more than normal, revealing the jounin had been running his hands through it a number of times. Saki, on the other hand, looked adorable in his little outfit. In fact, he had the same look on his face as his father did whenever Iruka forced Kakashi into a dress shirt.
Smiling, Iruka got up off of the couch and went over to his lover. "You okay?" Iruka asked softly as he brushed a kiss against Kakashi's bare cheek. The jounin only grumbled an incomprehensible response before going to plop on the couch next to Sasuke. Saki, his eyes widening as he took in the mound of brightly-wrapped presents, let out a squeal before launching himself to the floor where he and Naruto began tearing the paper to shreds.
With a shake of his head, Iruka watched his son and brother as they opened present after present. After a few minutes, Iruka began getting a headache from the matching shrieks every time a new toy was unearthed. Turning away from the excitement, Iruka nearly ran over Bull as the gigantic dog rubbed up against his leg.
"Oh! I didn't know you guys were here," Iruka said in surprise when he saw Kakashi's entire pack filing into the room. Bull covered the chuunin's hand in a slobbery kiss as his greeting while Pakkun and the others nodded their heads.
"Kakashi summoned us a little while ago to look for the r-…for something…"
Look for something? Oh, Kakashi must have misplaced something and had been searching for it for the past half hour. Now knowing why his boyfriend looked like he stuck a finger in an electric socket, Iruka felt a little relieved. And, considering Pakkun didn't want to tell him exactly what they had been searching for, Iruka could only assume it was a present for him.
"Find it?" Iruka asked as he dropped down to his knees and scratched behind the pug's ears. Pakkun's short tail began wagging as he tilted his head so that Iruka could rub his favorite spot. The pug let out a groan that Iruka knew to be one of pure joy; it had been some time since Saki was not on top of Pakkun, tugging at his ears and demanding to ride around the house.
"Nope…the idiot somehow lost it…hopefully we'll find it later or else he might go jump off a bridge," Pakkun grumbled, obviously not wanting to talk while he was getting pet. Iruka raised an eyebrow at that statement, wondering what Kakashi could have possibly gotten him that could be lost so easily – and apparently of great importance.
XXX
Iruka shook his head as he bent down to pick up the last of the wrapping paper. What had he and Kakashi been thinking, inviting their friends to their first Christmas in the Hatake mansion? The better question, however, might be: had he lost his mind inviting so many people over on Saki's first birthday? Presents of all shapes and sizes now covered the living room. Saki now had every toy he could ever dream of, not to mention the wardrobes' worth of clothes he had gotten as well. A few people had even gotten Saki weapons – dulled down, of course, so that Saki didn't hurt himself.
Crumpling up the paper into a ball, Iruka looked over at the smaller pile of presents Kakashi and he had received. Many were practical presents – things for the kitchen, linens, et cetera. Then there were those presents from Anko. Iruka's eye twitched as he wondered why she had seen the need to get them a lifetime supply of lubricant and a box of toys he and Kakashi dare not open while their son was around.
Letting out a soft sigh, the brunet glanced over at the couch, where his lover had passed out several hours ago. Saki was on his father's abdomen, curled up in a little ball that looked quite similar to Pakkun's current position at his master's feet. Bull and the others were spread out across the house, having fallen asleep wherever they felt like it. He had roused Sasuke and Naruto an hour ago and sent the two upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms where they could sleep off the copious amounts of alcohol they had consumed. Most of their other guests had stumbled out into the snow at least two hours ago, leaving Iruka alone to clean up while everyone else slept.
Although it seemed like a punishment, Iruka enjoyed the work, picking up trash and plates, organizing Saki's toys, and otherwise cleaning up the damage of a great Christmas party. It gave him time to think about many things. One main thing he pondered was how an entire year could have already gone by since Saki was born. At times, it felt like a blink of an eye since he became a father. Other times, he felt like he could not remember a time when his son was not in his life. It was the same way when he thought about all the months he had been with Kakashi.
Gingerly, Iruka knelt down next to the couch and brushed a finger against his lover's face. How could he have possibly lived before Kakashi? How had he smiled before he knew Kakashi's wit? How had he fallen asleep at night without his lover's warm arms around him? Gently, as not to wake up his slumbering partner, Iruka brushed his lips against Kakashi's.
Sitting back on his heels, the brunet glanced down at Saki, who was snoring quietly in time with the rise and fall of his father's abdomen. Despite how adorable his son looked, Iruka knew he really should put Saki in his crib before he rolled off Kakashi and fell to the floor. With the experience of doing this many times, Iruka smoothly lifted Saki up. Shifting the baby in his arms, Iruka laid his son's head against his shoulder and received a little grunt, but Saki remained blissfully asleep.
Iruka was about to get up and bring Saki to the nursery, but froze when he felt something hard press against his chest. Not putting it past Kakashi's friends to give Saki a few more weapons Iruka had not seen, the brunet began feeling for the piece of metal. Finally discovering the tiny, circular piece in the bottom of one of Saki's pants pockets, Iruka ran his fingers along the warm metal as he fought to pull the bit of metal out of the tiny pouch.
He could feel a slightly rough edge that encircled the entire piece, but it felt nothing like a weapon's edge, even a dulled one like Saki's other presents. Not to mention the metal was an unusual shape and size for a normal weapon. Curious, Iruka held the object in the palm of his hand. Even in the dim lighting, it only took Iruka a moment to recognize the metal for what it was.
Iruka could not stop himself from gasping as the light caught the roughened edge he had felt, and Iruka could see the row of diamonds set in a band of silver. He did not have to think for more than a moment to understand Kakashi's strange behavior today.
Will you m-…will you marry me?
Kakashi had been about to propose to him this morning! The nervousness, the insecurity, the annoyance towards Naruto – it now made sense. And his lover's frantic searching of the nursery, even going as far as to call his pack of ninken…he had somehow lost the ring while he had been getting Saki dressed. And the ring had been in Saki's pocket the entire time!
Iruka did not even notice the tears coursing down his face as he kissed his lover, waking the jounin up with ease. A growl of appreciation rumbled in the back of his lover's throat as Kakashi returned the kiss, his tongue dancing along Iruka's lower lip, begging for entrance. Iruka whimpered as his head spun, his body suddenly feeling far too warm for comfort.
Kakashi's fingers wove into his hair, forcing Iruka's head to remain still as the jounin plunged his tongue into his lover's mouth. As he kissed his brunet, Kakashi groaned. What a way to wake up! He was not about to ask what had gotten into Iruka, but when he brushed his thumb against his lover's cheek and felt a suspicious wetness, he pulled away instantly.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, trying to think of something that could have happened while he was asleep that could possibly make Iruka cry. This was not Iruka's normal teary eyes at something touching. His lover was gasping for air, making a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob. Leaning backwards, Kakashi studied his lover's face. Iruka was grinning from ear to ear, but tears stained his cheeks. "Are you okay, Iruka?"
"Yes, yes. The answer is yes!" Iruka cried out between frantic kisses he placed across Kakashi's face. The jounin furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why his question had gotten such an exuberant reaction. It was then he saw the glint of metal in the palm of Iruka's hand. Kakashi completely lost his train of thought as he stared at the diamond ring, unable to say anything as Iruka's words finally hit him. Unknowingly, Kakashi began grinning like an idiot.
"R-Really?" Kakashi whispered in awe, a chuckle bubbling up in the back of his throat. He was too happy at the moment to ask where Iruka had found the ring. Able to do little else, the jounin showered kisses on his lover's – his fiancé's – face. That thought made Kakashi freeze in amazement. Fiancé. Iruka was his fiancé! With shaking hands, the jounin plucked the ring out of Iruka's grasp.
Before his lover could ask what he was doing, he switched positions with Iruka, dropping down to one knee in front of the now-seated brunet. Kakashi smiled at his lover's still watery eyes, and then glanced down at the baby sleeping in Iruka's arms. Saki somehow could sleep through anything. As he looked down at his son and saw the little devious curve of Saki's lips, Kakashi had the sinking feeling Saki had the missing ring on him all this time.
"Will you marry me?" Kakashi asked quietly as he held the ring up. Despite having already heard his lover's answer, Kakashi still found himself swallowing heavily as he waited in anticipation for Iruka to speak. The brunet let out a soft laugh as he shook his head in amusement.
"I already said yes," he pointed out. Even though he already knew what that ring meant – and had even given his answer – the sight of Kakashi on bended knee made butterflies flutter in his stomach. The sound of that single question made his heart soar. And, most of all, the look in Kakashi's mismatched eyes made Iruka cry for reasons he couldn't put into words.
"Maa…I might as well do one thing the right way."
Iruka laughed at those words. When had Kakashi ever bowed to tradition and custom? They had gone about their relationship backwards: have a one-night stand and conceive a child, fall in love, become parents, and then get to know one another. Of course, they may have met in more normal circumstances if given the chance, but Iruka knew that he would have never gotten to know and love Kakashi the way he did now had it not been for his lover's unconventional personality. Of course, even though it went against so much of Kakashi's character, Iruka was still touched that Kakashi wanted to propose to him "the right way."
"Then yes. Yes I will marry you," Iruka replied softly, blinking quickly in attempts to clear his watery gaze. Biting his lower lip to keep himself from sobbing, Iruka watched as Kakashi took his left hand and slipped the silver band onto his ring finger. It was a perfect fit. The weight and feel of the metal around his finger, though unfamiliar, were sensations that Iruka knew he would more than happily grow accustomed to.
And he now had an entire lifetime to get used to the knowledge he was the luckiest man on earth.
XXX
Iruka let out a chuckle as he watched Saki and Kakashi playing on the floor. Both lay on their bellies, tinkering with a xylophone Sasuke – the evil bastard – had gotten Saki for Christmas. As the two hit a particularly discordant chord, Iruka winced. Saki was a genius in many ways, but a musician he was not. If anything, the baby only laughed louder as he banged on the keys to produce that painful sound again and again.
Hearing a knock on the door, Iruka pushed himself off of the doorframe and made his way towards the front door. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see Naruto and Sasuke on the other side. Usually, the two did not bother knocking. Then again, since Naruto had the bad luck to pop in the other day while Iruka and Kakashi were preoccupied, the blonde had been a little more cognizant of the social niceties, such as knocking before barging into someone else's house.
"Is Kakashi around?" Naruto asked as he strode into the house. Iruka only rolled his eyes at his brother's one-track mind as the blonde jounin continued to make his way towards the sound of Saki's xylophone.
"Good to see you too, Naruto…happy new year," Iruka mumbled as he turned to look at Sasuke. The tall jounin bent down to kiss Iruka's cheek before he stepped into the house. Eying the Uchiha, Iruka saw a line between the jounin's eyebrows that usually was only there when Naruto was in the hospital for some stupid act or another. It was a sign of worry, mixed with annoyance.
"Happy new year, Iruka," Sasuke greeted softly. Iruka needed only to raise an eyebrow as he looked at the jounin for Sasuke to explain his and Naruto's presence this early in the morning. The two jounin should still be asleep, considering they had gone to a New Year's Eve party last night that probably went until the wee hours of the morning. Considering Anko hosted the party, Sasuke was probably nursing a hangover, which could explain some of his aggravation. "Naruto has a mission. He has to go to the Village of the Mist for a few weeks."
"And he came over here…why?" Iruka asked as he and the jounin began wandering towards the kitchen for some much-needed coffee. It was not until both shinobi were comfortably seated at the table with coffee in hand that Sasuke finally began speaking.
"He needs a bodyguard. He wanted to ask Kakashi," Sasuke mumbled into his mug before sipping at the hot liquid, obviously not wanting to elaborate any more. But Iruka knew the jounin. The dark look in Sasuke's eyes told far more to the story. The flicker of pain in those dark orbs revealed a great deal that Sasuke was not willing to say.
"You aren't going with him?"
"Their shinobi have a standing order to kill me if I ever step into their village again," Sasuke admitted softly as his free hand tightened into a white-knuckled fist. Iruka did not have to ask the jounin to elaborate. Mist was only one of the many villages that Sasuke had very nearly wiped off of the map during his years as a missing nin. They just happened to be one of the few villages still carrying a grudge, even after all this time and all the efforts Sasuke had made to prove he was a different person. Looking at the jounin, Iruka could hardly recognize him as the same person who had become the boogeyman for shinobi around the world. He had been once held on the same level as Orochimaru. No, Sasuke had been deemed worse than his mentor. Orochimaru had been insane; Sasuke was calm and rational, which made him all the more frightening. He was viewed that way even after Naruto had dragged him back to Konoha. It had taken the village several years to trust Sasuke.
"Ah." Iruka did not know what to say to Sasuke's statement. Anyone who knew Sasuke knew he was only to be feared by missing nin and those who would even think of harming his lover or friends. The brunet had the feeling it was going to take years of diplomacy to convince Mist shinobi of that fact.
"It is a diplomatic mission, so there is little risk…but…"
"But he still shouldn't go alone," Iruka followed the Uchiha's thoughts, finishing his sentence. The chuunin could not help but wonder if Naruto's need for a bodyguard was one of Tsunade's requirements or if it was Sasuke's. Considering Naruto did not care what the Hokage told him, the fact he was asking Kakashi to come with him probably had more to do with his lover's demands.
It was then Iruka realized what it meant if Kakashi agreed to go. Kakashi would be gone for weeks, perhaps a month or more. He would be putting his life in danger the entire time. A cold shiver went down Iruka's back at those thoughts. Could he possibly let Kakashi go? Iruka very nearly smacked himself for that thought. Kakashi was a grown man; Iruka could not tell him what to do. But, as Iruka glanced down at the band around his finger, he wondered just how much of a right he had in Kakashi's decisions. Any choice Kakashi now made affected Iruka and Saki as well.
"Maa…" Iruka looked up from his engagement ring to see his lover – his future husband – in the doorway. Sasuke turned as well, eyeing his old teacher with a raised eyebrow. "Give us a minute." Iruka watched in amazement as Sasuke left without any argument, actually for once doing what someone told him without even as much as a glare. Once Sasuke was gone, Kakashi took his seat across the table from Iruka. "He told you?"
"About Naruto's mission?" Iruka saw the small nod of Kakashi's head as his fiancé studied the table, his mismatched eyes thoughtful. "Did you give him an answer yet?" Iruka asked, curious to hear whether or not Kakashi was going to be leaving for a few weeks.
"Not yet…I want to hear your opinion first," Kakashi replied as he reached across the table, taking Iruka's hand in his own. Unconsciously, he ran his thumb across the warm metal band surrounding his brunet's ring finger as he studied Iruka. The moment Naruto had asked him, Kakashi had not thought about the mission, but Iruka and Saki. He had not weighed the risks and benefits as he always used to. No, for once, his first thoughts were for how his actions would affect others. His first thought made him realize he could not possibly make a decision like this without hearing Iruka's thoughts. "It would be three or four weeks at most. Naruto just has to go to sign some treaties…opening up borders for trade, letting their shinobi enter our chuunin exams…simple political things. The risk is minimal, but our relationship with Mist is still uneasy, so Tsunade wants Naruto to take someone with him."
"And Sasuke can't go," Iruka added as he nodded in understanding. "Has Naruto considered asking anyone else to go with him?" Naruto had countless friends – friends without children. Iruka knew, as hard and lonely as it would be, he could survive the month or so without Kakashi, but it would be much more difficult for Saki. The last time Kakashi was gone for any long period of time, they had learned that Saki understood enough to go in search of his father. Could he understand why Daddy was gone for so long this time or would he transport himself to who knows where in search of him?
"I am one of the few with contacts in Mist." The tone of Kakashi's voice told Iruka that the jounin had already considered his options and, as much as he would miss his lover and son, Kakashi had a duty to his village.
Iruka closed his eyes and sighed. Kakashi did not have to add the fact that he was one of Konoha's best shinobi. He was not only a warrior, but a diplomat. That added to the fact Mist shinobi were comfortable around him made Kakashi the perfect person to protect their future Hokage. Naruto had probably already thought of anyone else to ask, knowing that Kakashi would be leaving behind a small son and fiancé. But who else would ease negotiations and assure his safety?
"Go with him," Iruka whispered as he looked across the table at his lover. Gently, he squeezed Kakashi's hand and smiled. From the furrow between his lover's eyebrows, Iruka could see that Kakashi had not been expecting that response. "Naruto needs you. Saki and I will be fine for a month."
"You're sure?" Kakashi asked quietly, watching for the slightest hesitance in Iruka's features, but he knew he wouldn't see any. His lover had already weighed their options and, if it meant risking his brother's safety, he would not consider being selfish enough to demand Kakashi stay. "We would be leaving in a few hours."
"Then we better start packing."
XXX
Iruka wiped at his eyes, knowing that when he looked up again, he would no longer see his lover's outline anymore. Naruto and Kakashi had raced off as fast as they could to outrun the approaching snow storm, leaving little time for goodbyes. Touching his cheek where Kakashi had pressed a kiss mere seconds ago, the brunet sighed. This was going to be a long month without Kakashi and Naruto around.
"Bye bye Dada." Iruka could not help but smile as he watched Saki wave at the tree line from his uncle's arms. Sasuke did not say anything. The expression on his face spoke for him. If it did not mean the possibility of starting another war, he would have gone with Naruto and said to hell with what other villages thought of him.
Iruka slid an arm around Sasuke's waist and gently hugged the jounin. "Think…a month without Naruto's screeching." Though meant to be a joke, Iruka caught a glimpse of the frown on Sasuke's face. Somehow, he enjoyed that high-pitched sound that only Naruto was capable of. Iruka tightened his arm around Sasuke, moving so that he was pulling the jounin back towards the village. "Come on, we've got to get your room ready."
"Eh?"
"You didn't think you were staying at your place this whole month, did you?" Iruka asked with a smile. He did not have to be a mind reader to know that Sasuke was already lonely without his lover by his side. Iruka could not recall a time in the past several years that those two were apart for any length of time. Sasuke and Naruto did countless missions together and, even when they took different assignments, they were separated for a few days or a week at most. They had somehow been able to schedule their shinobi life around their love for one another.
To imagine going back to Sasuke in his large apartment, now silent without Naruto there, brought tears to Iruka's eyes. Iruka had Saki to keep him preoccupied, but Sasuke would be completely alone. What better way to spend the next month than having Sasuke around for the benefit of them all? Another pair of hands would always be welcome with all the messes Saki could make, but Iruka would also be appreciative of the additional presence and adult conversation. Seeing the warm look in the Uchiha's eyes, Iruka admitted to himself that his offer had little to do with his own comfort. Sasuke was as much a brother to him as Naruto. There was no way he could let the jounin be alone.
"T-Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me. That's what family is for," Iruka replied as he ruffled the jounin's hair. Sasuke jokingly glared at him, but Iruka could only laugh when he saw the man's black hair defying gravity. Saki also let out a giggle, stretching up so that he could grab at his uncle's mussed hair.
"Jiji!" Saki squealed as he followed his father's lead and began to play with Sasuke's hair. The jounin cracked a small smile as his normally neat hair was pulled from its ponytail and wrenched in every direction until Saki was happy with the new style. Iruka bit his lip, watching the two in amusement. Who would have ever thought Sasuke would have the patience to deal with a child intent on tearing his hair out? Then again, anyone who knew Sasuke was well aware of the fact he was a natural with children.
And hopefully, one day Sasuke could use that ability to take care of his own offspring.
XXX
Glancing up at the clock, Iruka raised an eyebrow. It was already almost noon. Saki was put down for his after-lunch nap. Pakkun was curled up with his little master, happily being used as a pillow by the baby. Bull was unconscious on the couch, leaving large drool marks underneath his massive jowls. Everything was just as it should be…except for one thing.
Sasuke was still sleeping.
Iruka had noticed the past few days that the Uchiha slept almost as much as Naruto used to. Then again, having lived with the blonde for so long, it was no wonder Sasuke had picked up on some of his lover's habits. But even Naruto could not sleep past noon unless he went to bed late. And Sasuke had passed out on the couch last night around eight, only waking up long enough to find his way to his bedroom.
Sasuke had only been here for three days, but Iruka had already begun realizing something was off about the jounin. It was one thing to sleep in, but Sasuke was always tired. It was not the kind of exhaustion any shinobi felt on one of their much-needed breaks. It was as though, no matter how much Sasuke slept, he never was well-rested. He slept almost as much as his nephew, perhaps even more. There were other things Iruka had noticed as well. He would never say anything to the jounin, but Sasuke ate more than Naruto had while going through puberty. And Naruto had eaten Iruka out of house and home when he was going through his growth spurts. In comparison, Sasuke was like a black hole.
Iruka stuck his head into the living room and, seeing Saki and the two ninken were still blissfully asleep, he made his way upstairs to check on the Uchiha. Having learned Sasuke was like the dead when he slept, Iruka did not even bother knocking on the door as he silently slipped into the jounin's room. As he expected, Sasuke was sprawled out across the bed. Judging from the slow rise and fall of his bare chest, the jounin was still in a deep sleep.
Quietly, Iruka made his way across the room and gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed. Sasuke did not respond to the slight dip in his bed. Furrowing his eyebrows, Iruka studied the jounin. No shinobi slept so deeply that they did not notice someone else's presence, especially one right next to them. Well, no shinobi who survived as many missions as Sasuke could sleep without an awareness of their surroundings.
Iruka could not see anything wrong with Sasuke that would lead him to wonder about the jounin's health. Sasuke was no paler than he normally was, and he had not lost any weight lately, suggesting he felt ill. No, if anything, his almost demonic appetite had left him a bit heavier than the thin jounin normally was. Sasuke would be embarrassed if Iruka ever mentioned it, but the brunet could see a slight softening to the jounin's once rock-hard abdomen. Brushing his fingers against the sleeping man's forehead, Iruka could not feel any fever. So if Sasuke was not sick, why was he sleeping ten to twelve hours a day?
A thought hit Iruka so suddenly, he gasped loudly enough to startle Sasuke out of sleep. The jounin jumped, his eyes snapping open and surveying the room until he focused on the brunet who had already fallen into a fit of laughter. Studying the hysterical brunet, Sasuke slowly sat up as he let out a yawn.
"Mornin', Iruka," the jounin grumbled sleepily as he rubbed as his eyes in attempts to wake himself up, but to no avail. Maybe he was still sleeping; how else could he explain why his brother was rolling around his bed in uncontrollable laughter? Feeling a rumbling in his abdomen, Sasuke rubbed his side in attempts to alleviate the sensation. He could no longer call it unfamiliar, considering it happened several times a day for the past week or so, but it was most certainly a strange feeling.
"A-After…noon," Iruka somehow replied between laughs. Taking several deep breaths, the brunet tried to calm himself down enough that he did not look like a lunatic in Sasuke's eyes. Even as his shoulders still shook, Iruka found the self restraint to quiet his laughter. Closing his eyes, Iruka was able to confirm his theory by concentrating on Sasuke's abdomen right below the jounin's hand.
He did not need to be a medical shinobi to sense that tiny flicker of chakra now that he knew to feel for it.
"Are you okay, Iruka?" Sasuke asked curiously as he watched the teacher's expression switch from one of amusement to awe. He could only raise an eyebrow as Iruka touched his abdomen gently, right above that odd rumbling. Strangely, the fluttering increased, for some reason reacting to Iruka's touch. It was then the jounin noticed the warm flicker of chakra in the chuunin's fingertips.
Iruka looked up from Sasuke's abdomen and had to blink several times to rid his eyes of their wateriness. "Congratulations, Daddy," he whispered as he pulled Sasuke into a hug, a new batch of tears forming as the jounin froze at those words. Iruka could remember his first reaction when he learned of Saki's existence.
Sasuke, unable to stop himself, shook his head in confusion as he thought over Iruka's words. Daddy. It was a term that made his chest tighten, but he had heard Tsunade's words as clearly as Naruto had. They had no chance of having children of their own. Iruka had been unique. Naruto's jutsu did not make him capable of conceiving – it really was just an illusion, whereas Iruka's jutsu had to have a truly physical change in order to produce Saki. Tsunade could not explain how exactly Iruka's jutsu differed because she had never gotten the chance to study it because of the brunet's reluctance.
But he had not copied Naruto's version of the Sexy no Jutsu.
"I copied yours," Sasuke whispered as he continued shaking his head, this time in disbelief. Now knowing what Iruka had been focusing on in his abdomen, Sasuke could sense that tiny flicker of energy. It should have been shocking to feel chakra that was most certainly not his own in his body, but it was as though some part of Sasuke knew it was there the whole time. That faint energy was as familiar to him as his own chakra. "I copied yours…not Naruto's…"
Suddenly, Iruka found himself in a crushing embrace that made it impossible to breathe. He would have asked Sasuke to ease his hold, but he lost the ability to speak when he felt warm liquid seep through the shoulder of his t-shirt. Tightening his arms around the jounin's shaking shoulders, Iruka found himself somewhere between laughing and crying as well.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke's grip on him loosened enough for Iruka to gasp for air. "I guess I don't have to be Tsunade's guinea pig, huh?" Iruka asked softly as he began rubbing circles into Sasuke's bare back. Slowly, his gentle touches calmed the jounin down enough for Sasuke to speak.
"Th-Thank you," Sasuke whispered against Iruka's neck, knowing there was nothing he could say that could encompass exactly how indebted he was to the brunet. But there was something he could do. Loosening his hold on Iruka, he gently took one of the chuunin's hands and pressed it against his abdomen. As though the baby was just as grateful as he was, Sasuke could feel a flutter against his belly right below Iruka's palm.
Iruka could not help but laugh at the flurry of movement. It was certainly much different to experience that flicker of activity without the accompanying sensation of butterflies in his stomach. Different, but it was still just as touching to feel that tiny life force. It took him only a few seconds to count back. Naruto and Sasuke's anniversary – and more than likely the only time Sasuke used his jutsu – had been over four months ago. A small part of the brunet was jealous that Sasuke did not have the same horrendous and revealing morning sickness in his first trimester.
"Naruto's going to lose his mind when he gets back." Iruka chuckled, thinking about what his brother's reaction would be when he found out he and Sasuke were adding one more to their family. He had the distinct feeling there was going to be over-the-top celebrations for weeks if Naruto had any say. Then again, it was not often a kage (or soon-to-be Hokage, in Naruto's case) was expecting their firstborn.
"Kakashi too," Sasuke added. His ex-sensei was going to definitely have a few jokes to make at their expense. He could only imagine the lecherous looks he was going to get from Kakashi now that the pervert knew Sasuke had transformed into a woman for his lover. Glancing at Iruka, the jounin raised an eyebrow as he watched the blood drain at a frightening speed from Iruka's face. "You okay?" Iruka should never look that pale with his bronze complexion.
"Kakashi!"
"What about him?" Sasuke asked, not able to exactly place the sound of Iruka's voice. Fear, awe, disbelief – there were so many emotions in that single squeak that the jounin's head spun. Whatever Iruka was thinking about, it was something life-changing. It did not take Sasuke more than a moment to recognize the emotion in Iruka's eyes; after all, hadn't he just had that same reaction a few minutes ago when he realized the cause of his exhaustion and the fluttering in his abdomen? "You didn't?"
"He copied it too…" Iruka squeaked. He did not have to elaborate and explain he and Kakashi had used the jutsu; the bright color coming to his cheeks told Sasuke for him. Considering the fact they all thought Iruka was the only one capable of conceiving, they had obviously not used any kind of protection, much like Naruto and Sasuke. And now Sasuke was over four months pregnant. "You don't think…I mean…the chances…"
"You've already defied the odds once."
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