Heat

Naruto had been shocked, surprised and very pleased when Shikamaru confessed how he spent the afternoon, but couldn't help saying, "But Shika, you didn't let me watch." Shikamaru sat there his face flushed and admitted, "Well I didn't want you to be concerned if I chickened out, but Megitsune it was so amazing."

Naruto smiled as she lowered her eyes to the floor then quietly said, "You know I've been wearing the little one in the mornings while I'm in the rocking chair." Shikamaru's mouth hung open, "When your with my mom?" Naruto blushed, then nodding answered, "Yeah... it's the only time I spend sitting for any length of time. Shika I like them too." Shikamaru hugged her close then raising her chin he kissed her deeply, Kami knew we belonged together." Naruto wished they could make love but Tsunade threatened both of them with death.

Most women had to guess when they conceived, but with Naruto's pregnancy they knew exactly when she got pregnant, so she had to be careful for at least one more week, then she would be thirty-five weeks, and the baby would be fully developed. She had felt twinges all afternoon and suddenly she doubled over. "Megitsune! What's wrong? Naruto?"

She panted trying to breath like she'd been taught, "That one was much stronger." Shikamaru's concerned face turned to an angry one, "What do you mean 'that one'?" Naruto smiled weakly as she straightened up, "Well I've had tiny ones all afternoon, but I thought they were false labor, Oba-chan said they were normal, like practice." Grabbing her house kimono he helped her get dressed, "Come on we're going to Tsunade's."

Tsunade sighed, first babies were always tricky, new mother's didn't know what to expect. "Well it looks like you are going to have to take it easy this week, I really want you to be at least thirty-five weeks, so no getting up except to go to the bathroom or move from bed to a chair... got it? We'll move the announcement back, you and the baby's health are more important." Naruto nodded her face pale, she had been so scared that something was wrong.

Tsunade had sworn to her Shikaikou was fine, but a little on the small side, so this week was fatten-up-baby week. Shikamaru spoke to Tsunade but his eyes never left Naruto's, "Don't worry I'll even carry her from room to room if I need to, she's going to do exactly what you say." Naruto took his hand and rubbed circles on it, she knew now he wasn't being bossy just concerned, he was Yoshino's son after all.

Yoshino had pitched a fit when they got home, "Next time I don't care if it's two a.m., you two had best wake us up! I will not sleep through my grandson's arrival." They had decided to take a nap before the festival ceremony, and to be honest the young couple hadn't thought of anything but getting Naruto to the hospital. Yoshino had them both swear to tell them next time, then after kissing them both she went to fix breakfast. Shikaku also kissed Naruto's head, "Little fox you scared us both, you know we love you."

Naruto felt the tear roll down her cheek, she knew Yoshino worried about her giving birth because of his mother's death but when she had her first heat cycle the Third Hokage had assured her that her mother's death hadn't been from the labor but the battle with Kyuubi. Even Kyuubi had mentioned something about the shock of seeing Naruto's pregnant mother by his father's side during the battle. Kyuubi being a female had always had great respect for Kushina and told Naruto he should be proud of his mother. She still felt anger toward Orochimaru, she was sure he was the one who had killed her kit, his experiments pointed toward his guilt. When Madara had guided her rampage she had gone along willingly when she found Orochimaru was from Konoha.

Naruto felt like she was going stir crazy by the third night. "Arrrrgh, this is so freaking boring! I've never been this still without some sort of perilization jutsu or bug gunk or sand or something holding me down." Shikamaru rubbed her hair and then chuckled, "I know Megitsune and I'm proud of you." Naruto sighed and then chuckled, "You know I think all of this has taught me to be a little more patient, and as a mom I'll need to be, so I just need to look at it as training that will be over soon. And your father's been teaching me shogi hints to help my game."

Shikamaru never ceased to be amazed at the wisdom Naruto could come up with no matter how unobservant she/he was in other areas. "But even I can't play shogi all the time." Shikamaru grinned then with a sigh he replied, "Yeah... what a drag." Naruto looked at him before bursting out in giggles, "Took the words right out of my head."

Just a few nights later Shikamaru woke to words men look forward to and dread at the same time, "Shika... It's time, I think my water just broke." He quickly rolled toward her only to jump back, 'ewwww, wet... slimy'. Getting up he ran around the futon to grab her kimono, then he dropped it on the foot board to run to the bathroom, grabbing a towel he ran back asking, "Megitsune... does it hurt?" Naruto grabbed the towel and blotted at her soaked legs and answered, "No I really haven't even had any..... KAMI!" She screamed doubling over she whined as the pain tore through her. Shikamaru picked her up wrapping the kimono around the exposed parts and then they both dissappeared.

Appearing in the hospital Shizune saw them and quickly yelled, "Get Nara-san into a bed she looks like she's staying. Shikamaru I'll go get Tsunade." The worried man nodded then suddenly asked, "Shizune... can you send for my parents we left kind of fast?" She nodded then turned to leave. Just as he laid her down on the stretcher Naruto started having another contraction, Shikamaru worried as he noticed her eyes turning gold and her teeth sharpening.

"Calm down Megitsune, you don't want to go wild now." He rubbed her hair and let her squeeze his hand, never complaining despite the cracking noises. Sakura came up behind them and held her hand above Naruto's face for a few moments, then the laboring blond seem to faint. Before Shikamaru could yell Sakura took his hand healing it as she spoke, "She's fine just in a lot less pain, she can hear you, she's just relaxed, and when the contractions get closer she'll get more alert. We have to do this sometimes or the poor things just get worn out. We've had a lot less complications since we started doing it too."

Shikamaru flexed his healed hand and then as he watched Naruto wincing lightly in twitches he spoke, "Thanks Sakura, I have a feeling this isn't going to be nice like the lamaze video." Sakura patted his shoulder, "It seldom is and most women aren't the vessel for a demon either."

Tsunade saw the resting, but still twitching, Naruto, "Already got her relaxed, were the contractions that close?" As the older woman washed her hands Sakura told her of Naruto's slight changes due to the pain. "Ahh, I see, Shikamaru scrub up you're going with us, you may be the only one safe in there, Kyuubi knows you're her kit's mate. So you are our safety net."

Shikamaru gave her a short nod but his eyes were focused on the blond who seem to be feeling pain despite the 'relaxing' method. Sakura shoved some white clothes at him and he finally turned to her, "Go change she's going to need you, and the baby needs you clean, all we are going to do while you're gone is an IV. But she may not like that so hurry."

Shikamaru shoved his leg into the pants so quickly his foot went through the leg, "Shit!" Pulling it back out he bent to get his leg into the now damaged pants then grabbed the shirt and running through the door he pulled it over his head. He had made it about half way down the hall when he heard the growls, "Get away from me!"

Running hard he pushed the door open to see Naruto standing on the bed her eyes glowed red and two glowing red tails flowed from her rear, she whipped her head toward him then in a second the question was in her eyes, "Shika... where were you, the baby is coming."

He got to her as the contraction hit, she doubled and started to fall slowly from the bed, catching her he laid her down. "Under no fucking circumstances are you to leave again, got it!" He looked at Tsunade and got angry, "I was told to change, I would much rather have been here, she shouldn't have to go through all this."

They were at a stand-off neither thinking they were wrong, finally Shikamaru turned at a groan of pain from Naruto. Gently rubbing her hair he whispered, "It's going to be over soon Megitsune, then you can hold Shikaikou and we can see him.... count his little fingers and toes, see if he has your blue eyes." He looked up when Tsunade quickly said. "Keep it up Nara she's calming down, just keep talking to her."

He scowled at her, pissed at the fact she thought he was speaking little nothings just to say something calming, "Naruto I'm right here, you need to let them help you alright? Cause you know I wouldn't know what to do." He smiled at the tired voice when she replied, "Don't lie Shika, you read all the books, you probably know better than they do, you just lack their experience."

He chuckled and kissed her brow, glad to know she was listening. Soon she sat up grabbing her belly, then groaning again, "Shika.... tell them I need to push, he wants out now!" He looked at Tsunade who nodded, "You're right Naruto he does want out, let's see if you listened in class alright, I want you to remember not to hold your breath when you push okay, we don't want a dizzy mommy. Now on the next contraction I want you to push while we count to ten. Ready here it comes, yeah, yeah ... one, two, three, good keep pushing, five, six, seven, almost done ten! Good now breath, try to relax darling. I see the top of his head."

Shikamaru leaned closer whispering, "She sees him, he's coming out Megitsune." Tsunade nodded at the now sweaty blond trying to breath slowly, "Yeah we really need you to push hard, okay Naruto, here it comes now push, push hard come on, keep it up, push Naruto!" She gently turned his face a little then grabbed the syringe to suction his nose and mouth soon he started squeaking, "Come on Naruto, hear him? We need to get him all the way out this time, come on here it comes, push sweety, push, come on. Yeah! There we go, all out."

Shikamaru and Naruto both laughed with relief as they heard their baby scream his displeasure at the method of entry into this world. Sakura took him and leaning showed them his face for a second before taking him to the medical isolet to clean him up better.

Naruto's eyes squinted and she scowled, "Shika.... Shika, why won't Sakura give him to me, I want him now!" Her eyes still held the glow and her voice was started to get husky. Shikamaru leaned in to kiss her, "Megitsune.... calm down she's just making sure he's okay, he just got squeezed out of a very narrow place. Kyuubi... I know you can here me. I would kill anyone who harmed either of them. On my life I swear, so don't be troublesome." Naruto shook her head, her eyes closed, when they opened again they were bright blue.

"Kyuubi is scared, she doesn't like doctors, especially near the baby." Shikamaru had figured a lot of the fear was Kyuubi's, the last time she had lost a kit, their village had nearly been completely destroyed, they did not need a repeat.

Kissing Naruto he said, "Tell her she takes care of you, I'll go watch Shikaikou. Alright?" Naruto sighed deeply then nodded, "Go watch him til they bring him to me... and Shikamaru, I love you." He smiled, "I love you too, Megitsune."

Naruto sighed closing her eyes, her body was tired and she just wanted to hold her baby. "He's good to us. You chose well in a mate kit, he's strong, he will protect the kit." Naruto's eyes opened and she saw the large fox behind her caged door. "I know he's good, but I don't know if I chose him.... I guess I lucked out when I was in heat."

The large fox chuckled in her gravelly voice. "You chose him... when we saw him on the street. Anyone else but him and you could have resisted the urge. Your body knew it's mate." Naruto sucked in a gasp, she had really done that? She remembered her male self seeing him as he left Kurenai's, remembered how she felt that he was so sexy.

"Naruto.... Naruto are you alright?" When she opened her eyes she saw Sakura looking down at her with concern. "Yeah I'm fine, I'm better than fine. Sakura... I'm a mom!" Sakura smiled then turning away she nodded and Shikamaru walked over to the bed to sit by Naruto, leaning forward he moved the corner of the blanket to show a bright eyed, little baby with brown hair and his eyes were a cloudy dark blue.

"Ino says she thinks his eyes will lighten up to your color Megitsune. He's perfect." Then the 'perfect' baby opened his mouth and scrunched up his eyes to let out a loud scream. Sakura took him and laughed, "Yeah well 'perfect' here just smelled his mommy and he's hungry."

Naruto sat up with a little help from Shikamaru and then taking her son into her arms for the first time she smiled at his still grumpy face, "Don't worry, Shikaikou, mommy will feed you." She opened the side of the gown and lifted him up guiding the nipple to his rooting mouth, he latched on hard and began sucking for all he was worth. They all chuckled, he was determine... just like his mom.

Yoshino and Shikaku had arrived during the labor and Tsunade allowed them to come in to see the new family member. "Oh.... he looks so much like you Shikamaru, but I think he has Naruto's eyes. Naruto you look great, I'm so proud of you sweetheart." Yoshino bent to kiss Naruto's forehead as she let her finger stroke the top of the baby's hair.
Shikaku then moved forward, Naruto smiled and handed him the sleepy and full Shikaikou, there were tears in the older man's eyes, Shikaikou blinked and then gave one of those little baby stretches like a turtle.

He smiled down at the baby and after a minute he looked up at his son, "You know your grandfather, my dad was away on a mission when you were born. When he got back from a long mission Kyuubi was here, he fought hard that day. But he died a week after Kyuubi was sealed, not from the fight with Kyuubi, Naruto, but from an injury he had received during his mission. He told me his greatest pleasure was seeing you Shikamaru. Now I know what he meant, thank you son, for my beautiful grandson. And Naruto thank you for everything... you saved our village, you've loved my son, and you have made this family even better."

Then as he laid the baby back into his mother's arms he kissed Naruto on the forehead. She bowed her head, a single tear rolled down her cheek, she swallowed hard, never had she felt more loved, she had Shikamaru, and their baby, but now she also had his parents too, life was good, better then she had ever dreamed it could be.

Tsunade knocked then poking her head in the door she asked, "Are you up for more visitors, because half the village is waiting to see that kid?" The Naras all laughed, then Yoshino rubbed Naruto's cheek, "We'll go for now, but you need to get some rest soon. And Shikamaru... she'd better not have to lift a finger." Her face softened, "But I know you'll do me proud, so watch over them alright?" Shikamaru smiled, then hugging both of his parents as he walked them to the door, "Don't worry I'm not leaving here until they do."
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AN: Well everyone Shikaikou is finally here! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I really like how it turned out. So please review and let me know what you think. And the whole thing with Shikamaru ripping his pants really happened with my hubby when we had our last baby. It was so cute!