Silk

XIV

Itachi had been right. He certainly didn’t like the fact he’d got stuck with babysitting duty of two one year olds and an infant while his own stomach was slowly growing with his and Kisame’s own child. His helper was Umi, Sasuke’s kunoichi, but the girl was nowhere to be seen at the moment. He assumed she’d gone to chew out Kisame for leaving him alone, but the shark-like man had been right. One of them needed to go back and make a report, and even if the Leader knew Kisame was lying, there was no proof to do anything to Kisame, and besides, Sasuke looked enough like him now all he had to do was put on the Akatsuki cloak and Itachi’s hat. Aoi and Akio never left his side as Itachi moved around Sasuke’s house, the little one-year-old boys holding hands as they moved from room to room, cleaning and playing a little hide and seek games. If one didn’t know Itachi, one couldn’t help but assume Itachi was quite annoyed with the little children.

In reality, Itachi was feeling like a little kid himself, having a childhood he’d never had before with baby Akashi and the two one-year-olds. Aoi and Akio finally left his side when their ‘big sister’ Umi announced that she was home, Itachi following the boys to meet the twelve-year-old girl. The girl grinned as she held up a bag with a familiar symbol on it, and Itachi could only smile at the little girl in appreciation and let her lead Aoi and Akio into the kitchen for a snack of dango and cold green tea for Itachi and milk for the little boys. After, Umi helped Itachi put the boys down for a nap and left him to take his own, as per Kimimaru’s orders ever since the elder Uchiha discovered he was pregnant. Umi closed the door halfway to Itachi and Kisame’s room as she left Itachi to nap, moving to clean up their snack.

Her teammates shuffled in a few moments after she’d settled down to watch television, the boys settling down beside her, Sei with a bowl of popcorn and Kyo with a tray of drinks. They kept the volume and their voices low, looking up as Kisame and Sasuke walked in, the two elder ninja joining the three kids in the den. Their little trip was egged out of them by Umi, the three genin getting a quick lesson about their village’s sisters. Kisame left Team Nine then, slipping into his bedroom to join Itachi on the bed. He stroked his fingers through Itachi’s dark hair, smiling down at his partner’s – his lover’s – sleeping face. Kisame’s hand drifted down over Itachi’s throat, gently over his chest, until his hand finally rested on Itachi’s stomach.

He could hardly believe that it was his child growing within his partner’s false womb. He and Itachi had rolled around in bed many times before, their rough lovemaking often drawing blood from bites and nails, without any consequences like this. But Sasuke had explained to him about the scroll and Kisame couldn’t take back anything he’d done now. Besides, in the two months that had passed since that night, he’d grown to love his unborn child as much as he loved Itachi, as much as he’d started to love this little Village Hidden in Silk. It was a safe place to raise his children, away from the Akatsuki and away from the danger he and Itachi faced and would face. Itachi stretched and rolled against his partner, snuggling close. Kisame couldn’t think of a better place he wanted to be.
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Orochimaru leaned against the windowsill and looked out at his village. Children ran among the adults who were decorating the village for a celebration. It was growing close to dusk, almost time for him to go down and begin the procession of lighting the candles, lighting the village up like a bright star. He slowly walked out of the den and found Kimimaru talking with Team Nine, the three ninja children dressed in special kimonos, each holding lanterns. Beside the older children stood now the two-year-old Aoi and Akio and the one-and-a-half-year old Akashi, the three dressed in their own kimonos. The young boys held sparklers, the three excited for their first Festival of Lights. Sasuke hovered nearby, still in his jounin uniform, watching the events unfold.

Umi was the first out the door, her lantern burning brightly, her voice teasing her teammates and the younger boys into hurrying and following, the children laughing as they ran through the village, joining their peers in play, adults watching carefully in case a lantern tipped or a sparkler burned tender skin. Orochimaru watched Sasuke leave after his students, watched him meet up with Kisame and Itachi and his nephews Satoru and Takeo. Sasuke smiled at his nephews and lifted Satoru into his arms, taking the little boy from his father. Itachi attempted a smile at his little brother, watching the younger Uchiha play with the elder of the twins. Satoru giggled at his uncle, the tiny boy trying to make a grab for Sasuke’s hitai-ate. Satoru looked a lot like Kisame while Takeo looked more human. Still, Satoru had the black eyes of the Uchiha whilst his little brother had Kisame’s piercing yellow eyes, proving their bloodlines. Still, the two boys had the love of their parents and those around them, and they had Sasuke to care for them when their parents had to move on for a while before returning.

Orochimaru could only smile as he watched the next generation of Silk play with those who would teach them, learning and teaching in their own right. The children would lead Silk into the future just like their counterparts in the other villages would lead theirs. He stepped out of his home with Kimimaru at his side, moving out to greet his ninja, the villagers, smiling a little smile.

Kinugakure, in Suzaku no Kuni, was truly alive at last.