Warlord

A/N Sango Houshi - thank you . . . I fixed it, my bad!! Thanks you to everyone for reading and reviewing, your feedback keeps me inspired!!


Chapter Thirty-Five

Monday morning came all too soon for everyone. Camp was a flurry of activity as tents were struck and belongings packed for travel. Asuma carefully escorted Kurenai and the baby across the muddy remains of the campground on the way to Iruka’s. “Now are you sure you have everything you need?” he asked for the hundredth time.

“We’ll be fine sweetheart.” Kurenai replied, “Iruka will be there to help us . . . and in only a few months we’ll be coming to join you.”

“She’ll be so big by then.” Asuma said with a sigh, “She won’t even remember me.”

“Of course she will silly.” Kurenai said with a smile, “Her goal in life is to wrap you around her little finger . . . she’ll never forget her Daddy.”

The general broke out in a broad grin. “Daddy loves you Aoi.” he crooned as he rubbed her soft cheek with calloused fingers, “I’ll always protect you.” He bent to rub noses with her, only to gasp in pain when tiny hands fisted in his beard and pulled. “Ouch.” he winced, “That’s attached little one, please let go.” he tried in vain to pry her fingers out of his hair without hurting her.

“Let me help you dear.” Kurenai said with a laugh, knowing that her husband would never free himself that way. She skillfully distracted the baby with a set of plastic keys, chuckling at the look on Asuma’s face when she finally let go. “Come to Momma baby girl.” she said sweetly, plucking the baby out of the general’s grasp and skillfully positioning her on a shoulder, bright eyes still trained on her father’s face.

“Gods, I’m gonna miss you two.” the general said sadly, “We’ve never been apart for so long.”

“I’ll miss you too.” Kurenai replied, “But it’s just for a little while, Aoi isn’t up to traveling yet. Before you know it we’ll be joining you. Besides, Iruka needs us . . . and I want to make sure he and Kakashi get back together.”

Asuma merely grunted in reply. He owed the scribe a lot, certainly, there was no way he could ever repay him for helping Kurenai during the birth. “Hey Kurenai, how’d Iruka learn about delivering babies, anyway?”

“Well . . . he’d never actually done it before, so he was glad there were no complications. Apparently you learn about a lot of things very young as a slave.” she wrinkled her nose as she continued, “You have no privacy, Iruka said he’d seen several women giving birth before . . . there was no way to avoid it.” The dark haired woman chuckled as she continued, “You should have seen his face when he told me, I’ve never seen anyone that red. When I reminded him that he’d seen me that way too, I thought he might burst into flame.”

Asuma smiled at the thought, then frowned deeply. “I’m not sure I like the fact that he saw you that way.” he growled.

Kurenai smacked her husband . . . hard. “Don’t be an idiot Asuma. In the first place, there was no one else to help me, you weren’t exactly useful. As I recall, he wanted you to be the one to see me ‘that way’ as you so quaintly put it, but you passed out. And in the second place,” he continued, incensed, “it’s not like he cared. He’s sleeping with Kakashi remember . . . he’s not interested in girls.”

“Are you sure? Maybe he just never had the opportunity. He was a slave after all . . . he wasn’t exactly encouraged to date.” The general said slowly, “Maybe that’s the real issue between him and the commander.”

“I don’t think so.” the petite woman said slowly, “I’ve seen the way they look at each other. But I’ll see what I can find out.” she reluctantly concluded. “And you.” she said, rounding on her husband and poking him fiercely in the chest “don’t go putting any foolish worries about things like that in Kakashi’s head . . . I don’t want him distracted. Be positive about the two of them getting back together. And don’t let him do anything stupid.”

“I’ll try dearest, I’ll really try.” They reached the door and rang the bell, the general wrapping an arm around his wife and daughter and pulling them close, bending to kiss his wife sweetly. The door was immediately thrown open, however, Asuma pouting over his lost kiss as the scribe cheerfully ushered them in, clearly delighted to have Kurenai and the baby staying with him.

“You’re here.” Iruka exclaimed with delight, swooping in to kiss baby Aoi, who immediately buried tiny fists in his long hair. “Guess I should start pulling this back.” he said with a wince as he carefully disentangled her hands, twisting his hair and tucking it into his collar for the time being.

“Thank you for doing this Iruka.” the general said with a smile, “I’d be worried sick about my girls if they were on their own.”

“It’s my pleasure general.” the scribe replied, making faces at Aoi as he spoke, “It would be horribly lonely here by myself. This place is a bit cavernous for my tastes.”

“Well,” Asuma said slowly, “I’d best be going, there’s a lot to be done. Bye bye sweetheart,” he said as he gave his wife a loving kiss, “you too baby girl, I’ll see you soon.” he kissed his daughter and rose.

“Be safe beloved.” Kurenai said with a sniff, burying her face in the baby’s blanket and not looking up again.

“I’ll take care of them.” Iruka assured him, “Take care of yourself and you’ll see them very soon.”

Kurenai composed herself while Iruka showed the general out. By the time the scribe returned she was fussing over her daughter, a smile firmly in place. “Why don’t I show you to your rooms,” he said soothingly, “you can settle in and rest until dinner . . . I can even watch the baby for you if you like.”

“That sounds lovely Iruka.” she said honestly, “It’s amazing how tired I got just walking over here. But I think I’ll keep Aoi with me.” she finished with a sad smile.

Shortly after Kurenai settled down for her nap the bell rang again. Kurenai must have forgotten something, the scribe decided as he went to answer it. He was shocked to open the door and see the warlord lounging there, stretched lazily against the door frame. His mouth went dry at the commanding sight of his lover dressed for battle.

“Hi.” the scribe said shyly, “I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“I couldn’t leave without seeing you again ‘ruka.” Kakashi said earnestly, “I don’t know how I’ll survive without seeing you.”

“Oh ‘kashi,” Iruka began, tears in his eyes, “I’ll miss you too. We’ll see each other soon, I promise.”

“You’ll come to me?” the warlord said almost frantically, “You promise?”

Iruka nodded, “How could I stay away my love. I just need some time . . . stay safe for me.” he entreated.

Kakashi nodded as he wrapped his arms around the scribe and pulled him close “You hold my heart.” he murmured as he captured Iruka’s lips in a slow deep kiss. They melted together, the smaller man clutching the warlord to himself almost frantically.

“I have to go.” the commander mumbled dazedly when they finally broke apart, “I’ll be looking for you.” he continued before diving back in for another long exploration of the scribe’s mouth.

“I’ll come with Kurenai.” Iruka muttered back, nibbling the pale column of the warlord’s neck before recapturing his lips in yet another searing kiss.

“Enough you two, get a room.” Kurenai joked from behind them.

The pair broke apart, the warlord suddenly studying the floor with great interest while Iruka blushed beet red. “I was just leaving Kurenai.” the warlord said sullenly, “I wanted to say goodbye to ‘ruka first.”

“And now you have . . . but if you keep this up they’ll all be waiting for you.” the petite woman laughed, “Now get out of here . . . and keep an eye on that big lug of a husband for me, will you?”

“I’ll do my best Kurenai.” the warlord replied with a smile, “Take care of yourselves.” With that he set off at a brisk pace, whistling as he strode across camp. He promised to come, he gleefully cheered, and those kisses. Lost in his thoughts Kakashi allowed himself to just enjoy this moment before regretfully pushing it all aside and falling into combat readiness . . . no longer a lover, he was once again the seasoned warrior whose name inspired fear in his enemies and loyalty in his men.

A short while later he and his generals watched as the ranks moved past them in an orderly fashion, leaving only a skeletal encampment behind. They fell in behind the last of the troops, Asuma and Raidou flanking the warlord, all three men lost in their own thoughts.