Why Orange?

Hee-Hee I applaude solitaire1, for catching my little implication reguarding Kaji. Well done dear.

Itachi: What the hell?! You've done something to Kaji too?!

T.W.: (coughs) Uh you could say that.

Sai: One day Itachi will end up killing you T.W.

T.W.: Probably. How are you feeling Sai?

Sai: I'm fine why?

T.W.: Cause you were pms-ing last chapter.

Sai: (blushes) Er I was just a little impatient then.

T.W.: Elaborate please?

Sai: Ask him (points at Itachi)

T.W.: What do you do you psycho?

Itachi: (smirks evily) I had an early christmas present from a friend.

T.W.: Oh boy what was the present?

Itachi: (whispers in T.W.'s ear)

T.W.: (chokes) Oh. Well that explains it (grabs a tissue and wipes bloody nose) To fill a couple of small plot holes, when Iruka yelled at the end of last chapter, Naruto put Kaji back down in the chair before running upstairs and Obito is disposing of Mizuki's corpse knowing that Kana is in good hands with Tsunade. Ahem, well I can't think of anything else I need to explain for my lovely readers about this chapter so lets get this show on the road.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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Sasuke and Naruto burst into the nursery and gawked at Arashi both thinking the same thing. 'What the hell?' The baby boy laid unharmed in his crib fussing with the two red fox ears that had taken the place of his normal human ears. Naruto went to his son and picked him up, startled when the fox tail came into view and the baby's eyes opened to reveal Kyuubi red eyes with eliptical pupils. Arashi's hair had turned red with scattered streaks of black and his whisker marks were darker and wider. The little hands that clutched at his 'mommy's' shirt had claws in place of fingernails. All in all the baby looked like a mini redheaded Kyuubi Naruto with fox ears and a tail.

Naruto could only think of one explaination so he closed his eyes and snarled mentally. 'KYUUBI!!! Why the hell does my son look like a fox hanyou?!'

Kyuubi, who had been sleeping up until this point, shot awake and reviewed what he'd missed in Naruto's short term memory.

Oh, oops.

'Oops? OOPS?! What the hell did you do you homicidal fleabag?!'

Kyuubi winced and chose his words very carefully, he knew better than to antagonize a vixen defending kits.

Take it easy kit this is just a side effect of my chakra maintaining your pregnancy. The kitling's change in appearance isn't even permanent.

'That had better not be the best explaination you're giving me Kyuubi.'

When the kitlings were in utero my chakra gave them the normal enhanced senses that you have and increased the already massive chakra reserves they would have had simply by being your and the Uchiha's kits, however at one point in the pregnancy my chakra flared protectively and infused itself with their bodies. It apparently gave them a type of kekkei genkai other than the sharingan, one that grants them more advanced kitsune attributes such as greater speed, strength, and reflexes than humans typically have. It seems that his brother being in such danger caused Arashi to activate the kitsune bloodline.

'Why do I think there's more to these abilities?'

Because you do actually have a brain. Yes there's more, kitsune are tricksters by nature and most of our pranks involve illusions so while in kitsune form your kit will be able to create genjutsu that no doujutsu can uncover, matter of fact since he's activated the kitsune bloodline he'll most likely be quite good at genjutsu even when not using the kitsune form.

'Okay, what else?'

You know that flash you had in the old hag's office?

'Yeah, what was that?'

Another ability that aparently is connected to the activated kitsune bloodline is a form of telepathy. It only works with pack members but while in kitsune form Arashi will be able to speak or share images mentally.

'Pack members?'

Family essentially, that includes the people you trust to guard your back when in danger, those that you trust to stand beside you no matter what as well as blood relatives.

'Alright, what other abilities will come with this bloodline?'

Well I'm not entirely sure.

'Excuse me?'

Don't use that damn 'I'm gonna kick you ass tone with me' brat. Kitsune have a hell of a lot of abilities that humans don't normally have. I have no way of knowing which abilities were given to the kitlings and the abilities each one gets when they activate their kitsune bloodline may well vary!

Naruto took a moment to calm his temper. 'Okay, sorry for biting your head off Kyuu.'

(shrug) It's you kit, vixens are notorious for being vicious when they think something is a threat to their kits.

'Well I'm glad your not pi- WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN VIXEN you giant dust mop?!'

Kyuubi just laughed at Naruto's indignation.

Naruto opened his eyes and muttered, "Stupid furball."

Iruka entered Naruto's field of vision, "What did Kyuubi do? It is dangerous to Arashi?"

Sasuke stood behind Naruto and wrapped his arms protectively around his husband and son. Naruto smiled reassuringly over his shoulder at Sasuke then turned back to Iruka, "It's alright, Arashi just activated a bloodline that came from Kyuubi maintaining my pregnancy is all. The fuzzball said that the changes in appearance will go away too."

Iruka, Sasuke, and a previously ignored Kakashi relaxed and sighed. Iruka looked at Arashi and smiled, "Well I have to admit he's cute like this."

Naruto laughed and as he laid Arashi back down in his crib they heard Tsunade's voice yell, "Holy hell!"

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, "What now damn it?! Kakashi, Iruka stay here with the other babies please," and followed Naruto back downstairs to see that Tsunade had healed Kana's wound and was now staring at a large neon blue snake that was circling Kaji like he was a clutch of it's eggs. Naruto growled at the snake, "Why the hell are you around my son?"

The snake yawned, "Don't blow a blood vessel, I was accidently summoned by the squirt. Hey Sasuke-sama, what's shakin?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, remembering that his husband could summon snakes, and saw the Uchiha looking like he wanted to wring the snakes neck, "How the hell could my son summon you at all Hebimaru?!"

The snake uncurled itself and slithered over to Sasuke, crawling up his leg to curl aroud his waist then slither up to drape across his shoulders, "Don't know, I just know he has the summoning symbol on his upper arm."

Sasuke, Naruto, and Tsunade looked and sure enough there was the symbol that Orochimaru and Sasuke had tattooed on their arms to summon the snakes. Naruto looked at Sasuke, "You and I both know damn well that was there before now so how and why is it there now?"

Tsunade looked down at Kana to examine the identical summoning symbol on the girl's lower arm, "Hmm this is a birthmark, not a tattoo," then she looked at Kaji, "Naruto check to see if he's got a cut on his arm."

Naruto picked Kaji up and wiped blood off of the baby's arm gently and the snake said, "Later Sasuke-sama," then poofed away to Naruto's confusion. Sasuke explained, "As long as blood was on the symbol he couldn't leave."

"Oh," Naruto saw the tiny knick on Kaji's arm that was just above the summoning symbol, "Yeah there's a little cut Baa-chan. What's going on?"

"I have a theory but I'd rather get Kana admited to the hospital for her blood loss and run a few tests on Kaji before I make an official report. By the way, what was going on with Arashi."

Naruto sighed, "Lets get Kaji and Kana to the hospital first and I'll explain there."

Tsunade made a hmm and ordered Sasuke to carry Kana as they ran to the hospital.

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Kana was unconscious in a hospital room, in Tsunade's hospital office Kaji was wailing up a storm, it seemed he hadn't liked the blood test that Tsunade had performed on him, Naruto had just finished telling the Hokage about Arashi and the kitsune bloodline, and Sasuke was trying to calm Kaji down and considering stealing some of Tsunade's sake.

The Hokage leaned back in her chair, "Well that will be benificial when he become a ninja won't it."

Naruto scowled, "Very funny Baa-chan. Now what about Kaji?"

"It seems that Kana somehow inherited Orochimaru's summoning contract genetically. I don't know how, I don't want to know how, but apparently when she was defending Kaji some of her blood mixed with his through the cut on his arm, passing the snake summoning contract on to him. I suspect that Sasuke having a contract with the snakes contributed to the ease that Kaji's own contract was forged but it mostly came from the mixing of blood."

Sasuke and Naruto blinked at the blond woman and Naruto sank into one of the chairs in the office and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Not that it bothers me or anything but what's next? Hikari activating the sharingan and performing Gokakyu no Jutsu?"

Sasuke silently agreed with Naruto but didn't say a word as he walked over to the seated blond and handed him Kaji, "Your turn to try calming him down."

Naruto cuddled Kaji, "Shhhhh little one, it's okay now. The big bad needle won't be back."

Kaji shuddered and dropped of into an exausted sleep. Naruto smiled gently, "Poor chibi, he'll probably end up terrified of hospitals," he brought his gaze back to Tsunade, "So he's okay?"

She nodded, "No adverse side effects and other than being scared out of his wits he's fine."

Naruto nodded and looked over at Sasuke, "Hey teme, could you go check on Kana-chan while Baa-chan and I hammer out her shinobi status?"

Sasuke nodded and kissed both Naruto and Kaji on the cheek, "Be back soon."

He left and looked at Tsunade, "Okay Baa-chan I know Kana-chan has to enter the ranks as a genin but I want her put on a team that's nearly ready to take the chunin exams. She's got the skills to be a chunin and it's stupid to put her with the fresh genin."

"She still needs to pass the genin test you know."

He snorted, "Believe me she can nail whatever the genin exam throws at her. Matter of fact she can probably nail the examiner to the wall with senbon."

Tsunade chuckled, "Well if she passes the genin test I'll put her on a genin team with Hyuga Hanabi and Usagi Daisuke."

"She'll pass."

Tsunade shook her head and smiled at her heir's confidence in Kana as they continued to hammer out the details.

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Sasuke entered Kana's hospital room and his eyes bled to Sharingan at the sight in front of him. A chunin was standing over the uoconscious Kana with a kunai, about to slit her throat. In a split second Sasuke had the chunin pinned to the wall with a hand around the man's throat and growled at the him, "And just what the fuck did you think you were doing?"

"Getting rid of a devil's spawn what else! She's bound to turn on Konoha the same way her father did."

Sasuke tightened his grip just enough to let the chuninknow he could easily snap his neck if he so chose, "Listen to me and listen well, this girl saved my son's life and nearly lost her own in the process. She is under the protection of the Uzumaki-Uchiha clan and I will kill anyone who attempts to cause her harm."

Sasuke loosened his grip slightly, "Further more she is not her sire and holding her responsible for Orochimaru's actions would be like blaming my husband for what Kyuubi did and Naruto becomes very irritated when others are treated the way he was. Unless you want to be facing both me and my husband I suggest you leave Kana be. I'm only letting you live so you can relay my message to anyone else you know who'd attack her. Do I make myself clear?"

The chunin nodded and ran away like a bat out of hell when Sasuke let him go.

"Why?"

The Uchiha turned to see Kana awake and trying to lever up, her skin tone a bit paler than usual. Sasuke went over to her and helped her sit up and propped pillows behind her, "Take it easy Kana."

She leaned back against the pillows and met his eyes, "Why did you defend me?"

Sasuke went over to the window and looked out at the courtyard, "I'm a stubborn, suspicious, cynical ass who doesn't change my mind until faced with a hell of a lot of evidence to the contrary but I can admit when I'm wrong. I was wrong about you, I'm just sorry I didn't realize that until you almost died to save Kaji."

Kana studied his stiff posture and chuckled, "Did it hurt?"

He turned to stare at her, "What?"

"Did it hurt? Admiting you were wrong I mean. It must have damaged your ego."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he smirked, "My ego is quite healthy thank you."

And just like that Kana forgave Sasuke for being an ass, "How is Kaji? You said he's alive but was he hurt?"

Sasuke shook his head, "No he's not but some of your blood mixed with his and somehow gave him a contract with the snake summons."

Kana's eyes widened and she punched the bed, "Damn it! I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I realize that you have less than no desire to have anything to do with something Orochimaru was associated with but the snakes, excepting Manda, are all rather decent. I had planned to let my children choose whether they wanted a contract with the snakes or not when they became genin, this just makes it a moot point for Kaji."

Kana relaxed, "I just...I don't use the summoning technique unless I'm desperate because I didn't choose it and I never faced the chief snake for the right to summon any of his underlings."

Sasuke snorted, "Be glad you didn't have to. Manda was more psychotic than Orochimaru."

"Was?"

"He was killed in an explosion when I summoned him to get my ass away from certain death."

"So who's the new chief?"

"They're still debating over that, it may take centuries for them to make a decision."

Kana giggled just as Naruto came into the room holding Kaji and with Tsunade just behind him. The blond man smiled and went over to her, "Hey you're awake! How are you feeling Kana-chan?"

"Like I was run over but other than that I feel okay."

Naruto laughed and gave her a one armed hug, much to Kana's surprise, "Uzumaki-san?"

"Thank you so much Kana, for saving Kaji's life I really can't thank you enough."

She blinked, "I just did what anyone would do."

Sasuke shook his head and took Kaji from Naruto, nuzzling the infant's hair, "Not everyone would risk their lives to save a baby not their own."

Naruto ruffled her now short hair, "Yeah it takes a special kind of person to do that, one with the Will of Fire."

She stared at him, "Does...that mean?"

Tsunade smiled and checked Kana's vital signs, "As soon as you're released from the hospital you'll take the genin test and if you pass you'll be a Konoha shinobi."

Naruto snorted, "Like there's any question as to whether you'll pass or not. You're gonna kick ass I know it."

She sat there blinking for a moment then launched herself at Naruto, catching him in a tight laughing hug, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Obito smiled at the scene he'd walked in on, "I take it that it's safe to say congratulations."

Kana released Naruto and turned shiney happy gold eyes on her foster father, "I'm going to be taking the genin test!"

He chuckled, went over to her, and smoothed down her hair, "I'm glad for you Kana."

Naruto smiled, "Well Sasuke and I need to get this little boy home. We'll come back to see you tomorrow Kana-chan."

The girl nodded and smiled, "See you tomorrow Uzumaki-san, Uchiha-san."

They left Kana, Obito, and Tsunade to talk about how long Kana would be in the hospital and what would happen if she passed the genin test.

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The events of the day caught up to Sasuke and Naruto as they entered their home to find the mess downstairs had been cleaned up and Iruka giving Arashi a bottle, and a wave of exaustion hit them. The chunin looked up and smiled as Naruto and Sasuke noticed that Arashi's appearance had returned to normal, "Go on upstairs, put Kaji down for the night, and get some rest. Kakashi and I can hold down the fort."

Too tired to argue they followed Iruka's suggestion, laying Kaji in his crib and cuddling Hikari and a fussy Mikomi before going to their bedroom. Not bothering to take their clothes off they flopped onto the bed and curled up around each other. Sasuke nuzzled Naruto's cheek, "You okay?"

The blond snuggled closer to his husband, "Mmhmm just a little freaked out still. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw Mizuki standing over Kaji with his sword in Kana's ribs. And when Iruka-sensei called out I thought...fuck teme."

Sasuke held Naruto tighter, "I know Naruto, I know but we're all safe and sound now and with any luck things will run smoothly for a while."

"Hush, don't jinx it."

Sasuke chuckled, "Usuratonkachi."

"Love you too teme. G'night."

"Good night Naruto."

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I'm not entirely sure but I may end up rewriting this entire chapter.

Itachi: Why?

T.W.: I'm just not sure if I'm happy with it or not.

Sai: Then why are you posting it now?

T.W.: Because in all honesty I think this fic has gone on long enough and I want to start wrapping it up so next chapter will start the time skip highlights of rearing children.

Itachi: So this fic will be finished soon?

T.W.: Yes, cue the funeral march music!

Itachi: I hope you never reproduce.

T.W.: Why?

Itachi: Because I never want to see little copies of you running around.

T.W.: (sticks tounge out at Itachi) Someone didn't have their fiber today.

Itachi: Shut up.

T.W.: Alright. Well review if you wanna, I have no clue when I'll update next but hopefully within a week. Ja ne!