Fanning the Flames

A/N No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth! I have been horribly overloaded lately though. The backlog is finally cleared and hopefully the updates should start flowing again. Sorry for the delay and thanks so much for your patience!!


Chapter Sixty-Seven

Kakashi deliberately kept the pace slow, for once no one was chasing him so he took the opportunity and provided a running explanation for his son as they went. He chatted away happily, pointing out plants and animals to the watchful infant. At about the half-way point they passed a small pond, and the copy-nin decided it was a good place to rest for a few minutes and feed Obito.

“Okay little one, time to check your diaper.” In just a few minutes he had the baby clean and redressed, heated a bottle with a warming jutsu, and was settled against a tree for feeding time. “Don't worry, you'll like the new house,” he crooned. “Maybe we'll even stay there for a while after your sister is born.”

He put a hand on his belly, happy to feel the newest member of his little family kicking and squirming inside him. It was good the baby was active, even if it did make him uncomfortable. “As soon as Katsumi-chan finishes her aerobics class, we'll go,” he explained to Obito, smiling at the serious look on the small face. The copy-nin never even noticed how easily he'd adopted the name Ibiki had chosen.

“Don't look at me like that.” Kakashi teased his overly solemn son. “I know what I'm doing. We'll be just fine on our own. I know you didn't want to go back to the hospital any more than I did. When it gets close to my due date I'll head back. That gives me nearly a month to figure out what we'll do. “ In his heart he knew a month would bring him no closer to a decision, but that was no reason not to try.

It was late when they finally arrived at the cabin, the sun had set several hours earlier and only a thin sliver of moon was present to light their way as they crossed the engawa and disabled the traps. “I'll give you the grand tour in the morning. It's way past your bedtime now.”

He fussed around, eventually making a soft nest of bedding on the larger bed for the baby. “It isn't perfect, I know,” the copy-nin murmured as he settled the sleepy infant for the night. “It will work until the morning though. We'll work out something more permanent then. Right now I'm just too tired.”

* ^ * ^ *

The Hokage was in a bad mood. Actually to call it a bad mood was putting it mildly. Genma's absence from his bed two nights running had him snapping at everyone who crossed his path.

“What crawled up your ass and died?”

“What do you want, Jiraiya?”

“You should really be a little more respectful when you address the future Otokage, Iruka-sensei.”

“I'm not in the mood to play games with you, old man,” the Rokudaime snarled. “State your business or get out.”

“Where's your better half?” the sannin had to ask. “I was hoping he'd be here.”

“He's not better,” Iruka snapped. “I'm the Hokage, he's just a special jounin. I don't know why you all think he's so great.”

“Did you two have a fight?” The seemingly innocent question was the straw that broke the young man's back. Huge tears gathered in expressive brown eyes before he quickly brushed them away and responded.

“He left me because I want children, alright?”

“That can't be the reason,” Jiraiya argued. “He approached the brat about it in the first place. He would never have done that if he didn't want children with you.”

“Well he's changed his mind then.” The tone of the Hokage's voice left no room for argument. “Now, what did you come for, Jiraiya? I'd like to get back to work.”

“I don't think now is the time,” the sannin ventured.

“Just spit it out, already. What can possibly be so earth shattering that it requires all this secrecy?”

“Itachi and I are getting married. I'd like to do it here and we hoped you'd perform the ceremony.”

“Why on earth would you want to do that?” Iruka asked. “Itachi doesn't have long to live.”

“All the more reason to do it soon. I'm not in the mood for a lecture, Hokage-sama. All I need is a yes or no. If you won't do it we'll head to Suna. I'm sure Gaara would be happy to accommodate us.”

“No, I'll marry you. When did you want to do this?”

“I was hoping you'd be free tomorrow. Like you said, we don't have a lot of time. I don't want to waste any.”

“I take it you'll be doing the invitations in person then?”

“Because?”

“Make sure you invite Genma. Maybe he'll have a change of heart. Weddings always bring out the best in people,” Iruka explained.

“I think you should just talk to him,” the sannin decided. “I don't want to be manipulating him into something he doesn't want.”

“Am I so horrible?” Iruka was torn between feeling hurt and offended. “I don't know where he is. If you run into him, invite him. Then I'll be sure to see him and maybe we can talk.”

“I'll tell your wayward husband you're looking for him. Assuming I run into him, that is. Why don't you go talk to someone, get another point of view. Maybe Kurenai? I know Asuma was worried about bringing children into the world when their jobs are so dangerous.”

”I don't think Kurenai likes me very much after the stunt I pulled with Obito,” the Hokage admitted.

“Women love to be asked their opinion,” Jiraiya assured him. “She'll probably talk your ear off telling you what you should be doing.”

* ^ * ^ *

“You're asking the wrong person,” Ibiki insisted. “I can't even make my own marriage work. Why would you want my opinion on yours?”

“Because I lack distance,” Genma explained. “You have an outsider's perspective.”

“If you're so knowledgeable about all this, why are you sitting in my kitchen eating my food?” The interrogator rubbed a hand over his face, and the senbon sucker couldn't help but notice the dark bruises under his bloodshot eyes.

“Because I was too angry to deal with the situation without making it worse.” Genma shrugged expressively. “I've lived with Ru for a long time. You have to give him a certain amount of time to cool off before you try and talk to him.”

“But you were the one who was angry.”

The tokubetsu stared at the taller interrogator with hard guarded eyes. “Are you saying I overreacted?”

“No, not at all. What I'm saying is you aren't being honest about your reasons for leaving. Not even with yourself, apparently,” he continued mildly when the senbon sucker bristled.

“And, what, pray tell, is my reason?”

“Fuck all if I know,” Ibiki concluded with a grin. “This isn't work, I'm not trying to pry your secrets out of you. Talk if you want, don't talk if you don't want to. All I know is you two love each other. I've realized that alone isn't enough to keep a relationship going. You need to work the rest out for yourself, though.”

“So if you're so smart, why is Kakashi in another man's bed?” The growl he received in response soothed Genma's ego a bit. “I mean, Neji is young and beautiful, granted, but what do they talk about?”

“Apparently about raising the children,” Ibiki admitted. “I've seen Neji around town with Obito. He seems to be excellent father material. I don't blame 'kashi for not trusting me. I hurt him, I could hurt our children. It's a fair assumption, I guess.”

“No it is not!” The senbon sucker couldn't believe his friend actually believed the bullshit he was spouting. “You've never hurt anyone outside of your duties. You certainly aren't going to start with your own children. I think once the baby is born Hatake will want you around. He's just all hormonal right now.”

“You think so?”

“Well, I remember Kurenai was horribly moody when she was pregnant. Asuma just about went insane. Then after the twins were born, boom, right back to her old self.”

“Well, I have at least another month of misery then,” Ibiki groused. “Why do babies take so long to be born? I'm surprised any father survives to raise his children.”

“And I thought childred weren't an issue because I liked men. I'm such a fool,” Genma muttered.

* ^ * ^ *

“Okay, we're all set.”

Itachi studied his lover suspiciously. If Jiraiya was this cheery, something was up. “I hope you don't have something ridiculous planned.”

“Oh no, no,” the sannin insisted. “I thought we'd have dinner with the brat. He might not be able to come tomorrow. I'll find out when I stop by to invite him.”

“Invite him to what?” The Otokage was a very patient man by nature, but he wanted to nip whatever mischief the sage was planning in the bud.

“To our wedding, of course. I'm not giving you time to change your mind. The Hokage has agreed to marry us tomorrow. Now, is there anyone in particular you want me to ask?”

“We're getting married tomorrow?” The single raised eyebrow spoke volumes from the normally reserved Uchiha. “Isn't it usually common to consult your fiance before making that type of decision?”

“i suppose,” the sannin admitted. “You're so fussy though, and I didn't want to wait. I figured if I had it all arranged you wouldn't want to make a stink and back out.”

“You know me far too well,” Itachi muttered.

Jiraiya pulled his fiance into his arms and kissed him thoroughly, relaxing slightly when he reluctantly responded. The Otokage let out a sharp bark of laughter when he found himself being maneuvered onto the couch. “Unrepentant old lech.”

“Guilty as charged,” the sannin muttered. He concentrated on stripping the slender figure beneath him, hooting in triumph when he finally managed to slide the tight pants off Itachi's long legs.

“Someone's full of himself.”

“It's not everyday an inveterate bachelor like me gets engaged. I'm happier than I've ever been.”

“I hope Kakashi doesn't try to get his revenge and throw you a bachelor party tonight. I most certainly would not be as forgiving as he was about being left at the altar.” The Uchiha turned his sightless glare on the hapless sage. “You'd better not screw this up.”

“I don't think the brat would do that. Your happiness is too important to him,” Jiraiya decided. “Still, I think maybe I'll just go see him in the morning. That way there will be no temptation.”

“What about Ibiki?”

“What about him? I was planning on inviting him, would you rather I didn't?”

“No, silly. It's the perfect opportunity to get the two of them together in one place, and the wedding will make them all nostalgic. What we need to do is make sure they both come alone.” Itachi smiled wickedly as he plotted a way to get his senpai and the interrogator back together for good.

“So you want me to make a point of not inviting Neji, then?”

“Well . . . don't be blatant about it. Say it's just family and a few close friends. If push comes to shove I'd rather have Neji there than have senpai refuse to come. Hopefully it won't be an issue. No go get to work. We can continue this when you get back.”

“But I don't want to go now,” the sannin whined. “I just got you naked.”

“Go and get the invitations taken care of. I promise to stay just like this until you get back.” Itachi wrapped a hand around his erection and slowly began to stroke himself. “Better hurry up, old man. You wouldn't want me to finish without you.”