Fanning the Flames

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Kakashi settled into a thin, restless, sleep. His body was exhausted, walking all the way to the cabin with Obito was certainly not what the doctors meant by bed rest. Still, he felt surprisingly driven. The copy-nin tossed and turned fitfully for an hour or so before reluctantly rising and heading into the kitchen for a cup of tea. He fussed around, mixing a batch of bread and setting it to rise before deciding the whole place needed a good cleaning.

By the time the comforting smell of freshly cooked bread wafted through the house every surface was sparkling and Kakashi had even drained, scrubbed, and refilled the furo. “Alright, you,” he chuckled as he plucked Obito from the bed and nuzzled his stomach. “Time for a bath.”

“In a couple of years you'll be big enough to join me for a soak. For now you'll have to be content with a sink bath, I'm afraid.” He kept on murmuring quietly as he ran some water in the sink and tested the temperature with his elbow. “Are you ready?”

Obito's sharingan flared into life, so the copy-nin pulled off his eye-patch and locked eyes with him, sending images of what he was about to do. He had to admit, his son's early manifestation of his blood line was coming in handy. Anytime the infant wanted information he'd activate his eyes and wait for his father to feed him the experience. Too bad I won't have that with Katsumi, he decided sadly. Of course, I'll have Bull to help me, and Kurenai if I get really overwhelmed. It's all going to work out.

He hoped it would work out. Being a single parent of two infants was not what he had in mind. “Still, I wouldn't change a thing. I can't wait until your sister gets here. Your father isn't usually so lazy, you know. You'll see.” He finished Obito's bath and plopped the dripping infant on a fluffy towel to dry him off. “You'll be surprised at how different I look, too. I actually have a lap. Yes, I know it's shocking.” He laughed out loud at the look of surprise on the tiny face.

Kakashi headed for the kitchen, intent on making them both a hearty breakfast. He settled Obito in his sling chair and went to grab some eggs from the fridge, grunting at the cramp that rippled through his midsection. “Settle down, you.” He rubbed a hand on his belly, stretching and warming the tense muscles until the tightness eased.

“I'm not really built for this,” the copy-nin explained as he stopped, yet again, to rub his aching back. “Women have different hips, I'm off balance all the time now.” He perched on a tall stool to finish the preparations.

^ * ^ * ^

To say Jiraiya was frustrated would be an understatement. When he hadn't found his nephew at the Hyuuga compound he'd headed for the hospital. He hadn't found Kakashi, instead he'd spent half an hour being lectured by Hinata on the copy-nin's irresponsibility. To make matters worse, he now had Gai following at his heels with a running monologue about the joys of youthful matrimony.

“Sorry, Jiraiya-san. I haven't seen him today.” Kurenai thought for a moment. “Have you checked the bookstore?”

“It's like he's trying to avoid me,” the sannin fumed. “I have other things to take care of, you know. “

“Have you checked the house? Maybe he's visiting Ibiki.”

“Okay, I'll head there next.” Jiraiya frowned. “I just hope I don't end up in the middle of one of their dramas. I don't have time to waste today.”

“It Is Not Very Youthful Of You To Criticize My Eternal Rival So,” Gai declared. “We Should Support His Efforts To Win Back His One True Love.”

“Look, I want them back together as much as you do. But today is my wedding day. I can't afford to get sidetracked.”

“I'll stop by the house,” Kurenai offered. “I was heading in that direction anyway. You go take care of the rest of the arrangements. I'll have Kakashi there on time.”

* ^ * ^ *

“Where is he?”

The interrogator studied the woman in front of him, searching for an clue as to what she was talking about.

“Is he here, or not?” Kurenai demanded.

“Who?”

“Kashi-kun, of course.” The kunoichi huffed in exasperation. “Is he staying here?”

She craned her neck to peer around the mountainous obstacle that was Ibiki. “I have these baby things for him.” Kurenai pushed past the torture master and headed into the lounge, plopping the pile of tiny clothes on the sofa before heading into the kitchen. “Did you want a cup of tea?”

The kunoichi kept her eyes on the interrogator, not noticing Genma until she walked into him. “What are you doing here?”

“Ibiki's letting me crash here for a few days. Ru and I are taking a break,” the senbon sucker admitted. “I know what you're going to say, but it's completely platonic. I really couldn't face another morning of waking up to Gai.”

“Why don't you just go home and make up with Iruka?” she pressed. “I'm sure he misses you as much as you miss him.”

“It's not that simple,” Genma argued. “Just because I miss him doesn't mean I want to go back.”

The hard smack to the back of his head knocked the tokubetsu off balance and he pinwheeled backward, scrabbling to catch the edge of the counter before he landed on his ass. “What was that for?”

“Someone needs to knock some sense into you. Being a couple is hard work. You can't just walk away at the first sign of trouble. Besides, platonic or not, your staying here is sending the wrong message. Both Kakashi and Iruka will think that you're moving on. Why are all men such idiots when it comes to love?”

Ibiki poked his head into the kitchen, trying to back out quietly when he saw how the kunoichi was tearing into Genma. “And you.” Kurenai rounded on the hapless interrogator. “What in Kami's name goes through that thick skull of yours? Do you want Kakashi back or not?”

“Of course I do,” Ibiki grumbled. “But he doesn't trust me anymore. He's living with Neji now. I'm surprised he hasn't told you.”

“I know he was staying with Neji, it was a way for him to get out of the hospital. But he isn't there anymore. He was supposed to go back to the hospital, but he never showed up. I just assumed he came here.”

“He's missing?” The interrogator immediately began to assess threats to the copy-nin inside the village. “When was the last time someone saw him?”

“He's not missing,” Kurenai soothed. “He just isn't here. I'm sure he just found somewhere else to stay. I know he hates the hospital.

“But it's dangerous,” Ibiki insisted. “He's nearly ready to go into labor. He's not a woman, he needs a hospital when the time comes.” The kunoichi pursed her lips and watched the dour torture master do his best impression of a caged panther.

“Just calm down,” she urged. “You'll see him later at the wedding.”

“What wedding? We aren't divorced,” the interrogator barked angrily. “He can't marry someone else.”

“Not Kakashi, idiot. Jiraiya and Itachi are getting married. He won't miss his only Uncle's wedding to the father of his child.” Kurenai smirked before continuing. “This could be good news for your sorry asses. Weddings put everyone in a good mood. I'd suggest you get cleaned up and go try and impress your better halves with your wonderfully reformed nature.”

“But if no one knows where Kakashi is, how can you tell him about the wedding?”

“Jiraiya is making the rounds. He'll run into him at one of his stops, I'm sure. For all we know he's taken Obito to visit Itachi and is now in the thick of wedding preparations.” The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Of course Itachi would want Obito to be part of the wedding.

* ^ * ^ *

Kakashi curled around the unyielding ball of his abdomen, arms around his knees as he frantically rocked back and forth. He'd made a serious mistake coming here, and now Obito and Katsumi were going to pay the price for his pride. Another contraction rolled through him and all the copy-nin could do was pant and hang on.

“Please don't hate me,” he whispered to the solemn infant. “I honestly thought it would be alright. I can't focus my chakra to teleport though, and no one knows we're here. Your sister is ready to be born. I can't do this without help.” Another wave of pain gripped him, yet Kakashi tried to maintain focus and come up with a plan.

“I have an idea,” he groaned when the contraction eased. “But I need to use your chakra, I don't have enough.” He slipped the patch off his sharingan and locked eyes with Obito, trying to explain what he needed without frightening the infant. The copy-nin flashed through a series of hand signs, nodding in satisfaction when a clone appeared next to the bed. His satisfaction was short-lived, however, as another contraction left him gasping weakly in its wake.

“The baby needs to come out. You need to cut me open and deliver her.” Kakashi instructed the clone. “Once she's out and safe you can go fetch help. You'll need to sterilize a knife and get some towels. There will be a lot of blood, work as quickly as you can. Once she's out you'll need to cut the umbilical cord and wrap her in a warm towel. I'll try to hold on as long as I can, but if I pass out don't release. Get the baby out and then go for help. Make sure she's breathing and safe before you leave. Don't worry about me, the children are your priority.”

Several more contractions passed while preparations were being made. Kakashi murmured comfortingly to Obito when he could, and he fought to suppress his cries, not wanting to frighten his son. “I'll be fine after your sister is born,” he assured the quiet infant. “This part is just a bit tricky.”

Once everything was prepared the copy-nin began a complicated series of hand signs, casting a jutsu that would place him in a state of suspended animation. He hoped the slower heart rate and low metabolism would give him an edge in surviving the trauma of the emergency c-section.

As soon as he slipped into unconsciousness the clone made his incision, slicing across the swollen abdomen and lifting out the sac containing the unborn infant. He firmed his grip and slit open the tough membrane, dropping the knife to carefully remove the too still child.

He slashed the umbilical cord and roughly began to towel the baby dry and gave a sigh of relief when a loud cry split the air. The clone turned his attention back to the motionless copy-nin but there was so much blood, the heavy smell tasted like pennies in his mouth, and he felt his substance fading. Obito was still an infant and his chakra reserves were limited. “I'm sorry,” he managed before disappearing with an audible pop.