FicWad

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Nor do I own anything written by George Gordon, Lord Byron, but he's dead, so if he gets pissed, he can just crawl out of his grave and sue my ass.

AN: This is the sequel to Pink and Blue Blues (for some reason P&BB is hard to find, so just search under my penname.) This is the latest part of what turned out to be a tetralogy that includes Exactly Like You, Ain't Misbehavin, and P&BB. If you can't bear to plow through all that (although I'm rather proud of them), I'll give a quick summary: Kakashi and Sakura become involved when Sakura is 15 (you probably wouldn't be reading this at all if you're not into this pairing, but let's move on). They have to keep it a secret, and they try to hold off on actually consummating their love until Sakura reaches the age of consent. Then, in one night of passion, when Sakura is 17, they can't wait anymore. Sakura gets pregnant, Tsunade blows a fuse, Konohans pick sides...it's a mess. She has her baby, though, a little girl they name Aiko, and she and Kakashi get married. I will be making the occasional reference to previous stories, just so you know.

Also, this story will get pretty dark at times, but hang in there. I don't do sad endings. And if anybody's really sensitive to OOC type stuff, this may not be up your street. I've given you fair warning.


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Chapter One: A Day In The Life

Ah! Fondly youthful hearts can press,
To seize and share the dear caress;
But Love itself can never pant
For all that Beauty sighs to grant
With half the fervor Hate bestows...

(from The Giaour by Lord Byron)

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"Hey there, Trouble!"

Aiko looked up from the butterfly that she had been following. It was one of those really big ones with the yellow wings and black stripes like a tiger. Those were her favorites. Genma sauntered up to her, and the butterfly, which had been resting on the steps of a building, slowly fanning its wings, flew off, rising higher and away. Aiko's pale brows knit in consternation.

"You scared my butterfly!" she accused the jonin.

"Oops." Genma shrugged. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay," was Aiko's automatic response. As far as she was concerned, the phrase 'I'm sorry' and all its variations had a certain magical quality that righted all wrongs and justified all misdeeds.

"So...where's your dad?" Genma asked her.

Aiko turned around and scanned the street. He had been not five feet away from her a little while ago. Then she started following the butterfly and he seemed to disappear. "Um...I don't know," she replied.

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Genma said with a slight smile. At four years old, or four-and-a-half, as she was very quick to point out to anyone who asked, Aiko had unwittingly become the darling of the village. Aside from being a very pretty child, she had managed to develop a sweet, compassionate nature on top of a curious, inquiring mind. The first characteristic endeared her to everyone. The second got her in trouble.

"AIKO!" Kakashi's voice thundered through the street.

Aiko gave a little start and cringed slightly. Even Genma jumped. He looked down at the little girl. "Uh-oh," he said. Aiko looked up at him miserably.

Kakashi strode up to them and stood towering over Aiko, his arms folded. Glaring down at his daughter with a dark, baleful eye, he stated, "You wandered off again."

Aiko looked down at her shoes. "I'm sorry."

Genma took a slight step back, knowing better than to interfere.

"What did I tell you?"

Aiko pondered this for a moment. "Um...to stay with you?"

"So what happened?"

"I...saw a butterfly..."

Kakashi gave a slight nod. "Someday, Aiko, you might be on a mission, and your team leader or your sensei or your captain is going to tell you to do something important, like stay in one place." Kakashi's voice was forbiddingly cold and stern. "If you wander off, your team won't know where you are, and if you get hurt, they might not be able to find you. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Aiko nodded slowly without looking up. "Uh-huh."

"On top of that, you scare me when you disappear like that. I don't like that."

"I'm sorry."

"This isn't the first time this has happened."

"I know."

"Are you going to do it anymore?"

"No." Aiko raised her head a little, just enough to peer up at Kakashi through her bangs with her large, dark eyes, her face a picture of sorrow and contrition. In a small, hesitant voice she asked, "Can we still get ice cream?"

Kakashi's icy façade melted immediately, and the crinkle at the corner of his eye was enough to signal the all clear to Aiko. He put his hand on her head and gently tousled her pink hair. "Yes, sweetheart, we can still get ice cream," he replied, his voice warm.

"Yay!" Aiko jumped up and down. She grabbed his hand and started pulling. "Come on, Daddy, let's go!"

"Okay, okay! Don't dislocate my shoulder."

"Hi, Kiba! Hi, Akamaru!" Aiko's attention was promptly diverted as she saw Kiba and his enormous nin-dog trotting up across the street. She started to dart towards them.

"Aiko!" She stopped and turned to Kakashi, who gave her a gentle warning look.

"Oh." She glanced over her shoulder at the white dog, who was already wagging his tail in anticipation. "Can I go say hi to Akamaru?"

"Yes, but stay there. Don't go anywhere else, okay?"

"Okay!" Aiko ran across the street to where Kiba stood grinning and where Akamaru had obligingly rolled onto his back for Aiko to scratch his belly.

"You really had me going there, you cold, heartless bastard!" Genma remarked. "You were starting to sound like my old man."

Kakashi gave a sigh as he stood next to the other jonin, watching his daughter bury her forearms in Akamaru's fur. "It kills me to talk to her like that, but she has to learn. Not everybody's going to be her friend. I'm in a lot of bingo books, and if someone wanted to get to me through her, a butterfly could easily be a substitution jutsu." He shook his head. "Butterflies, ladybugs, cats, dogs, rabbits, squirrels...you name it, she's after it."

"Yeah, but then all she has to do is give you that look and you're putty in her hands," Genma commented with a smirk.

Kakashi nodded. "Pretty much."

"This whole 'dad' thing is getting out of hand," Genma went on. "First you, then Iruka, and pretty soon Naruto, of all people."

"Doesn't appeal to you, huh?"

"Shit, no!" Genma replied, incensed. "Somebody's got to uphold the sacred state of irresponsible bachelorhood around here and be the crazy uncle who shows all these kids how to get into trouble." Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him and he added with a wicked smile, "Oh, don't worry, I'm not gonna pull a Kakashi on your little girl."

Kakashi regarded him quietly for a moment, then replied matter-of-factly, "Pound sand up your ass, Genma." He walked away, leaving Genma to chuckle to himself.

----

Aiko walked along with a dripping chocolate cone in one hand and her other hand held securely by her father. Their next stop was Ichiraku's, where they were going to pick up their special-ordered dinner for the evening. Kakashi could now cook normal food fairly well, but it was not something he enjoyed. It involved a little too much multi-tasking for his taste. It didn't take much of an excuse for him to order take out. Kakashi lifted Aiko up to one of the stools and Ayame gave her a playful, wide-eyed look.

"Wow, that ice cream sure looks good!" she said.

Aiko held it out to her, dripping a trail of liquid chocolate across the counter. "Want some?" she offered.

"Oh, no, sweetie!" Ayame quickly reached across the counter and tilted the cone upright. "That's very generous of you, but that's okay." She grabbed a towel and efficiently wiped the girl's face, hands, then the counter. "You're going to be human fly paper at this rate."

Kakashi laughed as he sat down. "How's Kaito?"

"He's fine. He's in the back, taking a nap." Ayame replied. "He's still having trouble saying his name. It still comes out 'Taito', but everybody knows what he means."

"Well, he's only two."

"Says the expert," Ayame said with a grin. "You realize, don't you, that you've set the current standard for fatherhood."

Kakashi was genuinely surprised. "I have?"

"You have. Iruka, of course, is a natural," she said smugly. "But you made it fashionable. There's been a minor baby boom in the last few years, haven't you noticed?"

"Well, Sakura has mentioned that the maternity ward has been a little busier over at the hospital. I have nothing to do with that, by the way," he added.

Ayame smiled. "Sakura's on duty today?"

Kakashi nodded. "Double shift," he said.

"Bummer," Ayame replied with a grimace. "Oh, yeah, that's why you're here." She reached under the counter and pulled out a couple of cardboard buckets. She put them in a bag with handles and set them on the counter. "Here you go. Dinner's ready."

"Great! Thanks, Ayame." Kakashi paid up and helped Aiko, who had been concentrating on her ice cream, down off her stool. Picking up the bag, they walked away.

"When's Mommy coming home?" Aiko asked, sucking on the bottom tip of her cone.

"Kind of late. She'll be tired and hungry. We have to make sure we save her some soup."

"Okay. Can I stay up till she comes home?"

"Sure. Are you done with that thing?" Kakashi asked, pausing to watch Aiko try to keep up with the ice cream that was now dripping steadily from the hole she had created at the bottom of the cone.

"Yeah," Aiko replied, getting a few more mouthfuls before tipping it into a nearby trash can. There were a fair number of chocolate splotches staining her shirt.

"Swell," Kakashi commented. "You mom's going to love me for that."

Aiko looked up at him, puzzled. "Mommy already loves you." Then she made a face. "You guys kiss a lot."

Kakashi laughed. "Yeah? So?"

"It's yucky."

"Really?" Kakashi glanced around quickly, then squatted down on his heels. Pulling his mask down with his free hand and grabbing Aiko around the waist, he kissed her soundly on the cheek. "Was that yucky?"

Aiko giggled. "No, not that kind! That's okay."

"The other kind's pretty good, too." Kakashi straightened up and wiped the remnants of ice cream from his face before replacing his mask. "But that's not something you have to worry about for a while."

Aiko suddenly gave a gasp of delight. "Jiraiya-sama!" she cried, and once again darted away. Kakashi shook his head and followed her as she ran up to the white-haired Sannin.
Jiraiya, who appeared to have just arrived in town, judging by the backpack he wore, leaned down with his arms outspread. Aiko threw herself at him and he swung her up in the air. For someone who claimed to not like kids, he certainly seemed to adore Aiko. Her parents had managed to instill some manners into her. More importantly, she did not call him Ero-Sennin.

"How's my favorite little kunoichi?" he asked her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. Jiraiya squealed. "Oh, geez, you're sticky!"

Aiko giggled. "I had ice cream!" she explained in a pleased, satisfied voice.

"I can tell!" Jiraiya replied in the same tone. He looked at Kakashi as he approached. "Don't you ever bathe this child?"

"Constantly. So what brings you our way?"

"Oh, this and that," Jiraiya replied casually. "Perhaps I shouldn't tell you this and fuel your already inflated estimation of yourself, but a certain feudal lord of my acquaintance was extremely pleased with the results of an S-rank mission you were recently involved in. He was particularly impressed with its ruthless efficiency."

Kakashi glanced imperceptibly at Aiko, who seemed to be more interested in Jiraiya's forehead protector than their conversation. He wasn't quite ready for her to know exactly what he did when he went away on missions. Maybe it was unrealistic, and there were those who considered the way he sheltered her to be equal to a violation of the shinobi code, but he wanted her early childhood, at least, to be as untroubled as he could make it. "Just doing my job."

"Of course. I also have some information I need to pass on to Tsunade, although you'll be interested as well," Jiraiya went on.

Kakashi regarded him steadily. "Yeah?"

Jiraiya nodded. "According to one of my more reliable contacts, it looks like there are at least two fewer members of Akatsuki."

Kakashi stiffened slightly. "Which ones?"

"It was a little hard to tell, actually." He gave Aiko a brief sidelong glance. "Apparently the remains were sort of...in pieces."

Kakashi's eyebrows rose slightly. "Huh. Do you have a time frame? A location?"

Jiraiya gave a slight shrug. "Six months? Maybe more. Way on the far northwest border of the Rock Country. If they're anything to go by-because they could easily have been planted-there were two forehead protectors at the scene. A Leaf and a Water. Both with slashes through them."

Kakashi could feel the hairs rise on the back of his neck. His last encounter with those two had taken a while to get over. "Itachi and Kisame."

Jiraiya nodded. "The stinking great sharkskin sword was a bit of a giveaway, too."

"Who's Itachi?" Aiko asked.

"Somebody who isn't nearly as nice as you are, my love," Jiraiya replied, smiling at her. "Or wasn't, I think it's safe to say."

"But that kind of begs the question, doesn't it?" Kakashi remarked.

"Who-um-did the job?" Jiraiya nodded slowly. "Yes, it does, doesn't it? No other clues, though. Same with the discovery of Orochimaru's lair, or what was left of it. It was more like a tomb. Lots of bodies, but none of them Sasuke."

"That was a long time ago." That had been a particularly disturbing report. Word had gotten back to them about the carnage of the secret headquarters of the so-called Sound Village. Separate from the other corpses, they found Orochimaru's body. They found his severed head shortly afterwards. Actually, severed wasn't the right term. It had been ripped off. "You didn't have any other information at all?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Nothing. I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more."

"No, that's all right." Kakashi was thoughtful. "We keep giving up hope, and then something else comes up." He added quickly, "Don't say anything to Naruto. Hinata's due in three months with twins-"

"Twins?" Jiraiya cried incredulously, adding a laugh. "Naruto fathered twins?"

"They run in the Hyuuga clan."

Jiraiya still chuckled. "Oh, that's going to be hysterical."

"Anyway," Kakashi went on. "If he gets a whiff of anything that might even remotely have to do with Sasuke, he'll be off like a shot. Hinata won't be pleased, and what's more, her father won't be pleased."

"No, no. I won't say anything."

"Sasuke's that boy in that picture," Aiko remarked. "The one where you got your hand on his head."

"That's right, baby."

Aiko looked slightly perturbed. "I'm not a baby."

Jiraiya gave Kakashi a mock accusatory glare. "She's not a baby!" he echoed.

Kakashi laughed and gently touched his daughter's cheek. "You'll always be my baby," he told her.

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Kakashi gave Aiko her dinner, got her in the bathtub, and got her chocolate-stained shirt in a sink full of cold water, although he didn't have much hope for it. He set the rest of the soup in a pot on the back of the stove for later.

It was about nine o'clock when Sakura finally came through the door. Aiko, in her pajamas, her hair still slightly damp, jumped up from where she had been lying on her stomach on the floor, drawing with crayons, and ran to her.

"Mommy! Mommy!" She flung her arms around her.

Sakura hugged her tightly. "Hi, sweetie! Did you have a nice day?"

"Uh-huh! Daddy got me ice cream!"

"Cool! What kind?"

"Chocolate!"

"Oh, wonderful!" Sakura gave Kakashi a wry look as he came to greet her.

He gave a shrug. "Her shirt's in the sink." He gave Sakura a warm smile. "Hi, beautiful."

Sakura straightened up and slid her arms around him, tilting up her chin so he could kiss her.

Aiko gave a slight grimace. "Yuck," she muttered as she turned back to her crayons.

"There's soup on the back burner," Kakashi told Sakura.

"One of Ayame's specialties?" Sakura said with a grin, going into the kitchen. "Not that I don't love you to pieces, Kakashi, but she's a better cook."

"I won't argue with you there," Kakashi replied. Looking down at Aiko, he said, "Okay, sunshine. Fifteen more minutes, then it's bedtime."

"Okay."

Sakura, who was starving after her long day, chowed down on her soup, then accompanied Kakashi as they escorted Aiko to bed. They tucked her in with her stuffed raccoon and Sakura gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Good night, sweetie. I have to go take a shower now," she said, giving Kakashi a little nudge with her elbow that Aiko couldn't see. "Have nice dreams."

"Okay, Mommy. You, too."

Kakashi stayed for a few more minutes after Sakura left, brushing a lock of hair off Aiko's forehead. "You still remember what I told you today about not wandering off?"

Aiko's face clouded. "Uh-huh."

Kakashi stroked her cheek. "I'm not mad, sunshine. I just really want you to be careful about that. I don't ever want anything bad to happen to you."

"It's okay, Daddy. I'll remember." To Aiko, 'something bad' meant getting scraped knees, a banged head, or torn clothes. To Kakashi, it meant Aiko as a young adult kunoichi brought home dead from some future mission that went horribly wrong. It was a reality, but he refused to think about it now. He gathered her up in his arms and held her tightly for a moment.

"I love you, Aiko."

"I love you, too, Daddy."

After one last kiss, Kakashi got up, turned off her light, and left her door partly opened, leaving a faint but friendly beam of light to watch over his daughter. He had other things to do at the moment.

He went into the bathroom and stripped off his clothes. The room was filling up with steam from Sakura's shower. Kakashi slid the shower door opened and stepped in. Sakura was facing the wall, leaning on it and letting the shower massager pound her back. Kakashi gazed at her for a moment, watching the rivulets of water course down the curves of her body.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," she replied.

"Turn around. I'll wash your hair."

"Oh, yes, please!" Sakura sighed. She turned and changed the shower to spray as Kakashi poured a handful of shampoo in his hand. Sakura tilted her head back as he worked his fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp.

"Mmmm, that feels good," she purred. He pulled her back against him and smiled appreciatively as he watched the suds run down her neck and shoulders and over her breasts. After a while, she leaned forward and rinsed her hair out. Pushing the water from her face, she reached for the body wash, which had a scent to it that they both agreed on. She squirted some in her hand and started rubbing it on Kakashi's chest, working her fingers around his nipples and making him draw in a sharp hiss of pleasure. He poured some of the body wash into his own hand, and pulled her against him, spreading the soap over her, down her back to her hips, then her butt, then up again.

She backed away from him slightly so he could run his soapy hands over her breasts. She covered his hands with hers and moaned softly. With their breath starting to become more rapid, they kissed each other, the water running over their faces and around their lips as the showerhead sprayed down on them. Kakashi ran his hands back down Sakura's hips, then further down to cup her buttocks in his hands. He lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

Aiko was, fortunately, a sound sleeper, and her room did not adjoin to her parents' bathroom, or there would have been some tricky questions to answer in the morning.

----

Kakashi sat up in bed, reading one of Jiraiya's latest works while Sakura slipped on an T-shirt and some satin boxers. She slid under the sheets next to Kakashi, and he set his book aside before she switched off the light and snuggled into his arms.

"Jiraiya's back," he said, settling comfortably.

"That's nice," Sakura stifled a yawn and rested her head in the hollow of Kakashi's shoulder. "Aiko must have been happy to see him."

"Yeah." Kakashi hesitated for a few moments, then went on. "Um, don't read too much into this, but he said that there is some evidence that Itachi has been killed."

Instantly alert, Sakura quickly lifted her head to try to peer into her husband's face in the darkness. "What else did he tell you!"

"Not an awful lot, honey. I said, don't read too much into it. There wasn't any evidence of who did it. It could have been anyone."

"No, it couldn't, Kakashi!" Sakura answered excitedly. "That's the whole point! No one else could have!"

Kakashi gave a quiet sigh. It made sense, but he really didn't want to get her hopes up. Or his. "Maybe."

"How long ago was this?" Sakura asked.

"At least six months ago, Jiraiya said. Could have been more."

"Where?"

"Way on the other side of Rock Country. And like I told Jiraiya, don't tell Naruto!"

"Oh, no, no! He'd be on the road so fast, his feet wouldn't touch the ground. Hinata might grin and bear it, but Hiashi-san would have his hide nailed to wall. But, Kakashi!" Sakura briefly kicked her legs with excitement. "What if it's really Sasuke! What if he really comes back!"

Kakashi smiled in the darkness. She sounded like a twelve-year-old again. He pulled her closer to him, gently pressing her head back against his chest. "The two don't necessarily go together, honey."

"But this is different! Even if it wasn't Sasuke, if Itachi's dead, there's no reason for him to not come back!"

"There's no proof that Sasuke's even alive."

"There's no proof that he isn't!" Sakura lifted her head up again and tapped her fist against Kakashi's chest for emphasis. "Jiraiya said that his body wasn't found at what was left of Orochimaru's place."

"Sakura, we've been through all this before."

"Yeah, but..." Sakura's voice trailed off and let her head hang, feeling a little frustrated.

"Look, Tsunade might send someone to investigate. We'll just have to wait and see what happens." He smiled and took her face in his hands. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd start getting jealous."

Sakura looked at him, the contours of his face now illuminated by the rising moonlight coming in through the window. "Well, you know better," she replied, her voice solemn. She lowered her face to kiss him deeply, then settled her head against his chest, smiling as she listened to the comforting sound of his heartbeat.

"Good night, Kakashi. I love you."

Kakashi closed his eyes, a smile still on his lips, his hand resting in the curve of her back. "I love you, too, cherry blossom."

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AN: The Giaour is a really long poem by Byron. It's an early vampire story with lots of good quotable stuff.