18

It had been nearly six months since they'd told everyone that Ino was pregnant. Naruto was pleasantly surprised that Ino's parents took her being pregnant so well. He chalked it up to their being a very open family and wanting desperately for grandchildren. He did think it a little odd that Inoichi was so open about...sexual matters regarding his daughter, but Naruto was never one to look a gift-horse in the mouth. Besides, he had other things to worry about.

The fact that Ino was pregnant didn't bother him. Ever since he was little, Naruto wanted a large family. What worried him was that he didn't know how her pregnancy would go. Since they both had a human background, he suspected she would go the full nine months and give birth to a child with fox-like traits. But there was no way to confirm this until she gave birth. There was so much to do and so little time to do it.

Being king meant he could come and go as he pleased in the fox realm. That was a definite boon. In the past few months, he had left much of the ruling to the council, with the knowledge that if they got too power hungry, he'd do something...unpleasant to them. No one wanted to challenge the king so the fox realm was being run as a tight ship.

Negotiations with the other bosses had been absolutely great. They all had emissaries going between realms, relaying messages and offering to help one another with whatever problems they might have. Naruto smiled as he lay in bed with his arms behind his head. Things were going so smoothly and if he had his way, they'd go smoothly for years to come.

The kids' training was great. They all caught onto their respective styles quickly and were fast becoming extremely talented in several fields. Juugo was deadly with his Muay Thai and had obliterated several training posts. His knees and elbows were like iron and once he had you in range there wasn't much you could do to stop him. Karin was like fluid grace come to life. The little girl had developed a hard head too, and those headbutts she used were dynamite. She'd knocked Lee for a loop one time...and that's saying something. Lee was loopy enough already; there was no need to add to that.

Naruto's smile widened as he thought of his son. Hikaru had come the furthest but then again, he had several years on his siblings. His feral 'Freestyle' was nearly on a level with the Inuzuka's own bestial style, but he lacked the pure physicality they had. Hikaru focused more on quick strikes and decapitating moves. Kiba had begun coming over frequently, bringing Hinata and their daughter with him, to gauge Hikaru's progress. Kiba kept his level down to that of a genin's but he was having trouble keeping up with Hikaru. Not to mention, his new dog, a pup of Akamaru's, wasn't fully trained yet and was still in the silly puppy stage. He nearly had his ass handed to him.

Naruto heard a sigh beside him and turned his head to see Ino snuggle her way further into his side. He chuckled and reached down to rub her swollen belly. She let out a contented moan at the contact and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. He had been correct when he had guessed her hormones would be more out of whack. But, instead of becoming more outrageous and outspoken than she already was, Ino became somewhat meeker and housewife like the further into her pregnancy she got. She wanted to be petted and massaged all the time. Basically, she wanted to be treated like a queen.

Naruto pulled his hand away from her belly, eliciting a dissatisfied groan from his wife, until he began to rub and massage again with his tails. He thanked Kami for the useful appendages. They saved him a lot of trouble over the past few months. As Ino drifted further into sleep, his thoughts turned back to the past again.

Hinata had been a delight when she came over and her daughter loved to play with the kids. She had a small crush on Juugo and the little boy had no idea what to do. He'd asked Hikaru how he handled Kaoru and the pinky blonde just shrugged.

"I don't know how to handle her. She pretty much does what she wants. I'm telling you, Dad cursed me with bad luck with women."

When Ino heard that she had brained the poor child with one of her tails while telling him that Kaoru was a sweet girl and he'd better give her a chance. Naruto chuckled again as he remembered how the boy had finally conceded and promised to give her a chance, while swearing to find a way to get back at his mom. Ino's content purring beside him brought him to other thoughts.

Sasuke had not tried to cause any more problems since that one-day and that made Naruto worry. He knew that the Uchiha was a pride driven individual and wouldn't let the slight to his 'honor' (however little there is) slide so easily. He'd have to be on guard all the time.

His foxes had been running the kingdom quite well and messengers popped up all the time to bring him a piece of news or to get an opinion on something. Often times, it was in the middle of the market or while he was training the children, or when they were at a restaurant. It became commonplace and for most of Konoha, was not an issue any more. Foxes popped up all the time. Some couldn't find him right off the bat and asked civilians if they'd seen him. He'd find them playing with the local kids at a playground, or eating at a restaurant, or one time, drinking in a bar. The vulpine were an eclectic bunch...

He turned to his wife and saw that she was now on her back, enjoying the ministrations of his tails in her sleep. A devilish thought crossed his mind. She had forbidden him from putting his 'little buddy' anywhere near her crotch while she was pregnant and he had to resort to his own devices, or if Ino was feeling it, a good blowjob every once in a while. Those were few and far between however, since she had hit her fifth month. If he wasn't so loyal to her, he could have had concubines in the fox realm. He shuddered at that though. He might be their king, but he still had a stigma against furry sex.

Ino was having a really good sleep. Something kept rubbing her swollen tummy and it felt really good. If she hadn't sworn off sex until after the baby was born, she'd be all over Naruto right now. The rubbing wasn't helping though. It was making her hot and if it kept up, she was going to need release...badly. She hadn't had any in so long it was about to bring her to tears.

Naruto watched as Ino began to squirm and moan under the touch of his tails and made up his mind that, even if she claimed she didn't want it, she needed that release. She was like an engine about to blow. He peeled back the covers. The sheets were soaked and it wasn't from sweat. The smell from her was intoxicating; he just had to have a taste. He leant down slowly and settled between her legs. Drawing his breath in, he blew slowly across her folds.

Ino's eyes snapped open when she felt the warm air blow across her. She tried to sit up but found herself held down by four of his tails, while the other five continued to massage her belly. She moaned loudly and tried to break free. Naruto grinned up at her from between her legs.

"Morning honey. Feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm feeling great. Can you let me go now?"

"But honey, look at you down here. You're an absolute mess. It would be wrong of me not to clean up since I'm already down here."

"Naruto, please...don't..."

"Oh Ino, it's alright. Trust me. Now you just relax, let me handle everything."

"But the baby..."

"Trust me, he won't know. And you need this sweetie."

He kissed her on the clit and licked it. Ino groaned lustily and threw her head back, panting heavily.

"See? You've held back too long. Now lay back and enjoy."

He held onto his promise of not putting anything in her, but he never swore he wouldn't torture her outer areas. He continued his ritual of kissing and licking her anywhere and everywhere, waiting for her initial release.

Ino was on fire. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, all she could do was pant and write in sweet bliss. The agony of not having come in over a month was so painful. She gripped the bedsheets, nearly tearing them to pieces as the knot in her stomach grew more and more painful, until she threw her head back and screamed wordlessly as she came.

Naruto knew his wife had been backed up, but when she essentially flooded the bed, he was, for lack of a better word, stupefied. His face was literally awash with her scent and it was driving him crazy. He sat there licking the essence off his face as Ino sat up in bed, free of his tails, panting like no tomorrow.

She knew that going without release was a bad idea, but she hadn't known exactly how bad. That was the hardest she'd ever come, and she felt...spectacular. As she got her breath back, she looked at her husband, who was currently cleaning off what he could, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. She could taste herself on his lips. She tasted sweet, like nectar. As their tongues battled back and forth, she found his manhood and gripped it tightly, making him moan.

"I think it's my turn to say 'good morning' to you now."

Naruto just watched as she leaned down and soon his entire being was inside of her. His hands flew to her hair and began to wind his fingers through her golden locks. Just as he was there, she slid off him with a 'pop' and gripped his base tightly.

"Uh Uh, not yet. I want you to tell me every time you're about to blow, because you don't get to until the fifth time. Understand?"

"Ugh...Ino, don't do this to me this early in the morning..."

She didn't say anything and went back to bobbing up and down. Soon, after his first four attempts, she finally let him come and nearly drowned trying to get it all down. She swallowed it all with a big gulp and collapsed on her pillow, Naruto right behind her, just as spent. Ino rolled to her side and kissed him deeply.

"Didn't I say not to do that until the baby was born?"

"Yeah, but you wouldn't make it till the baby's born. You needed that."

She sighed and leaned against his shoulder again, as he wrapped his tails around her.

"Yeah I did. Remember what today is?"

"Yep, it's the kids' first day of school. Think we should get up and get things ready for them?"

"Nah, let's lay here a bit longer. You kind of wore me out."

Naruto chuckled and tickled her with a tail.

"So I was finally able to wear you out huh? Maybe we should make all our sessions a month apart."

"Don't even think about it buddy. I happen to like what you do. You just wait till the baby's here. I have a lot of lost time to make up for."

Naruto sighed and sat up, bringing Ino up with him.

"Since we're not going back to sleep and we don't have to get up for a while, let me give you a massage."

"Will you massage my feet and ankles? They kind of hurt."

He just nodded and flipped her around to begin his husbandly duties.

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It was a good thing Naruto had installed those silencing seals when Ino had moved in with him, otherwise that entire side of Konoha would have heard her scream. The couple finally made it to the bathroom and got washed up before starting the day. It wouldn't do to have to explain to the children why they smelled of sex so much. They dressed in their normal clothing and walked downstairs to find everyone already in the kitchen.

Tsunade and Sakura were preparing breakfast in the large kitchen while the kids talked excitedly about going to school finally. The foxes sat and watched from their various perches and waited to have their breakfast. Everyone turned and watched as the king and queen came down the stairs, and Sakura leaned in to Tsunade and whispered about how Ino was 'glowing'. The older blonde snickered and nodded her head. Ino glared at the two and took her seat. Naruto sat beside her and smiled at the children.

"So, you guys ready to go to the academy? You excited?"

A chorus of 'yeses' reached his ears and he laughed.

"You say that now, wait until Iruka has you studying about history and theory. You'll really hate it then."

"Naruto, don't try to scare them. Don't listen to him kids, he's just jealous because he sucked at schoolwork."

Small talk was exchanged as the family ate breakfast and soon they all set off for the academy. The foxes had eaten several steaks that Naruto had bought for them and were appreciative of their king's generosity. They made quite the procession going down the street. Most smiled and bowed to the royal family and bade Sakura and Tsunade 'good morning'. Naruto sighed happily as he wrapped his arm around Ino's waist. He loved walking through the village now. When he was younger, it was a fight for survival.

Ino was proud of her stepson and her best friend's children. They were all going to do great and with the training they'd been given, would be miles above everyone else. She could only hope that Sasuke wouldn't cause any problems or try to kidnap the kids again, because she was fairly certain that Naruto would kill him this time. Not that that bothered her, she just didn't want to fight those who thought Sasuke was on a level of his own, those who worshipped him like he was a god. She leaned further into Naruto's embrace and entwined one of her tails with one of his.

Tsunade watched her favorite blonde as he walked with his wife and couldn't help but feel a little jealous. She'd never had that since Dan and even though she loved Jiraiya, she'd never admit it. She had too much fun with him as it was. She'd simply content herself with looking after Hikaru and whatever else little bundle of joy (or bundles) that Naruto and Ino produced. Yes, she'd fill her role of grandmother quite well, although sharing with Yuka might be a problem. Ah well, if she wanted her grandbaby, she was tough enough to get it.

Sakura walked along the path, glancing down proudly at her children. She might no longer be the chief woman in Hikaru's life, but Juugo and Karin looked to her for advice and support and she was happy to give it. She looked to her children't guardians and found Shin bouncing along happily, trying to get Karin psyched up. That fox was an endless bundle of energy. He reminded her of Lee. She still had yet to take him up on his offer of a date, but perhaps it was time to get back on the scene. Lee was a good man and the kids loved him. It wouldn't be a hard transition.

Gin kept throwing glances at his over-exuberant counterpart and sighed audibly. Shin was too easily excitable. He'd brought Karin's level of confidence up though and that was a blessing. Gin's problem lay in getting the hotheaded Juugo, who was talking animatedly to his siblings, to calm down and think clearly. It had been a battle, but he'd finally managed. Why couldn't the boy be as well behaved as Hikaru? Gin sighed again. The reason Hikaru was well behaved was because Genmaki made no bones about punishing him if he got out of line. Gin knew he had the authority, but that Sakura woman was a lot of trouble and he didn't want to have to explain bruises to her. So troublesome...

The academy finally came into view and they entered its yard to find dozens of children being escorted by their parents. Naruto looked around and became a little nostalgic. There was his swing, the one that used to keep him company when he was down. The group watched as he crossed the grounds to it and sat down, his weight slightly straining the old ropes. He made a mental note to bring some new rope for it. He waved the kids over and they stood in front of him.

"Ok kiddos, here we are. Today's the day. I want all three of you to be good, you understand? Iruka-sensei isn't one to be messed with. He'll punish you if you get out of line. Now I want you to pay close attention to him, ok? I know that you're all stronger than most academy students, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't respect them. They're here to learn just like you are. Do not use those fighting styles I taught you until the exams or if it's a last resort. You can seriously hurt someone with them. Don't show off any of your jutsus either. Just do the ones they ask you to use and move on. We'll continue to practice your jutsus at home. There's no need to show off. Ok, now go on. Have fun."

The three smiled at him and bounded off to a group of kids, introducing themselves. The adults watched as the girls stared at Hikaru with starry eyes and tried to touch his pinky blonde hair. Naruto chuckled as Hikaru's fanclub began to develop. Juugo and Karin tried to help their brother, but it was to no avail. The madness had begun. The only thought going through Hikaru's mind was 'Kaoru's going to be so pissed when she finds out...'

Gin, Genmaki, and Shin nodded to their regents and bounded after the children, to the squeals of delight from the kunoichi wannabes. Genmaki and Gin hated the attention while Shin seemed to thrive off it. But then again, Karin had been cuddling him for quite a while now. He was used to affectionate attention. Naruto let out a happy sigh and the group of adults walked inside to find Iruka.

Iruka had been having a good morning so far. It was the start of a new year, with new faces, and he even had Naruto and Sakura's children this time around. He shifted through the papers with his prospective students and looked up when he heard the door open. He smiled broadly when his surrogate son and family walked in.

"Naruto! What a pleasant surprise. Here to see off your offspring are you?"

"Yep, sure are. We just came to let you know they're here. If they get out of line, fell free to bust them down a level or two."

"I'll be sure to do that. I assume you're also here about something else however?"

"Of course. I have foxes guarding the kids. If Sasuke tries anything, they'll let me know. If that bastard tries anything, I expect you to let me know immediately Iruka. I won't put up with any of his bullshit. If I weren't so concerned with how a self-proclaimed guardian killing the Hokage would go over, he'd have been dead at the wedding. He needs to live for a little while longer though."

"I see. And you three, what do you think?"

Ino smiled and wrapped her arms around Naruto's waist from behind. Iruka looked at her bulging belly and smiled.

'Another Naruto running around. Great, that's all the world needs.'

"I'll go along with whatever Naruto wants."

"So will I."

"Me too."

"All right then. If Sasuke tries anything, I'll notify you immediately. But what about when they graduate? He has final say on the teams you know."

Naruto's eyes hardened and his hand slapped down onto the desktop.

"Trust me sensei, he will allow our children to be on a team together and Ino will be their team leader. Or, he won't have his children graduate and be on a team at all. Since they live in my house, they fall under my jurisdiction and I won't have them split up so he can manipulate them."

"You realize of course how unorthodox this is? Favoritism is not looked upon kindly in the academy."

Everyone scowled at Iruka when he said that and he immediately figured out that he had said something wrong. Naruto tried to be calm when he spoke.

"Favoritism isn't looked upon kindly? Don't make me laugh Iruka. This academy and this village are all about favoritism. If someone's farts so much as smells like it might be from a clan, this village will bow to them. I don't want my children raised in such an environment. I want them to build their own legacy, not use mine to springboard themselves to higher levels."

Iruka was sweating bullets. Naruto hadn't used any killing intent, but then again, he didn't have to. He was an imposing enough character with his tails flailing about angrily behind him. Ino was no better and both Tsunade and Sakura were cracking their knuckles. Iruka sighed in defeat and held his hands up in surrender.

"I'll do it, I'll do it. Geez Naruto, I thought we were close. You don't have to resort to threats."

"I didn't threaten you Iruka. I just...persuaded you with my awesomeness."

Even Ino winced at the lameness of her husband's joke. Deciding they had traumatized the poor man enough for one day, Ino latched her arm onto her husband's and began to drag him away.

"Sorry for the inconvenience Iruka-sensei. I'll just take him home now. Teach them well. Come on you two, don't you have to be at the hospital soon?"

Sakura and Tsunade both looked at their watches and cursed under their breath. Since she retired and Sakura divorced Sasuke, they had taken up jobs at the hospital to pass the time. Unfortunately for them, Shizune ran a tight ship and they'd probably be punished for being late. Oh well, shit happens. They bolted out the door, past the pregnant woman and a grumbling Naruto.

Ino knew what to do when her husband was in a bad mood and frankly, she was getting hungry again. Eating for two was, in the words of Shika, troublesome. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked and asked as sweetly as she could.

"Hey honey? You wanna get some ramen?"

Naruto's eyes immediately lit up and he scooped her into his arms, running past all the children while shouting about Ichiraku's. The three children and foxes under his care hung their heads in embarrassment and shame. When asked if they knew who that was, they tried to deny any knowledge of the weirdo. A stern cough from Genmaki made them all fess up however...

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That evening was a grand affair at the Uzumaki household. Naruto made some of his famous barbeque and all his friends were invited. Everyone was having a splendid time, asking the children how the first day of school was, catching up, and generally having a good time. Shikamaru held Chouji back from the barbeque while Ino was chatting it up with TenTen, Sakura, and Hinata about kids. Kiba was rough housing with the kids, while Gai and Lee were challenging each other to absurd stunts. Lee had called GamaKichi so he could say hello to Hikaru and congratulate him. Tsunade and Jiraiya were engrossed in their own little drinking game while Penni tried to goad Shikamaru into a game of chess. He would have complied if Chouji had behaved.

Naruto was enjoying himself while he cooked. Having clones help was such a wonderful thing. Cutting the potatoes for potato salad, making a garden salad, baking rolls, slathering barbeque sauce on the several hundred pounds of meat...they were most useful. He had finally allowed Chouji a plate so that Shikamaru could rest and play a game with Penni. Suddenly he heard cries of 'youth' and 'what a youthful fox you are' and slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down over his face. He'd forgotten never to introduce Shin to Gai and Lee. Now they were all in deep shit.

Luckily, Sakura saw through the crisis by dragging the fox away from the green clad taijutsu master and toad master, despite Shin's cries of protest. And things were finally beginning to look normal...

Shino showed up later with his wife in tow. She was a distant relation of his and was actually quite a looker, if the body hid under her cloak was any indication. Naruto and the group said hello and ushered them in. Shino might not have shown it, but he was happy to be included. It wasn't often he got to socialize with those he considered...friends. Neji showed up a little while later with Hanabi in tow. She was allowed to stay under the condition that she not be a stuck up little bitch (Naruto never was one to mince words). Once everyone was there, Naruto hollered for them to 'come and get it' and it wasn't long before the food was gone. More small talk followed until everyone began to drift off, with a promise to get together more often, especially if Naruto was cooking. With the first day of school over and done, the family retreated to their bedrooms to cap off the day.

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While Ino was in the bathroom, Naruto took it upon himself to remove their stained sheets. He didn't want to sleep on them after that episode that morning. He had just got finished putting on the new sheets, when hands appeared from behind him and a soft mouth began to nibble along his neckline. He groaned and tried to be a voice of reason.

"Ino, sweetie, as much as I can enjoy your enthusiasm, you've been on your feet all day and you need to rest. Let's go to sleep."

She turned him around and looked him up and down.

"I want a repeat of this morning before we hit the hay. Are you denying me Uzumaki Naruto?"

"As your king and husband, yes, I am denying you. You need your rest. King's orders."

He crawled under the covers, leaving a baffled Ino standing there. She narrowed her eyes and got in with a huff. She waited until his chest began to rise and fall with a slow rythym before springing her plan.

Naruto hadn't been asleep five minutes before he felt a familiar suction around him and his eyes flew open as he raised the covers. There was Ino, looking up at him like the cat that swallowed the canary. Naruto glared at her.

"Didn't I tell you no? Go to sleep, king's orders."

Her retort was to leap onto his chest and give him a very sloppy kiss. Once she had him back under her power, she gave him a half-lidded look and grinned.

"This is a mutiny. I'm in control here and I want a million man march right into my mouth."

He didn't have the strength or will to argue with her.