Disclaimer: Naruto doesn't belong to me and unfortunately Kakashi doesn't either. *wipes a lost tear*

Chapter Final.

Current days

"Why the hell didn't you tell me, bastard?" Sasuke's hoarse and obviously angry voice echoed through the walls of the pub, causing some shinobis to drag their chairs and stools away from the scene before them.

"Urgh." Naruto's frustrated moan wasn't answer enough to calm the angry Uchiha and he knew it, but there wasn't a single word he had to say to his old friend.

"Bring two more doses, please." The Hokage asked the waiter, knowing it would be a long night and the only way to get over it was with saké.

Sasuke pulled a stool and sat next to Naruto at the bar. "Leave the bottle." Sasuke ordered the bartender not to dared disobey him, and ignored the startled look on Naruto's face.

"Why did not you tell me?" He asked a little less fiercely this time.

"Kakashi-sensei sent you the wedding invitation." Naruto muttered as he took a sip of sake, wondering what would be the least stupid thing to say next, because based in the glint of death wish that reached Sasuke's one exposed eye, he'd said the wrong thing.

"If you had read the damn invitation, you would have seen Sakura's name written on it." He wanted to add an insult at the end of that sentence but decided not to make things worse.

"I thought she loved me." Sasuke retorted after a silence that seemed like an hour to both men.

Naruto was surprised by his friend's almost desolate tone and couldn't resist putting a hand on his shoulder. Naruto knew that Sasuke was a weak drinker and after the three glasses of sake he had in less than five seconds, he knew it was the alcohol talking, but there would be truth in every word that came out of Sasuke's mouth and he decided to take that rare opportunity.

"Sakura has always loved you. In fact she still loves you." Naruto saw Sasuke's expression get hopeful, and he regretted saying every word.

"Sasuke." He paused and sighed. "Sakura still loves you, but now it's the same love she feels for me." He hated having to be the one to bury the deepest kunai in the open wound, but someone would have to. "The only man she loves, like... a man." He fumbled a bit and blamed the saké for that. "It's Kakashi-sensei... So have no hope of getting her back." He took another sip before finishing. "You've been gone for a long time."

Before Sasuke answered, a strange silence fell over the noisy pub and Naruto looked toward the door to see the reason for the sudden silence. He swallowed hard to see Shikamaru walking toward them with Kakashi beside him. He noticed that the shinobi around them drifted from where they were, looking between Sasuke and Kakashi with obvious fear, after all they knew of Kakashi's wife's previous relationship.

Naruto warned Kurama mentally to prepare if Kakashi said something provocative toSasuke and he had a feeling that it would happen sometime, inevitably.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked bluntly, genuinely surprised to see them there together at that late hour.

"I just wanted a drink." Shikamaru answered absently and sat on the other side of Naruto.

"Bullshit. I bet you're running from your wife again." Naruto mocked.

"Aren't we all?" Shikamaru answered lazily as he stole Naruto's drink, ignoring his protests.

"I never run away from Sakura." Kakashi grunted as he sat next to Shikamaru.

"She kicked you out." Naruto and Shikamaru said at the same time.

Kakashi laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck.

"What did you do again?" Naruto asked curiously.

"This 'again' really offended me." He put a hand over his chest in a dramatic gesture. With a sigh he stole Shikamaru's drink and swallowed it before anyone could see his face except Sasuke who had the benefit of Rinnegan, but Kakashi didn't care since he had seen his face before. "Believe me, you don't want to know." He stated with a funny tone.

"I wonder how you are still alive." Shikamaru grunted.

"Years of practice." Kakashi said with a smile evident in his voice.

"My rival." Gai's voice crossed the bar as he stumbled toward the small group. "A dare." He shouted as he got close enough.

"It's our opportunity to leave." Naruto grunted at Sasuke.

"I don't want to go anywhere." Sasuke grunted back, pouring drink into the glass.

Naruto realized that his friend was darker than usual and decided that maybe a night of drunkenness was all Sasuke needed to heal his broken heart.

Shikamaru looked to the left where Naruto was filling Sasuke's glass and then looked to the right where Kakashi and Gai were starting a drinking contest. "Tonight will be troublesome." He muttered to himself. "I should have stayed home."

The frantic knock on the front door made Sakura stumble, cursing Kakashi for forgetting the key. She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but gave up the moment she saw him being carried by a very displeased Shikamaru.

"Is this serious?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, resting her hip on the doorjamb.

Before Shikamaru could answer, Kakashi lifted his head to look at her and easily stepped out of Shikamaru's grip, taking two half-staggering steps toward her.

Sakura almost laughed when he fell on her. Even in her sleepy state she was able to hold his weight easily. "Any explanation for that?" She asked, trying to hide the amusement in her voice from the pitiful state he was in.

"I would blame you..." He said before sobbing. "But I know you would put me to sleep on the couch."

"I told you to disappear from my sight, Kakashi. I don't remember telling you to go to the pub and drink till you drop." She replied.

"I hate to interrupt your conversation, but..." Naruto's voice made Sakura support Kakashi more comfortably on her shoulder to get a look in his direction. She hadn't even noticed that anyone else was behind Shikamaru until that moment.

"If I come home with him, Hinata will get us both out." Naruto grunted, a little disconcerted, as he rested Sasuke over his shoulder.

"What happened to him?" Sakura asked, completely surprised and genuinely curious.

"Same as with your husband, but for different reasons." Naruto clarified.

"Technically, we can say it was for the same reason." Shikamaru said looking at Sakura and she knew the reason for both men's drunkenness was her, according to Shikamaru of course, because she wasn't interested in speculating at all when all she wanted was to go back to bed.

"Put him on the couch." Sakura turned with Kakashi leaning over her, trying to ignore the shiver that ran through her spine at the way his lips were spreading kisses down her neck, even under the mask.

Naruto entered the spacious house and laid Sasuke on the couch, without any care.

"Take off his cloak and his shoes at least." Sakura grunted irritably. "Is it serious that you will let him sleep with this sword strapped in the hip?"

"Ok, ok, got it." He raised the hands in defeat and did as she was told, arranging Sasuke to make him comfortable on the spacious couch.

After completing the task, he walked to the front door and stood beside Shikamaru.

"Good night, Sakura-chan." Naruto said goodbye with a smile as Shikamaru waved a hand and turned to leave.

Sakura closed the door with her foot and didn't bother to lock it, because no one would be crazy enough to break into their house.

She looked at the man sprawled on the couch and realized that Sasuke had changed a little in the last ten years. Talking to him over dinner, earlier that evening, made her aware that there was no hint of resentment or any other significant feelings about him. She moved on and hoped he'd done the same a long time ago, but she was wrong, if his return and the surprise of seeing her married to another man were any indication.

Sakura lamented slightly about it. She never wanted to hurt Sasuke and she really hoped he could fix things with Sarada at some point, but she would never give up on Kakashi, the love she felt for him, and the family they built together.

"Don't look at him like that." Kakashi's almost angry voice made her look away from Sasuke.

She was surprised by the jealous tone he used, because Kakashi never acted jealous in all their married years. "Let's go to bed." She muttered as she turned off the living room light and went upstairs without saying another word, ignoring the incoherent phrases he was saying about murdering the man lying on the couch.

She closed the bedroom door after entering, carried Kakashi to the bed, taking off his vest and sandals shortly thereafter.

"You're very, very beautiful." Kakashi's hoarse voice made her look in his direction and she gasped as he sat on the bed abruptly and pulled her into his lap, too fast for her to react, reminding Sakura why he was considered one of the most feared ninjas until today.

"You are very drunk." She grunted, but smiled as he took off his mask and spread kisses down her neck.

"I want to make a baby with you." He said as he laid her on the mattress and placed his body over hers, letting his hand wander under the thin evening dress she wore.

Sakura couldn't hold back the moan that escaped her throat as his fingers reached her bare thigh.

"I gave you three children, Kakashi." She said when caught her breath.

Kakashi raised his head and looked into her eyes with an intensity that made her shudder involuntarily. "I'm a lucky man, aren't I?"

Sakura opened the mouth to answer, but was interrupted when his tongue plunged into her mouth, letting her know he didn't expect an answer to that question.

Sarada walked toward the backyard with Sasuke beside her.

After much insistence from Sakura and Kakashi and an almost desperate request from Sasuke, she relented and decided to give her absent father a chance. But it was Sakumo who convinced her that a week ignoring the man, was enough for the him to learn that he should not spend so much time away from his family.

"What did daddy do this time?" Sarada asked to Sakumo that was idly watching as Sakura punched a defenseless tree so hard that there would probably not be a single grain of dust left when it was over.

Sasuke ignored the stab in his chest when he heard Sarada calling Kakashi 'daddy' and looked toward Sakura.

"Sakura." He called taking a step toward the angry woman. He stopped walking when he felt hands around his arms. Sarada held him to one side while Sakumo held him to the other side, surprising him. He gave them a questioning look.

"Never approach her when she's angry." It was Sora who answered Sasuke's wordless question and he relaxed shortly thereafter, deciding not to question who knew Sakura much better than he ever did.

"Sakura. Stop it." Kakashi's voice broke into the yard and everyone looked toward him.

He crossed the yard with a dishcloth slung over his shoulder, ignoring the warning glances he was getting from his children.

She turned abruptly, facing Kakashi with a deadly gleam in her eyes. "Either I punch this tree, or I punch you." She said through clenched teeth.

Sasuke saw the three children stepping back, but refused to do the same. He watched the exchange with interest, as he had during the last week when he returned to Konoha. He wondered more than once if his relationship with Sakura would be like this, if he hadn't left it for so long.

When Kakashi's hands circled Sakura's waist, Sasuke stiffened. He hadn't seen any physical exchanges between the couple yet, and watching that made his stomach churn.

"I already apologized." Kakashi said with a completely regretful tone.

"What did daddy do this time?" Sakumo asked.

Sakura and Kakashi looked at the audience who were watching their exchange.

"Oh, hey Sasuke." Sakura greeted.

"Yo Sasuke." Kakashi said at the same time.

Kakashi looked at Sakura as if asking permission, and when she nodded he looked at his children again. "Daddy did something irremediable." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "But it was completely unintentional."

"You will have a little brother... or sister." Sakura stated with a less annoyed tone to Kakashi's relief.

Sarada, Sakumo and Sora rushed toward them, hugging Sakura collectively.

"I don't understand why you were so angry." Sarada said as she pulled away from Sakura's hug.

Sakura refused to say that Kakashi had lost a drinking contest against Uncle Gai and undid the contraceptive jutsu she used, before giving her the best night she's had in years. She tried not to be upset with him, because he was too drunk to think coherently that night.

"In a few years, when you're married, I promise we'll have this conversation again." Sakura answered as she walked toward the house.

"I don't want to get married." Sarada replied.

"Good girl." Kakashi stroked her head as he had done with Sakura a thousand times when she was still a genin. "Keep thinking like that, honey."

"Hey, where's Uchiha-san." Sakumo asked, to no one in particular.

Sakura and Kakashi exchanged a look and shrugged, knowing that it was very likely that Sasuke felt like he was intruding on something particular and disappeared using the Rinnegan.

Kakashi sat next to Sakura, leaning against the headboard as he watched Sakura breastfeed the beautiful little girl with white hair and green eyes. He wondered how a newborn could have eyes so vivid as those of the little girl resting in the arms of his beautiful wife.

"What are we going to call her?" Sakura's quiet voice echoed through the silent room, making Kakashi look at her.

"It's only fair that you choose since you've done most of the work." He responded as he stroked her hair and brought her closer.

"Rin." Sakura said calmly.

Kakashi stared at her in surprise and felt the words die in his mouth when his brain couldn't process anything to respond.

Sakura had heard many stories about Kakashi's teammates over the years they had lived together. She was absolutely sure she was the only person he talked to about the past and it made her feel special. And at that moment the only name that came to mind was Kakashi's former teammate.

She hadn't thought of a name because she wasn't ready for another child, in fact she didn't even want another child and was very vocal about it every time Kakashi mentioned the desire to grow their family.

But now with that little package in her arms, she thought she might even add another member to the family after two years.

"It's a good name." Kakashi said softly after many minutes of silence. "Maybe we can call the next Obito if it's a boy."

Sakura smiled. Here was the teasing she knew would come, and she would be lying if she said she didn't like the way he constantly teased her. She loved every little detail about him, annoying as it was.

"If we have another baby, with an emphasis on if..." She murmured. "I will let you choose the name."

"That's very kind of you, my cherry blossom." He decided not to mention anything about her choosing the name of all their children so far.

"I want to see first." A voice echoed down the corridor.

"There goes the precious peace and silence." Kakashi grunted as he stood, walking to the door and opening it to see the other three brats pushing each other in the hallway.

"If you keep your mouth shut, I'll let each one hold a little." He warned as he stepped aside, making room for them to enter.

"The older first." Sarada whispered as she passed in front of the others and walked toward the bed.

Kakashi closed the door and leaned against it, reaching into his back pocket, reaching for the orange book with frayed pages, but before taking the book out of his pocket he looked up and watched the children sit on the bed around Sakura and little Rin.

Then he took his hand out of the pocket, giving up reading, folded both arms across his chest, and felt that comfortable warmth warm his heart, something that often happened around his family. The only thing Kakashi could think of at that moment was that he couldn't have wished for a better life.

Note: This is the end of 'Always been him'. I intended to end in the previous chapter, but I didn't want to leave anything open in the end. Thanks for every review, follower and favorite.

I loved writing this story and I hope you enjoyed it.