A/N: The final chapter has arrived! Phew! It took me a while to get here, but thank you for all the support from the loving fans of his story and hopefully, I'll see you enjoying my other, newer works, 'cause as always: READ, REVIEW, REPEAT!

Chapter 16

"Come on, Chichi! We're going to be late!" Shinobu shouted from the front hallway of the house.

Iruka sighed and fixed his son with a knowing stare, shaking his head. Shinobu threw up his hands and brushed his twitching fingers through his silver hair, trying to brush it down. Smirking, Iruka shooed his son's hands away and started fixing the wild spikes himself.

"Sixteen years of living with this hair and you still can't fix it for one occasion," the Chunnin teased.

The unruly teenager rolled his silver eyes. "Papa, Chichi has had his for a lot longer for me and his is a bird's nest."

"And I can guarantee that he never tried to change it," Iruka chuckled as his son's hair finally began to calm and lay flat.

It had been eleven years since Himura Utake's second attack on Konoha and ten since his execution, a death that was agreed on by all five Kages and the daimyos of each of the major countries. The man had been discovered hiding in the basement of a Rice Country inn and the ANBU who had found him had done it completely by mistake. He was coming back from a mission and stopped at the inn for a short rest, slipping into the basement through a small window that filtered out onto the street. When the ANBU had straightened up, he'd come face to face with Himura Utake, his village's number one wanted man. The Hokage met with the ANBU and Himura in a private meeting held in the torture dungeons below the Konoha jail and, from there, everything was over for the old Snow Lord Himura Utake.

This was all three days before the birth of Kakashi Hatake and Iruka Umino's precious daughter and it took another three days following for the Hokage to tell them of Himura's presence. Kakashi, who Iruka teased had become the stereotypical father of a daughter, had flown into a fury, demanding that the man be sent outside of Konoha where he wouldn't be an immediate danger to the Hakate's family. Tsunade had just laughed at him and his new attitude before agreeing. Himura Utake was sent to the Wind Country for the Kazekage to do what he wanted with him until the trial was set.

Since then, Iruka claimed, Kakashi's protective streak had only grown. Their daughter, surprisingly, wasn't overwhelmed by it, even when her father had nearly attacked Arata for giving her a small bundle of dandelions for her first birthday. She relished in it even, forming a connection with the silver-haired Jounin that was just as close, if not closer, than the relationship between Shinobu and his father.

And today was a very special day for the small Hatake family. Today was the day that their daughter graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy.

"Kashi!" Iruka shouted as he dropped his hands to his sides.

"Coming, Iru!" his lover responded, his voice slightly muffled.

Beside him, Shinobu shook his head and once again rolled his eyes. "Why is Chichi always so damn late to everything?"

"It's just one of those things. You know how your chichi is," Iruka laughed.

"I'm just glad I didn't get the trait of perpetual lateness from him," Shinobu said, grinning.

"No. Thankfully, you gained my almost obsessive punctual behavior," Iruka replied, setting his hands on his hips.

There was a crash and Kakashi came skidding around the corner. He stopped, brushed back his hair and calmly walked towards his family, holding up his hand in his usual greeting.

"I'm sorry that we're late. I was-"

Iruka shook his head and opened the door, motioning for Shinobu to go first. "No need to explain, Kashi. I know you well enough by now."

Under his mask, Kakashi grinned as he grabbed his lover's hand. They left the house together, trailing after Shinobu as their son led them through the village, Ever the social kind, Shinobu was saying hello to friends and acquaintances left and right, usually receiving congratulations from fellow ninja on his recent promotion.

Shinobu Hatake had followed his fathers in his career choices, becoming a Genin at age ten. From there, he had steadily risen in the ranks, becoming the only Genin in his year to be promoted to Chuunin within one attempt of the exams. After that, he had studied under Shikamaru, of all people, learning and training to become a leader as great as the Shadow Manipulator was. Not a week before their daughter's graduation from the Academy, Shinobu had been promoted to the rank of Jounin, a promotion that made both of his fathers swell with pride. Shinobu had become the third straight generation of Hatake males to make the rank of Jounin and every ninja in the village knew that he would someday become as famous (or infamous) as his chichi and grandfather had been before him.

As the Academy came into view, Iruka's heart started to pound wildly. The students, some of whom he'd taught in recent years after he'd returned to his position as an Academy Teacher, were mulling about the front courtyard, all chattering excitedly. Among them, Iruka could just make out the shock of silver hair.

When they reached the gates, Iruka pecked Kakashi on the cheek and walked over to the other teachers whom were standing beside the table of hitai-ate that were waiting to be handed out. They all nodded to him as he approached, turning to face the crowd of students now that all of the teachers were present.

"Today, you will all become ninja of Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. From this day on, you will uphold our shinobi pride as your own and you must all remember to keep that pride in your hearts and minds always. The Ninja of Konoha are strong, swift, and resourceful. Never doubt your loyalty to the Hokage and you will succeed in your endeavors," one of the other teachers stated. "Now, when your name is called, you each will come up and received your hitai-ate, signifying that you have taken the oath of the ninja and have agreed to follow its path when it takes you."

The crowd before them nodded and Iruka held back a wide grin when he saw his daughter silently agree with the teacher's demands.

"Ame Kirihaga!"

Iruka watched as one by one, his students came up to the table and had the hitai-ate of Konoha tied around their foreheads. Each shot him a smile as they straightened up and dashed off to wait with the group of other inducted Genin. Each time, the group of parents and other spectators, including Tsunade herself, clapped for the student. Stealing a glance up at the tree behind the group of parents, Iruka spotted the shocking white and silver hair of his son and lover, neither of whom would permit themselves to stand in such a large group. They wanted a clear view of everything that was going on.

"Izumi 'Kyoha' Hatake!"

Iruka quickly looked back at the crowd of students as his daughter stepped forward, her silver eyes wide and bright. Her dark hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck, smooth and thick like Iruka's. Kakashi's signature hair color, however, hadn't made itself scarce in their daughter. On the right side of her face, just beyond her eye was a large streak of shocking silver, the only part of her hair that she left free from the constraint of the ponytail. It fell to her collarbone, whipping wildly in the slight breeze that flitted across the courtyard. Her skin was the same tan as Iruka's and, while she was small for her age, she was strong, her muscles toned from their Ookami heritage. She walked silently and steadily up to the table, bowing to the teachers before lifting her head. As one of the others tied the hitai-ate around her forehead, she glanced up at her father who simply smiled at her.

Iruka watched as she jogged off to stand with the other Genin, his dark eyes following her as her silver and black tail, abnormally long like Iruka's own, swished with each step. Her claws glinted slightly in the light as the other newly made Genin welcomed her, unfazed by the extra appendage, the fur-tipped ears and the sharp canines.

As the ceremony progressed, Iruka could feel the pride emanating from his lover up in the tree in waves.

"We've turned out good children, haven't we?" Kakashi asked as they lay in bed that night, both naked and their bodies slightly sore from their lovemaking.

"I'd say so. Surprising, isn't it?" Iruka said.

"Never thought I'd even have children," Kakashi admitted. "I thought I would just screw them up."

Iruka shot his lover a sweet smile and squeezed his hand lightly. "You've done well, Kashi. We both have."

Rolling onto his side to face his lover, Kakashi nipped at the naked collarbone, biting softly as Iruka laughed and squirmed slightly under him. The Jounin planted his hand on his lover's hip, pulling himself up and over the dark-haired man. Staring down at Iruka, Kakashi smiled and kissed his softly, their lips moving together gently.

"How about we make another one?" he asked, moving to lick at Iruka's neck.

"Kashi, you're nearly fifty years old," Iruka teased. "You'll be an old man by the time this child graduated."

"Well perhaps, but I'll be a- wait, did you just say 'you'll' be? Like as in, 'will be?'" Kakashi asked, raising his head to look at his lover.

Iruka grinned and nodded, rubbing his stomach gently. With a smirk, Kakashi moved down his lover's body until he reached that smooth, flat plane of warm, tanned skin. Lavishing it with attention, he glanced up at Iruka. The other man had a content look on his face as he rested his once-moving hand on his upper abdomen, watching Kakashi with warm, dark eyes.

"How?" Kakashi asked. "You're in your forties."

"I sent a letter to Daiki and he told me that Ookami are capable of having children safety up into their fifties or even their sixties in some cases. Has something to do with our wolf sides and life expectancies," Iruka explained.

Nodding, Kakashi looked back down at the stomach beneath him, running his fingers lightly across the skin.

"Does anyone else know?" he asked.

Iruka shook his head. "Just Daiki, the kids, and now you."

"Wait, the kids know?" Kakashi asked.

"Probably the dogs too," Iruka laughed. "Pakkun knew I was pregnant with Izumi before I or Neji did. Canine sense of smell is strong, isn't it?"

With a huff, Kakashi gently kissed Iruka's taught skin, sliding his palms over it as he moved back up to hoover over Iruka. Reaching up, he brushed a stray lock of dark hair out of his eyes and pecked the slightly younger man on the mouth.

"Well, since we've already got one," he said slowly, "How about we show our newest child how much we love each other."

Iruka laughed as Kakashi practically attacked him, biting, licking, and kissing his ear. He grabbed Kakashi's hair gently, directing his lover. The Jounin grinned as he moved down to satisfy all of Iruka's needs. The Ookami sighed happily, arching his back as Kakashi sucked and played.

He couldn't have been happier with his life.