Echo Of A Song (On Hiatus)

Puberty sucks lmfao

    Naruto stared at his sheets in confusion, knowing he wasn't injured yesterday. There was a small, red stain on his white sheets. His clothes felt uncomfortable, itchy. He headed to the bathroom, aiming to take a shower. He took on look at his boxers and screamed.

    Kakashi was on the other side of the door in an instant, knocking swiftly and asking if he's alright, and if he's decent.

    Naruto stayed silent for a second, before wrapping a towel around his waist, telling his dad that he's bleeding, and letting him in.

    Kakashi checked Naruto over for injuries, confused, until he saw the boxers. He looked at Naruto in pity, knowing that this is gonna be hell for him.

    "Look, Naruto, what have you heard about intersex people?"
---

    Naruto looked blankly up at his dad, processing.

    "Wait, so, I'm not a boy? Or, not fully? I'm able to give birth, I have a menstrual cycle, and have both male and female reproductive organs?" Naruto asked, thoroughly confused.

    Kakashi paused, looking for the right words to say, before sighing,

    "Well, not entirely. Yes, you have the biology of both male or female, but it really depends on what you deem yourself to be. Some decide to switch to the other gender, some fluctuate, and some decide that they're neither. Plus, there are several men in the world who have a menstrual cycle and give birth." Kakashi explained, having met a few other intersex people in his lifetime.

    Naruto thought it over, slightly overwhelmed with this new information. He feels like a boy, but also, not? He's okay with he/him but unsure about she/her. Relaying this information to Kakashi, who pondered it for a second.

    "Well, you don't have to be just he/him or she/her of you don't want to be, there's also they/them, he/they, she/they, and a lot of other sets of pronouns." Kakashi explained, suddenly feeling like he's teaching a sex-ed class.

    Naruto's eyes lit up, he/they fitting really well, and maybe he/she? Hmm, he'll have to experiment with them.

    "I think, for now, I'll try out he/they. It feels the best right now, and I'll experiment with others later on." Naruto explained, looking at his dad worriedly.

    Kakashi nodded, asking,

    "Are you still okay with me calling you my son, or do you prefer something else?"

    "Mmmm, I'm okay with son, kiddo and kid are also welcome."

    Kakashi nodded, ruffling his kids hair.
---
    A knock at his door woke Naruto up from his nap, opening the door to find a package of pads and a box of tampons, looking around, not seeing anyone.

     They shrugged, shutting the door, and sauntered to the bathroom.
---
    Shikamaru absorbed the information like a sponge, looking up at Naruto, who seemed ready to cry.

    "Well, this won't change anything. The only thing though, is if you're my boyfriend or partner? Or should I alternate?" He asked, only love and confidence in his eyes.

    "Both, both is good."

    So, they stayed in their little spot on the playground, chatting, flirting, and cuddling until it got dark.
---
    Naruto was curled in bed, shaking in pain. Guruko and Bull were laying protectively around them, finally being home from a mission.

    Bull was laying on his stomach, which would usually be uncomfortable, helping their cramps by providing heat and pressure. Guruko was draped over his legs, angled to face the door.

    Kakashi walked in, handing his poor kid a mug of green tea; hot drinks always helping Anko with her cramps. Naruto cradled the tea as if it were their greatest possession. Kakashi settled in the other side of the bed, facing the window, and fell asleep.

    Naruto smiled, huddled in blankets, warm tea in hand, and surrounded by family; he can't even feel the pain anymore.
---
    The moment hell was over, Naruto immediately marked his next cycle on the calendar, not wanting to get blindsided and be stuck on a mission when he can't focus due to pain. He knows that eventually they'll get used to the pain, making it easier to do their job.

    The moment Shino saw them, he dragged Naruto over to a flat spot on the ground, and pulled out a little pouch. Recently, his mother adopted a little girl, so Shino took it up on himself to learn how to do makeup, hair, and nails.

    Shino started with the hair, combing through the red locks before styling it into a french-braid. He looked into his pouch, looking for the right colors. He decided on a shimmery gold to make Naruto's eyes pop, light gloss, and mascara. Finally, he decided to paint their nails black, a sneaky little jab at Shikamaru.

    Naruto stared at his reflection in awe, they look pretty. He turns to Shino, tackling him into a hug, before dragging his best-friend to the training grounds to wait for Kashi-sensei.

    When they both arrived at the training ground, Kakashi smiled at his son, resisting the urge to ruffle his hair. Shikamaru was asleep, being the first to arrive, and was gently woken up by Naruto. For a moment, Shikamaru just looked around blearily, but when his eyes settled on his boyfriend? Shikamaru choked on air.

    Kakashi and Shino where wheezing in the background, watching the idiots fumble over their words. They high fived, glad they don't have to watch them pin over each other anymore.

    "You look...really pretty." Shikamaru eventually managed to choke out, heart racing and face beet red.

    Naruto's face flushed brightly, matching his hair, and responded by giving Shikamaru a peck on the lips. It was quick, barely even a kiss, but it caused both pre-teens to turn red and made Kakashi stop laughing.

    Instead, he was crumpled on the floor, crocodile tears streaming down his face as he rocked back and forth. His baby just had his first kiss, they're growing up too fast.

    Shino was doubled over in another fit of laughter, unable to catch his breath as he watched his sensei have a mini-breakdown and the lovebirds completely ignore him, seemingly dazed.

Yeah, it's a good day.

    A//N: So! How do you guys like intersex Naruto? One reader commented about how since the tailed beasts technically don't have a gender, that would impact Naruto's biology! Plus, it's also convenient, considering Shikamaru's a clan-heir, but that won't be important for SEVERAL more years.
    People often throw romance on the wayside when it comes to ships, whereas I focus almost entirely on the romance, and depending on my comfort level, maybe something more intense MUCH LATER in the book. As always, I hope you enjoyed today's chapter!
-Viri