Reverberations (Kakashi x OC, Gaara x OC) -- Book 3

Chapter 11: A New Chapter

Kakashi and Keiko married in secret as well to not draw further public attention to her divorce with Gaara, though a few of their close friends insisted on throwing a party anyway since nothing could ever stay secret in the Village Hidden in the Leaf. It was weird to Keiko to belong to a place where she wasn't being judged by others the way she was judging herself. Keiko and Kakashi were happier than any had ever seen them. Keiko still loved Gaara deeply, but she found it was able to evolve into a different kind of love that she couldn't do with her love for Kakashi. She and Gaara became very good friends. They spent a lot of time together when they could. Sometimes she'd stay in the Sand after working at the graduate academy. Kakashi never minded as long as she wasn't gone long. She and Gaara stayed separately of course. Gaara never touched her again in that way, except for one time when she laughed, he touched her cheek the way he once did. Some habits die hard.

It was no longer uncomfortable for the three of them to be together. Gaara had dated a few girls but just decided for now at least, his friends and family were enough. Keiko seldom cried anymore, unless she was very happy.

After a few months, it became pretty apparent that Keiko was pregnant. Kakashi arranged for her to work with Iruka-sensei at the Hidden Leaf academy instead of the graduate academy near the Sand to keep her safe and close to home during her term. Tsunade did an ultrasound as Keiko progressed and discovered their family was going to grow more than they thought. Several months later, Keiko and and Kakashi gave birth to twins; one with grey eyes and white hair...the other with auburn and green eyes. Both had little inu ears that twitched when Gaara talked to them as he leaned over their crib. They were adorable. Keiko had a bit of a scare during the birthing process and so while she was recovering, Kakashi and Gaara named the twin boys; Obito for the one with grey eyes and Nabuto for the one with green. The trio didn't officially investigate the parentage, but deep down, the three of them knew. Gaara wanted to make sure he was always there for the kids and for his friends.

"Eventually the villages are going to get curious about Gaara's frequent visits. We don't want to undo the trust that's been so difficult to build. There might be more understanding of they know there's a child involved," Keiko said wisely.

"Don't you think that's going to put more stress on the kids?" Gaara asked.

"I'm sure they're both going to want to grow up knowing their dads. One day they might figure it out on their own. How do you think that would affect them?" Kakashi said.

There was a lot of truth to this, but they were still just infants. They had time to decide.

The bond between the Leaf and the Sand for the time-being, remained the backbone of the Allied Shinobi Forces. The academy was growing and the attitude between the villages softening. The Hokage and Kazekage didn't go out on many dangerous missions of late, but when they did, the three of them tried to arrange it so they could go together. Many of the A rank missions now consisted of both Sand and Leaf shinobi. The villages just assumed this was a display of the unity between the allies. Sakura and Naruto were always happy to watch over the kids if they had no missions of their own.

Keiko had all the happiness in the world that she knew she didn't deserve.

----

Kakashi sat in the office of the Hokage and leaned back in his chair. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

"This is unlike you to be doing paperwork," Keiko said as she walked in the room.

"I've just been going over the books. Since the Akatsuki are back in hiding and there's been less tension between villages, our revenue is down. Peace is preferable but war is profitable," he said.