Late one night some weeks later, Tsume felt a trickle between his legs that woke him up. He made a confused face and tried to figure out if he needed to use the bathroom or if it was something else. He maneuvered himself off the bed and shuffled to find a towel to clean himself up and change his pants. He figured it was just the babies pressing on his bladder and, as had occurred before, was a mishap. It was very embarrassing for him, but he was a little glad that he was enduring the embarrassing parts by himself and not when Natomi was there. He shuffled back to bed and went to sleep again.
About an hour later, a horrible pain in his stomach rippled through him but he tried to ignore it. He thought it would pass but it never let up. He woke up and moaned, the pain coursing through him like nothing he had ever felt. He tried massaging his stomach but it didn't help and eventually, the pain was too much that he began to cry out. He knew no one would be there for him and after more and more pain coursed through him, he realized that the pain was because he was going into labor.
He began to panic, not having been in this situation before (and hoping to never have to be again), but he remembered his ninja training and calmed himself down. He had to think of a way to get the children out of him without killing himself or the children. Another wave of pain went through him and he felt the children shift, as if getting into position. He panicked again because they were shifting, but there was no outlet. He got up and tried to get outside but a wave of pain took over and he yelled, holding his stomach and falling to his knees.
He breathed quickly, trying to endure the pain as much as he could when his stomach began to glow. It had been doing it off and on the past couple of weeks and he looked down into his huge stomach. He could just see the silhouettes of the children and he licked his lips, knowing what would have to be done. He practically crawled back to the bed and grabbed his dagger. He shakily held it and breathed in, bracing himself.

*******************

Natomi jumped from tree to tree from the opposite direction of the village, heading toward Tsume's hut. He had told Tsume that he would be late this night because there was a mission that he and some of the other ninjas had to go on. He said he would check on him as soon as the mission done and they were heading back home. It took much longer than he thought it would and it was almost the next day. I know he'll be asleep but I'll just go in and make sure he's alright. he thought as he sailed through the air and landed on a branch. He scuttled down the tree a little bit and then jumped off, getting lower and lower as he came across the hut in the middle of the forest.
He landed in front of it and began to walk toward it when he smelled the undeniable scent of blood. Fear gripped him but he actually walked slower, making his steps soundless and himself undetectable. He crouched low to the ground, slinking along like a silent panther up under the window of the hut. He slowly rose and looked in it but when he didn't see Tsume in the bed, he went to the door and opened it.
What he saw looked like a massacre had happened and the smell was unbearably strong. Natomi licked his lips as he looked around the small hut. Tsume wasn't there though and he swallowed, turning back to the door when he saw a bloody handprint on the wall going out. He narrowed his eyes at this and looked around one more time. This time, examining the details, he saw another handprint on the top of the windowsill sliding up. Natomi looked up at the roof and walked out, walking backwards.
Relief washed over him when he saw Tsume up there and he ran, taking a leap onto the roof.
"You scared me, Tsume; I thought something had happened to you. Why is there so much blood down there?"
As Natomi walked around the roof to where Tsume was facing, his smile faded. Tsume was laying on his back, blood all over him, a baby in his arms and the other hand holding a bloody knife. He looked up, shaking and licked his lips a little.
"I... can't get... the other one..."
Natomi frowned, kneeling next to him and looking at the newborn child in his arms. It looked asleep, rather than dead, but it was odd that it wouldn't be screaming. He went to touch it but Tsume pointed the dagger at him, holding the baby closer to him.
"It's me, Tsume... We need to get you off of this roof..."
"Please..." Tsume said, shaking violently. "Get it out..."
Natomi blinked in confusion and then realized that he was referring to his stomach. It suddenly hit him that there was a newborn baby in his friend's arms and a dagger in his hand. He quickly looked at Tsume's stomach and saw a large cut in it. His eyes widened and he lightly touched his stomach, feeling another lump in there. He gulped, finding where Tsume had cut into himself and finally his fingers fell into a separation of flesh. He pulled on it but it was just enough to open up and stick his hand in there, feeling around for the other child.
Tsume was bravely enduring someone else's arm inside his stomach but he couldn't keep cries of pain at bay. Every time Natomi moved his hand, an eruption of agonizing pain ran through him and made him shake violently. What seemed like forever finally ended and Natomi's arm began to pull out of his stomach, something heavy being pulled with it. He pulled it out and a notable baby cry let Tsume know that his friend was successful.
"Lucky you, it's a girl... Tsume? Tsume!" he yelled, shaking him.
The darkness was so beautiful to him... It was welcoming and warm...

*****************

Natomi assessed Tsume's wound and was happy to know that it wasn't deep. He didn't know how he didn't hit any vital organs but he managed not to but the cut would need to be sewed back together and it couldn't be him. He had no idea what he was going to do. He had to safely get the children down as well as get Tsume off of the roof. The little girl was wailing but the other child was just as quiet as could be. Natomi decided it would be best if he got the children to safety and so grabbed the boy from Tsume's arms and also the knife, cutting the umbilical cords to separate them from their father.
He jumped down and regrettably set them on the ground, going back up for Tsume. Moving Tsume was proving difficult because the jolts and movement seemed to be making blood and other unsightly things come out of the open wound. He eventually held Tsume bridal style and jumped down away from the babies. He carried him into the hut and put him on the bed. He then went back out and grabbed the two babies, setting them on their father.
"This probably is a bad idea and I will probably end up living out here with you for this but... I can't let you die." He said to his unconscious friend.
He bent over and picked up Tsume, children nestled in the concave of their father's stomach and Natomi walked toward Kayoshi Village.

******************

"Where is Natomi?" Yukorite asked Mayori.
"He went to check on his little monster."
"Hmm. This early in the morning?"
"He apparently didn't get a chance to help him earlier."
Yukorite sighed as Takuma walked by, yawning.
"Where are you going, boy?"
"To bed, sir?" he asked.
"Did you lock up the dojo?"
"No, because I wasn't the last one in there."
"Natomi is still out there and you know how forgetful he is."
Takuma sighed and shuffled his way out to the dojo.
When he got there, he noticed, as Yukorite had said, it was unlocked. He locked it and was about to head back when he heard the sound of a child crying. Takuma immediately got into a battle stance, waiting for an enemy to appear. The child could be a trap... He waited but it just seemed the sound was coming closer and Takuma stood up, looking around. He went to the entrance of the village and was surprised to find someone walking toward them. He waited, hidden dagger ready when he saw that it was Natomi, holding something.
"Takuma!"
Takuma walked toward him but when he got close, he gasped, stopping.
"How can- What are you doing?! You can't bring him here!"
"Shut your mouth, dammit! He's dying. Go get the doctor. I will face this punishment on my own. GO!"
Takuma ran off to get the doctor.
Natomi didn't care about loyalty or dignity at the moment, his only wish to keep his friend alive, who was fading very quickly in his arms. He walked through the village toward the doctor's house and he met him halfway.
"I cannot let you bring him in here, Natomi."
"You will treat him and his children." Natomi growled. "There will be nothing that befalls you in regards to punishment. You will be doing what I say and I will take full responsibility for everything. But, if you let this boy and his children die, I will hold you accountable and beat you every day of your life. Do you have that clear, Doctor?"
The doctor gulped but nodded and led the way to his home.
"Takuma, go get Inoue to come help me with this. You will be of no fault either."
Takuma nodded and ran to Natomi's house.

******************

The doctor directed Natomi to a room and told him to put Tsume on the table.
"What happened?"
"You know that he was banished, yes?"
"Of course."
"This was why. He was given these children most magically. They must have been ready to come into the world but his body was not equipped for it. He made an exit for them..."
The doctor took the children and handed them to Natomi.
"You will need hot water to clean them with and they need to feed."
"Uh... feed? On him?"
"A woman, of course. Preferably on a woman still nursing but no one has had a baby in three years here..."
"Father, I'm here; Takuma told me."
"She'll do though." The doctor said, laying out his instruments.
"What?" they both said.
"Inoue, my dear, please go into the cabinet there and get that small vial full of yellow liquid."
Inoue did as she was told and Natomi watched her with a confused expression.
"Do you have it?" he asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Good, now drink it."
"Wait, what is that? What will that do to her?"
"From time to time..." the doctor said, cutting more into Tsume's stomach. "Expectant mothers won't produce enough milk for the child. That immediately stimulate milk production. I apologize that it's your daughter, but she is all we have at the moment."
"Um, you want me to feed babies?"
"Well, he can't very well do it." the doctor growled, pointing his bloody instrument to Tsume's body. "Unless you, or you would like to do it?" he said, pointing the instrument at Natomi and at Takuma, who was hovering in the entrance.
"It can do that?"
"If you drank enough... I don't really care who does it, as long as the children are cleaned and fed."
"It's fine, Father, I don't mind. It would be odd if you or Takuma did it..." she said. "We'll get them cleaned up and then feed them."
Natomi nodded as Takuma hung out by the door.
"You coming?"
"No."
"Then you can hold the babies while I help Inoue gather the materials we'll need." He said, walking over and placing them in Takuma's arms.
Takuma tried to say something but sighed, sitting down cross-legged. He looked at the two and the little boy opened his eyes, the brightest of blue eyes looking at Takuma. He turned his head a little. Tsume's eyes are gray...