Okay, so I've been told this section is less than exciting. Super great, get this out of the way and there should only be one or two more chapters worth of material. Thank you soo much to all that faved and followed.

The fading contraction left Kayla breathing hard through clenched teeth. She slipped a kunai out of the pouch on her leg, slicing open the cocoon and climbing out. It was held suspended by what looked like enormous tree roots. She looked around from her vantage point. It looked like the whole village had been affected, roots twisting haphazardly in between and through some buildings. Where the roots had burrowed through whatever was in its path, buildings were crumbling, piles of rubble littering the village. Anger bubbled under her skin till she forced it down to a simmer. The village could be repaired as long as the people were protected. Looking around again she saw other cocoons along the vines. It seemed like quite a few people were struggling to get free.

She hopped down landing as gracefully as she could. A few of the genin left in the village were rushing over to her. It was chaotic, but she took charge of the youths, ordering groups of two to be made so the struggling villagers could be rescued as quickly as possible. Anyone able-bodied was to help, ninja or not, and the injured to be taken to the hospital. Her eyes widened and then clamped shut as another contraction started to build. She grit her teeth, frozen in place for the 30 seconds of pain with some of the genin watching in surprise and confusion. "And as soon as anyone finds Dr. Amai, tell her I need her right away, I'm going to the hospital." She managed to snarl out as the pain ebbed.

Some offered to escort her but she waved them off, telling them to start rescuing the trapped villagers. She walked to the hospital, stopping every ten minutes or so to brace herself on a wall while another contraction rolled over her. Refusing to make a sound of complaint. By the time she made it to the hospital, the doctor was waiting for her.

Gaara watched the Shinobi Alliance clearing camps and carrying injured. To think the entire war took no more than two days and the most important battle of it happened when almost all of the gathered shinobi were caught under genjutsu. The war being over didn't stop him from being paranoid, though he let none of his emotions touch his face, knowing the Infinite Tsukuyomi affected every village had him worried. He walked away heading for where he knew the tailed beasts rested.

Luckily Shukaku was already resting a little way away from the others pretending to sleep. Gaara could tell he was pretending because he had listened to the demon snore all his life, yet he was curled up silently on the battle-torn ground. "Shukaku," Gaara greeted.

"Pup." Shukaku acknowledged without opening his eyes. The sandy layers that were supposed to resemble fur bristled, ruining his attempt to seem disinterested in everything.

"Are you going to come back to the desert?" Gaara asked calmly, "you have my word as long as I have a say in the Sand Village I will not allow you to be used again."

Shukaku actually yawned at that. "I haven't decided. The words of humans don't mean a thing. I'm all the protection I'll need."

After a long pause, Gaara spoke again. "Thank you for helping me save the village in our battle against the Akatsuki."

This attempt seemed to rile Shukaku up more. "I don't remember helping you. Screw your precious village." He snarled, though Gaara thought he sounded more embarrassed than anything.

"When you were being extracted from me Kayla could feel it, because of the chakra you left behind," Gaara spoke, testing the tailed beast's reaction.

"If she had died I don't expect you would have tried to save me back there," Shukaku grumbled referencing when Gaara had tried to pull his chakra free during the battle.

Gaara thought for a moment. "I don't know what I would feel if she had died, I don't really want to imagine it, but I wouldn't want you to be trapped and used again." He let a small amount of humour past his defences, "Besides, Kayla has expressed on multiple occasions that she wants to kill you herself." Gaara almost thought the tanuki was smiling at that. "Can you feel through the chakra you left if they're okay?" He finally asked.

Shukaku shifted, bristling again like a cat being pet backwards, finally opening his gold and black eyes to look at Gaara. "I can't control what I left behind. But I can feel something happening. I'm sure it's nothing your girl can't handle if she survived me."

Despite what he had said, when Gaara began his trip back to the land of wind with the Sand Ninja, Shukaku travelled with them. The ninja kept their distance, except for Gaara, though Shukaku paid them no attention. As soon as they hit the desert Shukaku seemed to melt into the sand, like a fish into the water, cackling at his newfound freedom.

As tired as they were from the war, the ninja ran on almost feeling that the shifting sands flowed with them, urging them to go faster. Making it back to the village in record time, they were finally able to see what awaited them.

Civilians worked in groups, clearing rubble, handing out supplies and hacking away the roots of the chakra tree. Children were playing in the streets like the war never existed. Everyone stopped the welcome the Shinobi back with cheers. Before he could ask Gaara was told Kayla was at the hospital. He rushed away without listening to another word.

By the time he made it to the hospital, he was breathing hard, looking frantically for his path. He startled the nurse at the triage desk so badly she barely had time to call out after him as he hurried down the hallway to the maternity wing where Dr. Amai's office was. When he made it to the right door he knocked so loudly he surprised himself.

"Gaara?" A voice down the hallways startled him.

He looked towards the voice, relief flooding him as he saw her. Kayla looked tired, her hair was messy but tied up keeping it out of her face and she wore a long robe tied off at the front instead of her usual gear. Before he could snap out of his stupor she ran at him faster than he thought she could have moved, throwing herself into his embrace and holding on like her life depended on it.

He hugged her back just as tightly, slowly he realized there was no baby bump between them. "What happened?"

She grimaced, partly pain catching up with her from what she just did, partly confused about where to start. She took his hand and began to lead him down the hallway. She spoke while they walked, determinedly not revealing her personal genjutsu. She explained her sensation of waking up, organizing the village on the brink of panic while she began her labour, Dr. Amai coaching her through the ordeal, how the cocoons had been sapping their chakra but Dr. Amai assured her that her chakra system had protected the baby. They made it to a room at the end of the hallway and Kayla opened the door silently ushering Gaara inside.

Creeping over to a bassinet Gaara finally saw. A tiny sleeping baby swaddled in plain cloth. A fine wisp of red hair was just visible.

Kayla smiled at the wonder on his face. "We have a daughter." She whispered.

Gaara stared at the baby completely awestruck, leaning close but almost afraid to touch.

"She was premature so Dr. Amai told us to stay in the hospital for a few days just in case. And I've been waiting for you to get back so we can decide on a name." Kayla explained quietly. "I just got her off to sleep when I heard you."

"A name…" he mumbled still focused on every little motion of the babe, the slightest rise and fall of the swaddling blanket that showed she was breathing.

After a while she grabbed his hand, gently leading him out of the room. "Let her sleep. You can hold her when she wakes up."

Gaara still made a third eye in the room to ease his worry of her sleeping by herself.

"Tell me about the war. What happened?" She asked when they could speak at a normal volume again.

He told her everything that came to mind. The battles he fought. How the army came together. Fighting Madara. One thing he left for last though. "I fought my father. He had been reanimated with other Kages of the past. Before he was sealed he told me the truth." There was a long pause like Gaara couldn't believe what he was saying himself, "he said my mother always loved me. That she vowed to protect me before she died and that it's her chakra, not Shukaku's that formed my ultimate defence."

Kayla smiled, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away cursing her hormones. "I'm so glad. I have an idea for a name then, if you like it, and your siblings approve as well."

Super short. But I'm having a hard time with the next little bit and I wanted to throw an update out there if anyone's dying for some entertainment. Turns out being in lockdown with 3 boys under 5 is not great for getting time to write. Hope you like it. Last few chapters should be finished soon enough.