Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

PROLOGUE

The sentence hung between them, suspended, spoken but not yet received and understood. Ino Yamanaka knew that in that one line, her whole world had shifted and she had accepted what was to come. In subsequent years she would look at this moment as break between the two main sections of her life, a blissful moment before her life began a new path: in hindsight, in the last seconds of her life, she would consider her life in two parts, the before and the after. This sentence marked the transition from her former life, in to a new territory.

"Say that again. . ." her best friend whispered. Sakura Haruno was sat before her, frozen in place, eyes widened in shock.

"I'm pregnant, Sakura."

In telling her best friend, voicing the truth she had ignored for too long, she was also admitting it to herself. As a shinobi there was no way she could continue to ignore the problem that would become obvious to others soon. Even with the end of the Forth Shinobi War, six months previously, they still had duty as ninja to protect the village, even if it resulted in their own death. It was obvious, to anyone with half a brain cell, that it was not a safe profession for a pregnant woman.

"But . . . I mean, how . . ." her friend spluttered, shaking away her shock with a jerk of her head, and reaching out for Ino's hand, to confirm that it was really Ino sitting across from her, and not a demon spirit with a really strange sense of humour.

"Well Sak, when a man and a woman really love one another, they give each other what we call a 'special cuddle'-" the blonde teased in a tone of false condescension, before she was interrupted by her exasperated friend.

"Ino you know what I mean," Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes, because, really, how could Ino attempt to make her laugh when she had just dropped a bombshell like this. They were currently seated in a secluded corner of a quiet restaurant in Konoha, a new addition to the map following the damage of the war. Anyone they knew would either be eating ramen on BBQ, so Ino had chosen this place to meet her best friend, knowing they wouldn't be overheard. Ino thanked her lucky stars that their friends were so predictable.

"I mean I had no idea you had had sex with anyone," Sakura continued, looking slightly put out, "why didn't you tell me you were with someone?"

"Because I'm not with anyone," Ino replied, eyes on the table in front of her, "it was . . . a onetime thing, about three months ago. But apparently I'm extremely fertile, who would have guessed it!"

Eyes studying her face, Sakura's eyes widened again but this time in realisation. She gasped, pointing mindlessly between her friend, and the door, her mouth upturning into a grin, leaning downwards before whispering, "Shikamaru?"

"Am I that transparent?"

"I knew it!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed loudly, earning a glare from the waitress, who looked like she was nursing some kind of hangover and resented the loud noise.

"Shhhh . . ."

"I knew it," she declared again, this time in a whisper, "I knew there must have been something going on because I hadn't heard you shout at him in so long, and he's stopped referring to you as troublesome, and now that I think about it, you've barely seen or mentioned him in that time either."

"Yes well, I've been trying to pretend it didn't happen."

"I think the fact his baby is currently chilling in your uterus may make that endeavour slightly impossible Ino," Sakura reasoned, always the blunt voice of reason.

"You are the only person I've told, Sakura. Before this moment I've been ignoring that any of this is happening," the blonde admitted, the mask of humour slipping for the first time in their conversation, "besides, I really only pretended it hadn't happened because I thought that's what he would want. It just . . . happened. And we haven't mentioned it since. I've just been doing my best to not think about him at all, I cringe thinking about the whole experience."

"It was that bad?"

"Well it wasn't good, but first times aren't supposed to be are they? It was . . . nice."

"Nice? Wow, poor Shikamaru, I wouldn't let him know that was how you considered his skills in the bedroom."

"No I meant, it wasn't amazing, but . . . it was Shikamaru! I've known him since before I even remember, and it was everything you want from a first time. There was no awkwardness, it was just straight forward, and easy. I wouldn't have wanted it to be with anyone else."

"You like him, don't you."

"I guess there is no point denying something so trivial any more is there," Ino shrugged, "but if I like him or not it makes no difference, he's not interested in me."

Sakura studied her, shocked at her ability to be so dense, "Are you kidding me, Yamanaka? The boy adores you! I mean, it's not obvious, this is Shikamaru, but trust me he does. I'm extremely perceptive," she stated with a tone of mock pride, "he knows somethings wrong, he asked me four times this week if I've spoken to you because he hasn't seen you in a month. None of us have, now that I mention it."

"I'm sorry Sak."

"No I'm sorry, what kind of friend have I been to you? A month you've been hiding from us and I didn't even bother trying to find out what was wrong . . ."

"Sakura you've had a lot to deal with this month, what with Sasuke's trial and helping out at the hospital," Ino reasoned.

With the end of the war, Naruto had achieved what Sakura had long given up hope of ever happening, and had brought Sasuke back to Konoha. Although he was not the same Sasuke they had known and loved in their genin days, he was no longer the same revenge-driven puppet of Tobi's either, and Naruto still maintained hope that their old team mate would let go of his anger and be who he used to be. His trial had been that week and had gone well; Sasuke was allowed to return to the village, with the punishment of no missions outside the village for three years.

"That's no excuse, I should have been there for you Ino."

"Jeez, don't start crying Sak, it's me who should start acting like an erratic lunatic, I won't let you take this away from me!" Ino laughed, and Sakura was surprised to find that there were tears rolling down her own cheek.

"I'm sorry Ino, it's just I've been so caught up with him returning to the village, and . . . pretending to Naruto that I'm sure everything will be fine, and worrying about my own damn problems, I didn't even notice there was something wrong with you! I thought I wasn't the same silly kid who had all her priorities wrong, and I was still choosing Sasuke over you!"

"Wow Sak, this has really turned in to some kind of self-indulgent, therapy session," Ino teased, avoiding Sakura's playful slap in her direction, "I've been avoiding everyone, how were you to know there was something wrong?"

"Still, I feel terrible, you shouldn't have had to deal with it on your own for so long. And I'm sorry for crying, I don't know what's wrong with me, your hormones must be affecting me too," she laughed, wiping her own tears away.

"Hey, I have not shed one tear today forehead! And that really is something of an achievement for me lately, let me tell you."

"So, have you decided . . . what to do about it?" Sakura whispered, taking her friend's hand again.

"I'm keeping the baby, if that's what you mean."

"When you have that look in your eye, I know there is no talking you out of it," Sakura smiled, "But . . . you are so young, barely even 17. We've achieved nothing as shinobi yet, not really. Aren't you worried that you won't be you anymore? Worried about having a person relying on you for the rest of your life?"

Ino smiled wistfully, "I think those are your fears about motherhood, Sak. It sounds so cheesy but . . . ever since I've accepted that this is really happening, I've never felt so me in my life. Like, I'm complete," her hand unconsciously placed itself over her stomach, "I've just been worried what my parents will say, what people will think. What Shika with think. " Her voice was impossibly small when she admitted the last thought. Sakura couldn't remember ever seeing Ino so timid and unsure.

"To be honest Ino, you could be pregnant with someone else's baby and Shikamaru would still think the world of you," Sakura laughed, as Ino rolled her eyes, "So . . . what about names? No, don't tell me, you're going to follow your stupid family traditions and give it a name like 'Inomaru' or 'Shikino' aren't you?"

"You shut your mouth FOREHEAD!" Ino shouted, giggling, "it is not a stupid tradition, and anyway I'll have to name it something my parents will approve of, they are not going to be happy as it is," she sighed, brow furrowing slightly.

"Cheer up pig, they'll be fine. If anything, I'd worry about Shikamaru being on the end of one of your dad's punches. Inoichi's glares scare the bejesus out of me, I can't imagine what he'll do to Shikamaru when he finds out he knocked up his baby girl!"

Ino laughed, feeling lighter then she had since she found out a month ago. It was surprising how true the saying 'A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved' was.

"I've been thinking forehead, how do you feel about being Godmother?"

"How is that a question, why would I say no?" she exclaimed, jumping up suddenly, earning herself another glare from the hungover waitress, before settling herself down, and breathing in deeply to calm herself, Ino giggling at her friend's ridiculous behaviour.

"Ino, this little baby will be the most loved baby in the whole world. Honestly, I just heard myself say that and I'm not even cringing at how sappy it sounded!"

"Well, with my looks, and Shikamaru's intelligence I wouldn't expect anything else!" Ino said, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder. Suddenly, a horrible thought gripped her, and she looked up, horrorstruck, leaning towards Sakura, her face genuinely scared, "What if it gets my brains and his looks?"

Sakura laughed at her friend's face, "Ino how can you say that and look that serious!"

"I'm not saying he's ugly, he isn't, but I would hate if my kid had hair that stuck up like that! They'd resemble a pineapple!"

Sakura's laughter rang throughout the cafe, and she made no effort to quieten down despite further glaring from the waitress. Despite their age, and the bad timing, and the chaos that would no doubt ensue when news of her pregnancy became public knowledge, they both knew that this baby was what they had fought so hard for; it resembled the future of the Shinobi world, a symbol of everything that was to come for them now they were free from danger.

When she had calmed down, Sakura suggested that Ino should tell her parents and Shikamaru as soon as possible.

"Eugh. I guess it's better to get it out of the way. Will you help me think of something to say?"

"Well I'd probably lead with, 'I'm pregnant', and then improvise from there," Sakura joked, earning a slap on the arm from her friend.

"Thank you Sakura, really," Ino whispered, pulling her friend in to a bear hug as they stood from the table, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"What did you think I'd do Ino? Abandon you? I'm going to be with you every step of the way."

And she had really meant it.

A/N:The title of this story is quite misleading, it's not about who you would expect in a Sasuke/Sakura story, but it will become obvious in the next few chapters who it is referring to.

I got the idea from a book my friend told me about of the same name, by an author called Dorothy Koomson. I've never read it so this does not follow the same plot, just the same basic idea. (I also include a disclaimer for that story too!) So, if you know that book then you can probably guess the general plot of the story, but as I say it will not be the same as the book, as I have no idea what happens, so any extra overlap is purely coincidental.

The story will be eventual Sasuke/Sakura, but it's not the main focus of the story. The main focus will become apparent in the next few chapters. I do aim for some S/S interaction each chapter though.

I have the story planned out, so the first proper chapter shouldn't take too long to write up.

If you have the time, review with constructive criticism on my writing, or let me know what you think about the idea!