A/N: Firstly: Omg! Reviewers! I love you all! You comments were awesome and made me feel great. And to all you lurkers out there, I love you too (even if you won't push the purple button). Oh and a big thank you to all those people who put me on their alerts/favorites. hugs for all You all rock!

Secondly: Soooooo, college apps, various school assignments and my own laziness have permitted me from completely finishing the second trimester. For all those anxious readers out there I have decided to split the second trimester in half gasp. I have had this part finished for a while but the fifth and sixth month are taking time. Therefore, this will be part 1 of the second trimester and hopefully over this upcoming Labor Day, I will be able to work on the second part. So please bear with me! More to come! I love you all!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…but I wish I did, because then I'd make NaruIno come true!


Nine Months

Month Four:

The month of…normalcy?

Naruto groaned as he rolled over in his bed, trying to block out the harsh sunlight that leaked through the curtains. He didn't know what time it was, but he was sure that it was an ungodly hour. In Naruto's books, it was a heavy sin to be up before noon. It was even worse for Ino who usually wouldn't wake up until Naruto practically dragged her from the bed.

However, as Naruto sleepily rubbed his eyes, he had the feeling that he was currently alone in the bedroom. He yawned and glanced over at what should have been Ino tangled up in the blankets that she usually stole from him at night. Surprisingly the spot was vacant, with only a slight depression in the mattress to indicate where his wife had slept.

Naruto scratched his head at this. Checking the calendar, he was shocked to see that it was Saturday. Since becoming pregnant, Ino had spent most Saturdays in bed, sleeping until the late afternoon or early evening hours. Actually even before she got pregnant, Ino had always slept in an extra hour more on the weekends, particularly Saturdays. So it was quite a shock to Naruto to find her side of the bed vacated.

In its vibrant red colors, the bedside clock displayed 9:30am-definetly an ungodly hour. However, since he was already awake and Ino's mysterious disappearance continued to puzzle him, Naruto decided not to head back to sleep. As he exited his bed, Naruto stretched deeply, and rubbed his back, feeling the bruises from Ino kicking him at night. As he performed this morning routine, a strange but pleasant smell tickled his nose. Accompanying this smell was an equally odd sound that could only be described as singing…or someone attempting to sing. The

high-pitched melody reminded him of a cross between a robin's cry and the opera singer whose show Ino had dragged him to see weeks earlier. To put it simply, it was not exactly pleasant.

Curiously but cautiously, Naruto quietly cracked open the bedroom door. Peeking out, he was greeted by the sight of Ino standing in the kitchen. Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and a deep purple bow graced the top. She had changed out of her pajamas into an ensemble that consisted of a flower emblazoned purple tank top and a pair of purple capris. The outfit was completed with a deep, slightly dirty, purple apron that read in fancy script, "Kiss the Cook". This casual Saturday morning appearance would have looked perfectly normal on any other housewife, but on Ino, who was bent over an unidentified dish on the stove, it was a frightening scene.

Naruto racked his brain, trying to remember whether it was April fool's Day. Considering it was July, it probably wasn't. The possibility that Ino could be playing a prank on him didn't make much sense either. Ino was not a prankster; sure, she knew a couple of tricks, but nothing too fancy. Naruto silently hoped he wasn't being punished for anything. Ino tended to become calmer and nicer before she exploded in rage.

While Naruto was contemplating all the possibilities for Ino's sudden transformation, his wife gazed up from her cooking to see him peering out from the bedroom door.

"Naruto-kun!" she cooed happily, disturbing his thoughts, "Good morning! Come sit down, breakfast is almost ready". Ino's face was glowing in the early morning sunlight and her smile took up her whole face.

Naruto slowly closed the bedroom door behind him but made no motion to get any closer. The prospect of Ino awake at 9:30 on a Saturday morning, was already scaring enough, but the singing, the clothes, and now the cooking? And what was with that smile? Naruto was terrified. Yes, he was definitely in trouble for something.

"What's wrong honey? Why don't you sit down?" Ino beckoned with her hand but Naruto stayed frozen in his spot.

"Are you sick or something?" Ino's baby blue eyes were full of concern as she approached her terrified husband.

Naruto flinched and closed his eyes as Ino stretched out her hand to his head. He steeled himself for the blow but all he felt was the cool touch of Ino's hand on his forehead. He carefully opened his eyes to see her staring at him, a pensive look etched across her pretty features.

"Hmm, you don't appear to have a fever. Is there anything else wrong?" The worried look in Ino's eyes made Naruto feel only half-guilty about his suspicions about her. After being with her for so long, Naruto knew when to be on his guard.

"Uh I'm fine Ino-chan. Nothing's wrong" Naruto hesitated slightly and then added, "Are you okay?"

"Me? Of course I am! I couldn't be better! Now come eat". Ino grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the breakfast plate she had already laid out for him. Although Ino did not posses Sakura's famous super strength, Naruto guessed she must have had some extra energy stored in her reserves because of the ease in which she moved his immobile body.

Once they reached the kitchen table Ino seated Naruto down, then giggling and laughing she practically danced back into the kitchen. Danced. Naruto felt that he was in a bad dream. He pinched himself just to make sure. Nope he was definitely awake. Well maybe if he used a kunai-

"You're really going to like this Naruto-kun; I spent all morning making it." Ino half-sung from the kitchen jerking Naruto out of his morbid thoughts.

Naruto's stomach flipped. When they had first started dating, Ino had attempted to prepare several meals for them. Most ended up blackened at the bottom of the pot. Those that had survived had been painfully consumed by Naruto, afraid of what Ino might do if he declined to eat them. Better death by food poisoning than death by Ino. He figured the food poisoning might hurt less.

Fortunately due to laziness (and mercy from the Gods), Ino had quickly given up cooking, complaining of all the energy it took up. Since then Naruto had prepared most of the meals. Though most didn't know it, the ramen loving Kyuubi container actually had the makings of a genius chef. Naruto figured these skills had come from all the years he had been forced to survive on his own. Nonetheless, ramen was still a main dish at the Uzumaki household at least three times a week.

Naruto grimaced as Ino skipped to the table, plate in hand. He steeled himself for the worst as she gently laid his food before him. Surprisingly it looked edible. The rice wasn't even slightly burnt and the vegetables actually looked as if they had been alive at sometime. Overall, everything looked…good. Naruto glanced at his wife. Ino was beaming and he could not help but notice how cute she looked, especially since she had begun to show a bit around the tummy. Naruto inwardly hoped that some higher power had decided to have pity on him and bless him with a day (most likely a morning, not to get his hopes up) of peace and normalcy.

The last factor that would make the day-uh morning perfect was the meal that lay in front of him.

Cautiously Naruto lifted his chopsticks and picked up a small portion of the food. He eyed it for a second, still slightly suspecting poison, then took a deep breath and placed it warily in his mouth. He didn't swallow immediately and actually almost spit it back up again, but the glimmer of happiness in Ino's eyes overpowered his fear for his life and Naruto gulped down the food.

He was still for a moment, perhaps he was waiting to die, or perhaps he was already dead, he really didn't know. All he knew, after a few seconds of stillness, was that food was REALLY GOOD. Forgetting all suspicions regarding poison and what not, Naruto shoveled the rest of the food down his throat. Ino squealed in delight at her husband's obvious satisfaction of her meal, and began her "dancing" and "singing" again.

Naruto's belief in miracles was restored following breakfast when Ino led him to the living room and plunked him (lovingly) on the couch. For a second he feared death or torture, but nearly fainted in joy when Ino announced she was going to give him a foot massage, then a back massage, maybe even neck massage if he was up for it! Naruto silently thanked every god he had ever heard of, unsure who had delivered this blessing.

The remainder of the day was truly paradise for the usually hyperactive blonde. Like a normal wife, Ino showered him with little treats and goodies, showing him affection that she hadn't since they were married. And her affections didn't just stop at head massages and endless packages of ramen. As they climbed into bed that night, Ino grinned mischievously and promised him a night "he would never forget" and Yamanaka Ino wasn't one to break promises.

As the days past, Naruto lived each one to the fullest, always aware that Ino could suddenly snap back to her usual-though-no-less-loving-but-definetly-not-as-happy-and-slightly-more-violent self. For now, he enjoyed the food, the fun, the massages, and the sex, yes especially the sex. After Ino had announced her pregnancy, Naruto had feared that he would have to spend the nine months in abstinence. He was extremely pleased that Ino had not let him suffer like that.

In vain, Naruto hoped that Ino would remain in her current state until the end of her pregnancy. No such luck. He knew everything was over the morning he found himself in the alley next to their apartment, upside-down in the neighbor's trash.

And so ends month four...


A/N: Evil me! I left you with a somewhat cliffe ending. Hopefully I will be able to resolve it soon…hopefully.

Once again, comments are loved, critics are appreciated, and all reviews make me smile, Yeah! That's all for now.

-dancer