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Chapter 2: Preparing for the Baby

As soon as Kukiko learned the news that she was pregnant, she went straight to Minato's house to tell him the news. She knocked on the door and waited for Minato to answer, but when the door was opened, she did not see Minato standing there. Instead, she saw a woman with long red hair tied up in a ponytail and her clothes had a whirlpool sewn on them.

"Hello? If you are looking for Minato, he went to run some errands. He'll be back shortly though." The woman replied with a soft smile on her face.

Kukiko smiled back at her and responded, "Hello! You must be the lovely Kushina that I've heard so much about. I'm Minato's friend, Kukiko." She shook hands with the woman then.

"Oh! Kukiko. It's a pleasure to meet you! I've wanted to meet Minato's friends." Kushina said her smile growing a little. "Please come in!" She moved out of the way, so that Kukiko could walk inside.

"Thanks, Kushina." She walked into the house and followed Kushina into the living room, where they sat down on an old worn out couch. Kushina offered Kukiko some tea, to which Kukiko politely refused.

"So, how are you enjoying your stay in Konoha?"

"It's lovely. Everything is so beautiful and peaceful. I'm happy to be here." Kushina smiled, looking at the mantle at the picture of Minato and herself in front of the Hokage Mountain. Her smile then turned into a frown, "Minato asked me last night if I wanted to move in with him. It's so sudden. I love my country, however…I don't know if I'm ready to move in with him just yet."

Kukiko smiled when she said that. "I had the exact same problem as you, Kushina."

Kushina looked at her with a look of curiosity on her face. "You did?"

"Yes, I did. A couple of years ago, Sakumo asked me to move in with him. By then, I was living in Iwagakure. I loved Iwa, but I also loved Sakumo. So, I didn't know what to do."

"But how did you eventually choose Sakumo over Iwa?"

"I didn't. I agreed to move in with Sakumo on the condition that whenever I feel homesick, that I can drop everything and head back to Iwa for a while."

Kushina sweatdropped and then replied, "So you still go back to Iwa."

"Only for visits. I live with Sakumo now and I'm very happy. Sometimes, my friends and family come to Konoha and save me the trip. Over the years, my homesickness got smaller and smaller and now I only visit once every three months."

"Oh. So..." Kushina's face scrunched up in thought.

Kukiko smiled and lightly touched Kushina's hands. "The decision is entirely up to you. Whatever you choose, Minato will still love you. I know that is the type of guy that Minato is. He's sweet, caring, and funny. You are lucky that he wants you and no one else."

Kushina looked up and smiled at Kukiko. "Thank you, Kukiko."

Just then, they heard Minato's voice as he opened the door. "Kushina! I'm home!"

Kushina smiled, "Speak of the devil, he has finished his errands already. I hope he doesn't have ramen on his breath again."

After she had said that, both women started laughing. Minato then walked into the living room and saw the girls. He smiled and asked, "What's so funny?"

Kukiko stopped laughing and looked at Minato, "Oh. It's nothing, Minato."

Minato grinned and sat down next to Kushina. "I'm glad to see that my girlfriend and my best friend are getting along so well!" He wrapped his arm around Kushina's shoulder.

Kushina smiled, turning to Minato. "Kukiko is so friendly. She's making me feel more welcome here."

"Thank you for being so nice to her, Kukiko."

"Oh. It's no problem. I think we will get along great. I'll take you to the shopping market one of these days, Kushina. Just you and me."

Kushina's eyes widened. "Really? That would be great!"

Minato grinned wider. "Kukiko. What brings you here to visit anyway?"

"Oh…I have some news to share. News that will make me go shopping anyway." Kukiko said, smiling a little and glancing at Minato and Kushina.

"What is the news?" Minato said sitting upright a little.

"I'm… I am pregnant. I just got out of a doctor's appointment before heading here."

Both of their eyes got wide. Minato got up to hug Kukiko. "You're pregnant? That's great news, Kukiko! Does Sakumo know yet?"

Kukiko shook her head. "He's not going to be back from his mission for another two weeks. So there is no way to contact him. Even if I could contact him, I'd want him to focus on the mission so nothing horrible would happen to him."

"He'll be so excited, Kukiko! Of course, he may also be very overprotective of you."

"When is he not overprotective of me?" Kukiko giggled. "But I can't wait to see his reaction that I'm carrying his child. So, nobody tell him until I do."

"My lips are sealed." Minato said making the zipping motion with his lips.

Kushina giggled and replied, "I'll make sure that Minato doesn't utter a word about it to Sakumo."

"Thank you Kushina." Kukiko giggled. "Oh. I want Mikoto to come as well. She needs to get away from the Uchiha clan politics and all that."

Kushina nodded her head, "The more the merrier. I'd like to meet Mikoto as well. So, when are we going?"

"How about now? Unless you and Minato have some plans?" Kukiko asked looking at Minato, who shook his head.

"We don't have any plans. Just take care, girls." Minato said.

"Oh, we will." Kukiko said, grinning and grabbing Kushina's arm. "Let's go shopping, Kushina!"

Kushina smiled a little and nodded her head. "Alright."

Both women then left the house as Minato watched them leave, cleaning up the dishes.

They had chatted and laughed all the way up to the Uchiha district. Kukiko had walked through the gate with a huge grin on her face, ignoring the stares and glares from the Uchihas as she walked by. Kushina didn't look at the Uchihas as she followed Kukiko up to Mikoto's house. Kukiko then knocked on the door. Mikoto answered the door with a solemn expression on her face.

"Hello."

"Hey Mikoto! What's wrong?" Kukiko asked concerned.

"My parents arranged with me to marry Fugaku, the Uchiha clan leader. It's a marriage of convenience and Fugaku only cares about the Uchiha pride. He speaks of the Uchiha clan getting what it truly deserves or something like that. He's very strict. I'm not looking forward to being his wife."

Kukiko frowned and hugged Mikoto. "Don't worry Mikoto! Maybe you are just the thing that Fugaku needs to loosen up a little!"

Mikoto shrugged and sighed, "Maybe Kukiko. I'll just be a good wife and hopefully a good mother."

"Oh well. Speaking of being a mother. I'm pregnant!" Kukiko beamed, wanting to change the subject and get Mikoto in a better mood.

Mikoto smiled and hugged Kukiko. "That's great news, Kukiko! Your child will look so adorable! I'll be glad to babysit for free!"

Kukiko grinned and replied, "Thanks Mikoto! That will be so much help! Thanks!" She hugged her tighter, grinning.

Kushina then cleared her throat loudly so that the women would look at her.

"Oh. Sorry. Mikoto, this is Kushina. Kushina, Mikoto." Kukiko replied sheepishly. She was embarrassed for forgetting to introduce the two women first.

Mikoto shook hands with Kushina. "It's a pleasure to meet you Kushina."

She smiled, "It's nice to meet you as well, Mikoto."

"Kushina is Minato's girlfriend. We may be seeing more of her, so I want her to feel welcome here."

Mikoto smiled, "Oh. So Minato has finally got someone who can deal with his wild ways? That's nice. I've seen him at the ramen restaurant, gulping ramen down like it was water." She giggled.

Kushina chuckled, "Yea, but I make sure he eats something besides ramen every now and then."

Kukiko grinned and pulled both women out of the tiny village and to the shopping market. "We can chat as we shop. I need to figure out what to get for the baby."

"Alright, Alright." Both women responded.

After they had reached the shopping market, they headed to the baby store. Kukiko started looking at the cribs. Kushina and Mikoto went to the baby clothes and looked at them.

"Hey guys. What about this crib?" Kukiko asked pointing at a forest green crib with palm trees painted on the headboard. They looked at it and shook their heads.

"I don't think that will work." Mikoto replied. "What about this crib?" She pointed at a basic wood crib. You and your spouse can paint it your way. It's also cheaper than that crib you picked out, Kukiko."

"I don't think we will paint it. But I do like this crib instead. It's practical and it looks safe." Kukiko said looking it over and pulling it a little.

Kushina grinned and showed the girls two infant onesies. One was blue with white sleeves and had a kunai drawn on it and the other was purple with frills and laces all over it. "Aren't these clothes just adorable?"

Kukiko looked at them and squealed. "They are adorable! Any child would look so cute in these outfits!"

"I know they will!" Kushina gushed. "I should buy these for you, Kukiko!"

"Oh, you don't have to, Kushina! I would have bought everything." Kukiko said, smiling a little.

"Well, you should consider it a gift from me. You'll need a lot of stuff for the baby, so let us buy some of the things for you and Sakumo." Kushina said, pulling out her wallet.

Kukiko smiled and replied, "Alright. You can pay for little of it, but I will pay for the most of it. I'll buy that crib."

Kushina put the onesies into the shopping cart. "I'll pay for these then."

Mikoto carried a box that held a diaper changing station. "Consider this a gift from me as well."

"Guys. You don't have too…"

"No, we don't have to, but we want to. As friends should." Kushina responded, grinning.

Tears welled up in Kukiko's eyes as she hugged her friends. "Thank you guys! This is so sweet! I think this stuff should go into Sakumo's office. I mean, he hardly uses it. It can be converted into a nursery."

Mikoto looked at her, "Are you sure that is going to be alright with him?

"Yes, I'm sure. The guest room will continue being used for my friends and family."

"But the guest room is bigger than the office. You should convert the guest room into the nursery and the office into the new guest room." Mikoto replied as the women walked to the checkout counter.

"That would be convenient to have that extra space." Kukiko said as the women paid for the items.

"I think you should put these items in the storage closet and then talk to Sakumo about where the nursery should go." Kushina replied.

Kukiko nodded her head in agreement. "You are right. I will do that. Sakumo would like that as well."

They walked out of the store and then walked to Kukiko and Sakumo's house. Mikoto and Kushina placed the baby items into the hallway closet. Kukiko had poured some wine for the women and poured some ice water for herself. She gave the glasses to the women.

Kukiko then pulled out some bride catalogues that she had when she was engaged with Sakumo. "Okay Mikoto. Let's plan your wedding with Fugaku. Have you chosen a dress yet?"

Mikoto slightly nodded her head. "My mother's kimono is what I'm wearing to the wedding." She looked at the dresses in the catalogue and sighed.

"Your mother's kimono? That sounds very traditional." Kushina replied looking through another catalogue for flowers.

"It's going to be a traditional wedding. Fugaku doesn't want any fancy and neither do I. Our wedding guest are going to be required to wear kimonos as well."

Kukiko sighed and smiled, "Well at least you've got most of the details down. Let's choose the flowers and the cake."

Mikoto nodded in agreement and smiled as the women spent the afternoon planning Mikoto's wedding and talking about how the nursery should look until the sun set and the women had to go home.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to review! Sakumo will make his reappearance soon, so don't fret!

Look forward to the next chapter!