A/N: Ahem, I apologize for my hasty performance from the last installment, but, seriously I had to get back to studying—it was exam week... Yeah, when it comes to priorities, I set the more important things... yeah, I'm a writer, yes, though it may sound harsh and cold-hearted, we've got to face it, there's more to life than writing fanfic for free...

Think about it...

Chapter Two

"The council, they know"

Gaara was silent for a moment, before a curse rolled off his tongue. Consequences were racing against his calculative mind, and he could feel himself nearly stumbling into a tangled mess. He had to think carefully, and plan charily.

He wasn't sure what the council had in mind. And he wouldn't want to risk facing them unprepared... now that he had Sakura to worry about as well. Had he any brows, they would have knotted at the newfound stress the redhead began drowning in.

For a moment, he was slowly detaching himself from all forms of emotion to step out of the box and view his problem from a different angle. And systematically, he began to analyze the components of his tangled mess.

First of all, why was he so worked up with the fact that he got Sakura pregnant? Because she was his first time, and it came out reckless. It was a ridiculous answer his conscience gave him, but it was true. He was reckless; he allowed his hormones to get the better of him. And because of the unexpected turn of events, he was now at the most delicate part of his life that could practically renounce his title as Kazekage.

Well sure, since Sakura wasn't a Suna nin, he automatically committed treason. His bloodline now runs through the life growing inside an outsider's womb. He paused. Technically, she's from an allying village. He wondered... would it make any difference?

Well that would depend on the council's single-minded, biased perception.

It was a matter of reasoning well. Perhaps, his child with the kunoichi could be another way to strengthen allies with Konoha. He blinked, slightly satisfied with his conclusive thoughts.

Turning back to his sister, he asked, "and their reaction?"

Temari arched a worried brow, "word just got out that they found out"

"How?" asked a breathless Sakura, who was bright enough to pick up on the situation

"The hospital and their sources," stated Temari

Turning to a pensive Gaara, Sakura asked hesitantly, "now what?"

"We talk to them"

"Now?" chorused the two kunoichis

"Can you handle it?" asked Gaara, turning to Sakura who shook her head softly, "you're exhausted, you need all the energy you can get for tomorrow." Tomorrow's conference will be very chaotic, he added inwardly.

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Next Day [Konoha]

"Um..." stuttered a meek Shizune, "I was just wondering, how you can know if you're pregnant within just three days?"

Tsunade raised a brow, but never looked up from her paperwork. "We're ninjas, Shizune, but apparently, being a medic nin makes all the difference."

The brunette blinked, "how?"

With a sigh, Tsunade continued, "because you're a medic nin, you have better control over your chakra as trained. One will be familiar with her body and its works, you need to, to survive being a medic nin. Other than the fact that you are familiar with your own body and chakra signature, you have heightened sensitivity towards other's chakra."

Shizune blinked, yet again

With a roll of her hazel eyes, Tsunade added, "Which means you can automatically tell that you're pregnant. You will immediately sense that second chakra signature—even you have chakra"

"I do?" beamed Shizune in slight excitement

"Sure, chakra is more than just the energy you need to execute a certain jutsu; it is your life energy." Before returning back to paperwork, the Hokage paused, "why'd you ask?"

The younger of the two subtly brushed her hand against her pocket, before letting out a false smile, "just curious, well, I'm just gonna go grab a bite," then she hesitantly added, "wanna come?"

Tsunade lazily waved her off, mumbling about paperwork. The girl slightly smiled, ever since that glitch with Sakura's mission report, the blonde had been perusing the documents with solemn vigour. After closing the door behind her, she leaned against it for a thoughtful moment.

She was hoping that the Hokage would join her for lunch; there was something she needed to discuss with the blonde. Her hand dove in her pocket, retrieving a small scroll delivered by a homing pigeon from Suna. She unravelled it and reread its contents.

Shizune chewed her lower lip.

"What's that?"

The brunette squeaked in surprise. Apparently another blonde didn't know the meaning of personal space. Straightening herself up, Shizune let out a friendly smile, "just a letter... and why are you here?"

Out of boredom, Naruto focused on the brunette's sudden air of anonymity, a sly grin framed his whiskered face, "just a letter, huh? So, whose it from?" he waggled his brows he cheekily leaned in closer, "a secret admirer?"

The brunette's smile fell, yet kept a kinder demeanor, "I wish it was just as simple as that, Naruto"

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[Suna]

Metal teeth ran through pink hair as Sakura brushed away wet, tangled locks. She moved robotically against the mirror in the bathroom, jaded green eyes staring through her own. Two dark prominent smudges under each eye displayed her insomnia last night. She was troubled.

And Temari, who sat on the edge of the hotel bed facing the bathroom, watched the medic nin from the open doorway. Accompanying Sakura back to the Kage tower was probably a smart decision, she thought. After all, this was a crisis she knew Sakura wasn't capable of managing on her own.

She sympathized for the girl. Though she may not know what may be going on in her head, she understood how much of a burden it was to be carrying a child. She was just seventeen; she was at the beginning of her journey towards being a successful kunoichi who can achieve so much. Sakura had potential. Correction: Sakura has potential.

Then guilt dawned upon her. Maybe she did know something about the whole incident. But who could she blame? She didn't like those hand-picked females the council chose, they even called her attention to warn her about being a candidate for crying out loud!!

Right then and there, she was worried about what the council schemed.

So in a way, Sakura also saved her...

And in return, she knew was indebted to that morose kunoichi in the bathroom. After all, everything happened accidentally. Nothing was planned, nothing was timed. It was all just pure coincidence—save for the council's schemes.

With a sigh, the least she could do for Sakura now was to make her feel better. So with a smile, she asked, "what are you expecting?"

"The unexpected" deadpanned Sakura as she yanked her brush harder from her head leaving an angry knot tied to one of the metal teeth. The pinkette blankly stared at it before resuming her brush as if it wasn't something to fret over... when in fact it should have. She could have a bald spot right now for all she knew!

Temari rolled her eyes at the comment, "I mean are you expecting a baby boy or a baby girl?"

Sakura paused thoughtfully and her eyes fell to her belly through her reflection, "I never thought of that"

"Well, think of it now" suggested the blonde, calmly leaning against her elbows

A hopeful smile brought life to Sakura's pale face as she set down her brush. "I want a son," she said meekly, hands gently palming her abdomen.

"A son," repeated Temari, "why?"

Sakura shrugged, "why not? If Gaara wanted an heir, it would be fitting if he had a son..."

The blonde raised and lowered her shoulders, "makes sense... so... what do you plan to name him?"

Sakura thoughtfully hummed as hands rested on her hips while eyeing her belly; she shook her head with a defeated sigh, a sombre smile replacing the former. The blonde watched her, waiting for an answer... or just something to say.

"I've always wanted to name my son after his father..." mumbled Sakura

"Oh, you wanna know our father's name..?" stated Temari with an uneasy edge, naming Gaara's child after his father would seem like taboo... She knew the relationship between Gaara and their father was never a good one—

"No..." came Sakura's small answer, "I've been dreaming to name him... Fugaku" she blinked then turned to Temari before a small, pained smile traced her lips, "but I guess that would just seem ridiculous right now..."

Temari perfectly understood her... and it fuelled the guilt ravaging her sanity. She was left speechless because of the pinkette's crushed dreams, but she could do nothing more but feign ignorance.

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Gaara sat in his office, arms folded, desk neat, face calm, yet thoughts preoccupied.

It was a strange meeting they were having.

He expected the big, dark room he never heard of that existed somewhere in the depths of this very tower... but no. The council... or perhaps two of its members, decided to hold the meeting in his office... over tea.

Nothing but silence filled the air, excluding the constant sipping of tea and plates clattering ever so slightly against the coffee table they brought in. The redhead found it ridiculous. They were trying to keep a calm and relaxing atmosphere over such a tentative issue.

They just arrived thirty minutes ago, and their progress in the meeting was as good as no progress at all. Perhaps they were waiting for Gaara to crack up and spill... or let him lose his sanity and then let take guilt over and begin to explain himself. A mental scoff reverberated against his thoughts, he can never imagine—okay, maybe he did imagine himself doing that, but he can never imagine doing that for real.

His pride said otherwise. And he planned to keep it that way.

As a matter of fact, he will remain silent unless he had been given a statement or a question. And as if on cue, his former sensei, Baki, began at last.

"I've got nothing to say Gaara," sighed the half-masked man

Then why speak? He retorted inwardly

"But what I don't understand is..." he could tell the man was having a hard time choosing his words over such delicate matter, "is why you chose that kunoichi?"

A question Gaara predicted and so came his rehearsed speech, "why not?"

Baki scoffed, surprised at his former student's non-chalance, he answered quickly; "because you know that this is treason" then he lowered his voice, "Kazekage-sama..."

Baki resumed sipping his tea.

Gaara watched the strange man with amusement. Why the sudden meekness? He had all the right to scold him, believed the redhead. He was a former student; he was used to being reprimanded... if he ever had been reprimanded. Come to think of it... he was never reprimanded unless they wanted to die so soon.

Usually Baki implied his reprimands through suggestive thoughts... which Gaara never took seriously. So maybe he reprimanded now so that he would be taken seriously... but who knew right? They were just theories after all.

Tearing a gaze he never knew he held so intense, Gaara turned to the other member... an old man. Then it came to him, he was the brother of Chiyo.... something. Well, the old lady who revived him after the extraction of the Shukaku.

Apparently, the old man was waiting for his statement.

"It isn't" answered Gaara

"Kazekage-sama," said Baki, his voice firm yet formal, "I do not wish to insult you, but should I remind you that you have allowed yourself to mingle with an undeserving outsider who now carries your child. That, my lord, is treason"

The old man added, "He's right" pouring more tea into his cup

Gaara couldn't believe all the things he was hearing. Were they this predictable? With an inward smirk, he knew that if things went as planned, he will soon have his ways. Eyeing the old man, Gaara pointed out, "This undeserving outsider happens to be from an allying village"

Then turning to Baki, Gaara continued, "Do you wish to insult our allies by pronouncing my act as treason?"

Baki faltered, stuttering a bit before accepting defeat, with a sigh, the former sensei spoke, "so you wish to strengthen our bonds with our allies this way?"

"When you look at it, we basically have them tied to us. They can't betray us because of my child being the fruit of our bonds. If prestigious clans performed this, then why can't it happen between allying villages?"

Baki nodded at the new perception, it made sense.

"So how are you going to explain this to the Hokage?" asked the old man, catching the redhead's attention, he added, "is she aware that her precious student has been chosen by the great Kazekage?"

Gaara stared at him then asked slowly, "Then does this mean that you have approved of my choice?"

The old man set his tea down, "As Kazekage, you have been granted permission to choose any female within our walls, so your decisions will always be fine by us. Apparently, this isn't any female within our walls, Kazekage-sama. Because of this, we must first have the consent of both Haruno-san and the Hokage. And if all goes well, then I approve."

"May I ask" began Gaara

"You may"

Gaara held an internal debate on whether or not he should mention about finding the syringes in the examination room four days ago. Aware that his inquiry may lead to several more questions, he wondered if he should question about it.

However, before words managed to form, he was interrupted by the old man.

"So Haruno-san," called the old man, smiling behind his tea, "what say you?"

Caught off guard, Sakura's presence grew prominent from behind the door in an instant. It was as if she had been concealing her chakra all the while. She stepped in and bowed, greeting everyone in the room. Gaara stiffened, wondering if how he spoke would cloud her judgment. They were just rehearsed words assembled the night before this conference. None of them were true... though it seemed reasonable.

He swallowed when he caught a fleeting glance from her emerald eyes before settling them before the old man. What was going to happen? What was she going to say? If she approves, she keeps the child... and then what?

He blinked, that was something he wondered the most. And yet, he remained anxious, what will happen if she doesn't approve? Will she drop the child?

...

His brain suddenly stopped functioning at the dreaded thought.

Oh dear Kami, anything but that...

But why did it matter if she dropped it?

Because it did. Because he was going to be a father—correction: he will be a father, and she will be the mother. The small thought seemed pleasant. At last... he could have a family he never had. He will be a father... one that his father never was.

And with Sakura... well... he didn't exactly know... what he would do to her. Perhaps... she'll take care of his kid while he's at work... and feed it... and change the diapers--before realizing if any of that should matter, or why he suddenly thought of that ridiculous idea, within a split second all thoughts ceased to an end when he focused his attention to the kunoichi's answer, because that alone will set what he should worry about.

"Well, Ebizo-san, I first came to a decision... and now" paused Sakura, an unfathomable gaze settling on the redhead, "I've decided to change my mind..."

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A/N: And there you have it! Thanks to those who reviewed~ Please keep on reviewing about stuff you liked and don't like, or those you don't even understand, and I shall enlighten you all as we venture through the story~~

Weee~~

Hope you guys enjoyed!! 'Til next time!!