Title: Nine Months
Author: Yukari Rin
Series: Naruto
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura
Rating: Teen/PG-13
Theme(s): tomatokiss Theme #4 (pregnancy test) and 52flavours Theme #1 (five shades of white)
Word count: 1,709
Notes: Sunday night I found out my brother and his wife were expecting their first child, and this stemmed from some of my thoughts.
Disclaimer: Naruto and related properties belong to Masashi Kishimoto and related parties

"Nine Months"

Her lips were cracked and dry as she ran her tongue over their broken surface. Her fingernails were cut as low as possible, but still dirt and grime found their way under the surface. She sported numerous small cuts, nothing dangerous, of course. She was a medic, and a damn good one, too. One of the best. Trained by the best. But even that hadn't been enough in the long run.

She stopped walking along the dirty white hallway in the Hospital's basement and pressed her forehead against the cool wall, swallowing back the tears she seemed to fight whenever one of her former teammates was in trouble. She heard Naruto scream out a vulgar word and tried to smile. He was fine. He always would be. Because he was Naruto. And that's just how Naruto was. She took a deep breath and continued towards her goal – the door at the end of the hall.

A man stood across from the door, arms crossed in front of his chest. Since his left side was closest to her she couldn't take a guess at his reaction, but his being there was enough. "I'm sorry, Sakura."

She froze, a thousand different thoughts racing through her mind at a speed faster than anything, anyone she knew. "For what?" her voice faltered. She mentally cursed herself.

"That he was brought back."

The fear that had flooded her being vanished in an instant and she grabbed the man by his collar. "You of all people I thought would be happy to have him back. He was your favorite after all," she spat out at him. He kept his face devoid of emotion, his one eye never straying from her gaze, but not revealing anything, either.

"He's not the same-" the older of the two started but the younger let go of him and wiped her hand as if she had touched something vile.

"People who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. You're the one who taught us that. But now you say you wish he wasn't here?"

"It's different Sakura. He isn't going to thank you."

She pulled down her former teacher's mask and slapped him. "I know that." She sighed and walked to the other side of the hallway and entered the room.

A week later Sakura was sitting before the Godaime Hokage. The Godaime looked stiff and serious, as if she was part of the sculpture on the mountain behind her window. Sakura sat straight-backed in her seat; hands clasped tightly together, the paleness of her skin nearly a translucent white as it was stretched over her knuckles.

"Sakura, please say something." The Hokage's voice was weary and pleading.

"What is there to say?"

"Will you comply?"

"It's what he wants. Of course I will."

A sigh escaped from Tsunade's lips as she closed her eyes. 'Too stubborn for your own good.' "Then I will inform the Council of your decision."

Sakura nodded and rose from her seat, her face devoid of emotion. "Thank you, Hokage-sama.

As Sakura opened the door the Hokage stood and called out to her. "Are you sure, Sakura? Even with the conditions?"

Her student's voice softly answered. "Yes, because he's Sasuke-kun."

She left the room without glancing back.

She was back in the dingy hallway, but this time there was only one room being used. Kakashi wasn't waiting around and Naruto had been sent on mission without being told of what was about to happen in the village he loved so much. There weren't any ANBU standing guard. The man in the room didn't need them, and neither did Sakura. The Hokage had told her it was classified as an A-rank mission, but the circumstances made it feel like a D-rank. She let out the breath she had been holding as she entered the room.

The lights gave off a soft glow, but the room was too dark and too bright at the same time. The steady beeping of the monitors reassured her. He was still hanging on to life. She slowly walked to his side and took his right hand between her own. The lighting gave his sickly white skin no hint of health, reminding her of his condition. The back of his hand was smooth and soft, but his palm was calloused due to years of intense training and fighting. Sakura trailed her right hand along the length of his arm while keeping a tender grip on his hand with her left. She could feel the hardened muscle even has he lay sleeping, and her heart skipped a beat. She pulled back and reached down to unclasp her weapon pouch and medical tape from around her leg.

Next she removed her sandals, her feet hesitantly staying on the cold concrete after a few testing touches to the surface. Next to come off was her smock, followed by her shorts, her shirt, and her under shirt. She shivered in the unmoving chill that permeated the windowless room. She pulled back the blanket and sheet that covered her former teammate and carefully pulled his shirt over his head. His muscles rippled with each movement she made him make. She lay him back down gently before dropping his shirt onto the floor beside her own discarded clothing. Her fingers came to his hips and she paused. A small voice in her mind betrayed her by whispering that it wasn't too late, she could back out and someone else could do this. Inner Sakura was too beside herself to fight back against the fear raging in her mistress' heart. Closing her eyes, Sakura tugged the man's pants off and threw them to the ground. He had no need for boxers so she carefully climbed onto the bed.

His skin was warm, and she pressed herself against his side rather than pulling the blankets up. She traced his face with her fingers, his eyes closed but reactive to her touch. After a few moments of exploring the feel of his body and warming herself against him she sat up and reached for the small vial Tsunade had told her would be there. She loosened the top and dipped her fingers into the silky oil and sniffed. It was lightly perfumed, but not distractingly so. Sakura spread her legs in the little space she had and remembered Tsunade's words.

"The oil enhances stimulation, so you won't have to worry about unnecessary pain."

Sakura parted her knees and applied the oil.

"Even though he's uncommunicative, his body still reacts to sensation, so there's no need to do more than you have to."
Sakura looked at the Hokage, eyes large and intelligent.

"I'm ordering you to do no more than you have to, Sakura. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Sakura spoke aloud to the silence as she rolled onto Sasuke.

A few weeks passed, and Sakura once again found herself seated across from the Hokage. The elderly woman rubbed her cheeks and sighed. "Why?"

"Because I haven't conceived."

"It can lead to problems later on if-"

"I won't be having any other children." Her voice firm and full of conviction. Tsunade's face turned a grey-white shade as she nodded slowly.

"Stop by after dinner. You can... visit... him after we're done," she was told hesitantly.

Sakura closed her eyes, unsure if she wanted to know the answer. She could have gone straight to the Hokage for it, but by doing so she would be barred from seeing Sasuke. She bit her lip, took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Positive. Pregnant. The line was a streak of color staining the pristine white.

Sakura trembled gently as she cried. "I need to see him. I need to tell him not to worry any more." She was speaking to no one, but to everyone. She pushed herself off of the floor and dressed herself in a rush to tell the one man she loved, the one man who would never return her love, the traitor she brought back even though it was too late that he had finally accomplished all of his goals. Because even though he slept, Sasuke still had no dreams.

"I won't wish you congratulations on your coming motherhood, but I will commend you on successfully completing the mission," the Godaime Hokage informed Sakura, in a surprisingly "all business" tone. "As the Council agreed, we will wait until the child is born before we kill its father, so we can be sure that we have some hope in the restoration-"

"I want to marry him."

Shizune and Tsunade both looked at the younger medic as if she had grown another head. "I'm sorry?" Tsunade asked incredulously.

"His goal was to restore his clan. If we're not married then the child won't be an Uchiha. To keep your promise you must marry us."

Tsunade sat back as Shizune glanced between her peer and her mistress nervously.

"Do you realize what you're saying, Sakura?"

"I agreed to Sasuke's terms. I'm devoted to making sure you do as you agreed as well."

Her declaration was met with an uncomfortable silence. "Your records will be changed accordingly, but there is no reason to have any semblance of an actual ceremony.

"And what about when the child starts to explore its family tree. Am I to have no proof that he's more than a bastard, fathered by a man his home hates? Don't you think that what you're trying to prevent would be reason for him to hold a grudge?"

"You've done enough-"

"And you made a promise, Tsunade."

The lack of a suffix attached to her name hit Tsunade like a slap in the face. She sighed deeply and shook her head. "All right. I give up," she whispered quietly. "Shizune, inform the Elders to meet us in his cell. The documents will state the marriage happened the night he was brought back. If anyone asks, it was done in secret for Sakura's safety. No other questions will be met with answers."

Shizune nodded and exited the room. Once they were alone, Sakura bowed deeply. "I thank you, Hokage-sama. And so does my child. As well as my husband, the child's father."

Sakura rose and quietly walked out of the room, shutting the door softly behind her.