Hey there, friends!!!! Ahhh chapter 10 finally… Thank you soooo much to all of you for all your support and love for this story. I don't know what to say… your support and love mean so much to me, I appreciate it very much. –bow down-
Special thanks to –x-neCROpHiLIA-x- : your review gave me idea. Thanks so very much ^^
So here's chapter 10 for you guys. Happy reading… [",]v
Disclaimer:
Standard disclaimer applied
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ICHINOKUSEN
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Chapter 10
Sakura gaped as she heard Neji's question. "H-How do you know, Neji kun?"
"From Ino. I and she are actually friends. What a small world we live in, eh?" he said before he explained the event in the party that led him to his discovery about Sakura's situation.
"So, is it true?" Neji asked.
Sakura nodded slowly.
"That the reason why you let your husband with Ino is because you can't produce the heir they want is true too?"
Again, she nodded.
Neji stared at her sympathetically, "Are you really okay with this? I mean, seeing your husband, the man you love, with other woman, isn't it hurt?"
Sakura looked away avoiding Neji's piercing gaze, "It's not easy, I know." She answered, her voice was barely audible, "but I love him, I'll do anything to be with him."
Neji unconsciously clenched his fists at Sakura's words. He felt jealousy crept to his mind and at the same time also pity for the woman before him, the woman he loved. Why was she had to be so unfortunate?
"But still Sakura, just because you are not be able to produce an heir doesn't mean they can force you to share your husband with another woman! There's a child or not, it's not a big deal. I never know that the great Uchiha family is actually ridiculous!" Neji snorted.
"Neji kun! They're not ridiculous!" Sakura scowled at his insult, "I think Otou sama and Okaa sama do make sense in this case. For the Uchiha's future's sake, they do need an heir, a grandchild with Uchiha blood flow within his or her body. A grandchild that I can't give them." She took a deep breath before continuing again, "Besides, I know that Sasuke kun too, deep inside his heart, he wants to have a child of his own. I won't let my selfishness and jealousy get in the way."
"But you're hurt…"
Sakura smiled sadly, "I just want to be with him. He's all I have…" she paused, "Though I wish I hadn't a miscarriage before, maybe things wouldn't be so complicated as now, right?"
They both were silence, lost in thought.
Neji stared at her as he contemplated the whole matter. His selfish side really wanted to squeal happily as seeing Sakura's marriage didn't go well. Maybe now, he could take advantage of her situation and had a chance to win her plus took over her completely from that stupid Uchiha. However, his other side, knowing too well that the one she wanted was not him, desperately told him to help her or do something at least to return her genuine smiles to her face. He couldn't stand to see her like this, torn and hopeless, trying her best to be strong, masking all of her agony behind those fake cheeriness. And just with that he knew, his selfish side was never gonna win. He loved her, her happiness should be his priority no matter how hurt it felt. Ironic it was since she actually also did exactly the same thing for the sake of her husband's happiness, sacrificing. 'Yes,' he decided to himself, 'I'll help her or at least I'll just be there for her…'
"Sakura…" After some musing which seemed taken for eternity, he finally spoke.
Sakura looked at him, "Yes?"
"Is it really impossible for you to have a child?" He asked her carefully, watched her expression.
"I guess so," Sakura answered shortly before she added, "Well, it's not that I'm barren, it's just too risky if I were pregnant. The doctor said, there's a big chance that I won't survive in the labouring process and even the baby itself has the possibility to die or, if it lives, it would be disabled."
Neji nodded slowly when suddenly a question crossed his mind. "Why don't you try an IVF?"
Sakura's brow lifted, "You mean In Vitro Fertilization?"
Neji nodded, "You can have a test tube baby."
"Oh yeah, I've heard about that." Sakura frowned, "But still, my womb is fragile, whether it is by a natural or artificial means, it's still dangerous to be pregnant, Neji kun. The problem is definitely in my uterus, physically, not in my fertility. So I guess it's still hopeless in my case which that's why I never consider doing it."
"I know. What I mean is you can do this IVF and pay a woman to be pregnant with the baby. Though you may not be the one who give birth to the baby but genetically the baby is yours since it's resulted from your egg cells and your husband's sperm. The baby will still carry the Uchiha blood as your parents in law want."
Sakura was silent as she pondering what her senpai had said. "Maybe, you're right, the technique doesn't really require me to carry the child, we can find a healthy and willing woman to be entrusted with. I can't believe I didn't think of it before!"Her eyes lit up a bit.
Neji smiled at her sudden enthusiasm, "Yeah, it's true that it's not as simple as it seems, Sakura, but you still have hope…"
Sakura's eyes suddenly widened in the mention Neji's last word, "Hope…" she muttered softly. She had… hope? Was it meant that she could have Sasuke only for herself? Was it meant that she could gain acknowledgement from her Otou sama and Okaa sama? Was it meant that she would finally have the family she always dreamed of?
Tear soon slid down her pale cheek. But then she wiped it away and looked at Neji who now heaved a relief sigh as he saw her smiled warmly at him. He had been worried when he saw her tears coming.
"I have some friends who are doctors, if you're interested. I'll give you their numbers so that you can discuss it further with the experts."
She nodded, eyes still glassy with the unshed happy tears, "Thank you, Neji kun, I'll talk to my husband about this. Thank you so much. I'm so glad I have a 'brother' like you…" She stepped forward and hugged Neji.
Neji stiffened and winced at the word 'brother' she said. He was fully aware what he meant for her but still…
Neji inhaled slowly and gently encircled his arms around her back in a comforting manner. He whispered 'you're welcome' before his mouth forming a smile, a broken hearted smile which she failed to notice.
'What have I done? I am so stupid!'
XoxoxoxoxoxoX
Sasuke nodded at the security who greeted him as he reached for his car in the parking lot. He was about to opened the door to the driver's seat when suddenly a pair of palms blocked his view. Sasuke sighed and said annoyed, "Ino, let go!"
Sasuke quickly spun around as he could see the light again and found the blond haired woman pouted slightly at him, "You're no fun, Sasuke kun!" she whined, "Besides, that's not the proper manner to greet your fiancée, at least you should kiss my cheek."
Sasuke tried his best not to roll his eyes and instead looked at the woman calmly, "What are you doing here, Ino?"
Ino's expression changed immediately as she looked at the man excitedly,"We're going shopping today!"
Sasuke's brows lifted, "Come again?"
"We're going shopping today, Sasuke kun. Just you and I. there's something to buy."
Sasuke was about to say no but Ino cut him off first, "Oh no no no, Sasuke kun!" she waved her hand, "You can't refuse this time. It's the important thing that we should buy together besides Mikoto Oba san has agreed to it too. You have to come with me no matter what!"
"No, Ino, I'm tired and I'm just going home right now."
Ino gripped his arm, "Sasuke kun, please…" she pleaded. Her eyes were watery as if she was about to burst crying in a second. "Please…please…"
Sasuke sighed in defeat, "Fine, but only an hour. I'll go home straightly after that."
Ino squealed happily, "That would be enough… we just need to come to one store anyway…" she smirked mysteriously.
Sasuke just rubbed his temple, tired and annoyed. He opened the passenger door then let Ino in before roughly slammed it shut. He himself entered the car right after. Sighing once again, he immediately sped up, intended to get over with it as soon as possible.
About thirty minutes later…
"Ah, stop right there Sasuke kun, the white building right there…" Ino pointed to a white, not-so-big building before on their right.
Sasuke complied and soon stopped in front of the aforementioned building. Ino get off of the car with wide smile on her face. She impatiently dragged Sasuke to enter the store before Sasuke even had a chance to recognize what store actually it was.
Sasuke followed Ino silently and nodded at the employee welcoming them. He scanned his surrounding as he followed Ino and immediately noticed what the store was, the jewelry store. He stopped walking, "Ino…"
Ino turned around, "Yes?"
"It's a jewelry store."
"So?" She asked him innocently.
"Why are you taking me here?"
Ino sighed, "Sasuke kun, we need to buy our engagement ring. The ceremony is next week."
Sasuke looked at her, taken a back by her words, "What? How-"
"It's Fugaku Oji san and Mikoto Oba san's decision. If you want to know the detail just ask them because right now I don't want to waste the time to explain it to you. We have to pick the best ring, you know, and I assure you it's not as easy as you think…"
"No, I-"
"Sasuke kun you've promised to accompany me." Ino scowled and took his hand, "I won't let you go!"
XoxoxoxoxoX
Sakura hummed softly as she waiting for Sasuke on the couch in their living room. She couldn't wait to tell him about the IVF method they possibly applied. Would he be excited and happy to hear it? She shook her head and smiled sheepishly, of course he would be! She was sure of it!
She snapped out of her reverie when suddenly the door bell rang. Assuming it was Sasuke, Sakura half running to reach the door and opened it. "Okaeri, Sasu-" her words were cut off when she saw who stood before her.
Her mother in law, Uchiha Mikoto.
The older woman smiled and nodded at her as Sakura let her in and invited her to sit on the couch. She immediately noticed the uneasiness in Sakura's demeanor.
"O-okaa sama, I'll get you something to drink…" Mikoto saw Sakura nervously was about to stand up and quickly asked her to sit back, "I'm not thirsty." She said. "Besides, I'm so busy so I won't be long. I just need to tell you the news" she added as Sakura back at her previous seat.
Sakura still didn't say anything and just stared at the woman before her nervously. Whatever this news she wanted to tell her, Sakura got a very bad feeling about it. She gulped when she saw Mikoto opened her mouth and began to speak.
"So, the news is, we, as in my husband and I, have decided that we will hold the engagement ceremony between our son and Ino chan next week." She paused for a second when she saw Sakura's stunned expression before spoke again, "I hope you keep your promised and let him do it."
"Has Sasuke kun known about it yet?" Sakura managed to ask after a long silence between them.
Mikoto nodded, "I think so. I have asked Ino chan to tell him today and take him to buy the ring with her. Seeing that he hasn't come home now, he must be with Ino chan, browsing the jewelry stores in town."
Sakura looked down and bit her bottom lip desperately at the image of Sasuke and Ino. She didn't dare to meet Mikoto's gaze because she was sure her cry would broke right after.
Mikoto saw a single tear slid down Sakura's cheek. She sighed. As a woman, she could understand Sakura's pain. However, she couldn't back off now. It's for the sake of her son and her family. She wouldn't let anyone ruin it. "I'm leaving now, Sakura. Good bye." That's all she said before stood up and exited the house didn't even bother to wait for her reply.
Meanwhile, Sakura's tears flooded down her cheeks as Mikoto left. Why was it always like this? Why was everytime Mikoto came to see her, she would end up making her crying? Why was Fugaku and Mikoto were so cruel?
"Damn!"
Never thought in her life there would come the day when she would curse the parents in law she respected so much like today.
XoxoxoxoxoX
That's it chapter 10. More dramas coming in the next chapters so please bear with me xD
And of course reviews make me so happy. Let me know what you think. Reviews he he he
Random comment: The song I listened when I wrote this chapter 'Dream Express' and 'Ryuusei' by Flow (not connected to the chapter really. I just love the band and the songs –grin-)
See you in the next chapter, Jya Ne –bow down again-