Kushina-sensei had stopped training us, and even though she tried her best to hide it I could see her growing bump. But, I had been looking for it since Neji was six months old so maybe that was why I could see it so soon.

"I don't see why you can't train us anymore sensei," Hiro-kun had grumbled, none of us wanted her to stop training us but pregnancy did that to you.

"I can't, I'm sorry." Kushina-sensei told us all, pinching his cheeks affectionately.

"But why?" He asked pulling away.

"Because she's having a baby."

We all stared at Anko, clearly I wasn't the only one that had noticed the ever-growing bump under her red maternity clothes.

"Oh come on!" Anko cried out in dismay, she turned to me "I know you've seen it for yourself!"

I blushed and dipped my head, to be honest I'm pretty sure I was the first to know because during training I had used my Byakugan.

Kushina-sensei looked at me curiously and I shuffled on my feet.

"You did drop the hint about children." Hiro-kun pointed out suspiciously and I tried to shuffled myself out of existence.

"You can…see my baby?" Kushina-sensei asked, I got the feeling she was slightly freaked out.

"Maybe." I muttered under my breath, Kushina-sensei puffed out her cheeks and then laughed at the three of us.

"Well, I'm four months pregnant. I tried to keep doing minimal training with you guys but I can't,'

"Minato has arranged for his own student, you all know Kakashi Hatake, to come assist you because of his variety of skills."

"Kakashi huh?" Anko asked with that creepy serene smile she reserved for when she was plotting something diabolical.

"Not just Kakashi," Kushina-sensei interrupted "several others have volunteered to help, they were quite enthusiastic about it actually."

Kushina-sensei and Hiro-kun were the only ones confused by their enthusiasm but me and Anko just shared a knowing look, that festival meeting hadn't been the last time we'd all gathered together. Kurenai had taken us both shopping, and for some reason Anko seemed particularly insistent on bringing Gai along.

I swear Hiashi and Hizashi were trying to set me up and now Anko was in on it good lord make it stop.

"Well, I'm sure you guys will do spectacularly until I get back."

My stomach dropped like stone to the ground and beyond, Kushina-sensei wouldn't be coming back. If she was telling the truth and not subtracting a month then we had six months. Six months and Kushina-sensei, Minato, they'd die and so would so many other villagers.

Kushina-sensei waved us goodbye before we started to stroll through the village, Hiro-kun and I would head straight home but we always walked through the village together.

"So, not only is Hiashi and Maya expecting," Anko drawled "but so is Kushina-sensei."

"We're having a baby boom." Hiro-kun agreed with a humble nod, and we all burst out laughing.

"Hiro-kun, you are the most confusing person I have ever met." Anko grunted bumping into him playfully.

Hiro-kun rubbed his arm and scowled, looking more than a bit put out so Anko decided to explain.

"Sometimes you are the greatest team mate we could ask for, and other times, well…" Anko searched for the right words "you're a complete ass."

I snorted, well that was something of an understatement. Hiro-kun drifted from being my defender to being one of my many tormentors depending on the company but I did somewhat understand it.

Hiro-kun had to keep his parents happy, it was a weird unspoken rule in the Hyuuga family that you did all you could to make your parents proud and that meant doing things you didn't like. I am almost one hundred percent sure that if my father were still here I'd be getting ready for an arranged marriage, but he wasn't here and I'm not.

"It's alright, I know that you're only keeping your parents happy." I smirked patting Hiro-kun on the shoulder as we walked.

"BY THE POWER OF YOUTH!"

I sidestepped the flying green beast of Konoha as he stumbled past me and straight into Kakashi, who for the first time seemed to not have been expecting Gai to come tumbling out of nowhere. They staggered to the ground where Anko and I both burst out laughing.

"Wow, I can't believe that I dodged that but you didn't." I snickered as Kakashi stood, brushing himself down with forced nonchalance.

"I was planning on you not." He admitted and I twitched, an angry grin forming on my face.

"You," I accused "were going to use me as a shield?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets, and nodded. Anko had covered her hand with her mouth in a vain attempt to cover the rambunctious giggling she was doing. Hiro-kun was studying Kakashi was animosity that I hadn't seen before.

"You're Kakashi Hatake then." Hiro-kun grunted and it was only then that Kakashi actually acknowledged him.

"Which makes you Hiro Hyuuga, the third and final team member." He smiled, eyes shutting "Pleasure to finally meet you, I've heard a lot."

I didn't fail to notice everyone's very quick look at me, or Gai and Kakashi's slightly longer look. They both looked like they were appraising Hiro-kun as some sort of enemy that they made need to dispatch in the future, which was sweet of them but totally unnecessary.

"I have heard much of you," he glanced at Gai "both of you."

I swear if it got any colder out here then I was going to start shivering, Hiro-kun just didn't like either of them. I dreaded to think what would happen when Kushina-sensei wasn't there to reel him in like she had always done.

I guess that would be my job soon, and I'd do a bloody good job of it too. Kushina-sensei as always trying to get him to socialise with people outside the family, but with limited success each time.

Hiro-kun had issues.

"Okay!" I announced suddenly, reaching forwards and grabbing Hiro-kuns arm whilst placing a big false smile on my face and then directing it at Kakashi and Gai.

"We'd better be off, see you guys around! Bye Anko!"

I then turned and walked swiftly aware, pulling Hiro-kun forcibly along behind me because it would not do to have a quarrel in the middle of the village.

"They aren't the right kind of company to keep," Hiro-kun had informed me as we approached the Hyuuga estate "you're part of the Hyuuga family, a vital part too."

I kept silent, dropping his arm and walking straight to my little garden. The violet hyacinths were blooming along the edges now and I grabbed my watering can to revitalise them, making sure to give extra attention to the rose bush in the middle against the back wall.

My rock was starting to crumble, the elements taking their toll on it but I didn't have the heart to take it out or replace it.

"Hiro-chan was in a bad mood when I saw him,"

I turned and smirked at Maya, who had a gentle hand on her tiny little bump. Hinata was another reminder of things that had to change. Like hell was I going to let Hizashi die a second time around, I knew it was coming and I even had a date.

"We bumped into some friends, Hiro-kun didn't like them." I answered shrugging my shoulders.

Six months.

"I wonder why." Maya smirked knowingly before she sat carefully on my small table, the one I'd had since before I could remember (literally, I still had no real memories of life before the age of eight) and was only big enough for a child.

"Well, I don't think they liked him either so it's all just a bit of tit-for-tat." I explained and she snickered.

"You act so grownup Sho-chan, sometimes I forget that you'll be twelve next month."

Oh yeah, I'd almost forgotten about my twelfth birthday. Well, that wouldn't be a surprise to anyone because I always forgot about it, that's why whenever they threw a surprise party I was genuinely surprised. I never knew what it was for.

"Oh yeah." I muttered and Maya laughed.

"Never mind, I take that back."

I scowled at her and carefully closed my paper door and helped Maya to stand. She wasn't far gone, but everyone was so careful of her because Hinata would be the new heir to the family.

"Come on, dinner will be getting cold." I grunted leading the way, ignoring her laughter as I tugged her gently along.

Six months, then everything went to hell.