Chapter Fourteen

The rest of the Akatsuki had found them.

"Deidara," Itachi ground out, protecting their unborn child with one hand on top and the other beneath. He was thinking the same thing as Sasuke: how could they have found us? Oh, stupid question! Of course they would have sooner or later...have they been keeping TABS on us this whole time?! "Zetsu...Tobi." The younger did not miss how the elder spat the masked one's name. Tobi was the more carefree of the entire group, annoyed the hell out of Deidara - which was the blond one's job, at the very least. But Sasuke had no idea what to make of the dual flytrap who looked like he wanted to feast at the sight of Sasuke and his "traitorous brother" as well as Kisame who was more than ready to lift Samehada he now recovered.

"Oh, ahem...when we found you three," Tobi said nervously, fidgeting and holding both hands up, "we didn't think..." He trailed off and pointed a shaky finger at Itachi with his swollen five months' proof. "Itachi...who is...?"

Damn it, they have no right to know about this, Sasuke thought fiercely, putting his hand over his child his brother was carrying. He felt his lips pull back into a tooth-baring snarl.

Deidara recovered after his initial brief shock and rounded on the man in the swirling orange mask. "Just shut up, will you, un?" he snapped. Zetsu took his opportunity to slink further and examine what he was seeing, but Kisame blocked both the brothers protectively.

"I may not slaughter my old comrades, but if any of you so much as draw forth anything on these two, you answer to Samehada and me."

White Zetsu started before recovering himself. "Kisame, what is going on here?" His black counterpart took his cue. "Looks like he is the Uchiha brothers' bodyguard or simply protector now. Where Itachi goes, he goes."

He wasn't going to just sit here and listen to these bastards talk about his brother like this. Standing, Sasuke allowed his tunic to fall down the sides and reveal his bared chest. His work tunic covered his Curse Mark, but now it was exposed for the Akatsuki to see. He hadn't used Orochimaru's powers or his own in months, but he hadn't rusted yet, and he knew it. "If you are all going to speak of my brother like this, now is your chance to go through me as well." Chidori stream for all three of them will do the trick...

Or better yet...

He felt himself assume the transformation. The fire raged through his blood and nerves as the black flames eroded and spread over his flesh, changing color with the hate and anger that he had for these people before him. His hair grew out, his nails became claws, and the color in every part of his body assumed the neutral, inhuman palette. Deidara's eyes widened, Tobi leaped back to stay out of the fighting, and Zetsu shimmied back into the earth; where the hell was that plant sucker going? Was he too much of a coward? Sasuke sneered and nodded for Kisame to join him; the shark man was only happy to grin and comply - but damn it, Itachi!

"SASUKE, KISAME, DON'T!"

All eyes were on him, but none more frustrated than Sasuke who wanted to kill the insufferable blond. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip him apart just for you!" Sasuke growled through his fangs. The elder Uchiha closed his eyes and kept one hand beneath his protruding belly while he used his other to hoist himself up to both feet without trouble.

"I don't wish for violence here in these parts - not when I am like this."

Sasuke started and clenched his fists, his claws digging into his skin and on the verge of piercing to bleed himself out of frustration. He didn't want to let these guys go; they barged in on their sanctuary and threatened them all; why else would they be here? Their great leader held a grudge over Itachi rebelling against his orders to rescue his brother from the Yokusuki, so what other option was there other than to kill him, his brother and Kisame who had gone along with him?

Deidara sniffed. "Yeah, like I'm going to go easy on you, un. Great Leader Pain did give me the permission to enjoy taking you down, or did you forget that, un?" he sneered, provoking Kisame at once. Samehada convulsed with its master.

"Keep going, clay boy," Kisame snarled.

"You're getting nowhere with this, Deidara," Itachi said, walking forward with his bulge proudly in both hands, his head held high. "I'm not surprised you came to kill us all -" At this point, Sasuke decided he could force himself to calm and see where this would go. He itched inside to get this over with, but he knew his brother enough that Itachi would tell him to calm down. "- but your fantasy to spill my blood with your pointless bombs will only end as it is: a dream."

"Hey, what did we agree on the day you asked me for your little favor involving the wimp here?" Deidara countered back. "You said you'd let me kick your ass, and today is the day, un!"

Itachi took a small step forward, impassive and calm. "You intend to do such a thing when you can see this?" He nodded down at the rounded growth in his hands. "Do you even know what this means, hn?"

The blond was stricken, blinking and slackened to the jaw. Kisame snickered at the reaction, and Sasuke mimicked his brother smugly with his own "hn". And poor Tobi was vivid with shock as his apparently limited brain mustered it all up.

"Y-you mean...that's really a baby, Itachi?" His laugh to follow was pitched and brief before he calmed down. "I knew it all along - but who's the daddy?" he asked timidly when Deidara's livid glare was back on him - but his anger did not match that of Sasuke Uchiha's.

If we tell him, then that means Itachi and I are both labeled incestuous sinners, but that would be IF anyone else and the Leaf Village discover this. I can't afford such a burden on us or the child. "Does it matter who the father is?" he sneered at Deidara. "Itachi is the one raising the child, with us by his side. He is my brother, and I refuse to let him go alone."

"Sasuke is the father."

~o~

He always knew sooner or later the rest of the Akatsuki would find them. Pain was most likely beyond enraged with him, but he had a choice and made the one he knew had been right all along. But alas, it was never going to be over. If Pain ever did uncover anything about the Yokusuki himself, then it gave him some form of understanding, but his lenient levels were intolerable.

Madara must have done a fine job keeping him on the leash as long as he managed - and these two are here. I should say three because one certain is here that I do not want near Sasuke and the baby...

But he was here. Even if Itachi was pregnant with the next Uchiha heir, he would fight to his last breath if he had to.

And when the Yokusuki come, they won't be a match for Madara's will...but what about after that?

"Aniki!" Sasuke did not need to explode further, because they both knew why he had to do this to them both. "Why are you doing this?" the younger demanded, turning around on him. "We can't even trust -" Sighing, Itachi held up his hand to silence him.

"Be calm, otouto. We might be opposite now, but they deserve to know what transpired whether we will feel ultimate humiliation or not," Itachi said, knowing it was true. He returned his attention to Deidara icily. "Remember you promised that we are safe for however long necessary - and this is the reason why." He ran a hand over the firm roundness of the front of his belly, the sight making Deidara cringe a little. He was having a difficult time processing this. "It regards the Yokusuki..."

Deidara's eyes widened. "Oh! Yeah, un...those guys Pain-sama said no to," he said quickly, putting his hands in his pockets. "They did...oh, no, they didn't..." His mind was racing wildly, and Itachi could see it all. "But how? How in the hell did they get you knocked up through your own brother?!" he exclaimed.

Here goes nothing.

"When Kisame and I arrived, we had the drop on us. These people are nothing like the Akatsuki or any other organization in existence," Itachi began, then flinched when he felt his lower back throb a little. He needed to sit down. Sasuke noticed this and hurriedly guided him back over to where he'd sat under the tree, remaining by his side as he did so. Kisame followed, not before motioning for the other three to join before them, all cross-legged and listening to the older Uchiha's story. Sasuke was too disgusted to tell them any of this. Grunting with satisfaction, Itachi went on.

"They possess every known jutsu, act faster than the Sharingan can catch, and they have but one goal in mind: to bring forth bearers of the Byakkugan, the Sharingan and every other powerful bloodline into one great clan - but now they need our Uchiha powers. They have every means to take it, by force or by..." He looked down at the result of his sinful, narcotic-induced intercourse with his own baby brother. "...this."

A tense silence filled the air.

"Incest and babies with the Sharingan," Deidara stated in utter disbelief. Tobi visibly quivered while Zetsu's trap partially closed in a vain attempt to try and block out what he just heard. "Dude...that's just..." He swallowed and glared down at the grass before him.

"Disgusting."

The word made Sasuke snap. "Yeah, that's exactly what it was!" he yelled. "They forced us onto each other, drugged us - and unleashed a jutsu on us without a care as to which one would be the one to bear the child. And now that my brother is, it's my destiny to help him restore our clan...even if it means running away in order to protect ourselves and our child."

"Un, getting all loud and mighty on me," the clay bomber stated with a cracked grin now. "Who said you boys both wanted this, un? I never imagined it either, but now I get the picture why you left us, Itachi." He sniffed. "And though I want nothing more than to kill you myself, I don't think I'll bring myself to murder that one." He nodded at the five-month growth which the long-haired raven clutched protectively. He never hesitates to bomb anyone in his path - but he has limits as we all do.

Kisame growled, hating to be left out. "Deidara, after shooting your mouth like this, I'm tempted to kill you here and now, and I don't think Pain-sama will miss you in the slightest other than your 'talents'."

"Hey, Shark-Face, back to insulting my work! Art is an -"

"Oh, shut up, will you?" White Zetsu moaned, and Black Zetsu concurred. "We should have left you back at headquarters after all." Deidara glared at them both but said nothing.

Sasuke hissed and looked up at him. "Itachi, why are they wasting our time when they should have killed us? We got more important matters to take care of, remember?" Our home, the baby born in four more months, the Yokusuki... Itachi nodded.

"Enough," he said finally. "You're all here, and though I have no right to ask of you...I need the help of the lot of you." He felt himself crack a little at the request; the last thing he needed was refusal. "My brother, Kisame and I have tried to manage constructing our home, and the child comes in less than five more months. I have to protect it from the ones who are responsible for its conception. Sasuke and I have no need for anymore violence. Neither of you understand such matters, but this is what we chose."

The three Akatsuki before them looked at each other with unreadable expressions - well, "Tobi" was unreadable with the mask. Both sides of Zetsu was torn, and Deidara? He'd never been more frustrated in his life. It amused Itachi to no end. From both corners of his eyes, Kisame and Sasuke both looked disbelieved at the fact he had to ask for the help from these guys who had been sent by none other than Pain, though Itachi knew the truth deep down why he didn't order their deaths when he could mercilessly execute ten Hidden Rain civilians or more at a time...

Finally, Deidara growled after Tobi's infuriating, excitable persistence. "You so owe me for this, Uchiha - both of you. Fine, but this is the LAST time I owe you any favors!"

Nothing but Akatsuki drama and humor when the trio (the brothers and Kisame) ask for help in regarding to their home and the unborn Uchiha baby. Let's see how this goes. XD