Slowly sliding open the door, Shikamaru met the demanding face of Ino Yamanaka. Her eyes narrowed with furrowed brows to match, lips pulled tight with an impatient curve, hip pushed out to the side, and her arms folded just under her enlarged pregnancy boobs. Normally seeing Ino in this demeanor would make him nervous but her, dare he think it, 'cute' swollen belly and pregnancy breasts made it hard to take her as serious. Though, the look in her eyes still demanded respect even if the rest of her wasn't as threatening.

Taking a deep sigh Shikamaru began to explain himself. "Ino…there's something you should know. Deidara is not as bad as you may think. He kept you from hurting the baby and yourself, and….now he's still helping us."

Ino eyed him sternly but remained silent. It was true she was grateful towards him for being so friendly to her even though he did kidnap her and the sight of the gash across his abdomen was enough to send shivers down her soul and disgust her when she remembered it was meant for someone she now held near and dear to her heart.

"As nonsensical as he may seem, he's actually very intelligent. He knows just how valuable the Uchiha genes are and what could happen if they were brought up by the wrong hands. So the two of us have made a deal…." He paused, scanning her face for any trace of a sudden mood swing. "In exchange for keeping an eye over the kid and raising it to be 'normal', he will keep a close eye on Itachi and all of the other Akatsuki to make sure this child's existence is kept secret and that Itachi is behaving himself. To him the kid is a deadly weapon, one that I'm sure he fears. So by helping us he can take care of one of his own dilemmas without taking the risk of messing with the entire leaf village like he would if he tried to kill our kid. This way he gets what he wants, keeping Itachi and his heir apart, and we get what we want, the kid to be safe. Do you understand?"

With the final word having fallen from his tongue, Shikamaru waited patiently for Ino's remark but none came, much to his surprise. Instead, she walked closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against him in a hug. This was unlike Ino; she had never been one to hold back her opinion in the slightest.

After many minutes had passed, he assumed she had fallen into one of her moods and joined her in the hug by placing his arms around her. He noted how large her stomach had become; her back was bent over just so she could hug him. As she snuggled into his neck he ran his hand across the growing baby.

It would be due very soon, in only two months. Time was running out for him, he had to be prepared for what he could very well lose his life in doing, whether if be by Itachi's hand or Deidara's betrayal. Either way he had to be ready to protect Ino and his new child.

Ino let a small sound escape her, kind of like a moan but more frail. Shikamaru looked down at her, her sea foam blue eyes peered into his deep Oakwood brown ones and they held each other's gaze for what felt like an eternity. Then Ino gripped onto his hand and gave a tug, she pulled away from him and motioned for him to follow.

She led him into his room where she closed the door and sat on his bed. Shikamaru swallowed the remaining saliva in his mouth. He was afraid of this, her sexual urges peeking. Kiba had mentioned this to him months before trying to nonchalantly question him on how sex with a pregnant girl was.

He sat down next to her, analyzing her movements. They were slow and graceful but not as sexual as he had inquired and more innocent than anything. She rubbed her face against him and laid back down taking him with her.

Together the two snuggled up, leaving no space in between them. It was nice; no verbal words were spoken, only physical. A light kiss on the cheek, a squeeze of the hand, a stroke on the cheek, all of it was calm and peaceful.

The two of them stayed there in blissful serenity, her head on his chest, his hand gently rubbing across her belly.

'Thudump, Thudump.' Shikamaru's hand froze, Ino's eyes widened. Did they really just feel that? 'Thudump, Thudump.' They did. Ino's baby was kicking for the first time ever.

Shikamaru moved his hand directly on top of it. It was so strong. He met Ino's eyes; they were shining like diamonds in the sun, so full of a gleam he had never seen before. It was so hopeful and delighted, like a rainbow after a thousand year storm.

"It's about time you decided to show off yourself." Shikamaru whispered softly, his hand still on Ino's belly. "I thought you were trying to keep yourself hidden."

Ino grinned a motherly gin and ran her delicate fingers across her belly. This feeling she was having, it was like no other. It was so warm and perfect, she felt like she was given a miracle directly from the heavens. Though it did feel a bit strange too, like an alien had suddenly taken refuge inside her and was trying to break free from its containment.

"It feels so strange…" She muttered glancing up at Shikamaru and noticing something she had never seen before. A gentle and peaceful smile that seemed to emanate from deep within him, it was so beautiful and exotic, she couldn't help but stare.

Shikamaru looked down at her, catching her eyes staring into his and holding that stare for far longer than he should have. The next thing he knew, Ino had one arm wrapped around him, the other still on her belly, and was kissing him, passionately.

As soon as he realized what she was doing, she pulled away and whispered into his neck. "I love you Shikamaru."

All he could do was lie there in shock.

"I-I…..need to go." His raspy voice choked out as he fled from her. Ino stared at him, her eyes filled with shock.

Squinting his coal colored eyes, the Elder Uchiha was careful to pour his concoction into another. He had lucked out in finding this recipe; it was exceptionally valuable to his plan.

His old partner Orochimaru might have been a psycho but at least some of his test subjects wouldn't have died in vain for at least some of the snake lord's smaller accomplishments were useful.

Itachi held his hands steady, making sure not to add even a drop too much. His vision began to blur though, forcing him to stop. His time was running short. He had to complete this for the sake of his child and quite possibly the world. Having already failed his younger brother, he could not fail his own child.

Slowly taking the black bag he had taken from Orochimaru's den, he unzipped it and pulled out a piece a paper that lay hidden behind the needles. He read it over though the only part that was not written in code was the title. 'The Power of the Eye'

Within this coded piece of paper was the key to fixing the mistake he had made just seven months before.

~HornyWolf

I've done something I've never done before. I recently opened the file on my pc and realized I had already finished this ch. last month but somehow forgot to upload it. I must have wanted to wait until I could upload a longer ch. immediately after or something like that but I digress.