Well, let's try and keep up that updating, ne!

Naruto

Shikamaru sighed, once again, to himself. He was laid languidly on his back, glancing up at the clouds in his favourite spot, on the roof where Asuma had first taken his team. It was a special place for him, full of answers and past memories; good memories. A place where he was currently thinking over the burden Itachi and Jiraiya had put upon him and Kakashi, alike. Apparently, he'd wound himself in more trouble that he didn't want.

Taking the last drag from his cigarette and stubbing it out, he held the nub in front of him and watched the last wisps of the dying ember float up to join the clouds. What he wouldn't do to float up there with it and escape this troublesome situation. He didn't know all the facts, and honestly, he didn't want to. He did, however, know why they had included him. He was a good strategist. He could help, even if Itachi wasn't thrilled with all the extra influence…Not that he was particularly thrilled at the idea.

Jiraiya had mostly filled him in. Apparently, Itachi had a tougher time than he realised. It seems most of his life had been based on lies and deceit. A double agent between Konoha and the Uchiha for the best part of his childhood and a spy for Konoha when with the Akatsuki for his teenage years leading to early adulthood. All the dark secrets of Konoha; ordering the massacre, threatening a child and taking his rights away; was making him question all that his village was.

And yet, Itachi had shown nothing but loyalty, even through his cruel actions and twisted logic, to where he'd never betrayed it. Shikamaru sat up, staring at his hands and trying to understand his late sensei's love for the village. Try to understand Naruto's and Itachi's love, when that very village had betrayed them. He didn't know if he had the strength to choose the village over his family, even if they were planning an attack.

He sighed again, bringing his head into his hands on the lonely roof, in the warm lightness of the sun, contradicting his emotions, and thought about he and Kakashi. He couldn't tell anyone, because they could bring down the whole operation. One word, for instance, to the Hokage, and this Pein would know to target him, after he'd bled her dry of information. Then he'd unwillingly spill the information of Naruto's location.

"Shikamaru! Shikamaru! Are you up here!"

The young Nara slowly turned his head to the nosey blonde and his best friend coming up the stairs; Chouji munching on a bag of pork flavoured crisps.

"Oi, Shikamaru, what are you doing up here for? Thinking about Naruto?" Chouji mumbled into his bag.

"Yeah, something like that. I guess it can't be helped when he's been kidnapped from the village."

"It didn't much look like kidnapping from where I was sitting!" Ino added, excitedly, sticking her tongue out and winking at her team mate. "Especially after the things I've seen those naughty boys do."

"Eh, Ino, that's just not right!" Chouji exclaimed, to Shikamaru's silent consensus, as a shudder crawled up his spine.

"Troublesome. I agree with Chouji, Ino. Maybe you need to get your head out of the clouds."

"That should be my line, you lazy ass!" She snapped. "Besides, Naruto's not an invalid; he could have put up a fight if he was so repulsed by the idea of spending time with Itachi, and from my understanding, he's the one that brought him into the village in the first place!"

"Where'd you hear that?" The Nara's voice turned suddenly serious, bringing Ino into a chilled reality that unnerved her.

"Wha-Shikamaru, it's common knowledge. Naruto said so anyway, from back when Itachi was Benito. Anyway, have you been drafted yet? Kiba, Hinata and Neji have already left the village on a recon mission. I think Shino went too, but that's only because I haven't seen him."

Shikamaru grew silent, looking up at the clouds one last time, before glancing back down at his team mates and shaking his head in the negative. This was the role he had to play.

xxxxx

Kakashi stood in front of the memorial stone, once again thinking if one of his precious people would be written on there soon. More likely than not, they would. Itachi had so much as stated as such when he suggested Akatsuki were going to come to the village to search for Naruto soon. There wasn't anything he could really do to stop that, even though he wished he could. How many people would die in this war? Iruka? Naruto? Himself?

He heard, before he saw, the Hokage's summoning bird. He looked up and with a sigh, started languidly making his way towards their leader's tower. He didn't know what Jiraiya had said to the esteemed Princess, but he knew that it wouldn't be everything. They would come directly to the Hokage, after all; knowing that she must be apprised of everything that happens in the village.

Wandering up the steps, he could hear shouting coming from the Hokage's office and knew that Jiraiya was in there with her now; probably about to have something thrown at him.

"Oi, oi, Hokage-sama!" It seems like Shikamaru had been summoned, also. "Put the chair down, you're going to hurt somebody!"

"Damn right I'm going to hurt somebody, you little brat! I'm going to wring your scrawny neck it you don't tell me where Naruto is, right now!"

Crash, crash, bang.

"Um, did I come at a bad time?" Kakashi poked his head in the new hole the Hokage now had in her wall, happy eye arch proudly disclaimed in the only area of face he left visible.

"Kakashi, you're late, get in here! And you better have come prepared to tell me where Naruto is."

"Maa, maa, Hokage-sama, you know I can't do that."

"Kakashi!" Tsunade fumed, the vein in her forehead becoming more and more pronounced in her anger.

"If I did that, it would be further compromising our Kitsune. And besides, I don't know. The only one who does is Jiriaya-sama." Kakashi explained, gesturing in the proclaimed person's direction, witnessing the man nursing a ferocious looking lump on his head. "I'm sure he told you of the Pein's different abilities that we received from Itachi."

"Tch!" The Hokage made a noise of disapproval, biting her lip so hard as to draw blood from the appendage. "I can't…I just can't stand not knowing."

Silence descended upon the few occupants of the room.

"Aa, I understand that…" Kakashi muttered, thinking back to the tortured Iruka he'd left at home that day, numbly staring at a picture of a younger Naruto and him, in happier times. Times where relationships were unthought of for the pair and the closest they knew of it was the warm feeling they would occasionally feel.

"How…is Iruka?" Tsunade dared to ask, bringing the far off gaze from the Scarecrow's eye with a flinch changing his demeanour, the happy air coming over him as if to banish the thought of anything more.

"Well now, that would be telling. My lovely Dolphin-chan just needs a bit more attention!"

Tsunade's fist clenched and her eyes looked away. There was more than just herself suffering in this. "What did you tell him?"

"Itachi got away. No sign of Naruto."

"Oh? That must have been hard for you, Kakashi." Jiraiya drawled in his baritone.

"Ah." Kakashi affirmed. "But I won't risk him knowing."

"Just as well!" Tsunade's authoritive voice begged their attention, as she turned to the window, her hands clasped firmly, painfully behind her back as she reined in her emotions. "Just as well that you three keep this to yourself! But, I warn you now! If you die before Naruto is returned, unharmed to this village, I'll make sure your souls will never rest!…Jiraiya, I'm counting on you."

"Hai, Tsunade-hime. This war may just be resting on the shoulders of these young Shinobi. I think it's time to rely on the next generation. And part of that generation is Naruto, ne." Jiraiya soothed, before his voice boomed again. "If anything, he's an important piece! Ne, Shikamaru, Kakashi? Come, we have work to do!"

"Mendokuse." Shikamaru drawled, being ushered from the room by an over-excitable Frog Hermit.

"Hokage-sama." Kakashi acknowledges, removing himself from the room and pretending he didn't see the tender smile the older male shot toward the back of their Hokage.

They all knew tears were making their way down her youthful cheeks.

xxxxx

Naruto stared out into the field below him, one leg pulled up against his growing stomach and the other dangling over the cliff-face, a stray weed, or type of grass, he was unsure, twirling between his fingertips. It wasn't important he guessed, though a stray smile came over his lips as he thought about one of his kids learning it in botany class.

No, he shouldn't let himself get distracted. He frowned. Itachi had really dropped him a bombshell. His seal. It would weaken. Kyuubi could escape. And apparently, a fully free Kyuubi was more of a lure to the Akatsuki than yanking it from his dead body. No wonder they weren't happy until waiting until after the birth.

Uzumaki Kushina…his Mother, the previous host of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. He knew Itachi was aware that he heard all of his and Kakashi's conversation. He wasn't naive enough as to believe that he could fool him, but he did think that not rushing back to protect his village confused Itachi. And whilst he did want to, whilst he wanted to run to his friends and stand between them and pain, Pein, literally, he didn't have that much faith left in his village…

Was he selfish, wanting to be here, away from it all, where no one was bothering him and he could just be alone with his thoughts? To think about what to do? He needed to work on the seals. Although he guessed this may take precedence at the minute. Five months, if he's lucky, to figure out how to keep the damn fox in his body. He wondered if that's what killed his Mother.

Jiraiya must've known something about him to have him introduced to the world of seals. He was glad the Sannin would be liaising with them so often; he didn't think there was any way he could come up with anything in that time frame. Studying had never been his strong point and now it seemed his life might actually be dependant upon it.

Perhaps Ero-Sennin would even be able to find some documents about what they did with his Mother. Maybe he should be thinking about how to help his friends. Not that stopping the Kyuubi from releasing hate and fury on the village wouldn't be helping out, but he was used to close combat; angry, passionate fighting that drove his way of the ninja into them by force. Where his emotions could reach them.

He blinked…his way of the ninja…He hadn't thought like that for a while. His vow to never give up and to try and understand everyone he fought, even remotely. His need to understand and connect. It's only when his fists came to blows with someone else's that he manages to understand them, their hearts. Or maybe not, maybe it's their eyes and their resolve.

Like Itachi's resolve. He had no will to fight him; he never had. And now he was in the cave behind him, working something out. Most probably where they would go next. Where they would be the most safe. Where to hide him before Kyuubi's chakra devastated his system when he went into labour…which sounded far to foreign to his mind. He just hoped that they didn't have a tracker ninja on their side.

He shuddered, some sort of sense or feeling creeping into him from the air around him. He became suddenly aware of himself. If only he could train now, better himself for the war he'd inadvertently instigated. That he should, really, be in the middle of. Protecting Konohamaru from losing anybody else so close to him, both his Uncle and Grandfather lost within the past few years. He should protect him; he was like family.

He wondered what his Mother looked like…

"Naruto-kun, come inside. You're making yourself a target."

The wistful smile came back to his face, as the young Uzumaki stood slowly. "Aa." He held out his hand and let go of the grass, watching the soft breeze take it away, swirling in a current only the wind knew. Patting the dirt from his clothes, he turned back toward the dull entrance of the cave.

How long would he have to live by running…?

Naruto

Okay, so a bit of a lot of a slow chapter. Things should start moving in the next one! Sorry it took a while. I got otherwise distracted by bad things.

TIMELINE

October - (Late) SasuNaru begins.

November - (Early) Pregnant, (Around 10th) Party, (Mid) Day mission, SasuIno (Late) Mission starts.

December - (Early) Mission ends, Sakura Pregnant, (Week later) SasuSaku marriage told, Naruto moves teams, (Late) Failed visits, Observe NejiHina, KakaNaru talk.

January - (Early) Kakashi makes a lie, NejiHina told to be false. (Mid) Sakura tries visiting. (Week later) last failed visit.

February - (Early) Questions of father stop, (Mid) Sakura's baby's sex, Sasu rapes Naru, Naru moves. (Late) Meets Sakura, Stops training.

March - (Mid) Finds Itachi, Saves Itachi, finds Itachi's curse seal, InoSaku talk, Stag do (interrogation), SasuSaku wedding, ItaNaru consummated, Naruto taken out of Konoha, the aftermath

August - (Early) Naru's due date.

September - (Early) Sakura's due date.

In order of occurrences (bold is this chapter), tell me if I've missed anything and I'll add more as it's revealed.