Gravity Chapter 36 Reap, a naruto fanfic

DNON

A/N-Thank you so much, Sakura's Unicorn, for editing and for always helping me find just what I need to finish it right.

Happy Easter, everyone, enjoy!

Gravity Chapter 36—Reap

0o0o0

As Karin slowly came regained consciousness, she realized that not only was she strapped to a table with wires attached everywhere, but Kabuto stood over her with a familiar looking syringe filled with the most vile colored liquid.

How many times had she seen similar injections jammed into the bodies of the Snake Sannin's experiments when she worked in his prisons?

How many of those 'experiments' went insane after Kabuto shot them up with his concoctions? How many tore out their own eyes, skin, or hair, trying to destroy themselves or worse, became cruel monsters—obsessed killing machines that had to be locked up forever or slaughtered? Her eyes grew wide and she tried to voice her protest, but with or without a tongue, her words slurred like she was drunk.

'He's already injected me with some kind of sedative,' she cursed to herself, feeling woozy. She had to stop him before he used that new injection on her!

"No worries, Karin-san. I'll take good care of you and your little one." Kabuto smiled, snake-like at her. "This procedure is painless compared to how Sasuke received his cursed seal."

She tried to shake her head but it was clamped to the table, as were her wrists and ankles. He didn't know she wasn't pregnant! She had to stop him!

"With this experiment the next generation of Uchiha will be even more perfect."

"Ma baba—sa…sa!"

"What's that, Karin-san?" Kabuto leaned closer to try to understand what the girl who'd lost most of her tongue was trying to say.

"Mo, mo! Sasu baba!" Karin repeated.

Kabuto chuckled. "No need to be modest about your accomplishments, Karin-san. I know all about them." He waved a crumpled sheet of paper in front of her eyes—eyes now opened wide enough in shock that one might think they would fall right out of her head.

'That's my letter! The one I wrote to Sasuke!' It was the letter in which she'd told him she was pregnant with the next Uchiha heir. The one she lost during her mission with the Green Beasts!

'Kabuto must have found my letter!' Tears came to her eyes.

"Mo, wy!" Suddenly, she blinked heavily. Her eyelids felt as if someone had laid sandbags on them.

"Poor, Karin-san. I can see you were treated badly by those nasty desert people. Don't worry. Here you'll be treated with the respect due the vessel of the next great generation."

"Agh!" She fought the drug's effect as the room trebled in her vision. She had to stop him!

"Relax and let the drug take effect. You won't feel a thing, Karin-san." Just as she slipped from consciousness, she felt the sharp prick of the needle and the burn of the noxious brew Kabuto had prepared as it entered her bloodstream.

'Kami-sama!' Karin prayed as the world turned black.

0o0o0

Sasuke walked through the dark streets toward his family home. When he reached the Uchiha district, he diverged from the path into a section set aside for a shrine. He walked slowly over to the small graveyard at the back and kneeled in front of his parents' graves. By the moon's light he could make out the word 'Beloved' on the double headstone.

'Otousan, Kaasan,' he thought, bowing reverently. 'From today on, our house will no longer be empty. Thank you for watching over Sakura and my son when I couldn't. Please continue to do so when I bring them home.'

"Home," he said it aloud to the silent relatives scattered around him. For so many years, he fiercely disliked the word. Now it had a new feeling to it. A sense of pride he hadn't felt since childhood came over him at the thought that he was bringing his family home.

Sasuke said a silent prayer, making a mental note to come back soon and clean the graves he'd left untended for so many years.

Returning to the house, Sasuke winced as he walked in and flicked on the light, seeing the rough shape he'd left it in. After Sakura left, he'd let it go to hell. There were stacks of dirty dishes, a thick layer of dust along the shelves, a pile of dirty laundry, and worse—a huge hole in the side of the house that he made after kicking Karin out. A wave of guilt washed over him. He hoped that Sakura would forgive his stupidity.

He cleaned up a few things and took an overdue shower, letting the hot water slough off the grime of his arduous, but successful journey. When he got out, he cleaned up a little more—just enough to make the house not so unsightly. He closed the door to his old room, thinking it would be wise to call Saihoushi-san soon to repair the mess he'd made and make any other changes that Sakura would like—if she stayed. Then he went right back to the hospital.

When Sasuke returned, the two women were cuddled on the bed. Sakura was sleeping and Ino sat stroking her belly. When he came in, Ino carefully rose and indicated for him to take her place on the bed. He reluctantly climbed into bed next to the sleeping girl and Ino sat on the chair.

He didn't notice her ShinTenShin.

Abruptly, she was in his head.

"I don't want to wake her, so you listen to me, Uchiha," she spoke shrilly enough in his mind to make him cringe. "Don't you screw this up! You better treat her like gold. And don't you dare let her feel ashamed about having this baby, or else. If I find out she's not happy, I'll make sure she leaves your ass and I'll keep her away from you. I won't let you break her heart again. Do you understand?"

"Aa." He growled at the overprotective kunoichi, but once she let him go, he didn't harbor any ill will. She had the same goal in mind as him—protecting Sakura.

"I'll come by tomorrow." She rose, smiling genially, as if she hadn't just had his mind in total lockdown. "Sakura likes her belly rubbed. The baby stretches the skin tight and it is soothing. Ja' ne." Ino left.

Sasuke watched the sleeping woman next to him. He wasn't very familiar with this level of intimacy, but he would try…for Sakura's sake.

He slipped an arm around her shoulders and she curled up into him with a contented sigh.

He decided he could get used to it.

0o0o0

"Good morning," Tsunade greeted early the next morning. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"A shower?" Sakura asked shyly.

"I think we can accommodate that, Sakura-chan." Tsunade grinned. "Then I'll give you your examination right after and you can go home. All right? Sasuke, why don't you go get some fresh clothes for Sakura. You have the ones they sent back from River Country?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." He turned to Sakura. "I'll be right back."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Tsunade gave her a fresh hospital gown and a towel. "I'll be back in a few minutes with your records. There's a guard right outside your door and the nurse is down the hall—just push the button if you need something. Will you be ok?"

Sakura nodded and slid off the bed.

After her shower, Sakura felt almost normal again. She put on the clean gown and was ready when Tsunade came back in with her file. She asked her a few questions, confirming the baby's due date and measured her abdomen to see how the child's growth was progressing. Then she carefully delved into the area around Sakura's womb, just to make sure the journey had caused no harm. She finished with a broad smile.

"Your son is doing well, Sakura-chan. It looks like you've been eating healthy. Have you been feeling any anxiety?"

"Are you kidding?" Sakura looked seriously in her leader's eyes. The last four months of her life had been nothing but nerve-racking.

"Well," she sighed. "I guess there's no getting around that, but no more stress, ok?"

"Hai, Shishou."

A knock sounded at the door before Sasuke let himself back in with a bag of clothes for Sakura.

"Good, you're back. I was just telling Sakura here, no stress. She is not to do anything strenuous—no training and no chakra use whatsoever."

"What?" Sakura cried. "Why not?"

"Normally, I would ok some chakra use or even let you work."

"I can't work?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Uh-uh. You became pregnant while recovering from using Creation Rebirth on someone other than yourself. Instead of the jutsu healing your depleted cells, you sent healthy cells out of your body. And you haven't used any chakra in months. There's no telling what kind of damage you could do if you started again now. We're gonna play it safe. No chakra use and I want you on bed rest." Tsunade waited for Sasuke's nod to make sure he was on board with what she was saying.

Sakura was floored. Sasuke came up and put his hand on her shoulder and she shrugged him off uncomfortably. She felt almost as if they'd put her shackles put back on.

"The good news is that you're right on track for your weight gain. You're up fourteen pounds since your last check-up, before you left for River Country."

"Fourteen pounds!" Sakura squeaked, her mouth hanging open in astonishment.

"Yes, and that is just fine." Tsunade lifted the young mother's chin to close her mouth. "That grandson of mine looks healthy and active. No dieting, young lady. That weight was gained gradually over the last five months. Since you have been mostly inactive, I want you to do no more than simple stretching and stay off that ankle as much as possible." She handed her a cane. "You two make an appointment for an ultrasound so we can get a look at the little guy. Get dressed now and go home to rest."

"Hai, Shishou," Sakura replied halfheartedly. Just the thought of months more of sitting around, doing absolutely nothing, was already frustrating her.

"Come by my office and have lunch with me tomorrow Sakura. I want to catch up with you and I'll debrief you while we eat." She pointed at the dark-eyed Uchiha. "You can bring him, too, if you like."

"Hai, Shishou." Sakura slid off the examining table and when Sasuke tried to help her, she snapped irritably. "I can do it myself!" Realizing her rudeness she blushed furiously. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He handed her the bag.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

"I'll wait outside for you." He followed the Hokage out.

Sakura pulled out clean underwear and put them on, noticing they were a now very snug, she recognized she would have to buy new ones, and soon, as these ones would not fit unless she scrunched them down low under her belly. Her chest had gotten bigger, too—the bra she put on was so tight, she could barely close it—once hooked she could barely breathe. Then she pulled out her familiar clothes with a sigh of happiness—her blue, spandex bike shorts and white t-shirt with the red vest. It felt so good to see them again. She hurried to put them on.

Five minutes later, she came to the door and called Sasuke back in. When he came in, he saw immediately that she was visibly upset and still in her hospital gown. "What's wrong?"

Two big tears swelled up and rolled down her face. "Nothing fits! It's too small! I've turned into a fat cow!"

Sasuke was taken back when hit by his first wave of pregnancy hormones. He didn't quite know what to do with this sad, little Sakura. He slowly folded her in his arms, patting her back. "You're not fat, Sakura."

She sniffed, turned away from him and sulked.

"You're not fat," he scowled.

"Liar," she accused, but she smiled a little.

He walked over to her and picked her chin up. "You look fine."

She scrubbed at her wet face. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun, I don't know what came over me. My sizes haven't changed so much in years and when none of my clothes fit, I just—"

"Forget about it. You can get new clothes. I'll go find something else for you to wear. Then we'll have dinner wherever you like on the way home."

"That sounds nice."

"Stay here. I'll be back." Sasuke left to go find her something more suitable.

Sasuke hadn't gone ten steps out of the hospital when an annoying bleating assailed his ears.

"Oi! Teme! Where you going? Aren't you supposed to be with Sakura?"

"I am, dobe."

"Where is she then?" Naruto pretended to look around them. "I don't see her."

"Tch." Sasuke's brow twitched in irritation. "I'm going to pick up some clothes for her."

"Maternity clothes? I'll come help, teme."

"What do you know about choosing clothes?" Sasuke eyed the day-glo orange active wear that Naruto sported day-in and day-out.

"More than you, teme. If you dress Sakura, she'll look like she's going to a funeral." Naruto eyed Sasuke's black-on-black attire. "Boooorrringg!"

Sasuke couldn't shake the nuisance following him, so they both ended up in the women's clothing store together. The saleswoman sauntered up, giving Sasuke a flirtatious smile and Naruto a slight curl of her lip.

"Can I help you?"

"Do—"

"We need clothes for a bigger girl," Naruto interrupted, making a weird motion over his stomach with his hand.

The sales girl pointed to the other end of the store and tried to block Sasuke's path after Naruto rushed toward the clothing racks.

"I haven't seen you here before."

Sasuke grunted and turned to go down the next aisle, but she grabbed his sleeve. He scowled at her.

"If you want, I can help you find what you need." She smiled suggestively at him.

"No."

Before she could blink, he was gone to the other side of the shop—talking to the funny looking boy in the orange jacket. She sniffed and headed back to the checkout counter.

"Suit yourself," she grumbled.

"Hey, teme! Look here! I found this!" Naruto pulled out a bright, striped dress big enough to be a circus tent along with an oversized pair of woman's panties. Sasuke's mind flashed to the tiny panties he'd taken earlier from Sakura's drawer. Then her unhappy face entered his mind, her green eyes full of tears.

"Sasuke-kun, you think I'm a fat cow, too!" she'd accuse him.

"Oh, no." If he brought her something like this to wear, she'd never forgive him. He looked back at the idiot who was pulling more loud, huge clothes off from the rack and shook his head.

Suddenly, he remembered when Sakura had no clean laundry and he'd brought her his own clothes to wear, a pair of nin-pants and t-shirt. The pants had fallen off her hips when she stood up because they were too big. He smirked at the memory of her pretty, bare legs.

"Never mind, dobe. I've got a better idea." He left Naruto to put all those ridiculous clothes back by himself and went home.

0o0o0

Sakura sat down to wait for the father of her baby.

Home, Sasuke was taking her home.

Home.

All of a sudden, new doubts began to assail her.

'Oh shit! I never finished setting up escrow for my house! I wonder if my loan went into foreclosure? If the bank put a lien on my savings account, how am I gonna buy new clothes? And what if Sasuke doesn't really want to be together? What if he's just pitying me?' She started chewing her thumbnail. 'I still need money for a place to live. I need to work, but how can I work without chakra? What am I going to live off of?'

"Holy crud! And Tsunade said no stress. How is that even possible?"

By the time Sasuke got back, Sakura was holding her head in her hands.

"Sakura, are you ill? Do you want me to get Tsunade?"

She picked up her head slowly, suddenly looking completely worn out. "No, I just remembered that I didn't finish taking care of my house loan among other things."

"I took care of it."

"You did?" She looked up at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I'll pay it all back to you with interest after I can work again."

"I wasn't worried about it and you shouldn't be either."

"But I was concerned about finding a place to stay. I can't keep imposing on you."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose. "Imposing?" He frowned. "Do you think I will let you stay anywhere but with me?"

"Oh, s-sorry, Sasuke-kun." She couldn't seem to stop apologizing. "I know you like your privacy and…ah—"

"Do you not want to stay with me?" He asked, his heart sinking at the thought of her living anywhere else.

They'd been apart for so long—she didn't want him to force him. "You don't mind?"

He shook his head, not trusting his tongue to answer her. What would he do if she didn't want to stay with him—if he couldn't bring his family home?

"I've had months to come to terms with this, Sasuke. A baby is a lot of responsibility. You don't have to decide right away."

'That's all she's worried about?' he thought with relief.

Sasuke gave her the look he saved for when Naruto said something especially stupid. He put the clothes he brought for her in her hands.

"Baka. Get dressed. We're going home."

0o0o0

They began the long trek through the village, back to the Uchiha district. Having been in solitary for so long, Sakura was uncomfortably aware that everyone was staring at her. Sasuke walked beside her, not really noticing. He was used to stares and he always ignored them.

Nobody talked to them, but she knew they were talking about them.

Sakura could practically hear the gossip now. Nobody would know the real reason why she'd been away. Even if she could tell them the truth, it would seem a fantastic lie. Ironically, Hanshu was right about one thing—her reputation was going to be beyond tarnished. By tomorrow, the whole village would be talking about her. This was exactly the kind of situation her mother had wanted her to avoid by marrying her off before she died. She felt ill. She could almost hear the words they were saying behind raised hands.

'Look at that! Gone five months and she comes back pregnant and unmarried. What a disgrace! And latching onto that Uchiha boy, too!

'It's a good thing mother is dead. She would be absolutely mortified.'

Sakura hung her head in shame and started to distance herself from Sasuke.

"Where would you like to have dinner?" Sasuke asked.

"I-I'm not hungry," she mumbled, staring at the ground, her faced flushed.

Watching her, he became concerned. He glanced around and saw some of the market women whispering behind their hands and pointing at Sakura. He glared at them and was about to say something to Sakura when his tailor's wife, Saihoushi Taelle, rushed up to them.

"Hello there!" Taelle smiled warmly "I am so glad you are back, Uchiha-san."

When Sakura realized she was talking to her, she looked up immediately—her face turned bright red and she started to shake her head. She was wearing Sasuke's shirt, so the tailor must have thought… "No, you're mistaken—"

Sasuke recalled the time she told him about the marriage interviews arranged by her mother, along with Ino's warning. It clicked in his brain what discomfiture she might be feeling. He stepped closer, put his arm around Sakura's shoulders protectively, and interrupted Taelle.

"Sakura's not feeling well today. Perhaps you could call on us later this week and we can discuss further renovations."

"Oh, yes. Of course. I hope you are feeling better soon. Congratulations, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke felt her flinch miserably this time.

"I'll stop by in a few days to visit." She smiled happily at the young couple. "Take care of yourselves and the baby." She waved as they left.

"Don't worry about what others think," Sasuke told her, pulling her forward once more.

Sakura's step faltered and she looked up, astonished that he knew what she was thinking—she blushed. "You're right, Sasuke. Those people don't know the circumstances…but, you know, standards are very different in our society for women than men. By tomorrow, most of the villagers are going to think I'm a tramp."

"Then they are stupid," Sasuke growled.

"No. They'll be right. It's my own fault."

"Stop thinking of them," Sasuke said angrily. "The people who know you will know it's not true."

"Yeah," she said with absolutely no conviction, "I don't care what they think. I'm just glad to be back." She tried to smile at him, but her smile never made it to her eyes.

Sasuke felt a sharp pang of guilt and anger. This would have been settled months ago if she had not been abducted. They might even have been married before she found out she was pregnant.

He needed to fix this.

0o0o0

Sasuke opened the door and let Sakura lead them into the house. He helped her remove her sandals, taking care not to jar the bandages on her injured foot. When he stood up again he blocked her path, his face inches from hers. She gazed up into his onyx eyes. Her breath caught in her throat.

When Sasuke tilted her chin up and kissed her tenderly, Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"I thought…maybe you…didn't want to do that anymore."

"No." Sasuke rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "I just knew that once I started, I wouldn't want to stop." He kissed her again, long and slow. Her hands rested flat on his chest and his slipped around her waist, pulling her closer.

"You don't," she blushed prettily, "have to stop, Sasuke-kun."

He looked doubtful. "I don't want harm you or the baby."

"You won't hurt us, Sasuke-kun."

He shook his head. "I can wait until the baby's born."

"Sasuke-kun!" She pouted sulkily and he had to kiss her sweet lips again. "What if…what if I don't want to wait?"

"You waited eighteen years for the first time, I'm sure you can wait a few more months for the next." He smirked when she gasped. "Besides, if you hadn't run away, you would have nothing to complain about, now would you?"

She raised a fist at him. "Sasuke—"

He grabbed her wrist. "No stress, remember? Hokage's orders. I'm gonna make sure you follow them." He kissed her forehead. "Go lay down."

"I don't want to." She sniffed. "I'm not tired."

"You need to rest so you don't get tired."

"Are you crazy? If you keep saying stuff like that, I'm going to punch you," she grumbled. "Stop treating me as if I'm made of glass!"

He swept her off her feet and brought her to his bed and climbed in beside her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in front of him. "Sleep. I'll stay here with you a while."

She wanted to protest, but it felt so warm and comfortable in Sasuke's arms that she just didn't care. She rested her head on his arm and almost found herself purring when he softly stroked her rounded abdomen. Whenever his hand stopped moving and stayed in one place, the baby would start to push back against him from inside her belly.

Sakura giggled. "I think he likes that. He doesn't want you to stop."

A chuckle rumbled next to her ear. "He's very demanding."

"That comes from his father's side," she teased.

"Hn." He frowned. "You're pretty stubborn yourself."

"Are you criticizing the mother of your child?" She asked mockingly.

He looked surprised. "You started it. You're supposed to be sleeping."

"How could anyone sleep with all that going on?" She pointed at the drum beating inside her belly.

Sasuke sat up on the bed and lowered his head to Sakura's abdomen. "Listen up in there." His deep, authoritative voice rumbled against her belly and his lips tickled her skin, making her laugh. "Your mother needs her rest, so settle down and go to sleep."

Sakura continued to laugh even as he curled back up with her again. "You really think that's gonna work?"

"Yes." He laid his hand on her hip and then slid it over her belly. "Sleep."

Surprisingly, the baby seemed to settle as ordered. Sakura closed her eyes and, soaking in the loved and protected feeling from Sasuke, drifted off as well.

0o0o0

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