Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters in this story

More Than Just Comrades

Chapter 53

A week had passed since Shikamaru's Squad had returned from their mission to dispatch the Sound shinobi sent to escort Sasuke to Orochimaru. Of course, everyone expected there to possibly be severe casualties, which there were. What no one had counted on, however, was for the Nara Clan to pull through. Their medical encyclopedia proved vital in saving the lives of Choji, Neji, and Kiba, though especially Choji. Shikamaru's only injury was a broken finger, which he'd broken himself to wake himself up from a Genjutsu. All of the wounded, except for Kiba & Akamaru, were currently at the Konoha Medical Center, having spent the past week recovering from their injuries.

That morning found Sasuke and Naruto at their apartment, enjoying breakfast with It's a Beautiful Morning playing softly from the living room. Seeing as how there had been no other missions for them to undergo, the two had been making the most of their vacation time. Sasuke had used the opportunity to spend more time with Naruto, i.e. taking the blonde for a night out more frequently. He'd wanted to have sex, however Sasuke felt that doing that with Naruto while the blonde was pregnant was rather...awkward.

Speaking of pregnancy, Sasuke noticed that Naruto's tummy had gotten noticeably bigger in only a short amount of time. He'd figured Naruto's pregnancy would be different from a normal one with him being a jinchuriki, but he didn't expect the blonde to be moving along this fast. Perhaps Naruto's pregnancy was in terms of a fox rather than a human. If that were the case, their little bundle of joy would be here sooner than expected...

"So, have you felt any movement yet?" Sasuke asked a little out of the blue.

"Not really." Naruto said as he lifted up his shirt just enough to expose his protruding tummy. "I think it's still too early for that right now. I can feel its heart beating though. Other than that, it hasn't really kicked yet."

"You can actually feel the heart beat?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, I can feel the vibration through my body. It's practically in tempo with my own heartbeat." Naruto answered, gently rubbing his belly. "You wanna listen to it?"

Sasuke nodded and got down on one knee as Naruto turned toward him. Gently, Sasuke placed his ear against Naruto's tummy and listened, concentrating a little chakra to his ear to slightly amplify his hearing. After a few seconds, Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as he faintly heard the sound of his baby's heart beating. For the first time, Sasuke found himself putting thought to what it would look like, anxious for it to be born already.

Even though he'd never ever admit it, Sasuke was actually fascinated by every aspect of the concept of pregnancy. From conception to actual birth, he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that there was actually a person growing inside Naruto that he'd helped make. It truly was a miracle in on itself. Plus, Sasuke thought Naruto looked kinda sexy being pregnant. Again, these were private thoughts that would never be said aloud.

"...I can hear it. It's faint, but it's there." Sasuke said after inwardly basking in the thought of his child being born.

"Amazing, isn't it? I can't believe how fast it's growing. At this rate, it'll be here in no time." Naruto replied as Sasuke got up and sat down, though still kept his hand on the blonde's tummy.

"So what're you hoping for: boy or girl?" Naruto asked. "You can tell me. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Sasuke shrugged. "Like I've said before, I don't really have a specific preference when it comes to gender. I'll be happy with whatever we get."

"I kind a feel the same way. I'll accept whatever we get, but I'm really hoping it's a girl. I've just always wanted to have a daughter. And I want her to have my eyes too." Naruto said as he placed his hand over Sasuke's affectionately.

"Well if it's a boy, it could have my hair and your eyes."

"Or maybe it could have your looks and my personality."

"No way. I'm not gonna have a dobe for a son."

"Well I'm not too keen on it being a loner either. And what makes you so sure it'll be boy?"

"Because..." Sasuke leaned in and placed a kiss on Naruto's lips. "it's my sperm that determines its gender. Therefore, if I were to say it's gonna be a boy, then it will be."

"It...doesn't...work...that...way...teme." Naruto said in between kisses as he returned the favor.

Momentarily forgetting their conversation, the two began to make out passionately as they became wrapped up in their actions. The whole time, Sasuke kept his hand on Naruto's belly while his other hand rested on the blonde's back, gently rubbing as his lover began to purr. Naruto's tongue had just been granted access when he suddenly jumped at the feeling of something bump within him.

For a few moments, the two simply looked at each other in confusion, unsure of what had just happened.

"You felt it too?" Sasuke asked as he took his hand off Naruto's belly.

"Yeah. It felt like something h-"

Naruto yelped as he was firmly bumped again, cutting him off in mid sentence and causing him to shoot up from his chair. Sasuke was alarmed instantly and moved to support him.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto didn't answer him right away. Instead, he continued to hold a hand to his belly as he felt something inside him sharply twitch. It took Naruto only a second to realize what it was. As he felt more movement, his face lit up and he drew in a breath from the sheer shock of the moment. Sasuke saw this and was puzzled.

"Sasuke, you have to feel this! It...it's moving! It's actually moving!" Naruto exclaimed in excitement, tears of joy welling up in his eyes.

He excitedly took Sasuke's hand and pressed it up against his rounding tummy. After a mere few seconds, the small life growing within Naruto kicked again, though much softer this time.

"There! Did you feel that?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke could only nod, almost unable to contain his own excitement at the fact that he was actually feeling his baby move. He may have still been having a few doubts about becoming a father, but moments like this was one of the driving forces that urged him on. For the next few minutes, the pair stood there in the kitchen, feeling their unborn child make its first movements and cherishing every second...


Elsewhere, at the Konoha Medical Center, Kimimaro currently had his own hands full trying to convince his only surviving teammates to accept the second chance they'd been given at life.

Kimimaro's surgery to remove the cancerous disease from his lungs had been successful, thanks to Tsunade's handiwork. The lung transplant he needed had a high percent chance of killing him, due to his body's weak condition upon being brought in, but he'd pulled through anyway despite the odds. As a favor for Naruto, Tsunade had also worked some of her medical expertise on Kidomaru and Tayuya, saving both of their lives as well. The small band had spent the past week recovering peacefully. However, when Kidomaru and Tayuya discovered where they were and the circumstances under why they had been saved, they were none too happy about it.

"Whether they spared our lives or not, these assholes are still the enemy and we shouldn't even be here right now. Call me crazy, but I say we were better off getting killed by own comrades." Tayuya argued.

"I fail to see your logic. This is a new chance for all three of us to start over, a new village for us to call home." Kimimaro replied.

"Honestly, Kimimaro, have you completely flipped your fucking lid? You were the main one who practically worshipped the very ground that snake asshole walked on, and now your suddenly saying we should stay in the village we've been bred to hate? I don't know what the hell has gotten into you, but snap out of it and face reality. Don't you realize this village is never gotten accept us? We're nothing but outsiders to them. In fact, our very presence frightens and threatens them. There's no hope for us here, or anywhere! We have nothing, Kimimaro! I would rather die than go through this bullshit!" Tayuya explained, her voice rising with frustration.

"I never thought I would say this, but Tayuya is right." Kidomaru agreed. "This village has no place for people like us. We may have survived being kicked out of our own village, but now we've ended up in the hands of our most hated enemy. It's impossible for us to fit in here. As soon as they get done interrogating us, their gonna throw us in prison for the rest of our days. If we had of been taken in by a different village, then maybe we'd have a chance. Here, however, we might as well forget about acceptance entirely. I'm afraid this is where it ends for us. Game over."

As he listened to his comrades voice their reasons, Kimimaro had to admit that they had very valid points. If by some chance they were allowed to stay in the village, they would be ostracized and treated as outcasts by the villagers. Even though the physical damage had been repaired, Konoha still bore the emotional scars from the joint invasion by the Sound and Sand. Kimimaro and his team would certainly not be welcomed with open arms, but the white-haired boy was not willing to back down just yet.

"You're wrong. There is still hope for us yet." Kimimaro said.

Tayuya smacked her teeth. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"How can you still be opportunistic about this?" Kidomaru asked.

"Because our problem is no different than the one the jinchuriki of this village had to face."

Kidomaru and Tayuya looked at Kimimaro in confusion.

"The vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox was also openly alienated and resented by the people of this village for most of his life. However, he was able to change the way everyone viewed him by being the best shinobi he could. He eventually did win everyone's respect when he saved the village from the attack of the Sand's jinchuriki. If he can do it, then so can we." Kimimaro reasoned.

"And how the hell do you know this?" Tayuya asked.

"Because he is the one who saved me when Orochimaru's hit squad arrived. He made all of this known to me as he and his comrades were bringing us to the village. You do have a point, however. This village will not be so easy to accept us, which is why we must show them that we are capable of great good, despite how we have been brought up."

Kidomaru and Tayuya took a moment to actually think it over. Of course they would not be accepted right off the bat, but if the village's jinchuriki had been able to sway everyone's opinion, then maybe there really was hope for them yet. Even still, it was sort of a long shot and both were still a little skeptical of the idea.

"There's really no changing your mind about this, is there?" Tayuya asked.

"I'm afraid not, Tayuya. Second chances in life are rare, and I suggest we make the best of the one we have been given." Kimimaro replied.

"Well what do you suggest we do then? The village's jinchuriki saved this place from great evil, right? How are we supposed to accomplish something of that level?" Kidomaru asked.

"I already have something in mind. It will secure our place in this village as well as give us our revenge against Orochimaru. We're going t-"

Before Kimimaro could finish speaking, the door of their hospital room burst open as Tsunade herself walked into the room, a stethoscope around her neck and a brown clipboard in her hand.

"Don't mind me, just checking to see how your vital signs are up to this point. Oh, and good to see all of you are awake." Tsunade said as she went about checking their vital signs and scribbling on her clipboard. In all but several minutes, she was done. "Everything looks good. With any luck, you guys may be discharged sometime today."

"Lady Hokage, before you depart, would it be alright if my team and I made a request?" Kimimaro asked, ignoring the questioning looks his teammates were giving him.

Tsunade ceased scribbling on her clipboard and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"My team and I would like to request to have an audience with the Konoha Higher-ups." Kimimaro revealed.

"If it's about staying here, there's no need. You've already been given clearance. In fact, an apartment suite has already been picked out for you. You'll be on house arrest for a while, but you're all free to stay. You should thank Naruto whenever you have the chance. He actually convinced those senile bats." Tsunade explained.

"We shall thank him when the opportunity presents itself, however we request an audience for a different reason. In return for allowing us to stay within your village, we will disclose any information you seek regarding Orochimaru and Otogakure..."


At the Amaguriama (Dango Shop)...

"I still can't believe this. There's actually a baby in there...but you're a boy!" Tenten exclaimed, looking in disbelief at Naruto's protruding belly.

"Is it not wondrous, Tenten? Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun are embarking on the path of parenthood. I can hardly contain my excitement just thinking about it!" Lee said, giddy with energy.

Tenten sighed and gave her boyfriend an exasperated look. "...Glad at least one of us is handling this okay."

A couple hours after that morning's events, Naruto and Sasuke had decided to have themselves a little outing, seeing as how they had nothing but free time on their hands. As they'd made their way through town, many of the villagers gave them curious looks upon noticing the way Naruto's belly protruded. Many wondered, but no one really bothered to ask, so they merely continued to cast glances and whisper comments whenever they could. Neither Naruto nor Sasuke really minded anyway.

Every now and again, the pair would stop so that Naruto could find somewhere private to empty his stomach whenever a wave of nausea would hit him. As they were passing by a nearby dango shop, Naruto's food cravings kicked in, and the blonde had suddenly found himself craving something sweet. Plus, Rock Lee and Tenten had taken up a table outside and Naruto had wanted to say hello.

Like the other villagers, Rock Lee and Tenten almost immediately noticed Naruto's baby bump upon the pair joining their table after ordering their snacks. At first, Sasuke had been tempted to simply tell them that Naruto was simply getting fat. However, after foreshadowing the disaster that was sure to come from Naruto taking offense at being called fat, Sasuke decided to flat out tell them about Naruto's pregnancy. That now brought them to where they now. Obviously, Lee was taking it better than Tenten, who still couldn't get around the fact that she was seeing a pregnant male.

"So, like, does anyone else know?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah. Grandma Tsunade knows, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Ino-chan, and Sakura-chan." Naruto replied.

"What about the gender? I must know: boy or girl?" Rock Lee asked.

"We don't yet. We want it to be a surprise."

"What about you, Sasuke? Are you excited about becoming a dad?" Tenten asked.

"Hn. It's alright." Sasuke replied non-enthusiastically, taking a bite of his dango.

'Typical...' Tenten thought with a sweat drop, hanging her head in exasperation.

Suddenly, Naruto jumped as the baby within him kicked sharply.

"Is it moving again?" Sasuke asked, receiving a nod in reply.

"Hold on a minute. I wanna feel it." Tenten said as she got up and made her way around the table to Naruto, gently placing her hand on his belly. After about a minute, the small life kicked again, right up under Tenten's hand.

"I felt it!" Tenten exclaimed in a mixture of excitement and disbelief.

"I know! Isn't it amazing?" Naruto agreed.

It took all of Sasuke's willpower not to roll his eyes at the scene. He didn't mind people touching Naruto's belly, but he hated how everyone had to go all goo goo over it. Secretly, however, Sasuke actually was interested in knowing exactly what he and Naruto were having. It was no fun having to refer to his unborn child as "it" all the time. Speaking of which, Naruto was due for another ultrasound soon and Sasuke was anxious on the inside to see what it looked like up till now.

Sasuke had just finished the rest of his dango when he suddenly felt his cell phone vibrating from within the pocket inside his shirt. Pulling it out, he saw that it was text message from Kakashi that read: Yo. I'm back from my mission with Jinx, and figured I would stop by & see how you and Naruto were doing. Only...you're not at home. Where are you two?

Sasuke was about to type in the name of the restaurant they were at when something else came to mind instead. Remembering the thing he needed to chat with Kakashi about, Sasuke replied with: Come to the park. I need to talk to you. before getting up from his seat.

"Sasuke? Where're you going?" Naruto asked as Sasuke laid some money on the table for a tip.

"I need to go to the park for a minute. Stay here with Lee and Tenten. If you need me, text me. Otherwise, I'll be right back." was all Sasuke said before walking away.

"What is wrong with Sasuke?" Rock Lee asked.

"Nothing. That's just his usual asshole/loner self. You get used to it when you have to live with him." Naruto replied nonchalantly. He easily brushed the situation off, but secretly wished the raven wasn't leaving on the inside.

The walk to Konoha Park was a relatively short one, for the park was a mere 15 minute walk from the dango shop Sasuke & Naruto had chosen to eat at. After arriving and finally choosing a spot, Sasuke sat down on a park bench and waited for Kakashi to show up. He hadn't bothered to tell Kakashi where exactly meet him nor was it necessary. The Jonin would easily pick up where his chakra signature was.

After waiting for about 10 more minutes, Sasuke's silver-haired sensei finally appeared before him in a puff of smoke, his nose buried in the newest issue of Make-Out Violence.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted with a single wave, not even looking up from his book.

"Well this is unusual. You actually showed up at a reasonable time." Sasuke said.

"I can be on time when I wanna be. Besides, you sounded pretty urgent in your text, so I figured it wouldn't be best to keep you waiting." Kakashi replied before snapping his book closed, tucking it away, and taking a seat beside his subordinate with a sigh of relief. "So, what's on your mind?"

Starting from his fight with Kimimaro, Sasuke explained his near death experience and how the Lightning Style Armor had sprung to life of its own accord. As Kakashi listened, he couldn't help but smile underneath his mask. It seemed as though Sasuke had inadvertently finally learned the true meaning behind being taught that jutsu in the first place. Slowly, but surely, the raven was turning more and more from his original dark ways.

"It was so weird. Usually, the Lightning Style Armor drains my chakra the longer I keep it active. But when Kimimaro was coming at me, it did the exact opposite. The power it gave me was indescribable. I've never felt anything like that, not even from the Curse Mark. It felt...good, but I don't understand where it came from. I know I was out of chakra, but it surrounded me anyway and strengthened me. What does it mean?" Sasuke asked.

Rather than answer right away, Kakashi simply patted Sasuke on the back and smiled with his eye. "It means you've finally broken away from the path of darkness. Congrats, Sasuke."

Sasuke stared at the aloof Jonin with a confused expression. "...You lost me."

"You really don't understand, do you?" Kakashi asked before taking Sasuke's confused expression as a "no". "The reason why the Lightning Style Armor activated on it's own is because you fought to protect someone. It's a strange jutsu unlike any other in the sense that it reacts on the user's emotions. In the past, you mainly used it for the sole purpose of hurting somebody. Due to the negative emotions within your heart, it worked against you and drained your chakra the longer you had it active, acting as though it were a parasite."

Sasuke nodded in understanding, letting Kakashi know he understood thus far.

"During your fight with Kimimaro, however, you resolved to defend Naruto at any cost. At that moment, you finally ceased fighting to defend yourself, but instead to protect someone else close to you. Your desire to protect is what ignited the Lightning Style Armor, hence why it gave you strength rather than take it away. It can be a powerful jutsu, capable of giving the user power practically equal to that of the Hokage the longer it's active, but only when your heart is in the right place. You use it for the same reason I taught you the Chidori: to protect the bonds you have with others. Otherwise, you could never master it."

As Kakashi's words sunk in, Sasuke thought back to previous battles he and the rest of Squad 7 had been involved in. Now he truly understood what his father meant, the secret to how Naruto had been able to pull through all those times. This time, he'd experienced it for himself firsthand.

'So that's how that dobe does it. I wonder if this is the same power Naruto felt all those times?' Sasuke thought to himself.

"Speaking of someone to protect," Kakashi said, breaking Sasuke out of his thoughts, "how's Naruto coming along? I haven't seen him that much since you guys got back from your mission against the Sound ninja.

"He's coming along fine, but something's a little...off about it." Sasuke replied.

"As in...?" Kakashi trailed off, waiting for Sasuke to explain.

"He's growing at an alarming rate. It's been maybe two and half months, but he's already looking as though he's five months along. His bump is already harder to hide this early on. Is that even normal?"

Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he pondered this for a moment.

"I suppose that would be a reason to voice concern, under normal circumstances anyway. However, every pregnancy is different and a jinchuriki is no exception."

"You sound as though you've seen this before."

"Oh, but I have. As a matter of fact, I remember Naruto's mother was pregnant with him for about ten months before she finally gave birth."

Sasuke's eyes widened at hearing this and his head snapped in the Jonin's direction. "How did you know Naruto's m-"

Sasuke was interrupted in mid sentence as Kleiver Fuma appeared before them in a puff of smoke, dressed in the navy blue Konoha uniform and green flak jacket. Kleiver stood up from his down-on-one-knee position and cracked his back as he rose to his full height. "I'm startin to think maybe I'm gettin too old for this line of work, eh?"

"This had better be good, Kleiver." Sasuke said in a warning tone.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" Kleiver asked in his gruff Australian accent. "Keh, like I give a damn. Anyway, I suggest you blokes get ready to move out. We're all going on a little trip, you see?"

"Not interested. Go piss off somebody else." Sasuke replied sharply.

"I have to agree with Sasuke on this, though maybe not in so sharp a tongue." Kakashi agreed, pulling out his book and picking up where he left off. "I just got back from a mission and I'm rather tired at the moment.

"And if I said we were paying a little visit to Otogakure to eliminate Orochimaru and his brood, would that pique your interest?" Kleiver asked.

In an instant, Sasuke perked up, his annoyance vanishing altogether, and Kakashi snapped his book closed at that bit of information. Both men now gave Kleiver their full, undivided attention.

"Heh, figured that would get your attention." Kleiver said before sporting a toothy grin...


Four and a half hours later...

Sasuke bounded through the forest along with Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, Might Guy, and numerous other Jonin and Chunin, including the Fuma Clan, as the Konoha Military set off toward the Village Hidden in Sound, moving as silently as they could. Ahead of them, Kimimaro, Kidomaru, and Tayuya lead the way as they prepared to take down the place they had once called home.

It took a lot of soul searching and internal conflict within themselves, but Kidomaru and Tayuya had decided to to side with Kimimaro on the decision to join Konohagakure, the very village they had been taught to despise for so many years. They still weren't completely keen on the idea of helping the "enemy", but they were itching for revenge, and this was the perfect opportunity to redeem themselves for their past deeds and seek vengeance all in one.

Though it wasn't exactly an easy task, Tsunade had been able to honor their request and granted them an audience with the Konoha Council and Interrogation Corp. With their minds firmly made up, Kimimaro and his team fully and voluntarily divulged all information regarding Orochimaru and Otogakure. As it turned out, Otogakure was not really a village at all, but a series of hideouts and bases scattered throughout the Land of Sound and other countries. Neither Kimimaro nor Tayuya nor Kidomaru withheld any information. Everything was explained and revealed down to the last detail, including the most crucial piece of data: Orochimaru's exact location.

According to Kimimaro and his team, Orochimaru was hiding out in a base straddling the line between the Land of Fire and the Land of Sound. Using a map, Kimimaro pointed out the spot where the entrance to the base was in only a matter of seconds and volunteered to personally lead the Konoha Military force there.

Hence, here they were now, on their way to take down their most hated foe. Jiraiya had already been contacted and was currently awaiting their arrival at a secure location not far from the base. All they had to do now was get there and rendezvous.

Needless to say, the other members of Shikamaru's squad were not able to make it this time. Choji was still in the hospital recovering from losing over half his body weight after consuming all three of his clan's (1)colored pills in order to kill Jirobo. Luckily, Ino was looking after him and making sure he didn't over-indulge himself on the road to recovery.

Kiba & Akamaru had been cleared to go home some time ago, for their wounds were not as bad. Although, they were still required to remain bed-ridden for the next several days.

Neji, however, had to have his entire collarbone repaired after sacrificing his body in order to get in critical hits against Kidomaru. He was currently still in the hospital and slowly making progress in physical therapy with Shikamaru's help. It tore the lazy genius apart to have to leave Neji's side, but the mission required his brilliant strategic thinking and he had to put the village first above all else.

'This is it. We're finally gonna take that snake bastard down once and for all. I'm gonna snap him like a twig as soon as I get my hands on him!' Sasuke angrily thought to himself as he picked up a little more speed.

Kakashi glanced over at Sasuke as the Uchiha became visible in his peripheral vision. Already, he could feel the anger coming off the Uchiha in waves, growing stronger with each passing second. It was easy to guess the raven was worked up about finally getting his hands on Orochimaru, as were the rest of them.

However, Kakashi knew all too well how Sasuke could swayed by his anger. If something wasn't done to calm him down, Sasuke was sure to burst into Otogakure and attempt to bring Orochimaru in himself. With anger issues such as his, it was no wonder Itachi was able to beat him so easily. Sasuke tended to do less thinking when he was pissed off, which was always bad in any situation.

"Calm down, Sasuke. You'll have your chance when we get there." Kakashi said as his star pupil caught up to him.

"I am calm." Sasuke replied indifferently.

"Your exuding an ominous aura right now, whether you're aware of that or not. I know you're anxious about finally getting a shot at Orochimaru, but don't go doing anything foolish like fighting him by yourself. We'll do it together, alright? Now try and calm down before you give away our approach."

Sasuke cast his teacher an expressionless glare, but worked to put himself at ease nonetheless. Regardless of what Kakashi said, Sasuke had already decided ahead of time that Orochimaru was his and his alone. After all, he was the one Orochimaru wanted most. Therefore, it was only fitting that Sasuke face him one-on-one, just as he had with Kimimaro.

Surprisingly, eliminating one less threat to his village and unborn child was only the second reason behind Sasuke's decisive choice. His primary goal was to pay the bastard back for what he did to the Third Hokage. His grandfather figure was finally going to be avenged...


The steady sloshing sound of the washing machine was the only sound that could be heard throughout the silent apartment. Naruto sat crosslegged on the couch, wearing only a black T-shirt and denim shorts, as he tapped into his subconscious, the silence making it easier for him to concentrate.

After Sasuke and Kakashi had stopped by just long enough to fill him in on what was going on, Naruto had immediately gone to Tsunade and had begged her to let him go on the mission. Unfortunately, he was firmly told no and no room was left for argument.

Due to his rapidly progressing pregnancy, Tsunade had given the blonde strict orders to remain inside the village until his child was born. Now when it came to protecting his village and the people he cared about, Naruto would've simply disregarded all logic & reason and done the exact opposite of what he'd just been told to do. This time, however, it concerned the safety of his baby and Naruto wasn't about to put his child at risk.

Then again, his belly wasn't the only thing that prevented Naruto from "moving like he used". Naruto had recently begun to notice that it was becoming increasing harder for him to focus his chakra properly. It was almost as if something was disturbing his normal flow. Naruto guessed that it probably had something to do with his pregnancy, though he wasn't quite sure how.

In any case, after being barred from his line of work until he gave birth, Naruto had no other choice but to return home. Sasuke had already packed and left by the time he'd gotten there, so Naruto ended up having the house to himself until the raven returned. He'd resolved to doing housework to keep himself occupied, but that could only last for so long.

When there was nothing left that needed doing or cleaning, the Kyuubi vessel decided to look into his sudden loss of control over his chakra, as well as find the answer to another question that had just recently begun to nag at his curiosity. With his child slightly moving within his belly, Naruto tapped into his subconscious mind, knowing just the right person, or demon, he needed to speak to if he were to put his curiosity to rest.

The Nine-Tailed Fox itself had been sleeping soundly within its cage when Naruto suddenly appeared just outside the bars. Upon sensing the presence of his container, its blood-red eyes snapped open to glare at Naruto, the blonde being able to see his reflection in the demon's vertical slit pupils. Even without the glare, the waves of anger and malice exuding from it was a dead giveaway that the demonic kitsune was not happy to see Naruto in the slightest.

"You had better have a good reason for disturbing my rest yet again, Naruto." The Kyuubi growled, spitting out its vessel's name as though it left a bitter aftertaste.

"Believe me, I wouldn't talk to you unless I absolutely had to." Naruto retorted back. "I'm here because I need answers only you can give me."

"I should crush you right now for speaking to me like that! Damn these accursed bars!" The Kyuubi then punched the bars of its cage out of pure anger, though somehow doing no damage. Despite the show of power, Naruto remained unnerved and continued to glare up at the demon fox. Even despite its irritation, the Kyuubi decided to hear his vessel out, just to make him go away faster. "Speak, human, before I lose my patience further."

"First, I wanna know why my pregnancy is moving along so rapidly. There's nothing wrong with the baby, is there?"

It took all of the Kyuubi's will power not to roll its eyes at the question. With it being a demon, it could never understand why humans felt the need to show so much concern when it wasn't necessary. That was just one of those concepts that would be forever lost to it.

"Nothing is wrong with the baby, Naruto. You pregnancy will be unlike any normal one because you are a jinchuriki. Even without my chakra, your chakra reserves are abnormally large as it is. As a result, your pregnancy is moving along at a much faster rate than a normal person's. That wretched Uchiha's offspring should be here in a couple months, give or take. The sooner the better. Just the thought of sharing this body with that Uchiha's brat makes my skin crawl."

"Shut up and deal with deal with it you stupid fox. Besides, if you really hated it you would've killed it by now."

The Kyuubi growled and attempted to strike at Naruto, only to be held back by the bars of its cage once again. It hated being contradicted. "Damn you! Ask your questions and leave me be!"

"Alright, one more question. Tell me why I can't focus my chakra and I'll leave you alone."

The Kyuubi merely stared at Naruto in annoyance. Such a question would've been worth the Nine-Tailed Fox slapping a hand to its face. To do so, however, would've been too human-like for its liking.

"You're kidding. You can't even figure that out by yourself?"

"Just answer my question or else I'm gonna keep pestering you with more!"

The demon fox growled at being threatened by a mere human, but answered Naruto's question anyway, for he really wanted the blonde gone right about now. "You cannot control your chakra properly because you are pregnant. Your chakra is now being divided between keeping your seal in place and supporting your child. The bigger your child grows, the more chakra it requires to support it. There is no longer enough for you to use for your various jutsu. At this point in your pregnancy, you are now practically defenseless. It would not be in your best interest to wander outside the village."

Naruto sighed as he rested a hand on his tummy. It looked as if the next couple months were to be boring, not to mention stress filled with his due date coming much sooner than expected. He was glad to be pregnant and all, wouldn't trade it for anything in the world if he could, but he really wished he could just have this baby already.

One of the things Naruto hated most was being confined, he had to move around at least a little. Being kept within walls made him feel like...well...like a caged animal. Then again, if it concerned the safety of his baby, he'd simply have to deal with it. For now, at least...

"Looks like both have to deal with something we don't like." the Kyuubi said, reading Naruto's negative emotions at the thought of being confined to the village. "Now, if you have no further questions, leave me in p-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Naruto was snapped back to the real world by a series of loud knocks at his front door. "Wonder who that could be?"

Puzzled, Naruto slipped on his open-toed sandals before going to unlock the door as the loud knocking continued. "I heard you the first several times, damn it!"

Cussing and angrily muttering under his breath, Naruto finally unlocked the door and pulled it open. Seeing who it was on the other side made Naruto's entire body freeze as it was gripped by pure fear. Here he was, confined to the village to avoid danger, yet danger had come to him, and in the form of the one person he least expected let alone wanted to run into alone.

It was Itachi...

Finally got this chapter done! With graduation fast approaching and all these scholarships to fill out, this first time I've had time to write in a while. Anyway, find out Itachi's reason for his sudden arrival in the next chapter. Leave a review and tell me what you think.

(1) The Three Colored Pills are secret medicine used in the Akimichi Clan. As the name suggests, there are three pills, each a different color. First is the green Spinach Pill, next is the yellow Curry Pill, and last is the red Chili Pill. By forcibly converting the body's fat reserves into chakra, each successive pill ingested gives a tremendous power boost. The Chilli Pill is even said to increase one's power a hundred times. However, the pills have a drawback. Each pill damages the body, poisoning it, and since the third pill converts all of one's fat reserves, the user will become dangerously emaciated. It is said that after the third pill, death is imminent.