Conner was still unconscious. Sakura sat at his side holding his hand in hers. She murmured low words of comfort to him that Clark couldn't help but overhear. Her love for the boy shone brilliantly in every portion of her being. After Sakura's mentor and Sasuke exited the room—although Sasuke had left grudgingly—he had been surprised that Sakura hadn't booted him out as well. She hadn't talked to him either, but it was something they would do eventually. He hoped.

Sakura sighed and finally turned her head in his direction.

"When did you decide he was your son?" There was no hint of emotion in her words and Clark knew that he was treading on thin ice. Clark decided to answer honestly.

"I don't know." He ran a hand over his face and looked down at the ground. "Sakura, this whole situation has me discombobulated. I don't know up from down anymore. It was never my intention to hurt him."

Or you.

"This isn't a game. You don't get to decide one day that you're not a father anymore. If you're going to do this, then I need to know you're committed to it. If Conner decides to—"

"I'll be there for him Sakura. I promise."

"I need more than your words, Clark. I am a shinobi of Konohagakure. My life is constantly in danger. If something happens to me, I need to know that Conner will be taken care of."

"I could ask the same of you. My life isn't always the safest either." Sakura snapped her mouth shut and looked away from him and back to Conner.

Quietly she said, "Yes Clark, but I'm not the one who denied him in the first place."

He flinched because she had a point. Words weren't going to help him. Slowly Clark rose to his feet and cautiously moved to Sakura's side. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he waited until she looked up at him before he squeezed gently.

"He's my son. I accept that Sakura. I know you can't believe that right now, but I'll prove it to you one day at a time until you do believe it. Alright?"

Clark saw her eyes water for a brief second before she blinked her tears away and nodded.

Conner woke up shortly after that, and he looked like hell. Discomfort swam through Clark and the whole moment felt surreal. "Mother?" He questioned, and Sakura rose to her feet grabbing a pitcher and filling a glass with water. Clark moved to help him sit up. Conner tossed him an odd look but didn't reject his help. After he had taken a few sips of water, he asked, "What happened?"

"You collapsed."

Conner immediately turned his head and looked at Clark. It was apparent he wanted to know if this was something that he thought was common because they were both Kryptonian. Clark shook his head.

"Why?"

Sakura's voice wavered. She saw the look that was exchanged between them and answered, "Because you're my son too."

Clark and Conner turned and looked at her ready to pull her close, but Sakura quickly composed herself. "Do you remember how Sasuke and I told you we knew you were my son?"

Conner nodded. "By the feel of my chakra. You said I felt like you."

Sakura nodded. "Yes. That's right. The problem is that the people who created you knew nothing about chakra so when they advanced your age they didn't give your chakra pathways the same treatment."

"Does that matter?"

He was so calm talking to Sakura, but Clark could tell he knew something was wrong, yet he wasn't panicking. He wondered if he sensed that a solution had been presented to them. Or maybe this was also Sakura's genetics. He remembered Diana telling him about how calm Sakura had been while she did her best to save him…while he…

He couldn't think about that.

"It does. When you're creating something that you know nothing about what are your probabilities of success?"

"Slim to none." Sakura nodded, and Conner concluded, "I'm dying."

Sakura's breath hitched, but her spine straightened. "You could if we don't do something about it." Conner glanced around the room as if looking for something or someone but Clark didn't know what.

"What's the solution?"

"Your chakra pathways are that of a two-year-old. The solution is to regress your age and give your body time to grow properly and ensure that your chakra pathways grow with you."

He looked horrified at the suggestion, and Clark understood the reaction. He couldn't imagine being that young again and having to depend on people for his care and wellbeing. His parents weren't young anymore and with what he could do…Clark shivered. "Is that the only answer?" Conner demanded, trying to stand. Sakura surprised Clark by allowing it. The boy was obviously rung out.

"It's the only one we know of," Sakura admitted quietly. Conner turned to Clark.

"What about you? You know anything about how to fix this?"

"I'm sorry. I don't." Although now Clark wanted to go to the Fortress and double check. Maybe his DNA and Sakura's weren't incompatible. Perhaps that was the real reason all of this was occurring. There could be a fix if he just looked. He doubted it, though and he didn't think Sakura would appreciate him running off to check. Not to mention he wasn't a medical professional. If Sakura believed her Master's assessment to be correct then so did he.

"So then the alternative is to die."

"If you chose to perform seppuku then I will support you on it."

Conner and Clark heard the words looked at each other and frowned not understanding. "Mother, I don't understand. What is that?"

"It is a ritual that is performed under certain circumstances." Clark mouthed the word 'ritual' to Conner who just shrugged. "If you have shamed your family, it is a way to reclaim your honor, to prevent yourself from falling into enemy hands and being tortured for information, capital punishment, and for some ninja, it is a way to die on your terms."

"You're talking about suicide!" Clark shouted. "He is not going to kill himself."

"It's his choice, Clark." Sakura countered.

"That is not a choice. That is running away from your problems."

"So you would sit and watch him suffer as he died? Look at him, Clark." Sakura waved her hand at a barely standing Conner. The boy reached out and grabbed the bed he had been leaning against to steady himself.

"If he's alive there's still hope."

"Would you two please stop arguing? I haven't decided to die, and I haven't decided to live either." Conner cut in. Clark could see his embarrassment reflected on Sakura's face. Conner sat back down on the bed and closed his eyes wearily. "Can we just sit here quietly for a little while? I need to think."

"Alright." Sakura agreed. "If you want me to go get Shishou—"

"No." Conner immediately cut her off. "I want you to stay. I want us to stay here together. Please."

"If that's what you want, son." Conner's eyes widened, but Clark ignored it. Instead, he pulled his chair closer to Conner's bed and sat down. Sakura quietly joined them.