Dislaimers are somewhere in this fic. Guess.

OK, I know some people are getting impatient, but school's been bending me over a table lately. The way I have it planned, there will be... hmm, this chapter, and two more afterwards. Be sure to read the author's notes at the end, though, 'cause there are some things everybody should know. Either way, here's the stuff I have done, and I'll try to have more up by Friday or Saturday.

~*~ An Itty Bitty Interlude ~*~

Twenty steps up the hall. Twenty steps down the hall. Twenty steps up the hall. Twenty steps down the--

"Would you stop it already?" Sakura snapped, looking up from her scroll. "It's really distracting."

"Shut up," Sasuke retorted. He glared at her for a moment, then resumed his pacing. How could she read a stupid scroll at a time like this? Naruto was giving birth! Didn't she care at all? How could she be so calm when he was practically crawling out of his skin?

"Sasuke," she said. He ignored her. "Sasuke, sit down." He whipped around to face her, eyes blazing.

"Would you just shut up?" he snarled. "How can I sit down at a time like this?"

"Be quiet, you'll disturb Naruto," she said, meeting his gaze evenly. "And sit down."

The staring contest went on for some time, and then Sasuke sat on the floor next to Sakura. "That's better," she smiled. Sasuke grunted noncommittally in reply. She unrolled her scroll again, found her place, and began reading.

Sasuke fidgeted beside her. What he wouldn't give for a good spar right now. A good spar with Naruto. Who was giving birth, four months early. He huffed. Just like the moron to ruin everything like this. If there was no kid, there was no reason to spend extra time with Naruto, and he was back to square one. Just a few days ago, he'd been so happy, but with the way things were going, he half-expected Itachi to rise from his grave.

"Sasuke," Sakura said, looking at him pointedly. "Naruto will be all right."

"How can you be sure?" he answered. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Well, he's only got the best doctor the world has ever known taking care of him." She rolled up the scroll. "Plus, he's too stupid to die. You know that."

"Yeah, I guess." Sasuke trailed off, staring at the opposite wall. Why did things like this keep on happening to him? First his family killed, then getting put on a team with that total moron, and then--

"You really love Naruto, don't you?" Sasuke stared at Sakura, eyes wide.

"H-How did you..."

"When I thought about it, it was pretty obvious," Sakura gazed at the wall in front of her and took a deep breath. "I mean, you never liked me. You didn't like Ino either, and if Naruto's your type, she would've been too, I think. And you were always talking about Naruto, even if it was just about how dumb he was." She drew her knees up to her chest and folded her arms across them. "It hurt."

After a long, tense moment, Sakura spoke again. "I didn't stop you when you went over to Orochimaru. I couldn't. But if it had been him, you would've stayed. He was the one that brought you back. Do you know how much I wanted to be him right then? I would've done anything, if you would've only looked at me like you looked at him."

Sasuke squinched his eyes shut. "I'm sorry," he said, and was surprised to find he meant it.

"It's... it's not OK, not yet." She took a breath and tentatively grasped one of Sasuke's hands with her own. "But it will be. It's just..."

"Hm?" he said, squeezing her hand encouragingly.

"It's just, I don't think Naruto likes boys, Sasuke."

Sasuke felt his heart reel as if someone had swung a hammer at it. "I know," he whispered quietly. And he did. He did know. Had known all this time, and god, he hated his life.

Outside, it began to rain. Inside, though, Sakura squeezed Sasuke's hand comfortingly. "Still, it's really admirable of you to help Naruto raise this kid, even if it's not yours." Sasuke blinked and stared at her.

"What?" he asked. "How did you know?"

"Because Naruto would never--" she cut herself off when they heard footsteps hurrying down the hall. Soon enough, Kotetsu, the Hokage's secretary, turned the corner, rushed to the room Naruto was giving birth in, and knocked. The door opened, and he talked quietly with the person on the other side for a few moments. Sasuke and Sakura inched closer, hoping to overhear.

"...and have her take over. She's my student; she can delay the birth until I get back." With that, Tsunade strode out the door and down the hall, her secretary in tow. Sasuke panicked: hadn't she said she'd be with Naruto the whole way? What if he died while she was gone? He rushed to catch up with her.

"Hokage-sama!" he called out. She glanced over her shoulder.

"He's fine, I've delayed the birthing process. I have some business to attend to that can't be put off." Then she was around the corner and gone. Sasuke leaned against the wall, trying to force his worry down to acceptable levels.

Outside, thunder shook the skies.

~*~ To Be Continued ~*~