Chapter 5: Reactions

Naruto dropped his sandwich from his mouth, while Kakashi's eye widened.

"Are my ears deceiving me?" Kakashi finally spoke.

"Well, you see-" Sakura began.

"This is NUTS! You can't be pregnant, Sakura-chan," Naruto interrupted. "Is this some kind of joke, or is this a bad dream?"

"No this isn't a joke, or even a dream, this is all real," Sakura choked on her words.

"But, you're too young, Sakura," Kakashi said, still feeling that this all was surreal. This was his student, his pupil, she was like a daughter to him, how could this have happened? "When?"

"Ano…" Sakura inhaled a breath as tears greeted her eyelids, "You see, Kaka-sensei, Naruto, how can I explain this? Naruto," she glanced at her teammate who was still gazing out in a daze, but was snapped out of it at Sakura's voice, "Do you remember when we first saw Orochimaru, and he knocked you unconscious?" She waited for Naruto to stiffly nod to continue, "Well, after Sasuke was knocked out," the girl couldn't find her voice, it was raspy as she tried to tell, "I was…I was raped by…by an Oto-nin," the soon-to-be-mother finished her story.

Naruto fumed. "WHAT!"

Sakura flinched, "Naruto, please be reasonable-"

Naruto interrupted, "Be reasonable? Be reasonable! How can you expect me to reasonable," he in took a deep breath then spoke softly, "Sakura why didn't you tell me?"

Quickly thinking, Sakura replied, "He threatened to kill me if I told you or Sasuke. I cannot reveal his name for fear of him returning to do his promise." To seal the deal Sakura's eyes began to fill, 'If this doesn't work, then I don't know what will' inner Sakura said with shaking fists, 'then I will pound him to understand!'

Naruto's eyes clouded. "Still…" He didn't know how to retort to that.

"All I can do is ask that you understand," Sakura beckoned, while placing her hand, gently on Naruto's shoulder, "and be there by my side throughout this time of my life." Tears escaped and slid down her face, before she turned away closing her eyes and biting her lip.

Naruto's bottom lip trembled and he sniffled. "Sakura-chan!" he bellowed, "Of course I'll be here for you, always."

Kakashi interrupted the moment. "Come here you two," he said before gathering his students into a hug. "We'll get through this together, alright?"

His pupils nodded within his grasp.

Naruto changed the subject, "So Sakura-chan, you're going to name the kid after me, right?" he asked, his tone now cheerful.

Kakashi looked at him. "Are you crazy? Of course she's not going to name it after you, she's going to name it after me," he stated. "Obviously." He rolled his eye.

Sakura giggled. "But what if it's a girl?" she questioned teasingly.

"Kikishi will suffice for a girl," Kakashi answered.

Naruto choked on the ramen he had started to eat. "Kikishi?" he laughed, ramen spilling out of his nose. "It should be Naruta."

Sakura then began to laugh, something she hadn't been able to accomplish in awhile. She began to clutch her sides. "Thanks guys, I needed that laugh," she wiped her tears, "But seriously, I was thinking about Sasura for a girl and Samaki for a boy."

Naruto grimaced. "I still think my names are better," he pouted.

"Those are wonderful names," Kakashi stated, "Well, a soon-to-be-mother needs her fill on food, after all, she's eating for two."

Naruto looked up from his plate. "Uh, does that mean I have to give her my food?" he asked.

Sakura glanced at all the food. "There's plenty of food, Naruto, no need to do that," she responded.

Kakashi laughed and began to eat while reading Icha Icha Paradise.

Sakura sighed in relief; 'Two down…many more to go.' Then began to eat as well.

Later after her meal with her instructor and her very annoying best friend, Sakura traveled down the road to the famous flower shop where her kinda sorta friend, Ino worked for her parents.

When she entered, Ino never expected to hear what was about to be said.

"Sakura, what are you doing here? Here to buy flowers for yourself, huh?" Ino said, laughing to herself at her own joke. She was busy watering the plants.

"Ino, please be quiet," Shikamaru replied, then sighed as Ino shut her mouth. "How troublesome."

"I just wanted to say something, Ino, then I'll be out of your hair." Sakura stated as she crossed her arms and walked to the blonde-haired girl and her lazy teammate. "I wanted us to be friends again." The pink-haired girl smiled softly as she said this, "I mean, what point is fighting over a guy that's long gone? A guy…that will probably never come back."

Ino frowned. "Is this your surrender Sa-ku-ra," she put emphasis on her name, but then she smiled her own smile, "Just kidding. I guess…I don't see why not. You do have a point. What's the point being mad at each other over a guy who isn't around."

Sakura's face lit up. "So, we're friends again?" she questioned.

Ino nodded. "It was getting lonely being around guys all the time anyway. I need a girl to confide in, you know?"

Sakura giggled like the young girl she was. "I know how you feel, it's agonizing. That's why I was glad when I at least had Tsunade-sama to talk to, but she's…older…so it still wasn't the same," she understood the blonde perfectly.

Ino set down the watering pot. "Yeah, now we can do girl things, you know, like normal teenagers," she began to think of all the fun stuff they had lost already, they had a lot of catching up to do.

Then Sakura's face turned serious once more. "We're far from normal," she muttered.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Sakura's expression.

Ino also noticed the tone had changed. "Is something the matter?"

Green orbs met Ino's blue ones. "I need to tell you something, I can tell you anything right?" Clarification was key in order for her to say what had to be said.

Ino could tell something serious needed to be said. "Of course."

Shikamaru decided to take a step into the conversation. "Do you need me to leave?"

Sakura shook her head as she closed her eyes shut, as for no one to see even more tears leak through her eyes. "N-No, it's okay. You can stay," she gulps down her tears, "You'll find out eventually anyway."

"Find out what? Sakura, what's the matter?" Ino asked, worry filling her.

Sakura opened her eyes, and a single tear fell loose, falling hollowly to the floor. "Promise you won't freak out or anything?" This wasn't getting any easier for her to admit, it just kept getting worse as it sunk in that it was the inevitable truth.

Ino's eyes fell. "I promise," she nudged Shikamaru, "Don't we, Shika?"

Shikamaru gave an inward grunt as he nodded.

"Well, you see, the thing is," she started, taking intakes of breath to calm herself down, "Ino, when we were in the Chuunin Exams…."

"When we were in the Chuunin Exams?" Ino tried to urge her to speak her mind.

The rosette-haired kunoichi stifled a sob. "I was raped and now I'm pregnant!" There, at least she got that said. But when the words flew from her mouth, her eyes widened and she covered her mouth as more tears fell. She was going to get herself from crying as much as she has lately.

Shikamaru and Ino stood frozen, as the words Sakura spoke registered in their ears.

"Y-You're what?" Ino finally sputtered.

Sakura sighed. 'Here we go again,' she thought to herself and then added on a lighter note, 'You'd think they were deaf or something.' "I'm pregnant," she repeated, "And I'm keeping the child."

Shikamaru didn't know what to say so said nothing at all. How could this have happened to a fellow ninja? Shikamaru shook his head. Sakura definitely wasn't having a good month.

But Ino didn't know what to say, a first for her. "Sakura…."

Sakura's lower lip trembled, "I know this isn't normal for a 13 year old girl to get pregnant, but it did happen and now I'm sure that I am to keep this child!"

Ino sucked in as much air as possible before letting it out, "Sakura, I…am behind you all the way. I will help you support the child even if the thought of a friend having one is frightening." Ino added under her breath. "And Shikamaru will also help you by going to Lamaze classes with you."

Shikamaru, who was busy looking at the clouds through the window and drinking water suddenly, choked. "Wh-What!" He sputtered through coughs.

Ino gave him a look, "Yes a mom and a dad must go to Lamaze, so you have to go." She told him in the all-high-and-mighty voice.

"Yes, but I'm not the father," Shikamaru retorted.

"Thanks for saying that out loud, Nara Shikamaru." Ino said angrily.

Sakura just looked on as the two bickered and couldn't help but muster a small smile.

"The father isn't here, if you haven't noticed. We don't even know who he is," Ino barked through gritted teeth.

"Why can't you go with her?" Shikamaru whined.

"Because…" Ino started but was interrupted.

"Guys, it's okay, I'll probably go with Kaasan or something, I don't want anybody to be embarrassed around me with my fat belly," Sakura stated.

Ino glanced at her. "But…"

"Ino, don't worry about it," Sakura insisted.

Ino bit her lip. "If you're sure…"

"I am," Sakura proclaimed. "I'll see ya later, guys. I better get going home." She started to walk out the door.

"If you need anything, don't be afraid to tell me!" Ino called after her.

Shikamaru sighed. This had been one troublesome day.

Written by: Blue and Red Fruit Loop

Hope you enjoyed, until next time!

FruitLoops