Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of it's characters or anything. Please don't sue the poor university student.

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Last time...

She didn't have to wait long Sai walked in and his eyes quickly spotted Sakura sitting on the couch talking to another jounin.

He decided to completely ignore her and make for one of the smaller conference rooms, where he was doing his late mission report.

Sakura noticed Sai out of the corner of her eyes and bid farewell to her fellow nin and hurried after her friend.

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Chapter 17: A lot of shit happens

"Sai! Sai wait , I need to talk to you." She hurried over to him as fast as she could. Sai stopped an earshot out of the lounge. He was on way into the south hallway. Sai noticed that they were still in clear view of all the occupants of the waiting room.

Sakura smiled brightly and held his right sleeve, which he quickly shrugged off. Sakura pretended to ignore that little act.

"I have been looking ALL over for you, since we last talked. Where have you been?"
"I was busy."Sakura laughed.

"I noticed. But I need to talk to you for a few moments..." He cut her off mid sentence.
"I don't have the time today, I have to write a report that is already late." he held up the blue folder in his left hand.

Sakura's smile fell. "Oh, well I um..I'll try you later today then?"
He merely shrugged. Not confirming her request.
"How about tomorrow." Again He only shrugged.

Sakura was peeved but she didn't raise her voice.
"Well then, when will be a better time for you?"
His reply was deadpanned. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you DON"T know?" By this time Sakura's voice had risen.
"Look Sakura I don't have time for this-" This time she cut him off.
"I don't care if you don't have time! I need to speak to you and-"
"Get off your high horse princess. The world doesn't revolve around you." His volume had also risen.

"Arugh! That isn't what I meant! And you know it," Sakura took a deep breath placing a hand over her large abdomen, and in a lower tone, she continued to speak.

"Look, I know you have been avoiding me and I want to talk about... us."

A sneer took its place upon his face. "There is no us, to talk about." Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"You are a married women and that's that." There was nothing wrong with what he had said. No, it was how he said it, with such venom and anger that made Sakura take a step back.

"Damn it Sai, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I think you know perfectly well what I mean."
"Obviously I don't, hence I am asking you!" Her face was red by this time, anger oozing out of very pore.

"If you don't know, then there is no reason for me to tell you." He tried to turn around, but she pulled him back a look of murder on her face.
"Look Sai, my back is aching, my feet are swollen, I look like a blimp, I have kid practicing for their chunin exam in my stomach, so could you cut me some slack already?"

His face betrayed no emotion.
"Go home Sakura and let me do my report."

With that he turned around and walked down the hall leaving her awestruck.

The kunouchi hung her head in defeat. She would try later in a more private space. Sakura was she had given the gossip mills enough fodder for the month. Plus her feet were killing her!

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The next day, Wednesday November the 10th Sakura only left her apartment to take a walk with Hinata. She had asked the Hyuuga to check and see if Sai was around where they were walking, and she had answered, negative. Hinata had even stayed another half hour with her to rub Sakura's aching back. The girl was too sweet and Sakura was eternally thankful.

Sakura had been feeling a bit out of sorts and decided not to continue her manhunt later in the afternoon. Rather she spent her afternoon watching TV and taking naps.

Nevertheless, she had asked Hinata to keep an eye out for Sai and to give him a message from her. Also to tell her if Naruto and Kakashi came back from there mission. They ere late and Sakura was starting to worry.
Not to mention Sakura missed her best friend, Naruto was the only one that seemed to make her smile as of late.

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Sai watched the sun rise from the roof top of Sakura and Naruto's apartment building. He had noticed that when Sakura had returned from her walk with Hinata she hadn't left her apartment afterwards. And here he was keeping vigil in case something were to happen..just in case.

He knew ignoring and hiding from Sakura was stupid. He knew it. But it hurt knowing there was no chance of them especially after Sasuke had made an appearance. But still a part of him hoped.

Then Sakura had dropped the bomb.
She was married to the traitor, with that revelation she had blasted him and his hopes away. And he needed time to heal and come to grips with his feelings. If he didn'then he might end up saying something out of context that would hurt her, and their friendship.

However, Sai wasn't completely heartless, watching a pregnant women run about looking for you, did make him feel a bit guilty. He didn't want to cause her distress. He just needed time to come to grips with his feelings, was all.

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Sakura greeted the new day with a low moan of pain. She wanted this child out of her now! Slowly she crawled half way out of her bed. Then changed her mind and went right back to sleep.
It's not like I have anything to do.

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It was already midday and Sai decided to wait outside Sakura's door for her. When his stomach started to rumble he deeded to take a quick lunch break. If Sakura hadn't woken up by 1pm she sure as hell wasn't going to wake up by 1:15pm. Sai planned on being back by 1:15pm on the dot.

Ino looked around the market place for ice cream. The weather may a have cooled to your average days of 26 degrees in Konoha, but that didn't mean her best friend Sakura, would stop wanting ice cream.

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"YOU!"

Oh shit not her. Sai didn't bother turning around, only waited for the female to come up to him. Which she did. Sai soon found him self lurched around facing a beast of a women with blonde hair.

"You!" She said again this time jabbing his chest with her finger. The other hand was preoccupied holding…Ice cream tubs?
"Yes me piggy, have you suddenly forget my name?"

There was fire in her eyes now. "Arrh don't call me that you boar! After I'm through with you , you won't be able to think!"
"Is that a threat?" He stopped up closer to her, she didn't back down, instead took another step until there noses were almost touching.

"You can take it as whatever you want you little ass. You have no right to hurt Sakura the way you did, she did nothing wrong to you. Have you no shame for your self? Making a pregnant women search for you like that? If she over exerts her self or worries too much it's not good for the baby."

Inner Ino cheered in satisfaction when she saw his eyes avert else where in guilt .
"Ino, mind your own business, this is between Sakura and my self."
"I don't give a damn, she's my friend and you mess with her, you mess with me."

Sai ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Look, I don't have time for this, Sakura and I have are own issues that we will work out in due time, stay the hell out of it." He made to walk past her but she wouldn't be deterred from giving him a piece of her mind.

Her voice dropped to a sinister level.
"If Naruto knew about this or hell, Sasuke-kun they would both find the most painful way of ending your miserable life."

Now he was mad. "Listen drama queen, if the traitor had decided to stay and look after his wife I wouldn't be needed in the first place now would I?"
"You're not needed for anything! She just wanted to speak to you, you imbecile! Is being her friend too much to ask of you?"

He felt another blow to his gut, that's right he was just her friend. The whole world saw it as such, so why couldn't he?
"And I wasn't ready to talk all right?"
"Why?"

"None of your damn business Ino!" And then he lurched away from her grasp and vanished into the crowds.
Ino let out a sigh of frustration. "Damn forehead girl for attracting all the emotionally constipated men."

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Mother nature was not on his side. Clothing plastered to his body, black hair sticking to his scalp, cold winds freezing his veins. But he trudged on in the thunder storm, leaping from one slick tree branch to another, not loosing his rhythm. Regardless of the branches cutting into his face and arms. He would take it all and more, because it was almost time.

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Sakura stood by her living room window, dressed in an ankle length, dark green sun-dress, watching the distant storm clouds gather and come closer to her village.

"You shouldn't have said those things to him Ino."

"What? Are you crazy? After watching you run around the village looking for him like that? Of course I was going to say something."

Sakura turned around and leaned her back on the windowsill. Right hand rubbing her stomach. It had become a comforting habit in the last months of her pregnancy.

"I'll deal with him, I may have an idea as to why he was avoiding me. Nevertheless it was stupid of me to search for him like that. I got a letter from Tsunade-sama this morning , and she ripped my head off for it."

Ino laughed at the sour look on her friends face. "Aww don't worry you can chew Sai's head off later. I heard from my sources that he's at the training grounds."
"You know what, that sounds lovely!." Sakura pushed her self off her resting spot and went to the get her flip-flops, since no other kind of footwear felt or fit as well as a pair of flip-flops.

Ino joined and walked with her to training grounds number three. She was not going to leave Sakura alone, since she was expecting any time now .
While walking at a leisurely pace through the town. Ino asked a few questions.

"Hey Sakura I know you wanted to wait till the birth to find out the sex, but
have you thought of any names for the child?"
"Honestly, I have thought of 10 names each, for a boy and a girl. But I just can't seem to decide." Sakura laughed at her own foolishness.
"You can always put them in a hat and pick one out.""Ino as pleasant as your suggestion is I want the child's name to be..I don't know special, I was thinking Hoshi if it's a girl, even though you can use it for both genders."

"Why name your kid star?" Sakura smiled deviously.

"Cause Ino pig, I wished on a star the night Sasuke and I met agian…" Her face turned red and Ino had hearts in her eyes.

"Wow that is so cute! Sure go for it name the kid Hoshi regardless of it sex."
"I know but Sasuke might mind, naming his son, star."
"Who cares about what he thinks! You're the one that was carrying the kid for nine months!"

Sakura nodded her head in agreement. "But Ino I want us both to agree on a name. I want it to be perfect."

Ino put her arm around her friends shoulders. "I'm sure whatever you and Sasuke-kun choose will be fine."
"That's if he's here to help me decide. He didn't tell me when he was going to return."

"True, but I'm sure he'll show up soon."
They were in sight of the training grounds when Sakura stopped walking.
"Ino if you don't mind I would like to talk to Sai alone." Ino smiled reassuringly.

"No problem, I have a hunch that if Sai sees me, he will not be too approachable. Don't get too upset Sakura." With a wink she turned around and walked away.
Sakura gathered all her courage and made her way to the cloud darkened training grounds.

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15 Minutes later…

Sakura could not believe her eyes. In front of her Sai and Sasuke were entangled in mortal combat, and they were fighting for blood. The thunder rumbling just made the ominous situation picture perfect.
She watched in horror as Sai raised his kuni to bring it down on Sasuke's shoulder in a clean sweep.

"NOOO!" She screamed and ran to stop what was happening. But a pair of strong arms held her back. Sakura whipped her head around to look into a pair of cerulean blue eyes. She almost fainted in relief.

"Naruto! Naruto you have to stop them! Please there going to kill each other. They won't listen to me."

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TBC...

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AN: Yes I took a bit of time to update, BUT vaild reason, wrting this WHILE being a "good" university studnet is hard! It's like adding to your home work, lol nah just kidding , writing this is like down time to me.

Also it takes longer to edit. I have lost 2 betas...and personlay i don't like mistakes. No matter how small. (I should be one to tlak eh?) If anyone of you would like u can send me an e-mail of all the pales there are mistakes on this chapter, or other ones, properly labled and I will fix them.

Before I run out of time, you guys haven't been reviewing, yes you. I see you right there. Some of you guys might have noticed I put my fic on adult they don't have decent Sasuke/Sakura fics. Heck there hardly any there. I know many of you write M fics put them on there, please?

REVIEW please?