[AN: Okay, next chapter! I hope everyone's doing all right out there in this crazy world. Thanks for all the feedback on the previous installment... much appreciated! In the preceding chapter, I was trying to capture Naruto's kind of all-of-the-place nature in my style, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it, so it was lovely to hear the love :). As usual, this content is rated M, and I do not own Naruto.]

In almost exactly one week's time, Haruno Sakura would be Uchiha Sakura. As the bride-to-be sat somewhat stiffly on her living room sofa, clad in her newly purchased little black dress (complete with a chic dropped waist for unmentionable reasons), she was pretty sure she had never been so simultaneously terrified of and thrilled by a simple fact in her life.

The month of May had positively fled by in a discombobulated whirl of dress fittings and celebratory toastings and prenatal vitamins and flower consultations and catering appointments and baby name books and awkward Uchiha clan gatherings and hair appointments and furtive maternity wear shopping trips and deeply uncomfortable family dinners and honeymoon planning and prenatal check-ups and wedding reception table charts and more pregnancy sex than should be legal. It had been a wonderful, glorious, nerve-wracking time... and a part of her couldn't wait for it to be over. For it to be just her and Sasuke, toasting their brand-new, super-awesome life together with a couple of nonalcoholic cocktails as they sat poolside somewhere in the Land of Tea, her cute little baby belly on full, unrepentant display in a daring red-and-white polka-dotted two piece.

And, yet... did she really want it all to end? For them to enter into that great beyond also known as married life?

Yes, sitting in her apartment, waiting for Ino, Hinata, and Tenten to whisk her away for a night of bachelorette revelry, Sakura couldn't help but wonder what would happen when all the parties stopped. When their baby showed up in late December or early January, a full trimester ahead of even the earliest expectations. When all the "we're so happy for yous!" and "you make such a beautiful couples!" changed to murmurs about her workaholic tendencies and his ANBU past. Would they still be happy then? Would the Uchiha, a clan renowned for their ocular dojutsu, accept an Acting Clan Matriarch with pink hair and green eyes instead of a Sharingan? Would she ever get used to all the speculation and curiosity that inevitably came with being one of Konoha's "power couples"? And what of Sasuke? In the long run, given everything he'd done, everything he'd been through in ANBU, everything that was expected of him, would she truly be enough? As a partner? As a lover? As the mother of his child? As his wife?

Oh, Kami, there she went, ruining her fancy manicure by scratching off half of the burgundy polish on her right index finger. Ino was going to absolutely murder her.

With a sigh, Sakura rose to her bare feet and made a beeline for the bathroom. Her friends were supposed to arrive in five minutes, leaving her with just enough time for a touch-up.

Grabbing the bottle of lacquer from the medicine cabinet, she perched atop the closed toilet seat and applied a coat to the damaged nail, painfully aware that her technique was woeful compared with the salon technician and that Ino had eyes like a hawk. And the last thing she needed was something else for Ino to get suspicious about. Sakura was pretty sure that her secret remained safe, but her best friend had been sniffing around for weeks now and had definitely noticed something. Lately, there had been a calculating glimmer in her ice-blue eyes that promised nothing but trouble.

Two minutes of fervent blowing and wrist shaking later, a faint knock caused Sakura to almost dump the bottle of polish all over her lap. "Yoohoo! Forehead, darling! We're here!"

"Coming! I'm in the bathroom!"

Sakura screwed the top back onto the polish and jammed the little glass jar back into the cabinet, pausing to give her reflection a quick once-over in the mirrored door. Other than a bit of a nervous flush, she looked pretty good, actually… way better than she felt. The plum-colored shadow her aesthetician had used made the green of her eyes really pop, whatever cream they'd applied to her hair had magically tamed the frizz and flyaways that usually characterized her style, and the baby was doing wonders for her skin: her peaches-and-cream complexion had never been clearer.

Giving herself a forced smile, Sakura exited the bathroom and swept down the hall, through the living room, and to her apartment door. She had no business sulking. Life was good. Tonight would be fun. Swinging it open, she found herself face to face with her expected guests: the trio of kunoichi otherwise known as her three best female friends.

They'd certainly gone all out for the occasion. In the center stood Ino, clad in a form-fitting little plum number with a halter-style neckline and a hem that showed off quite a bit of leg. To her left was Tenten, hair done up in her usual twin buns, the burgundy embroidery that garnished the neckline of her qipao-style white top perfectly matching the hue of her mid-thigh-length skirt. Finally, on the right was Hinata. Unlike her companions, her knee-length lavender dress was loose and flowy, the V-neck showing off her generous bustline to enviable effect.

"Ooh, Sak, you look fabulous!" The weapons mistress squealed by way of a greeting. "I love the dress. The retro dropped-waist thing they're showing this year is so you."

"Yes, doesn't she though?" Ino cooed. "We took off from work early and stopped by Madame Ito's for some much needed R&R. For the record, the shadow they picked out fo her was totally my idea."

Sakura giggled, the presence of her friends instantly lifting her stormy spirits. "Thanks, guys! Loving the boots, Ten, and the blowout, Hina - sign me up for whatever conditioning regimen you're using. Do you wanna come in for a few minutes before dinner?" She wouldn't be drinking, of course, but, thanks to the surprise nature of her pregnancy, she still had quite the stash of alcohol kicking around.

Tenten looked all for it, but a definitive head shake from Ino stopped the brunette in her tracks. "That's okay, Forehead! We're on a tight schedule tonight, and there will be plenty of time for indulging in a bit. Now, strap on those party boots and grab your clutch. That red one I got you for your birthday the other year would be perfect. It's time for a night to remember!"

Sakura ducked for the coat closet just inside her front door to finish accessorizing. Meanwhile, Tenten rounded on the blonde. "A night to remember, huh, Ino? Now that we're minutes away from getting this party started, care to fill us in?"

"All shall be revealed in time!" The blonde cackled. Ino had been saying that off and on for a couple of weeks now, and it was getting just the tiniest bit annoying. Although, Sakura had to give her some credit: The fact that Tenten and Hinata were also still in the dark regarding their agenda was pretty impressive given how much she usually sucked at keeping secrets.

With her ankle booties on and clutch in hand, Sakura joined her friends out in the hallway. She locked the door, performed one of her basic protective jutsus (for a single kunoichi could never be too careful), and they were off, down three flights of stairs and out onto the bustling Konoha street, the sunset casting the world around them ablaze with oranges and pinks.

"All right, ladies. Follow my lead!" Ino cried out dramatically, completely ignoring the curious stares as she turned left, in the direction of the Commercial District. "As our beloved Guy-sensei might say, the Springtime of Youth waits for no shinobi!"

"I'm not really sure that that's quite how it goes…" Tenten murmured as they followed in the wake of their fearless leader, her long, blonde ponytail bobbing behind her as she wove through the Saturday evening revelers, couples, and families out enjoying the glorious early summer weather.

Sakura quickly fell into stride beside the Hyuuga heiress, a happy development given that she'd barely seen the woman since her return from her Hot Water Country honeymoon a couple of weeks ago. Despite what Naruto had said about a stomach bug, she looked well enough tonight, cheeks delicately pink as they speed-strutted towards their mysterious dinner destination.

"I'm glad you were able to join us, Hinata-chan," she commented warmly. "I know you've been a bit under the weather, but it really wouldn't have been the same without you."

The dark-haired kunoichi smiled sweetly. "Oh, I wouldn't have missed your bachelorette for the world, Sakura-chan! I am sorry it's been so long since we've gotten together. The past couple of months have been a blur. So many big life changes."

She could say that again.

Hinata paused, button nose wrinkling rather adorably. "Anyway, how are you and Sasuke-kun managing? Enjoying the wedding planning process? Looking forward to the big day?"

Sakura's stomach flipped less than pleasantly, the nerves she'd been doing her best to suppress rising to the surface yet again. "Oh yes, we're excited, of course," she replied with what she hoped wasn't too fake of a smile. "It's hard to believe we've got just a week to go. The planning's been a bit… intense."

Mm… that's certainly the word for it." Hinata nodded sagely, pearly eyes wide with sympathy. "Naruto-kun and I had almost a year to get everything in order. It must be so stressful with your tight schedule! Hopefully, you and Sasuke-kun have received plenty of support, at least?"

"Mikoto-san's been lovely," the medic-nin replied, expertly skipping over the allusion to the accelerated timeline that she and Sasuke were on. Ino's interrogation had been bad enough. "I don't know what either of us would have done without her, particularly now that my parents are retired and living outside of Konoha. She's been with me every step of the way. Attending all the kimono fittings, tastings, and assorted venue appointments; helping to select the flowers, stationary, and party favors; assisting with the seating charts; guiding me through the assorted Uchiha clan traditions and expectations for the ceremony..."

Sakura paused, suppressing a grimace at the memory of how much work they still had left to do. It was most definitely time for a change in conversation. "But enough about all the wedding madness for now. How has married life been treating you and Naruto-kun? You know, we've had a few Team Seven get togethers since you've been back in the village, and I don't think I've ever seen him happier."

At that, Hinata's smile became just the slightest bit fixed. "Coming back after the honeymoon was a bit… of an adjustment. Hot Water Country really was a magical experience, and I'm not sure either of us were ready to leave. But we're getting back into more of a rhythm now: outfitting our apartment, catching up on everything we missed while we were away, getting organized for... the months ahead. You know."

"Ha. And I bet you're loving no longer having to sneak around behind the Hyuuga Elders, huh Hina?" Tenten cut in, shooting the dark-haired kunoichi a knowing smirk over her shoulder. "It's been bad enough for Neji and me. I can only imagine how rough it was trying to get some alone time with Naruto-kun as Hiashi-sama's eldest."

"Well… ye-ee-sss. That's certainly been one of the, uh… benefits," the Hyuuga sputtered, cheeks turning positively scarlet.

"Are the Uchiha Elders crazy traditionalists when it comes to sex and relationships too?" Tenten asked, brown eyes drifting to Sakura herself. "I kind of assumed so, being one of Konoha's founding clans and all. Although... Sasuke does have a bit of a reputation. Has it helped?"

"Helped?"

The kunoichi nodded cheerily. "I mean, not that you're boring or anything. But, if I were an Uchiha Elder, I'd be just thrilled to see Sasuke settling down with a kunoichi like you. You know, given everything he supposedly got up to while in ANBU."

That was certainly an interesting way of thinking about Sasuke's romantic past. Not to mention classic foot-in-her mouth Tenten.

Sakura swallowed hard, trying to ignore the sudden memory of her conversation with one of Sasuke's old ANBU flames back on Training Ground 1 just a little over a month ago. Rationally speaking, she knew that the absolutely ridiculous gossip about her soon-to-be husband's exploits was something she was just going to have to get used to. Sexy ex-ANBU from prominent clans were, rather unsurprisingly, a prime source of speculation for the Konoha rumor mill, and Sasuke definitely fit that mold. Besides, even if he had slept with over two-hundred different women, including the Mizukage - an impressive feat given that he had never even been to Kiri - times had changed. The man she was marrying next weekend loved her… was committing his life to her, for Kami's sake! Whatever happened before was ancient history that really shouldn't be worth her time.

Still, snappy Inner-led pep talk aside, as they turned left onto the main drag of the bustling Commercial District, Sakura was finding it surprisingly difficult not to let Tenten's offhand comment get to her a bit. Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones addling her brain. Tsunade-sama had warned her about that.

Of course, the ever-perceptive Hyuuga Hinata noticed. "Sakura-chan? Is everything all right?" The woman's voice was soft and sweet, her pale eyes wide with concern, immediately drawing Sakura's wandering attention back to the present.

"What? Oh, yes, sorry. I just remembered something I needed to do... for the, uh, centerpieces at the reception," she lied. "Now... what were we talking about? The Uchiha Elders? Yes, they're just as old fashioned as you're thinking. I mean, Sasuke-kun isn't even the heir, and a few of them are still of the opinion that our marriage is compromising the clan, never mind the decades of medical research showing that purity of the blood has absolutely no effect on dojutsu and leads to some nasty genetic risks to boot."

Sakura paused there, dearly hoping that her latest volley would finally steer the conversation back towards safer, less stress-provoking subjects. Unsurprisingly, Hinata was still frowning - she had always had an impressively high emotional IQ - but it appeared that Tenten was willing to take the bait. Having been subjected to over a decade of Hyuuga stodginess, she was usually down for a good bit of clan bashing.

True to form, the weapons mistress clucked her tongue dismissively. "Right. Like your and Sasuke's future kids aren't going to be anything but crazy powerful. Clan Elders can be such idiots. No offense, of course, Hinata-chan!"

With one more searching glance in Sakura's general direction, the Hyuuga heiress smiled sheepishly. "None taken. I realize that tou-san can be… difficult. And, if we're going to be honest, I believe my husband might agree with you!"

At that, Tenten let out a peal of uproarious laughter that caused an older civilian couple passing by to jump a good foot in the air, and Sakura finally felt some of the tension that had been building between her shoulder blades ease. She could really go for one of Sasuke-kun's massages about now.

Giving her neck a small stretch to the left, she noted that Ino's march had brought them midway down the highest-rent street in Konoha, a couple of blocks over from the shop where they had purchased her bridal kimono just a couple of weeks ago. Either the blonde had picked a scenic route or wherever they were headed was quite the ritzy eatery, a fact that the ever-curious Tenten also noticed with more than a little interest. "Hey, Ino!" she called out to the tenacious blonde, "I think I know where we are. You didn't, by any chance, manage to get us into Katana, did you?"

At that, Ino finally came to a stop. Left hand on her hip and ruby-painted lips turning up in a sassy smirk, she twirled on her black patent heels to face her companions. "And what if I did?"

Tenten let out a noise that could only be described as a squeal as Hinata's jaw dropped. And, yes, their reactions were a bit over the top, but not by much. Because Katana, the modern Japanese restaurant whose black-lacquered doors the blonde just happened to have stopped to pose rather dramatically in front of, was without a doubt the swankiest place for dinner in all of Fire Country. Renowned for its bold and innovative kaiseki menu and legendary sake pairings, it was the sort of establishment where foreign diplomats frolicked, clan heads mingled, and the Hokage's retinue dined. Why, it was even rumored that the Daimyo himself, after taking his first bite of their tuna tataki last summer, had attempted to lure away the chef de cuisine with promises of immense wealth and a palace larder stocked with delicacies, only to be politely yet firmly rebuffed.

The reservation was an undeniably sweet gesture on Ino's part: a testament to what a wonderful, caring, generous friend she really, truly was, all their years of silly bickering and name calling aside. And yet, as she stood there, on the granite-edged sidewalk, contemplating the next two-and-a-half hours of her life, Sakura found herself suppressing tears not of gratitude, but of terror. Because kaiseki usually meant leaving one's dining experience up to the chef. And the chef, like everyone else in Konoha not named Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, or Senju Tsunade, had absolutely no idea that the pink-haired kunoichi whom he'd soon be serving was pregnant.

With a wink in Sakura's shell-shocked direction, the blonde swung open the doors and led them into an entrance way dimly lit by votive candles. Stepping right up to the podium, she smiled politely at the elegant civilian woman behind it, positively oozing future clan head polish. "Yamanaka… party of four. We have a seven o'clock reservation."

"Ah yes, the bachelorette party," the hostess replied with a small nod of her chestnut curls. "Please give me a minute, Yamanaka-san, and I'll make sure that they're ready for you in the dining room."

The brunette dipped through the doorway behind her, the sounds of polite conversation and the smell of some sort of grilled meat filtering over their little party. "Ino…" Sakura murmured, throat tight with a peculiar mixture of deep appreciation and unadulterated dread, "Oh, Ino. You really shouldn't have."

"Tut tut. None of that tonight, Forehead, darling," the blonde purred. "I mean, never say never, but you'll hopefully only be getting married once. As such, it's only appropriate to toast away your single life with the best that Konoha has to offer."

Sakura bit her lip, not even sure how to begin to respond. Very fortunately, the hostess's prompt return saved her the trouble. Picking up four menus, she gave the quartet a small smile and then inclined her head in the direction of the door through which she'd come. "This way, please."

Trying to ignore the nerves churning through her stomach, Sakura dutifully followed the woman's lead through the dining room doorway and into an elegant room with generously spaced hardwood tables, perfectly polished slate floors, and cream-colored walls on which hung enough antique ninja weaponry to leave Tenten drooling. A mahogany bar ran the full length of the restaurant, behind which a flotilla of chefs were hard at work, turning out mouthwatering creation after creation.

As Ino had apparently requested, they were seated at the far end of this counter, which gave them a bird's eye view of the activity in the kitchen. While undeniably impressive, the perch did little to calm the bachelorette's fears. As anticipated, a good seventy percent of what Sakura could see was raw fish.

After passing out menus and wishing them an enjoyable evening, the hostess departed, and Tenten erupted, her brown eyes wide with excitement as a sous chef carefully plated a paper-thin piece of salmon sashimi mere feet from where they were seated. "Neji and I have been dying to try this place for like two years, Ino! How did you ever get a reservation? And on such short notice, too!"

To Sakura's immediate right, the blonde shrugged, a coy smile adorning her glossy pink lips. "They always hold a handful of tables for VIPs. And, you know I don't like to kiss and tell… but I happened to have a bit of an in with the head bartender, if you know what I mean!"

Sakura understood. And she found it pretty hard to care about her best friend's sex life at that moment, amusing though the whispered story that followed about sneaking into Katana for a bit of kitchen nookie after hours may have been. Because, as she read through a carefully composed, positively delicious-sounding dinner of pregnancy no-nos that included sushi, sashimi, poached tuna, broiled swordfish, and filet mignon seared rare, Sakura's mind was wholly consumed with one, seemingly insurmountable task: Figuring out how to tell her dining companions that she was presently unable to consume a good three-quarters of the menu.

The answer turned out to be Hyuuga Hinata.

In typically prim and proper fashion, the Hyuuga heiress cut into Ino's and Tenten's giggle-filled conversation from Sakura's left, cheeks rosy and Byakugan eyes wide. "Excuse me, Ino-chan? I apologize for the interruption. Maybe... we should touch base about what we'll be ordering?"

From her seat at the far end of the bar, Tenten let out a rather dramatic sigh. "Oh, Hina. There's only one possible answer to that. Kaiseki or bust, girl!"

The Hyuuga woman's blush deepened. "Ah, ye-es-ss, I thought you might say that…" she replied somewhat hesitantly. "It's just… well… I have some recently imposed… dietary restrictions. And, delicious as the kaiseki menu looks, there's quite a bit that I won't be able to eat. Most of it, actually."

Thank, Kami. A blonde eyebrow arched imperiously, but, for once, Sakura beat the Yamanaka heiress to the metaphorical punch. "I totally agree, Hinata. Let's do a la carte. The kaiseki menu does look good - amazing, actually - but I'm trying to behave myself ahead of the wedding, and I really don't want to accidentally order too much."

Ice-blue eyes rolled. "Oh come on, ladies, It's Sakura's bachelorette night. Surely, you can splurge a little? I mean, I'm technically on a diet too, but special occasions were made for exceptions!"

To Sakura's great surprise and admitted amusement, Hinata's jaw locked in an unprecedented moment of defiance. Could her new husband's legendary stubbornness be rubbing off on her? "Ino-chan. I'm afraid I must insist," she replied, no trace of nervousness or hesitancy in her tone.

The blonde blinked a few times in quick succession, clearly just as surprised by Hinata's forcefulness as Sakura herself. Then, with a little shrug, she seemingly recovered her bearings. "Fine. Since you and the bride-to-be are apparently in cahoots, we can nix the full kaiseki thing. Ten and I will just have to treat ourselves some other time. Now, how about a drink? They've got this amazing sake all the way from Kumo that I know you'll both just love…"

Sakura internally grimaced. She'd seen the alcohol question coming ever since Ino had first informed her that she'd be planning her bachelorette and really wasn't looking forward to dealing with it. Over the past few weeks, she'd leaned hard on the "clean lifestyle ahead of the big day!" schtick, but there was absolutely no way that Ino was going to buy into it tonight. After all, Sakura's penchant for fancy sake was almost as legendary as Tsunade's at this point, and the blonde knew that better than anyone else in the village. Maybe, she could cast a genjutsu on her sake cup and fool them all that way? It seemed a shame to waste such quality product, but desperate times...

Once again, it was Hyuuga Hinata to the rescue. And this time around, she absolutely outdid herself.

"Sake?" The dark-haired kunoichi repeated, as if the word itself were poison, "Oh no. I couldn't. Alcohol is, uh, one of the new restrictions, you see. And it's not exactly a diet, Ino-chan. It's more of a medical requirement. Per Tsunade-sama herself, actually."

She fell silent as Tenten suddenly leaned down the bar, peering around Ino and Sakura as if she couldn't believe her ears. "Wait one second. Hinata. You're not… pregnant, are you?"

"I… am," came the whispered reply, pale eyes focused intently on her neatly folded hands. At the admission, her cheeks turned bright pink. "But please don't tell anyone yet! I'm just over a month along..."

Sakura felt her jaw drop. To her right, Ino and Tenten appeared similarly dumbstruck, their perfectly manicured eyebrows arched upwards towards their hairlines in twin expressions of utter shock and awe. Hinata was pregnant. She and Naruto were having a baby too!

As her mind began to process this bit of news, Sakura felt a sudden rush of emotion come over her. She could see it now… the future play dates, the birthday parties, the celebratory milestones, the Academy study sessions, and, even, at some far distant date, the experience of serving side by side as fellow shinobi of the Leaf.

Hold it together, Sakura-chan!

Furtively, wiping away the absolutely ridiculous tears that had suddenly decided to make an appearance, Sakura pulled the Byakugan wielder in for a side hug. "Congratulations, Hinata-chan! I'm just thrilled for you and Naruto-kun."

"Tha-a-ank you," the woman stammered. "I'm, uh, very sorry for mentioning it tonight! I was meaning to tell you all sometime after your bachelorette. It's just… I was getting so tired of keeping it to myself, and I felt so guilty about lying. When Tenten asked..."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, no worries, Hinata! I completely understand!"

Far better than she knew.

After Hinata's baby reveal, everything fell rather neatly into place. Taking full advantage of the escape avenue that the Hyuuga heiress had so generously provided, Sakura promptly insisted that it would only be fair to join her dark-haired friend in an alcohol-free evening, a proclamation that Ino let slide with an over-it shrug and a somewhat incredulous, "Suit yourself, Forehead!"

Sakura had admittedly been a little envious of the series of sake-based cocktails that graced Tenten's and Ino's place mats over the course of the two-plus hours that had followed. That being said, the pineapple-mango spritzers that she and Hinata ordered had been pretty freaking good - the perfect balance of sweet and tart - and her own baby's health and well-being were obviously more than worth the minor inconvenience. As for the food, while kaiseki may have been Katana's claim to fame, the kitchen's a la carte dishes turned out to be just as memorable. Sakura was pretty sure she was going to have dreams about the miso-poached breast of chicken with wood ear, baby bok choy, and jasmine-scented rice that she'd feasted on for her entree, while the umeboshi compote atop the polenta cake that she'd ordered for dessert was 100% swoon worthy.

Even better, not only did Hinata's announcement rectify all of Sakura's menu woes, but it also ended up providing a most-welcome subject of conversation for the vast majority of the dinner, keeping the discussion largely off of more sensitive, Uchiha-Haruno-centric subjects. Perhaps, a more showy bride-to-be would have been disappointed or even annoyed by the redirection of the party's attention, but after weeks of fielding prying questions from anyone and everyone about her whirlwind relationship and upcoming wedding, Sakura really couldn't say that she minded Hinata's accidental usurpation of the evening.

They were back out on the street by nine-fifteen, the bright lights and Saturday bustle of the Konoha Commercial District vibrant as ever. Between the extra hours she'd been putting in at the hospital ahead of her much-anticipated honeymoon, the wedding planning that had dominated each of her past six weekends, and the feeling of near-constant tiredness that accompanied the process of gestating new life inside one's womb, Sakura was somewhat tempted to call it a night. But, of course, Ino and Tenten, being Ino and Tenten, had other ideas, and, as the woman of the hour, she felt a certain responsibility to see the evening through. Besides, other than the awkward conversation with the weapons mistress on the walk over to Katana and that same, nagging uncertainty about the future that had pestered her on and off for the past few weeks, it had been an enjoyable affair so far, not to mention a much overdue girls' night.

After a quick consultation, their next destination was decided: Kampai, a new lounge located just down the street from the restaurant that was apparently all the rage among the T&I crew. While Hinata had threatened to duck out with the observation that pregnant kunoichi and nightclubs didn't really seem to jive, Tenten and Ino had swiftly and efficiently obliterated that excuse. "Because," as the blonde menace declared, to the amusement of a couple of passing civilian men and the utter mortification of the dark-haired kunoichi in question, "Mamas-to-be deserve wild nights out too!"

Unsurprisingly given their day jobs, the intel from Ino's work associates turned out to be accurate: Despite the still early hour, the line to get into Kampai was out the door. It was somewhat hard to tell with everyone in party attire, but their fellow attendees appeared to be a roughly fifty-fifty split of civilians and shinobi. As they waited to get in, Sakura spotted two or three civilian nurses she knew from the hospital, a whole gaggle of shinobi she recognized as having been a year behind their class at the Academy, and, to Ino's great amusement, Uchiha Shisui. He was standing with a couple of other guys who, judging from the coloring and scowls, were two of his countless cousins. Upon noticing Sakura's rather conspicuous pink head, he gave her a salute and a grin that had her blushing despite herself. What a flirt.

After twenty-something minutes, their party reached the front of the line. Sakura dutifully flashed her shinobi ID badge; Hinata, Ino, and Tenten all followed suit; and then they were waved inside by the burly bouncer, the beat of the music reverberating through them as they passed down a short hall and into the main room.

Her first thought upon entering? Oh, Kami, was she under-dressed. The club was just as trendy as Ino had promised: Midnight blue lighting tinged here and there with pops of lime green and neon indigo; an S-shaped bar that hugged most of the perimeter; high, arched ceilings that twinkled with hundreds of tiny lights; and a dance floor packed with revelers. "I don't know if I feel more like we're underwater or in space!" Tenten noted, honey-brown eyes sparkling with excitement.

Quite predictably, Ino took the lead, expertly bobbing and weaving her way through the crowd to a spot at the bar that magically opened upon her arrival. Because some people had all the luck. With a bit of ducking and dodging of her own, Sakura joined her, Tenten and Hinata close on her heels. They ordered drinks from a scarlet-haired bartender with a lip ring and a bunch of tattoos - a gin and tonic for Tenten, a cranberry vodka for Ino, orange juice for Hinata, and water for Sakura herself - and then settled in for a bit of atmosphere absorbing/people watching.

"This is such a cool place, Ino," the weapons mistress commented after taking an initial sip of her cocktail. "Major props to T&I for the recommendation."

"I know, right? We get a bad wrap for being a bunch of tight asses… but I swear that's really just Ibiki-jiji. The younger staff - myself, Mari, Tomiko, Ebisu - are all pretty chill if I don't say so myself."

"Ebisu… do you mean Uchiha Ebisu?" Sakura asked. Thanks to the numerous hours that she'd spent with Mikoto on setting arrangements and invites for the wedding, she was becoming increasingly fluent in clan names, even if she still couldn't keep all of those scowling faces straight.

Ino nodded, a familiar little spark warming her baby blue eyes. "That's right," she replied coyly, taking a sip of her cocktail. "He started just a few weeks ago. Although... we go back much further than that, if you get my drift."

Another one of Ino's conquests. "I don't think Sasuke-kun's particularly fond of him…" Sakura observed, swirling her glass. If she was remembering correctly, Ebisu was Sasuke's least favorite cousin, actually, and, in a clan that numbered in the hundreds, that was saying something.

Ino shrugged. "Mm… yeah, he can be a bit of a stuck-up idiot. But, I mean, so can Sasuke-kun, right? I'm pretty sure that's an inherent part of the Uchiha DNA. Well, except for possibly Shisui, although even he has his moments."

"Speaking of… whatever happened between you and Uchiha Shisui, Sak?" Tenten asked. "I seem to recall the two of you being pretty cozy at your birthday."

The conversation had apparently returned to all things Haruno Sakura. Given a certain, unmentionable secret that she was sitting on and the stress of her upcoming wedding, the kunoichi in question wasn't exactly thrilled. That being said, she did understand the curiosity. After a quarter century of literal nothing, her love life had witnessed some interesting developments since March, and she'd previously been privy to quite a few of Tenten's, Hinata's, and Ino's romantic endeavors over the years. As such, it was only fair to return the favor.

"Well, it's really Pig's fault," she began with a sigh. "Sasuke-kun and I…. we had a bit of a… a falling out back in the middle of March." The blonde snorted, and Sakura shot the most threatening glare she could muster in her general direction. "Differing priorities and whatnot."

Hinata's eyes narrowed in thought. "Mid-March. Was that around the time of that brunch we all had together? If you don't mind my saying so, you had seemed a bit preoccupied that day, Sakura-chan."

Sakura nodded fervently. "Exactly. That was actually the morning immediately after we… disagreed."

Him turning the night of her very long awaited sexual debut into a one-night stand could be termed a disagreement, right?

"Anyway, long story short, Ino thought that the best way to get through to Sasuke was to make him jealous, so we enlisted Shisui's help. And, yeah, that was pretty much that."

Tenten giggled. "I see. Ino, you meddlesome minx! Well, it certainly worked, didn't it? And sweet little Sakura-chan got to lock lips with two of the Uchiha clan's hunkiest hunks, which is a bullseye in my book!"

The blonde tossed her long ponytail in self-satisfaction. "Right? Sasuke and Forehead owe me big time," she teased. "The very least they could do is name their firstborn after me. I mean… Uchiha Ino has a nice ring to it, don't cha think?"

Having taken a sip of water seconds earlier, Sakura resisted the sudden urge to spew it all over the bar top. Her and Sasuke's firstborn. This conversation was entirely exceedingly dangerous territory. Which meant that it was high time for a diversion.

"I think I feel like dancing!" she erupted, totally ignoring the raised eyebrows that all three of her companions were now sporting. "Should we move this party to the dance floor?"

Sakura had never exactly been a dancing queen (Ino had that title firmly on lock down). And yet, tonight, she had never been more relieved to be out on the Kampai dance floor, doing her best to wiggle her body in time to the beat and remember enough of the lyrics to whatever top hit was being blasted so as to not feel completely out of the Fire Country pop culture loop. Because every minute spent bopping was one less minute of chatting. And chatting was starting to feel like very risky business indeed.

Was Ino onto her? That firstborn comment had been a joke, right? Sakura's rational mind told her that it had to be. It had been said in such a silly, offhand fashion that nothing else really made sense. And yet, some probably crazy, decidedly paranoid voice inside her head couldn't help but wonder if the blonde, after observing her assorted idiosyncrasies off and on for weeks now, had finally cracked the pregnancy puzzle and was simply playing with her food in classic T&I style. Tenten had figured out Hinata's condition in literal seconds. What if Ino had done the same and was just leading her on?

The pink-haired kunoichi snuck a glance in her best friend's direction, but, of course, there was nothing to glean other than the already well-known fact that Ino's hip-popping moves made Sakura's own quick-step look like amateur hour. As usual, in the roughly half-hour that they'd be dancing, Ino had attracted quite a few admirers, the most persistent of whom were a trio of civilian-looking men presently situated to their immediate right. While they weren't really doing anything and the Yamanaka heiress could obviously more than hold her own, they'd been ogling Ino's body for a good few minutes with smiles that Sakura less than liked. Why did liquor turn so many men into pervs?

"Should we try to find Hina and Tenten?" Sakura half-shouted in the blonde's direction, willing her voice to carry over the music. Their little party had gotten separated soon after stepping out onto the dance floor, and now seemed as good a time as any to try and reunite.

Ino bobbed her head in time to the music, which seemed like it might also be a "yes." Figuring that it was as much of a response as she was going to get, Sakura took hold of her friend's right hand, shot the civilian bakas the nastiest glower she could muster, and then proceeded to half-push, half-dance her way deeper into the fray, eyes peeled for Tenten's distinctive double-bun hairstyle and/or Hinata's dark mane.

They'd only made it fifteen or twenty steps from their previous position, however, when the sight of a nearby couple brought Sakura to a screeching halt.

The duo that had caught her attention, a slender, dark-haired man and a woman with chestnut hair and enviably long legs, were absolutely all over each other. As they danced - if one could call what they were doing dancing - the man's hands traced along the small of the brunette's almost fully bare back, fingertips threatening to dip below the waistband of her short, black skirt. Had Sakura been in such a position, she would have been absolutely mortified and/or livid, but if this woman cared about being groped so visibly in public, she didn't show it. Gyrating and twisting against her partner in perfect time to the music, she appeared to be focused entirely on using her body to full effect, the motion of her hips so mesmerizing that Sakura found her own mouth going dry.

While the woman's back was to her, Sakura had a full view of her companion's face, and it was an achingly familiar one. Ebony eyes glazed over with lust; a perfectly sculpted jawline; and thin lips that, when not occupied with the brunette's own, were turned slightly upwards in a self-satisfied smirk that could only belong to an Uchiha.

No, it wasn't Sasuke-kun. This man had a hook nose. But their appearances were otherwise so similar that Sakura felt her stomach plummet all the same. And when the couple's lips parted for a moment, presumably because someone needed to come up for air, and Sakura caught a glimpse of the kunoichi's face, she couldn't help but let out a gasp of dismay. For the woman whose knowing, laughing, baby-blue eyes she found herself staring directly into was none other than Nakamura Akira. Sasuke's former ANBU flame.

Was this what they used to do - Akira and Sasuke - back when they'd been an item? Hump against one another in a club for anyone and everyone to see? Was this how Sasuke really liked his women, aggressive and on the prowl, in a barely-there outfit that left nothing to the imagination? Did Sasuke's dark eyes shine so hungrily, so eagerly, for Akira, like his lookalike cousin's were now?

Sakura swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fat tears threatening to expose her weakness to the world. No, she wouldn't cry. Not in front of Akira. But she did need to get out of there… fast.

Spinning on her heels in her haste to get away, the kunoichi stumbled backwards into another warm body. "Sakura… what the actual fuck?"

Right. Ino. Because they were still holding hands. At first, the blonde looked rather irritated at having been unexpectedly body checked, but one glimpse at Sakura's face had her brow furrowing in concern. "Bathroom?"

Sakura nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Ceding control completely to her friend, she allowed herself to be led through the crowd, off the dance floor, and down a narrow hall illuminated by a neon "EXIT" sign hanging at the far end. With a small, meant-to-be-reassuring smile, Ino pushed the second door on the left open to reveal a neutral-colored, two-stall bathroom, and Sakura followed her in, studiously ignoring the large mirror hanging over the sinks.

After confirming that both stalls were unoccupied, Ino locked them inside and cast a low-level privacy jutsu on the door. Then, with a somewhat frustrated-sounding sigh, she leaned back against the partition separating the doors to the two stalls, her arms crossed over her chest. "Okay, Sakura. Enough's enough. Spill. You've been acting so strange for weeks. Is Sasuke being an ass again? Is Mikoto-san secretly the future mother-in-law from hell? Is Uchiha Fugaku an even bigger tyrant than I thought? Is it just a case of cold feet ahead of the big day? Is the entirety of the goddamn Uchiha clan getting you down? Whatever it is, whomever needs a beating, you say the word, and good, old Ino-chan will take care of it."

They'd had their disagreements over the years, but Yamanaka Ino was truly one of a kind. Sakura could feel the tears gathering once more, but this time, they were accompanied by a warm rush of gratitude for the blonde's friendship. With a woebegone sniffle, she wiped her stinging eyes, vaguely noticing that the mascara they'd used on her at the salon didn't appear to be waterproof. What a mess.

"It's Sasuke," she admitted. "But this time, it's not really his fault. I trust Sasuke-kun… I love him. But, I'm so worried, Ino. What if he decides it's not worth it? If he gets bored with his life in the village? With, well, me?"

Did that make any sense? Probably not. Ino was frowning, which was never a good sign.

"Sakura…" the blonde began, "Oh, Sakura. Not to sound like a broken record… but you do realize that you yourself are kind of a big deal, right? You're Senju Tsunade's apprentice, for Kami's sake! The only one who knows how our hospital system actually works! Not to mention a damn good kunoichi in your own right. Ask anyone outside the Uchiha clan, and they'll tell you the same as me: Sasuke is lucky to be marrying you."

This, again. Ino really didn't get it. "Pig, I could be the Shodai Hokage himself, and it wouldn't matter. Relationships are a two-way street. Both halves of the couple need to feel supported. Like they're contributing and sacrificing equally. And, right now, I worry that Sasuke-kun won't. He's traded in an ANBU captaincy..."

"For a cushy position as the Acting Clan Head of one of the foremost clans in the village," the blonde finished somewhat snippily. "Is that really a downgrade? I mean, I know Sasuke's one of those alpha-male types, and I'm sure that dealing with the Uchiha Elders day in and day out totally sucks, but even he has to see that, long term, his new gig is pretty sweet, not to mention way better for his longevity. Besides, ANBU might be synonymous with elite, but it can get pretty dark, Sakura. You hear stuff in T&I sometimes, you know."

Sakura nodded. As one of just a few medics in the village with clearance to treat ANBU nin, she'd seen the devastation that an S-rank mission gone wrong could wreck up close and personal more than once. "Still. ANBU has its perks too, right? The elite aspect you mentioned. The sense of responsibility and duty. The power. The camaraderie. The women."

Ino's eyebrows suddenly shot up towards her hairline. "Sakura. When you and Sasuke have been intimate. He's not… he hasn't done anything that has... scared you or made you uncomf-"

"No!" Sakura wasn't entirely sure what Ino was insinuating about her sex life, but, judging from her wide-eyed expression, it was something vile. "Sasuke-kun's been nothing but a gentleman! He knows that I've never…. you know… done anything like this before. He's been very patient and... gentle with me."

"That's good," the blonde replied somewhat weakly. "I didn't mean to imply that he hadn't. I just… well, in my admittedly limited experience, ANBU shinobi can have peculiar tastes. I haven't heard anything about Sasuke specifically, mind you. I'm more speaking in general terms..."

She trailed off, and Sakura grimaced. "I've heard the rumors too. He's probably done stuff that I can't even imagine!" With sirens like Nakamura Akira, to boot. "Really, Ino, how am I supposed to ever measure up?"

This time around, her companion actually had the audacity to laugh. "Measure up? Oh, honey, you can't compete with an ANBU kunoichi. When it comes to seduction, they're trained professionals! But, well, competition's not really the point, now is it?"

Sakura bit her lip, those same, pesky tears that had been threatening earlier rising to the surface once again. If she couldn't possibly compete with Akira, then what was she supposed to do? Accept that Sasuke was damaged goods and move on, her heart, imminent wedding, and baby be damned? Allow him whatever lovers he needed to sate his inner beast as long as he came home to her eventually? Look the other way and pretend that everything was fine?

With a heavy sigh, Ino ran a hand through her hair. "Ugh. How do I explain this? Okay. So, great sex is, well, pretty great. And sex with an A- or S-class seduction specialist can be absolutely mind blowing if the shinobi in question decides that you're worth their while. But sex with someone you actually give a damn about… it's a whole different world, so to speak. The emotional connectivity, the knowledge that you're pleasuring someone you love, that certain spark in the air… it's really beyond compare. Trust me, I've been around the merry-go-round enough times to know."

Based on some of Ino's stories over the years, Sakura could believe that last bit. "Although, what if you miss it? The great sex?" The mind-blowing sex with Nakamura Akira?

Ino smiled wryly. "First off, great sex and romantic sex don't have to be mutually exclusive, Sakura. I know you're still pretty new to all this, but hopefully loverboy Uchiha has clued you into that much, at least."

Sakura felt her cheeks go scarlet, and Ino chuckled, only to sober up a minute later. "You have a point, though. Some people do have a hard time committing to monogamy."

"So, how do I know Sasuke won't be one of those people? That he won't regret our marriage a year from now?"

"Honestly? You can't. I mean, technically, I could take a peek inside his head and see if he's thinking about philandering, but that would be an utter and complete abuse of mind jutsu, and I'm already on thin enough ice with the clan on a regular basis as it is."

The blonde sighed, idly playing with the tail end of her ponytail. Then, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, her bright blue eyes ignited. "I know. What if... we conduct a little test. Introduce a new variable into Sasuke's nice, orderly environment and see how he responds. Like one of your medical research experiments."

Sakura frowned, not really sure where Ino was headed or whether she even knew what she was saying. Because, sure, she was a fully qualified medic-nin, but that didn't mean she understood any of the principles of scientific research. "Okay…?"

"Okay, so! The variable is gonna be some smoking hot ANBU babe. A total wildcard, am I right? Tomorrow morning, over breakfast, you'll pick a little pre-wedding fight with your darling Sasuke-kun. The subject's up to you… just make sure to get him good and pissed. Then, you'll stomp off in a huff, and we'll sic our temptress on him, stand back, and see what happens!"

Sakura grimaced as Ino prattled on about potential triggers to set Sasuke off. Did she really want to subject Sasuke-kun to more scheming? He'd arguably deserved it last time, but this felt very different. After all, he hadn't actually done anything yet or even hinted that he intended to. And of course, the mere thought of giving some random kunoichi the green light to try and get into her soon-to-be husband's pants had her seeing red. No. The whole mess with Shisui had been quite enough.

True to form, Ino was still talking. Having moved on from what jutsu might best allow them to spy on a Sharingan wielder without being detected, she was now entering distinctly enraging territory. "As for the identity of the other woman… you leave that to me. I know at least a couple of kunoichi who'd be more than happy to try their hand at bedding the Uchiha Sas-"

"Ino," Sakura interrupted rather sharply, "I appreciate your willingness to help. But… don't you think it would be better if Sasuke-kun and I just talked this through?"

The Yamanaka froze mid-sentence, full lips slowly turning upwards in a rather catlike smile. "Well, well, well, my little Forehead is growing up! Sakura, if you can manage to pull the words out of him, then absolutely. Not only is communication allegedly a vital part of marriage, but you'd also run much less of a risk of your entire relationship blowing up in your face five days before your wedding."

Which was something she'd strongly prefer to avoid, particularly given their baby situation. Speaking of…

Sakura eyed her friend contemplatively. While Ino's experiment concept was totally insane, it had felt pretty good to talk through some of the anxieties that had been plaguing her for weeks. Would letting her know about the baby really be so bad? The blonde was a dreadful gossip, but she was also a loyal friend, crazy plots and seemingly endless drama aside, and she and Sasuke really only needed to keep the news quiet for six more days. Even if Ino did let something slip, how much damage could she truly do? There was the little wrinkle that they'd agreed not to tell anyone until they were back from their honeymoon, but that was really a technicality. Sasuke-kun wouldn't mind… would he? And it was her body that was pregnant...

Directing her attention back to the blonde, Sakura discovered that she was being closely watched. "There's something else, isn't there, Sak?"

Sakura nodded. Enough hiding. It was time to throw caution to the winds. "Yes. There is. Now, you seriously can't tell anyone, but… Hinata's not the only one expecting."

For as long as Sakura had known Ino, there had been one great constant: the blonde never knew when to shut up. As such, the sudden, stupefied silence that greeted her pronouncement was positively unprecedented, as well as confirmation that her previous fears about Ino having been onto her had been nothing more than paranoia.

Ino blinked her long, mascaraed lashes a few times, full lips parted in utter and complete shock. "You're… how did… I never… the baby's Sasuke's?" she finally managed to eke out.

Sakura realized that she had dropped a bit of an information bomb upon the blonde. But seriously? Was that really the best she could do? "Pig, you idiot, whose else would it be?"

Ino nodded weakly. "Sorry! Sorry! You're complete right, of course! I just… well, I'm kind of not sure what to say right now, Forehead. I mean… I guess that makes sense, but… whoa. That was fast."

Sakura felt her cheeks warming. She knew Ino meant no harm or judgment and was just trying to wrap her head around the news, but still. It was a little awkward. "It wasn't exactly intentional…"

The blonde pursed her lips. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Do people… know?"

"Sasuke-kun. And Tsunade-sama, since she… diagnosed me."

Another nod. Kami, was it weird to see Ino thrown this far off balance. "And your parents?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nope… neither do Sasuke-kun's. We're waiting until after the honeymoon to tell them. And, after that, the Uchiha Elders."

The blonde grimaced. "Well, that sounds like super not fun times. I mean, the two of you will be married by then, of course, but… ugh. I don't envy you. How far along are you, by the way? You don't look... crazy pregnant or anything."

How flattering. "Over two months, actually. I think we, uh, conceived around the end of March."

"So, on your birthday." The blonde smiled knowingly. "I have to say, Sak. I mean, I know you've always been efficient, but that was one productive session of make-up sex. Not only did you get your whole relationship back on track and nail down a man infamous for his evasiveness, but making a baby on top of it… damn."

Sakura chuckled, mildly embarrassed but also rather relieved that Ino seemed to be finding her way back to her usual, moderately scandalous self. Yes, it felt right telling Ino. Now, hopefully, she actually listened to that bit about not spreading the news all over Konoha.