Her meeting with the newly formed Suna-Hyuga council went quite well. She hadn't expected to be in front of the council and feel so respected at the same time. The speaker, an older gentleman, she wasn't sure how closely related they were, was kind and soft-spoken. He seemed to know what he was talking about instead of half-read, half-egoed like the home council usually did to her. He pulled her aside after the meeting.
"I didn't want to bring it up during the meeting in case you were having complications. We will respect you until you are ready, but is there a reason you are not revealing your expectation to the council." She blinked at him.
"Expectancy of what?" She wondered.
"Your child." She stared at him.
"I've just gained weight." She tried feeling uncomfortable all of a sudden. A pit in her stomach grew. Was she…? No. She would have noticed. "I would have noticed if I were pregnant."
"When have you last used your Byakugan?" He looked at her as confused as she felt. "You only need to be 4 weeks before it's noticeable with it. You might be 5 or 6 now." His eyes activated subtly, and he looked at her before turning back off. "Closer to 6."
She blanked entirely. She couldn't hear another thing he said. How had she not noticed? She hasn't used her Byakugan on doctor's order since the attack, but it hadn't been that long since the accident… three weeks. Gaara had been missing for … a few days, 10 tops. She would have had to have conceived right before he was captured.
She grabbed the poor old man's arm with a death grip just as she felt her vision close in.
"Fainted?" Gaara got up from his desk quickly. "Was it heat stroke?"
Matsuri put her hands up to try to calm him. "No, the Hyuga said. She just collapsed from shock. She mentioned she used to faint a lot when she was embarrassed."
He stopped, frustrated that he was being prevented from going to his wife.
"She's fine. She just had some rest and was a little confused when she woke up. She'll be here soon. I'll make sure she comes here first." She promised before stepping out.
He frowned, glaring at the door as his temper flared. He tensed himself to keep from punching the door and quickly recovered. Sighing, he went back to his chair, feeling tired. His anger was quick violent, and then when it dissipated, he was drained. He looked at his work. He had no interest in reading the useless document in front of him. He wasn't going to agree to this trade deal anyway.
He rubbed his temples and laid his head back, closing his eyes. Hinata said, letting your eye rest would help you clear your mind.
"Kage-sama?" A knock at the door snapped him from the accidental nap. He blinked harshly.
"Yes?" He asked, rubbing his face.
"Your wife retired to your quarters. She asked you to be informed she would be there." He ruffled his hair getting up and opening the door, making the nin jump.
"Thank you." He bowed his head slightly, heading toward their rooms. "Tell Temari I am canceling my meeting with her." He told the nin over his shoulder.
She sat on the bed, staring at the floor. She had thought about this so much, but she wasn't prepared for it at all. Children?
She wasn't worried about him accepting the pregnancy, but she was worried about his health and adding stress to the matter. Did she even tell him until she knew the pregnancy would last? If she miscarried or the pregnancy had to be terminated due to her injuries, wouldn't that add even more stress?
Was it selfish that she wanted his support when he was still so weak?
She jumped when the door was knocked on. "Yes?"
"Hinata?" He asked, opening the door.
"Come in." She beckoned.
"Are you alright?" He asked, not hiding his concerned look.
"Yes, fine, just a dizzy spell. I used to faint all the time." She explained. "You've seen me faint before." She reminded him.
"It's been a while." He commented.
She nodded, looking down. She wouldn't lie if he asked outright, but she wasn't going to volunteer the information either. She probably shouldn't even tell Temari or Mitsuri until it was clear the pregnancy could go to full term.
He eyed her calmly. "There is something wrong."
She couldn't help the small, sad smile. He wouldn't demand an answer. "Not wrong, but possibly… bothersome, if it becomes an issue I promise to tell."
He eyed her again, offering an open arm, and she curled into him and took the hug warmly. He didn't even know what he was supporting, and he was supporting her so well. She smiled into his shoulder, closing her eyes.
If this baby lived, he would be a good father to it. She was sure.
She made the whole of the Hyuga compound, including the training children, promise her to keep it a secret that she was expecting until she announced it. The small council was understanding of her insecurities. She warmly whole heartily thanked them for knowing that her council in Konoha would not have done so for her. That council would have never done so unless to save themselves the embarrassment if the child did not come to term.
She was nearly brought to tears when the council head added that the Hyuga in Konoha were also not to be informed. She hadn't even thought about it, but she was so grateful that he had. The last thing she wanted was her father to know right now. The issue of children had already been faced, but she wanted to make sure that it was not brought back up before she made sure it was clear in their final treaties.
It was agreed she would be seen by trained medical Hyuga members in the compound for the early pregnancy to make sure there were no complications. That she could keep her secret to as few people as possible. There was one major advantage to having been raised Hyuga, they liked hiding pregnancies. Herbs to get rid of morning sickness, clothes that helped hide the weight gain, simple excuses for change in behavior, all for good reason. The child was not sealed. Therefore the mother was at risk her entire pregnancy from plot to rip the child from her womb the moment it was old enough.
Her mother didn't announce her pregnancy for 8 months. Of course, that was easy as no one ever saw her. The moment she started to show was the moment she was not long allowed out of the compound. With Hanabi, she was just too sick to leave the compound, so it hadn't mattered if she would have been allowed.
She wasn't going to be quite that secretive. Once she was more sure, the pregnancy was healthy, and she started to show she would announce it.
The Hyuga medics were quite nice, one without children and one with older children. They explained the process and how she would be feeling, and what she should be mindful of in the coming weeks that might be red flags. They softly explained what could happen since her injuries did affect her abdomen. With her being so early, it could either be completely harmless or cause horrible issues. All of which she was aware of, but she was thankful that they didn't just try to tell her that all would be fine until it wasn't.
She would hope for the best but understood in the worst way possible that there was nothing that could be done if it went wrong.
Temari was surprised at her now light exercise.
Hinata smiled. "After my meeting with the Hyuga, I checked up with a Hyuga medic who claimed my injuries are not yet ready for that level of exercise. I should continue slowly with my muscle gain, so I don't hurt myself again." She partly lied.
"Oh, alright." Temari shrugged it off. "Do you think Gaara would go to a Hyuga medic?"
"I don't see why he wouldn't, is there something you think that they will find that the Suna medics haven't." Hinata wondered Temari's face scrunched.
"Not really. I just have never really seen him so skinny. He constantly eats now, but he still hasn't gained weight. He's starting to show it in his face, and I don't want him to get so sickly that he has to be on bed rest because you know that will drive him up a wall." She explained.
"He has been getting thinner." She had been making a requesting high carb, high calorie, and high protein foods, but he still didn't seem to be ever taking in enough of anything. She was starting to wonder if all those years of barely eating were catching up to him. It didn't make any sense as your body wouldn't need more for previously used energy.
"Even if you just give him a check over every once in a while to make sure there isn't like chakra leaking out of him or something."
That was exactly what was happening. She stared at the chakra patterns that were wildly off. Shukaku must have put up a fight when he was being removed. It was a wonder he was alive with the shape his chakra channels were in. All his energy was little leaking out of him. It explained his eating and sleeping habits and the fact he was still losing weight. His body was eating itself, trying to replenish what was being lost.
Gaara looked at her, wondering if he could return to the work she had pulled him from.
"We need to take you to the Hyuga." She stammered.
"Why?" He wondered. He looked down at himself even though he knew that he could not see what she was seeing.
"Your chakra channels are torn to shreds. I can't believe you can walk, let alone have been working and using your sand all this time. How is that even possible?" She squeaked. She opened her mouth again, but she had no explanation of how he had gone so long without it having worse effects.
This was her fault, just like it was her fault she didn't know she was pregnant. She hadn't used her Hyuga vision due to her injuries, and it had affected both of them.
He looked at her, examining her worried face, and nodded. "I'll go."
Hinata was shaking. She was terrified, far more than he was expecting. She was usually calm and collected in an emergency, and then when the emergency had passed, that is when she would leave her self-breakdown. This time was different. She looked bad enough that one of the nurses took her aside. He wasn't sure what she talked about, but she was given some tea shortly after and held her hand close to the stomach. Maybe she had worried herself sick.
"He'll need extensive chakra therapy. We should start in heavy installments, getting rid of the worst damage first, then we can go to smaller sessions once the damage is less extensive." The medic explained.
"Will I be able to return to my work?" He asked.
"Not for the week, though after if you are responding to the therapy, then you can start back in installments. I believe making arrangements now so we can start tomorrow would be best." The medic cleaned up her supplies.
He looked over at his wife and frowned. Would it be best for the work to fall to her? She looked worse than he felt. If he put her back in the place of Kazekage, she wouldn't be able to come with him, and he was sure she would want to. He would be weak and sick. He was sure, and he didn't want to lie alone in a dark room all day.
Her hands fisted together at the end of her scarf were shaking, or was he just imagining her stress because he wanted to be selfish?
"Kankuro or Temari?" He asked.
She shook her head, turning her attention to him. "What?"
"Who should we have to stand in while I have treatment." She blinked at him again.
Her lips pressed together for a moment. "You don't want me to do it?"
He looked with a frown. You can tell the truth without revealing all. "I want you with me."
She looked at him, looking tired and concerned, she nodded. "Alright, uhm onii-san, Temari-chan has some trades work on her hands right now."
"I will send word." He reached out, and she took his hand. He was right. She was shaking.