Tsunade walked into the bakery feeling as if she would collapse at any given moment. She was feeling terrible and should probably be at home instead of work, but there was money to be made and she needed that money to take care of herself and Shizune. Her head was tormented by a splitting headache and she felt so nauseas that she swore she would throw up at any moment. It must have been the stomach flu and that was something that could be cured easily. However for now, she had to work.

Koko, her boss, was a kind lady. She had rosy cheeks and a plump body. She genuinely cared for Tsunade because she knew of her situation. When Tsunade was in a desperate need for a job, KoKo was there for her. When Tsunade walked in the bakery she looked terrible. She wore an expression of agony on her face, her hair was messy, and she looked pale. She watched as Tsunade placed her apron on her body and took her post at the cash register, and wondered what was wrong with her. Without any hesitation, she approached Tsunade and placed her gentle hand upon her weary shoulder.

"Tsunade dear, what's wrong?" She asked with all the sympathy in the world in her tone of voice.

"N-Nothing." Tsunade lied and unintentionally wrapped her arm around her flat stomach.

"Something is wrong Tsunade. Please tell me."

Tsunade couldn't lie to her boss. She didn't have any friends in that town, but for some reason she felt comfortable enough to confide in KoKo. Maybe it was due to her kind nature, or maybe Tsunade saw the aged woman as a kind of mother figure in her life. She was so gentle and calm and that is how her mother used to be. Tsunade sighed and looked at her boss.

"I'm just feeling a bit under the weather. It's no big deal." Tsunade said while trying her best not to throw up.

"Maybe you should go home and rest up." KoKo suggested but Tsunade violently shook her head in disapproval.

"No, I'm fine, really." She lied again, "I'll just drink some water and then I'll be as good as new."

Tsunade excused herself to the employee section of the bakery in the back room and poured herself a glass of chilled water. As if she was drinking some strong alcohol, she took tiny sips of the liquid while trying so hard not to empty her stomach contents. The last time she felt this nauseas was when she was on her last hangover. It was terrible.

Moments later, her glass was empty but her nausea was ever present. She could easily nurse herself back to health, but all her herbal remedies were stowed away in her medicine cabinet at home. She so foolishly forgot to medicate herself before she left because she was running late for work. When she got up that morning, she felt as if someday slammed her with millions of hard, concrete bricks. That feeling was the worst thing in the world. She wanted nothing more than to get rid of her stomach bug, but she would have to deal with it until work was over.

She emerged from the back room and regained her position at the cash register. Customers started to come in so she performed her duties by charging them for their pastries and handing the goods over to them. No matter how terrible she was feeling, she managed to put on a smile for the customers. To suppress her nausea, she took deep breaths and held her stomach. However, there was nothing she could do about her headache.

Customers came and customers went and Tsunade still continued to put on a brave face, suck it up, and work. KoKo was amazed at her persistence and without telling Tsunade, she added more money to her salary. She just felt as if Tsunade deserved it. Most people wouldn't have bothered to show up at work if they felt as sick as Tsunade, and yet she not only showed up, but still greeted the customers with a smile. That was truly admirable.

"Tsunade there are some cinnamon rolls in the oven, would you mind taking them out for me?" KoKo called from her office.

A wave of nausea hit Tsunade and prevented her from answering readily, but she took a deep breath and managed to answer her boss, "O-Okay."

"Are you okay? If you're not then I'll just do it." KoKo asked when she realized that Tsunade didn't answer right away and when she did, she sounded shaky.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Tsunade lied, "I'll got get them now."

Tsunade made her way to the oven and placed the oven mitts on her hands before she retrieved the freshly baked cinnamon rolls from the oven. They were out and the sweet aroma of cinnamon filled the room. Once Tsunade smelled them, she felt so sick that holding her breath alone could not prevent her from throwing up. She quickly placed the rolls on the cooling table and dashed into the closest restroom to throw up. KoKo heard the commotion that she was making and ran to the bathroom as well to help Tsunade. She saw her employee bent over the toilet, throwing up her stomach contents. Without thinking, she held Tsunade's blonde hair away from the mess spewing out of her mouth and rubbed her back soothingly. When Tsunade was done, she sat on the bathroom floor, panting, and feeling as if she couldn't stand any longer.

"You should go home Tsunade." KoKo said while rubbing Tsunade's shoulder. "You'll still get paid for the day."

"That's not right. When I'm not here I shouldn't be paid." Tsunade panted, "Don't give me special treatment because I don't deserve it." She said and tried to stand but stumbled down, "Just give me a few minutes and I'll get back to work."

"No Tsunade. You're going home to rest. I'll even walk you home."

"But-"

"No buts. You're going and that's that."

KoKo helped Tsunade to her feet and placed a 'be back in ten minutes' sign on the bakery's door before she walked Tsunade home. As they were walking, KoKo draped Tsunade's arm around her shoulder to support her. Tsunade was so weak, but KoKo managed to her her home just before Tsunade couldn't manage to stand anymore. She helped Tsunade into her bed then covered her over with a warm blanket.

"Where do you keep your medicine?" She asked.

"In the bathroom in the medicine cabinet." Tsunade said while pointing to the bathroom.

KoKo went into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. She was quite surprised to see so many medicines. She had no idea that Tsunade was a medical ninja because Tsunade never told her. The only thing she really knew about Tsunade was that she was in need of a job and adopted Shizune. She didn't know where she came from, but she chose not to ask questions.

She grabbed some medicine for nausea that she had no clue Tsunade made herself and handed it to the sick blonde.

"Take this, it's for nausea." She said and watched as Tsunade took the medication, "You have a lot of medicine."

"Yeah, I-I like to purchase a lot just incase I get sick or Shizune gets sick." She lied. The truth was that she made medicine for her own entertainment in her free time. There really wasn't anything else for her to do in a small town like the one she was currently living in. Furthermore, making medicine reminded her of the days when she used to do it for a living.

"That's good." KoKo said and then looked at her watch, "I have to go now. Take all the time you need to recover. And keep me updated about your condition."

"Okay."

"Get well soon." KoKo said and smoothed Tsunade's hair before leaving the blonde to recover on her own.

The medicine that Tsunade took wouldn't take too long to work. After all. She was the one who created it. Her plan was to wait for the medicine to kick in and then go straight back to work. She couldn't just lay there all day. She had a job to go to.

An hour passed and the medication did little to suppress her nausea. Something was wrong. Usually the medicine she made took no time at all to work. Taking another dose would simply be overdosing, and that was something that wouldn't be wise to do. After a few more minutes of laying in misery, she decided to check herself out to discover the reason why she was feeling so terrible. She focused her chakra to her palm, closed her eyes to focus, and then placed her hand on her stomach. No serious medical condition was seen, but something that she wasn't expecting at all showed up. She gasped and shot up into a sitting position. She started to hyperventilate because she couldn't believe what she just discovered.

"No, this- this can't be possible!" She said to herself in a panicked manner, "W-What day is it?" She wondered out loud and rushed out of her bedroom to look at the calendar in the kitchen. The calendar showed that it was the tenth of October and that meant that she was late for her monthly cycle, "Oh my God." She gasped and placed her hand on her stomach once again.

Laying in a tiny sac filled with amniotic fluid in her womb was a developing baby. She was pregnant. Her initial reaction wasn't one of complete joy and excitement, instead she was scared. Furthermore, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Jiraiya was the father. He was the last man she slept with, and as a result of their carelessness, she ended up with child. What was she going to do? Was she going to keep the baby? Everything was just so confusing. She loved Jiraiya. She knew that for sure, but she was trying to get over her love for him and now she discovered that she was going to have his child. This would bond their lives together forever. She was sure that she was never going to see him again in her life and now something as life altering as having a baby had to come up and further confuse her.

"What am I going to do?" She whimpered and sunk to the floor. She brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in the gap between her knees and chest, "How the hell am I going to have this baby when I swore to myself never to see it's father again?"

If she decided to keep the baby, how was she to provide for it? She could barely provide for herself and Shizune, so how in the hell would she be able to put food into another mouth or put clothes on another's back?

And what about Jiraiya? How was she going to tell him about her condition? She wasn't even sure if he wanted to have a baby. He was such a free spirit and the responsibilities of a child would just tie him down and make him miserable. She was put in such a difficult position, and all she wanted to do was to go back in time to prevent this mess from occurring.

The sound of the front door opening caused her to get up from the floor and try to look as if she didn't just discover something that would change her life forever. Shizune was home from school, but Tsunade decided not to mention anything about the pregnancy to her. She wasn't certain if she would keep it, and therefore there was no need for Shizune to know about it.

"Lady Tsunade, what are you doing home so early?" Shizune asked as she noticed Tsunade standing in the kitchen.

"I wasn't feeling very well at work today so my boss sent me home. I'm okay now though." Tsunade said while deliberately avoiding the fact that she was now an expectant mother.

"Are you sure?" Shizune asked, feeling concern for her master.

"Yes I'm sure." She lied, "How was school?"

"Okay." Shizune sighed, "I would much rather be going to the ninja academy though."

"I know Shizune, but you don't even need to go there. I've taught you all that you would have learned there anyway."

"I guess you're right."

"I am right." Tsunade agreed, "Now, go do your homework." She instructed and then vacated to the comfort of her room. She needed time to think, and she didn't wish to look panicked in front of Shizune. That would just bring up questions that she wasn't ready to answer.

Once in her room, Tsunade sat on her bed and placed her hand on her stomach to sense the baby within her. She created that baby with Jiraiya and now it was developing inside of her. In nine months, it will be born into the world and she would be left to raise it. But would she raise it alone or with the baby's father? She wasn't sure. Furthermore, she wasn't even sure if she would keep it. Everything was just so confusing. Never did she think that she would be in such a complicated position. Why did this have to happen to her?

A few hours later, Shizune was finished her homework and now knocking on Tsunade's door.

"Lady Tsunade, may I come in?" She asked respectfully and waited on permission to enter.

"Sure." Tsunade said and once again tried to hide the look of panic on her face.

Shizune came in the room with TonTon in her arms and sat on the bed beside Tsunade, "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked. It was obvious that Tsunade was hiding something from her, and she wanted to know what.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine." She lied and looked at her watch to avoid any further conversation about whether she was alright or not, "It's dinner time." She stated, "I think I'll make some spaghetti. Are you okay with that?"

Shizune simply shrugged her shoulders, "I guess so."

"Great." Tsunade said as she rose to her feet, "I'll start making it right away." Tsunade rushed down to the kitchen to make dinner while leaving Shizune confused.

The following morning, Tsunade thankfully didn't feel as nauseous as she did the previous day. She put on her clothes and placed her apron over them and went off to work the same time Shizune went off to school. As she walked through the streets to get to the bakery, she saw a mother with her newborn baby. She couldn't help but think that in a couple of months that would be her, and that scared her. More than likely she would be a single mother. She just knew it. Jiraiya would never want to be held down. Her child, if she kept it, would be fatherless. It would grow up never knowing what it's father looked like or his personality. It would only know Tsunade. She couldn't imagine growing up without a father. She had both mother and father and she loved them both dearly. Her poor baby wouldn't have that luxury. In her heart she knew that Jiraiya didn't want to have anything to do with her. That was the sad truth.

As soon as Tsunade walked through the bakery's door she was greeted by KoKo.

"You're feeling better already?" She questioned.

"Yes, I'm fine now." She said and started to set up the cash register for the day.

KoKo suspected that something was wrong with her employee. Tsunade was like the daughter she never had, and all she wanted was for her to be alright, "Can I talk to you Tsunade?"

"Umm, okay, sure." Tsunade didn't know what her employer had in mind, but like the good employee she was, she followed KoKo to the back room to have their private conversation.

Once they were inside, KoKo locked the door and instructed Tsunade to sit down. She sat beside the blonde and looked straight into her hazel eyes, "You're pregnant aren't you." She said with a straight face.

Tsunade felt her heart beat increase. She didn't tell anybody about her condition, not even Shizune and yet KoKo knew, "How did you know?" She sighed.

"It was quite obvious Tsunade. You threw up yesterday and now you're as good as new today. How long have you known?"

"I just found out yesterday."

"Then why were you trying to hide it? And you don't seem to be very thrilled about it."

"It's... Complicated."

"Complicated? How so? Pregnancy is a great time in a woman's life. Who's the father? Is it someone in this town?"

"It's complicated because of the father." Tsunade started, "You see I've known him all my life and we were friends, but then we had sex and that only complicated things. I left him and now I'm pregnant with his baby. He probably hates me now and he'll hate me even more if I tell him about this baby. He likes to be free and unfettered and I just keep ruining his life."

"Is this person a good guy?"

She didn't even have to think about an answer to that question. Jiraiya was by far the best guy she has ever known. He was kind, gentle, and genuinely had her best interest at heart. He was more than just a good guy. He was a great guy, and Tsunade was foolish not to have realized that sooner, "He's an amazing guy." She confessed, "And I was so stupid to hurt him like I did."

"If he's that good of a guy then I'm sure he'll be happy about your pregnancy."

"Look, I don't even know if I'm going to keep it."

"What?" KoKo gasped, "Tsunade, just because you have a complicated relationship with the father doesn't give you the right to take away a chance at life from that innocent baby."

"It's not just that." Tsunade sighed, "I can't afford to have another mouth to feed. I can barely take care of myself and Shizune and the pig."

"Then I'll help you in whatever way I can."

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Because you're like the daughter I never had. I don't want you to suffer and because of that helping you is no problem for me."

"Thank you KoKo." Tsunade said with tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around KoKo's plump body and KoKo just held her as she cried.

KoKo was right. Taking the life of the innocent little baby growing inside of her would be criminal. It wasn't the baby's fault that she had such a complicated relationship with Jiraiya, nor did it ask to be conceived. Right then and there she made the decision to keep the baby and raise it to be a wonderful person. Somehow she would find the good in her situation, and with time she would learn to love the baby.

She continued work as usual for the day, and received regular breaks from KoKo. She used that free time to try to connect with her baby, but she found it hard to believe that another life was present in her body. The thought about someone inside of her was just strange to her. She didn't look pregnant nor did she feel pregnant, so it was hard to believe that she was actually with child. Perhaps the further along she went into her pregnancy, the more she would come to accept it. Hopefully then she would be able to connect with her baby.

A few hours later, work was over and she was free to go home. When she got home Shizune was already there, seated at the dining table doing her homework.

"Hi Lady Tsunade, how was work?" Shizune asked while still focusing on her homework.

"It was alright." Tsunade said as she moved closer to the raven haired girl and placed her hand on her head, "Doing homework?"

"Yep."

Tsunade made the decision to keep the baby so she thought that it was only right to tell Shizune. Perhaps if Shizune became excited about it, Tsunade would become excited as well.

"Shizune, I have something to tell you."

Shizune directed her attention from her work to the blonde standing beside her, "What is it?"

"It turns out that I'm going to have a baby."

"You are!" Shizune squealed happily and squeezed Tsunade with a tight hug.

"I am." Tsunade giggled and Shizune pulled away to look at her mentor.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know yet. It's too early to tell."

"Does this mean that I'm going to be a big sister?"

"Of course."

"I always wanted a brother or a sister!" Shizune smiled and hugged Tsunade again. Only when a thought came to her mind did she pull away, "So wait." She started, "Who's the baby's daddy? Everybody has a mother and father. So where's your baby's father?"

This was the one and only question Tsunade was dreading to hear. She knew that eventually it would come up, but she didn't think that Shizune would ask it so soon.

"Ummm." Tsunade mumbled and gathered enough courage to answer her burning question, "It's Jiraiya."

"You're going to have a baby with Master Jiraiya!" Shizune gasped, "But that means that you two made love. You explained it all to me a while ago remember. So are you two in love? If you are then why did we leave the village?"

She was asking so many questions that Tsunade wasn't willing to answer. Tsunade herself didn't even know the answers to some of them. How was she going to supply Shizune with an answer?

"Look Shizune." Tsunade started, "It's true that Jiraiya is the father and maybe I do love him, but right now, we have to be apart."

"But if you're having his baby then you'll have to tell him. Therefore you can't be apart."

"Shizune..."

"You are going to tell him right? He is the father after all."

Shizune was right. How could she possibly keep something like this away from Jiraiya? He was the father of her unborn child and therefore he had a right to know. This baby was half her and half him. No matter how she felt about the situation, this baby would bond her life and Jiraiya's life together forever. But was that a good thing, or a bad thing?

"I'll tell him after the first trimester of my pregnancy." Tsunade said, "That's three months from now."

"Why are you waiting so long?"

"Miscarriages are most common in the first trimester Shizune." Tsunade explained, "Furthermore, I need time to put my words together. Don't worry, I'm going to tell him."

She had three months to prepare herself to tell Jiraiya about the pregnancy. It would be a long three months. Somehow she would have to allow the news to settle in well enough before she approached Jiraiya, and when she does, just how is she going to tell him? What if he found someone else to love? What if he already stared a family? Would there be any room left in his life and heart for Tsunade and the baby? There were so many things that she was worried about, but eventfully she had to face her fears. She was having this baby and like it or not, the father was going to know about it.

So I told you that there were twists and turns coming up. This is just the first one though.
Thank you so so much for reading and reviewing.
Until next time.
Bye!
Xoxoxoxoxoxo