After I came to my senses, I chased Jero down the hall to stop him from peeing. We then made our way to Konoha Hospital. After I had agreed to the experiment I ordered an ultra-sound machine to be moved to the most secluded wing of the Hospital so we wouldn't be bothered.

We had been using the sonogram for the last 8 weeks, checking once every two weeks to see if the egg had taken and was developing correctly. This was the fourth implanted egg and the only one that had survived this long. I decided against implanting multiple eggs, fearing that the massive stress two children would have on his body could kill him. This was the only time I had implanted two. The experiment was top secret, but I figured that everyone would figure it out eventually, especially when Jero started to show.

Yoshino had been invited only because she would have been pissed if we didn't tell her eventually, and I guess I had faith in our lucky number four. I handed Jero a hospital gown and pointed him to a bathroom where he could change. Yoshino and I walked into the musty check-up room. I turned on the lights to find the switch to the sonogram and let the machine warm up.

I asked Yoshino to turn the lights off, just as Jero walked in, holding the back of his gown shut with one hand. I glared at him playfully "You're wearing boxers under there, right?" "Maybe…" he said, prompting Yoshino to laugh like crazy.

Jero, then laid down on the cot with a sigh. "I'm ready, Doctor!" he said playfully as he lifted the gown to reveal his muscular abdomen, that was completely flat, with the exception of a slightest, firm bulge under his navel. I squirted a dollop of smelly goo on his lower stomach and rubbed it flat with the transducer, and looked at the fuzzy image appearing on the screen. Inoue squealed like a school girl.

The screen showed a faint image of a small body, that was mostly head. I pressed the transducer deeper into his abdomen, when he grabbed my arm, startling me. I looked up to see his stunned face, dark eyes staring intently at the screen ,his hand guiding mine to a part of his lower abdomen that gave the best picture.



I looked at the screen, trying to suppress the massive blush appearing on my face. "Ahem!" I said trying to sound as professional as I could muster. "Well, it seems that this time the specimen took! It's alive, Jero!" I stared at him, and I couldn't be happier! Warm tears stung the ends of my eyes, as I sat there with the most ridiculous smile on my face!

Jero then put his hands over his face and gave a groan-ish noise and then laughed excitedly. When he took his hands down, I could see tears forming on the ends of his eyes too. We were so happy!

Everything is going to be okay! This one is alive! I reached out and hugged Jero, repeating those words echoing through my head. I felt Jero's warm tears stain through my shirt as he nodded and gave out a small sob. Yoshiro jumped up and down laughing, and begging to be the godmother. Jero trembled and held me closer to him, unwilling to let go. "I-I lo-ove you, Naru-ch-chan!" Jero half sobbed, half whispered unable to get his breath back. "I love you too, Jero!" I wailed.

This feeling, joy! An emotion Jero and I have not felt in a while.

I can still remember Jero's cries of agony after the first 2 surgeries. Even though the first one, to improve his pelvis for the task of carrying the child was a complete success, Jero was in extreme pain. Though this was completely normal, seeing the normally stoic team leader that had the impeccable ability to stay cool under pressure, writhe on the bed, pale from the operation and looking utterly miserable, made me question all my training and expertise. Those first few weeks, Jero couldn't even look at me. He seemed almost ashamed of himself.

Pain killers only provided temporary relief and seeing him like that…..there were nights that I kneeled at the side of his bed and cried while he slept. After physical therapy to re-teach him how to walk, his mood improved and he started talking more.

After a temporary uterus was implanted, we gave Jero 5 months of recovery time, before we tried to do anything. We injected him with hormones to make his body 

less likely to reject the zygote. During this time we got to talk a lot about the baby. We decided the baby would be ours. He said he wanted a girl, and that's what I did.

(Subject: Umino Jero Progress: 3 months 2 weeks)

"Auughhhh…!"

"Jero! Hold on!! Please!!"

The stench of blood was heavy and was giving me a headache. Jero lay in the tub face twisted in agony and clutching his swollen lower abdomen with blood tipped fingers. He was bleeding badly. I used my medical ninjutsu to make my hands glow with a buzzing blue light. I pressed my hands over his, and concentrated on making the bleeding stop.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, N-naru-chan!!" He said looking down at the place where his and my hands rested on his abdomen, gritting his teeth, and tears streaming down his face. I looked at him and felt terrible. The bleeding stopped that instant and I lifted my hands and leaned back resting my head against the tub, opposite to Jero.

I looked at my hands, stained with blood. My husband's blood. My husband who was carrying our child. My 17 year old husband, who was carrying our child. I was disgusted with myself. I stared at my hands in a trance like state.

"Naru-chan…."

I looked up, awakened from my trance to see Jero barely able to speak through the tears.

"Naru-chan…It hurts….it hurts…our baby…I-I lost it!! I c-can't feel it anymore!! S-she's gone!!" He sobbed "Naru-chan, don't hate me!! I'm sorry!! S-so so so sorry….." and with the last apology his head fell forward.