Chapter Thirteen
"… What did you say?"
"Don't make me repeat myself Kisame. You heard me."
"Yes but… Wow… Deidara and I had a bet. Now I owe him $20."
"WOOT! Yeah!" Deidara said punching the air.
"We're joining stop making such a big deal out of it! Anyway we need to go back to Konoha before the baby's born anyway." Itachi said wanting them to just shut up.
"Why?" Sasori asked looking slightly confused.
"You ever delivered a baby?"
Sasori, Kisame, and Deidara all fell silent. They kinda forgot a woman needs help to deliver a kid.
"And Sakura would be the only med-nin in the Akatsuki, and I honestly don't think Sakura would be in any position to help herself while she's in labor. And we do have one request."
"What would that be?" Sasori asked dangerously.
"That once Orochimaru is dead Sakura and I return to Konoha. We won't bring our child up running all their life." Itachi said glaring at Sasori, Kisame, and Deidara.
The three Akatsuki members weren't prepared for that. They had been told by their leader to just get Itachi's answer, not receive requests or talk about them and come to an agreement.
"You'll have to talk to Leader-sama about that Itachi, yeah." Deidara said quietly.
"I'm right here."
Kisame jumped and Deidara yelped, and Sasori just kept staring at Itachi. Itachi suppressed a shiver.
"I'm guessing you heard my request."
"Yes I did Itachi. You know this is highly… well… it just… it isn't done." Leader said with a tilt of his head. Not that you could see much of his face as his Akatsuki cloak was always covering the bottom part of his face, but you could tell that he was smirking from the gleam in his eyes.
"I don't care. We're not staying after Orochimaru is dead. And I already left once. You can let me leave again."
"We didn't let you leave Itachi. You left of your own accord."
"And I'll do it again. We'll stay members but we won't slash our headbands, and we're going to live in Konoha when Orochimaru is dead. Can you live with that?" Itachi said glaring down at the leader, as Itachi was taller that him.
Leader seemed to give it careful consideration and thought before he said, "This is highly unusual. But I guess I don't have any other choice. Yes… fine, you and Sakura will remain members when our mission is completed. You can live wherever you please, but if I call on you, you both have to answer. For small missions we'll do it ourselves. But if we need all our power we will call on you. Alright?" Leader said extending his left hand.
Itachi looked at the outstretched hand for a while before clasping it in his left hand. "Alright. You knew I was going to make that request didn't you."
Leader nodded. "Love can sometimes be very predicable."
With that the Akatsuki members vanished leaving Itachi alone. He made his way back into the cave and woke up Sasuke, telling him that it was his watch. Sasuke immediately took his position and Itachi lay down to sleep. He knew he was going to need it. Now he had to come up with an excuse to get him and Sasuke home, and then he and Sakura had to come with an excuse for their future absence.
Think he told them yet?
More than likely
Oh God
Hey come on Sakura. We made this decision as well you know
I know. But this pregnancy is making me really moody
Tell me about it
I just did
sticks tongue out
Whatever
Sakura knocked on Kakashi's apartment door arriving just in time for dinner. The door opened almost instantly.
"I see you were excepting me."
"Always."
Sakura gave Kakashi a hug. He led her into the kitchen and sat her down at the table which already had the food set out.
"Fish?"
"You love fish don't you?" Kakashi asked confused.
"Kakashi, pregnant women can't eat fish." Sakura told him.
"Right, good thing I made some chicken then." Kakashi got up cleared the fish away and then bought over a platter full of different kinds of chicken and vegetable dishes.
"You know about a year ago, I would never have pictured you as someone who can cook." Sakura said smiling slightly.
"Well here's my secret. I don't cook. Iruka cooks and I just get the food off him."
Sakura now burst out laughing as she remembered how Iruka-sensei always made the best fish during cooking lessons back at the ninja academy. "I knew you couldn't cook. You always made me cook whenever we went on a mission back when we were still team 7."
Kakashi blushed and waited for Sakura to stop laughing.
"By the way am I the only one you ever invite over for dinner?"
"Yes."
"So I'm the only one who knows what your face really looks like?"
"Yes and you can't tell anyone remember. You swore."
"I remember Kakashi. I will take that secret to my grave. Maybe."
"Sakura…" Kakashi tried to say her name as a warning, the only thing wrong with that was that she was the only person alive that he felt he could talk to, so he could never threaten her.
"Oh I'm joking Kakashi." Sakura said with a knowing smile. "So what did you want to 'gossip' about."
"You joining the Akatsuki."
"You haven't told Itachi that I told you have you?"
"No, I wouldn't do that Sakura. You know I'm too scared to betray your trust." Kakashi said looking straight into her eyes. "I know there's nothing I can say to change your mind, but come on Sakura, you're the only person I can open up to. Who's going to listen to all my emotional problems with you gone?"
"Kakashi, it won't be forever. I'll be back before the baby's born and once we kill Orochimaru we're coming back here to live. You'll just have to last a few months without me, that's all."
"Still, I don't want you to go." Kakashi said mock pout.
"Oh Kakashi." Sakura got up from her seat and moved around to table, as Kakashi stood as well grasping Sakura into a warm embrace. "I'll miss you too Kakashi. You're like a father to me."
After that they both sat back down and talked about anything else while they ate dinner.
Kakashi watched as Sakura made her way home one hand place on her swelling belly. 'Why Sakura? Why did you have to choose Itachi? Why not me? Must my love always remain a secret?' Kakashi gave himself a quick slap. She belonged with Itachi, not him. Kakashi knew that. Now he just had to believe it.