Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Naruto

A/N: Well, it took A LOT of thinking over, but I FINALLY came up with exactly how the story is going to end. I'm hoping for just a few more chapters, but I'm not sure how many quite yet. But anyway, here I am updating again. The story is almost done, and for those of you curious, I AM considering making this a trilogy. I can't wait! So tell me what you think.

A/N: By the way, I don't know a whole lot about child birth, so to those of you who know more about it than I, if I got a few things wrong I'm sorry and I'd love it if you would message me or review and tell me how I could change it and make it better. kthanx.

Naruto began having contractions. Not the excruciatingly painful ones - the small ones that he said were... "uncomfortable," but not quite painful. When the contractions first began, Sasuke thought that Naruto was going into actual labor, but Tsunade said that these contractions were normal. She said that they were preparing his body for childbirth or something. The first of the contractions began the day just after their tragic wedding night. Tsunade also said something about it being because of all the stress.

Naruto's ear was healing nicely now. According to Tsunade it had been a clean cut, and soon it would be just the same as it always had. Tsunade had also suggested that because of the new, high(er) danger risk, perhaps Naruto and Sasuke should move in with her for a while. Sasuke and Naruto quickly agreed; after all, what safer place was there in all Konoha but under the same roof as the Hokage? They were of course under strict security now - more strict than it had ever been before. The sense of having no privacy was very unnerving at first, but they were so concerned about the safety of Naruto and the babies that nobody really complained.

There were at least four fully trained and able guards around Tsunade's house at all times. Sometimes even a few of the villagers who had never trained for battle a single day of their lives decided to pitch in - with the four trained ninjas still there of course - showing their true loyalty and friendship to either Naruto/Ayako or Sasuke or both. Even the owner of the ramen shop was there one night - something for which Naruto was shocked beyond belief. As fat and as unskilled as he was at anything other than making ramen, the man was willing to give all that he could offer. It was very touching to Naruto.

After word of Itachi's survival had spread nicely around town, even Hiashi Hyuga seemed a bit more alert than usual. The entire village of Konoha seemed tense, as if holding its breath in anticipation. Everyone was on their guard; everyone was ready.

For you see, there was not a single soul in all of Konoha that had not been in some way touched or affected by either Naruto or Ayako or Sasuke. Even people who did not like Naruto or Sasuke very much stood prepared for the worst, because the existence of a crazed murderer who had slaughtered his own family was bad news to everyone. Everybody in the village was doing everything in their power to keep Konoha safe, and in a sense, to protect Sasuke and Naruto and their babies as well.

Naruto was approaching eight months pregnant by now. Soon - very, very, very soon - it would be time for the babies to be born. The thought of being with Sasuke and the babies together, of holding and caring for the babies together, of being a family... those thoughts were probably the only things keeping Naruto sane. His nerves were shot all to hell with the worry and the pregnancy. Being eight months pregnant was difficult enough under normal circumstances; Naruto found it shocking to say the least that he'd managed to survive everything that he'd been through since Sasuke's 18th birthday party.

Having Sasuke around was an extreme comfort to Naruto. One would think that Sasuke himself would be stressed out and depressed enough for the both of them, but Naruto's first round of contractions had shocked him out of his self-pity. After seeing how truly messed up Naruto was, and seeing how much Naruto truly needed him, Sasuke had become much more serious about his role of being a father and a husband. He took care of Naruto now, claiming to have no time for guilt or doubt. They would make it through this, he said. Even if it cost everything Sasuke could ever possibly offer, they would make it through this.

Naruto spent his days in a haze. The truth that Itachi was actually alive and really did want their babies was enough to send him into an extreme state of shock. Everything around him felt as if it were moving in slow motion; everything seemed to be fogged over. It was like living within the dream of a dream - or perhaps it was a nightmare. He never once cried though - he just felt sort of blank, and for some reason that worried Tsunade, though he wasn't sure why. Then he overheard her talking one night while she thought him asleep.

"It's just not natural for someone in his situation to be like this," she whispered vehemently to Sasuke. "He has to show some emotion sometime. This really isn't good for him or the babies."

There was a long pause.

"How do you mean?" Sasuke finally asked.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "All I'm saying is that we have to get him out of this state of shock. It might seem like it's keeping him calm, but in reality it's eating him alive. If he doesn't face the facts soon it could trigger the birth of the babies, and it's still a bit early for that. We want this to go as smoothly and as naturally as possible."

"I understand," Sasuke replied, and he sounded as if he truly did.

Naruto, on the other hand, didn't really see what the big fuss was about. Why should one worry about something that one had no control over? It didn't matter how many guards stood at his door every day and night - Itachi would come, Itachi would take the babies, and Itachi would kill everything dear to him. It was inevitable. ...He just didn't want to worry Sasuke with the talk of such things. So what was it really hurting for him to stay so cut off from everything? It was best for him to stay this way, wasn't it?

Naruto decided to remain cold.

Then one night, quite unexpectedly, Sasuke said something that threw Naruto out of his emotionless state. Sasuke walked into the room - strange how Naruto hadn't even been aware of him not being there. Usually he noticed such things.

Sasuke sat next to Naruto on the couch, waited, and pulled him close. "Talk to me, Naruto," he said, and his voice was strangely intense.

"What do you want me to talk about?" Naruto asked simply.

"Anything. Everything. Tell me what you're thinking."

Naruto's voice got quiet. "You wouldn't like the things I'm thinking."

"Tell me anyway."

"Why, Sasuke?"

"Because." Sasuke backed away a bit, still with his arms wrapped around the pregnant Kyuubi container, and looked Naruto in the eyes. "I'm your husband. You're supposed to talk to me, right? Isn't that what wives do?" He cracked a tiny smile that didn't reach his serious eyes. Naruto didn't know what to say. Sasuke's tiny smile faded, and his eyes suddenly burned intense. "I do love you, Naruto," he whispered. Despite everything, a bright blush bloomed once again on Sasuke's face, but the determination in his eyes did not waver.

Sasuke had never said it before. Not directly, anyway.

Naruto's eyes filled to the brim with tears, and he was speechless. Well, there went his staying-away-from-all-emotions strategy. It was quite a tender moment, and Naruto found, late that night after hours and hours of deep conversation, with Sasuke now fast asleep at his side, arms wrapped around him... Naruto felt, well, better. He felt whole. He felt alive. Suddenly he believed Sasuke's words - they would make it through this. They would make it through this... no matter what.

After that, everything just got worse. Naruto's peaceful reassurance lasted only that one night, for afterwards he was soon constantly overcome with worry and pain. The contractions worsened. The nightmares continued. It was hard to eat without throwing up, and even harder to sleep at night. Tsunade soon forced more medicine upon him - not to throw him back into his dazed state, but just to calm his nerves a bit. She claimed that it was the most she could do.

Even so, Naruto was stressed beyond his limits. Sometimes he found it hard to breathe.

That was where Sasuke came into the picture. He stayed by Naruto's side at all times, comforting him, holding him. Sasuke sometimes had to force-feed Naruto, and had to help him get to sleep every night. Nighttime was the most difficult time. When it got dark outside was when Naruto worried the most.

Sakura, Ino, Hinata and the other girls of Konoha visited him often, usually bringing with them massive amounts of fresh flowers from Ino's little shop. Naruto was never much one up for gifts and flowers and other such things, but the roses did have quite a pleasant smell, and often times when his nerves were calm enough to let him sit quietly by himself, he could reach out and appreciate the delicate flowers and the lovely scents they released into the air. It was a strange kind of comfort.

Naruto did not get to see many of his guy friends anymore though. They were all out working their hardest, trying to protect him. And the village as well, of course. Tsunade, however, was not as busy as the ninja of Konoha seemed to be. With no paperwork or any other such thing to do, she often paced the living room of her own house, fretting, wishing there was more she could do. Everyone in the village seemed completely wrapped up in the fact that Itachi Uchiha was alive. And Naruto didn't blame them.

Itachi was a madman. Everybody knew this.

Well, at least Sasuke had stopped blaming himself for everything that had happened. Or at least he seemed to have. Sometimes his resolve slipped - but other than those few times, he stayed strong. Naruto was grateful for that fact. He wasn't sure where he'd be without Sasuke.

Slowly, but inevitably, the days did pass. Naruto couldn't remember ever being so stressed in his life, and a part of that had to do with the fact that he wasn't the only one worrying this time; now everybody was tense, their defenses up, even when they were smiling. Of course that didn't help matters.

Naruto was not allowed to leave Tsunade's house, nor did he really have the urge to. Tsunade's house was the safest place in the village, as much as the village itself was being protected these days. Yep. Naruto was being put under "lockdown," as Sasuke teasingly put it. Don't get the wrong impression though, Naruto did get quite bored. But being bored was not a good enough excuse to put his babies' lives at risk.

So. He stayed at the house. Cried often. Tried to eat, tried to sleep. Talked to Sasuke a lot. There wasn't much else he could do, and the suspense of it all was absolutely killing him. Sometimes - just sometimes - Naruto almost wished that Itachi would just hurry up and come for him, so that it could all be over. He just wanted for it all to be over....

He wasn't expecting that he'd get his wish so soon.

Almost a month since they had first moved in with Tsunade, and Naruto was eight months pregnant. It was a relief to know that the babies would be born soon. Perhaps that would make things a little easier. It wouldn't stop the worrying of course, or the stress ...actually, in truth it would probably make the situation worse rather than better. But at least it would give the village a little something to smile about. And maybe something for Naruto and Sasuke to smile about too.

Naruto was napping, for the first time in a while. Sasuke constantly encouraged him to get as much sleep as possible - the Kyuubi boy needed it. So much loss of sleep wasn't good for him and the babies.

Sasuke refused to leave Naruto's side while the pregnant boy slept. He would watch over his wife... husband. Sasuke was determined to protect Naruto, to be there for him when he needed him most. However, Sasuke could hardly say that he himself was not tired. He stayed up with Naruto all through the night whenever the boy couldn't sleep, he constantly comforted Naruto, watched Naruto, and kept his eyes on Naruto while he was asleep. In sleep, whenever he was not dreaming those awful nightmares, Naruto looked so at peace. It was a relief for Sasuke to see him so.

However, it just drained Sasuke. He knew that he should be well rested and ready for whenever Itachi showed up, but taking care of Naruto first seemed somehow so much more important than that. And Tsunade said that it was alright. Naruto needed him. But how much could Sasuke do? How long could he go running on complete exhaustion?

And so, he let his eyes slide shut. Just for a moment, he told himself. Just needed to rest his eyes. It wouldn't hurt to drift off for just a moment. To close his eyes and let his mind wander...

When Sasuke opened his eyes again, the sky outside was blood red. The sun was setting.

And Naruto was gone.

Itachi Uchiha smirked as he stared down at his little prize - Naruto Uzumaki lying unconscious at his feet. Or perhaps it was... Ayako Uchiha he was looking at instead. It was perfect. Finally it would be the end of all that he had worked so hard for. Soon it would all be over.

He turned to Dai. "You know what to do."

Rather than simply cooperating, Dai snarled back. It was an annoying habit of his. "I don't like the tone of your voice, Uchiha. Remember that I was the one who saved your sorry ass from the brink of death. Don't you ever forget that I was the one who brought you back. You should be grateful."

Itachi turned a cold shoulder, looking back down at his bait. "Of course Dai," he replied calmly. "How could I ever forget? But you should remember that you were the one who agreed to help me. My brother is really quite pesky isn't he? Do not forget that it was you, Dai Akamatsu, who came up with this plan in the first place. A game you said. And you would be given the chance to use your abilities freely." He paused. "Well, are you going or not? The entire plan will fall apart if you don't, and what fun would that be?"

He could practically feel Dai's glare on his back. And then he was gone. Itachi knew he would be back.

Soon, brother, he thought. Soon.

As soon as Sasuke flung the door open, ready to rush out, there he was. Dai Akamatsu, standing on the porch of the Hokage's house... in plain sight of all the guards who were standing watch. And yet not a single one of them turned their way. "What-?" Sasuke began, but Dai raised a finger to his own lips.

One of the guards turned Sasuke's way. "Something wrong Sasuke?" he asked. But he didn't say anything about Dai - Dai, who was standing right in front of him.

Sasuke looked from Dai to the guards and back again. Dai gave him a dangerous glare and shook his head slightly. "N-no. Nothing's wrong." Dai crooked a finger at him, stepped off the porch, and gestured for Sasuke to follow. "Just going out for a bit."

Why had he said that? As Sasuke followed Dai through the streets of Konoha, he wondered why he had done something so foolish. Why hadn't he just attacked Dai on the spot? Why hadn't he alerted the guards - who had all obviously been unable to see Dai standing there? And yet even as he wondered, Sasuke knew the answer. Dai and Itachi were on the same team now, and Sasuke knew that they had Naruto, somewhere. Sasuke would never put Naruto's life at risk. Not for all the vengeance in the world.

It was hard to keep a straight face while following his invisible enemy through the village. It was apparent that none of the villagers could see Dai either - just as the guards couldn't. They saw Sasuke, waved to him, said friendly hellos and asked how Naruto was doing. But Sasuke was in no position to stop for a chat, and he was in no mood to answer their questions. Each casual statement about Naruto and the babies sent another chill up his spine. He walked a little faster, and Dai glanced back at him once from over his shoulder.

Past the walls of Konoha, suddenly, Dai jumped from the dirt path road leading from the village and darted into the woods. Sasuke followed him without a thought and without a word. It didn't take much to keep up with him - Dai wasn't moving at a very fast pace, though Sasuke knew that he was usually much quicker than this.

"So where are you taking me?" Sasuke growled. "And why am I the only one who could see you back there?"

Dai didn't say a word.

"Answer me dammit!"

Sasuke moved to punch him, but Dai shifted out of the way. The next thing Sasuke knew, they were tumbling through the air. He was flying; Dai was behind him, pinning Sasuke's arms, one foot propped against his back. Sasuke landed on his face in the dirt, which was probably what Dai had intended anyway.

Silence, and then... someone was clapping. It was the noise that distracted Sasuke. "Welcome brother. Have you come to watch your lover die?"