Author's Note: Enjoy! The chapter is named after Run Every Time by Gavin DeGraw.


6—Run Every Time

Sasuke stood outside Sakura's house debating whether or not to knock. He didn't want to tell her, but if he waited any longer Naruto would get too impatient and blab whether he wanted to or not. Sasuke took a breath in before knocking once. The Uchiha teen stood outside the door waiting for someone to open it, he was not a patient man. He knocked again. He rolled his eyes, Tch annoying.

He was about to turn when the door slid open slowly.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke felt his face drop, "Ino what are you doing here?"

Ino glared at the Uchiha, "You know you sure got one hell of an attitude. I don't know why I thought we'd be perfect for each other…your looks sure, but hell if I knew you'd still have this attitude…" Ino drawled. Sasuke groaned.

"Ino where is Sakura?" he interrupted. Ino paused a moment before raising an eyebrow at the teen.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I'd like a word with her." Sasuke said looking past Ino and into Sakura's living room. He pushed past Ino, ignoring her protests and began looking around the apartment. He went towards the kitchen and then when she wasn't there began walking down her hallway.

"Hey! Sasuke, she's not here! Get out!" Ino screamed towards Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't bother to knock as he opened the door to her bedroom. He peeked in, there was nobody home.

"See I told you, she's not here! Now get out! She'd kill me if you came in without her knowledge." Ino shouted.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, "Where is she then?"

Ino paused in her rant, "Honestly Sasuke why do you want to know so badly? And at this hour no less! Do you know what time—?"

"Just tell me." Sasuke interrupted. Ino sighed angrily.

"She said she'd be at the Hokage Tower…something urgent had — Wait hey! Sasuke!" Ino shouted after the raven-haired teen as he dashed away.

Sasuke ran the roofs trying to get to Sakura before someone else did. He knew if Tsunade told her what happened he'd be doomed.

Sakura knew her nausea wasn't going to disappear, but she couldn't tell Ino that. Ino had worried about her enough for one day. She felt bad making up an urgent meeting excuse to get Ino off her back, but she just wanted some space. Except space apparently wasn't what her body wanted because immediately she had managed to get alone, her nausea kicked in and sent Sakura's last meal all over the grass.

She sat in the hospital room waiting for the nurse to come back with her results, she needed to find out if she had a bug or if the seal that was upon her back was making her sick. When she tried using her own chakra, she remembered her seal prevented it.

The nurse reentered the room with a small smile on her face.

"Sakura, it's good to see you again," the intern who followed Sakura around like a puppy was Sakura's only option of secrecy. She mentioned how she missed having her expertise around the Hospital. The intern worshipped her, Sakura knew if she told the intern to keep a secret, she would.

"The results?" Sakura asked a little anxiously. The intern smiled softly.

"Well Sakura congratulations you're expecting." The intern said, happily. Sakura felt her entire body spilt from her.

The intern had to have mistaken! Expecting? Expecting what? Expecting a long prosperous life?!

"Are you alright, Sakura you seem pale, I'll get you some water if you—"

Sakura shook her head, grabbing the interns arm tightly, "No. No water, what did you just say to me?"

The intern become nervous, "I said you're expecting…"

Sakura wanted to throw up again. Her
worst nightmare had come true, she was pregnant, "Listen to me carefully, Emi, you aren't going to tell a soul." Sakura threatened. The intern nodded slowly, nervous of Sakura's wrath.

"But what about—"

"What about who?" Sakura questioned, feeling her stomach lurch.

The intern shook her head, "Nobody. If you don't want anyone to know, I won't let anyone know. This is just between us? Like a secret?"

Sakura smiled weakly, "Yes, exactly, like a secret."

"Oh, alright!" Emi smiled, although it vanished when she noticed Sakura's dismay.

"Is everything alright?"

Sakura nodded, "I'd like that water right about now, if you please."

Emi nodded and quickly exited the room, leaving Sakura to bury her face in her hands and cry.

Sasuke had entered the Hokage tower looking for Sakura, but cursed himself when she wasn't here. Instead he bumped into Kakashi who was glad he caught him.

"Sasuke I'm glad you're here, just the person I was looking for." Kakashi stated.

Sasuke shook his head, "Listen, I'm busy. I'll catch up with you later." Sasuke tried to turn, but Kakashi held his arm.

"No you listen, Lady Tsunade wants to talk with you."

Sasuke groaned, "I really need to go."

"It won't take long, whatever you need to do it can wait."

"It can't really, Kakashi."

Kakashi eyed his former student, "Why not?"

"It's….personal," Sasuke stated.

"Well then guess I can't help you, I'd try to stall for you, but if it's personal than it sounds like an issue that can be fixed later on." Kakashi said. Sasuke frowned.

"Kakashi, I need to find Sakura…its urgent," Sasuke stated, looking away from his former sensei. Kakashi let the teens arm go.

"I was going to get Sakura as well…Sasuke whatever is going on, Tsunade wants to speak to both of you."

"I'm speaking with Sakura first. I don't need anyone interfering." Sasuke began to walk away.

"I'm going to get in so much trouble for this," Kakashi sighed, "Just be back here no more than thirty minutes."

Sasuke nodded before rushing off.

He had searched at all the usual places. She was nowhere. He only had a couple minutes left when he spotted a certain pink-haired teen walking out of the hospital frowning. As he approached Sakura he couldn't help but notice the way she looked nearly worn out with stress.

"Hn, Sakura," Sasuke called out to Sakura only to have her tense up at his words.

When Sakura turned, her eyes widened and he noticed her jaw tense.

"Sakura, I need to talk with you."

Sakura looked away from him, "I'm really not in the mood—"

"I don't care. It's urgent," Sasuke felt ridiculous trying to beg her to talk with him. But he only had so much time before Tsunade would say his worst fears. He didn't need Sakura to misunderstand.

"Did you want to get something to eat? I'm pretty hungry." Sakura said staring up at the Uchiha.

Sasuke watched her bit her lip nervously, "Can we do it after…I don't have too much time." Sakura noticed the tension he held.

"Okay. You want to sit?" Sakura asked pointing over to a bench. Sasuke nodded quickly. As they walked to the bench, Sasuke tried to think of the many ways he could phrase what he was about to say to her.

"So…what is it you wanted to talk about?" Sakura wrung her hands together.

Sasuke looked at Sakura once before beginning, "Sakura, I know it's been a couple weeks...since the mission, but about the mission, in the room where I found you—"

Sakura tensed, "Sasuke I'd rather not talk about it with you…"

"You don't understand, Sakura I was in the room when—"

"Sasuke! Sakura! There you guys are! Tsunade's looking for you two, she's furious!" Tenten said running up to the two teens. Sasuke balled his hands into fists.

"Oh! What's going on?" Sakura asked, standing up. Tenten shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure what's going on, but she wants you too there now."

Sakura looked down at Sasuke and then began walking away. He felt himself fume with anger. As he caught up to the girl, he gripped her arm, "Sakura, listen to me."

Sakura eyed him, "Sasuke I will listen, but Tsunade needs us, so right now it can wait." She pulled her arm from his grip.

"No it can't. Sakura!" Sasuke followed closely behind Sakura, trying to get her to slow down. Nothing worked.

"Sakura about the room—"

"Sasuke, would you please! Not so loud!" Sakura hissed, she glared around her until her green eyes landed on Sasuke. He felt his world stop, Tsunade knew. She was going to tell Sakura what he had done. He'd never again have her trust.

They entered the room, Sakura strode in confidently, and she didn't want Tsunade finding out anything, while Sasuke walked in sulking. Kakashi stood beside Tsunade, he could tell that Sasuke hadn't told her anything.

"Good. You two are here." Tsunade looked amongst the two teens and noticed the way Sasuke was glaring at her, "Sasuke I will start with you. Would you both like to sit?" Tsunade indicated to the two chairs that were positioned in front of her desk. Sasuke shook his head, but held onto the back of the chair, while Sakura immediately took the seat.

"Sasuke, apparently the mission relating to Sakura, has become not only an issue for Sakura, but it also ties you in as well as a target." Tsunade stated. Sakura sat wide-eyed waiting for Tsunade to continue.

"You were the first in the room, correct?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke nodded quietly.

"Have you ever heard of Kekkei Genkai harvesting, Sasuke?" Tsunade asked. Sakura recognized the term, but she couldn't place what it meant or where she had heard it, she looked over at Sasuke who stared slightly wide-eyed.

"I'm assuming you have. What do you know about it?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke looked over at Sakura, "Not a lot. I've only read about it."

"I see. Well it seems that you're the target of a Kekkei Genkai harvester who has experience in this work. The mission Sakura was placed on, apparently the man in charge wasn't what I expected him to be—"

"No…I killed that man." Sasuke stated. Sakura felt her eyes pop out of her head.

Tsunade raised an eye brow, "I understand that, but he has sealed—"

"No he didn't. That man could not even perform a transportation Jutsu quick enough." Sasuke stated. Sasuke was confused, Kekkei Genkai harvesting had nothing to do with the mission, he shook his head.

"Sasuke, the man you killed. If your assumption of him is correct, than he wasn't the real master mind behind this." Tsunade looked at Kakashi hopelessly. Her trail had now become bigger.

"I don't understand, Lady Tsunade, what's going on?" Sakura asked, "Why did you call me in?"

Tsunade looked over Sakura carefully, "Sakura you have the Kekkei Genkai harvesting seal on you because you are carrying a bloodline inside you…more specifically you are carrying Uchiha Sasuke's offspring."

Sasuke felt his heart fall into the pit of acid in his stomach, Sakura's face had dropped and she had looked as though she saw a ghost. Sakura felt all her nightmares reform, she now saw Sasuke's face in the place of the empty ones. The man she felt force the way into her, was Sasuke. The man that moved in quick, awkward motions, was Sasuke. She felt like throwing up.

How could he do such a thing! Why would he do that to me!

He wanted to rebuild his clan.

Not this way.

Face it, he took advantage of your state, he probably thought you'd crawl right into his arms, thanking him.

That—That insensitive Bastard!

Sasuke watched Sakura shut down, he regretted not telling her when he had the chance, but it was too late, he needed to redeem himself, he need her to understand. Pregnant, Sakura was going to have his child, Sasuke felt sick, he didn't want it this soon, nor did he want it under these circumstances.

"Sakura…" Sasuke began, but Tsunade held up her hand.

"Right now, we need to discuss the seal." Tsunade stated. Kakashi looked at Sasuke who was desperate to tell Sakura what had happened, but at this moment, Sakura was gone, she was trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Sasuke was the one who had forced his way onto her and that he was the father.

"Sasuke, no bloodline clan performs the ceremonies that keep the trait intact that's the reason behind this enemy, he's taken advantage of the clan's vulnerability," Tsunade noticed Sakura look up from her hands. Sasuke remained still, "There are no written pieces about the ceremonies it's only indigenous to the clan, correct? Do you know the ceremony?"

Sasuke nodded his head slowly, avoiding Tsunade's eyes, "Yeah, the Uchiha's are the only ones who continued with the tradition."
Tsunade nodded, "What is to be done? You don't have a clan to help you. So what are the things that we can—?"

"No."

"What?" Tsunade glared at the teen.

"No, the ceremony cannot be performed by outsiders. It's wrong. The circumstances are completely different. It takes preparation to plan something like this!"

Sakura felt her eyes look at Sasuke angrily.

"Sasuke, you need to adjust the ceremony, Sakura's well-being is at stake," Kakashi spoke up this time.

"What are you talking about?"

"The seal on Sakura that is meant for Kekkei Genkai tracking and harvesting. Once Sakura gets further in her pregnancy, the seal becomes stronger, by the time Sakura is in labor the seal alerts the caster. When Sakura has the child, the caster can steal the child away and Sakura will have no use anymore…the seal will be the death of her." Kakashi spoke slowly.

Sasuke looked at Sakura who looked just as shocked as he did.

"They didn't say that in those scrolls of yours?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke shook his head, "Why should it, the clan has never once been sealed, Uchiha's have too much to lose if caught."

"The Hyuuga's—"

"The Hyuuga's aren't the Uchiha's," Sasuke spat.

"What's the difference then?" Tsunade asked, watching the Uchiha boy look back at Sakura.

"It's a whole process. The entire thing is planned. The binding process, which for Uchiha's is their ceremony. The binding makes it so neither can be apart for too long or the binding becomes a high risk for both people. The child once born has essentially "fresh" bloodline traits…that's the case for other clans, but for the Uchiha's it's at its most pure."

"Meaning what?" Tsunade asked.

"Meaning that if that child is taken, the bloodline could be used to unlock anything, the Sharingan has many forms as you know, some are forms that can control a single person to the world depending on the usage. I don't know about how the bloodline is taken from the child, but…it's at its highest before it goes dormant an hour after birth."

Sakura listened carefully, she would die because of Sasuke. She would lose her life, the child that know rested inside her would die too.

"You bastard. Why would you do this to me?!" Sakura stood over Sasuke yelling at the raven-haired teen. Sasuke didn't bother to look Sakura in the eyes.

"Sakura, you don't understand, the man was hurting you if I didn't he'd have—"

"Hurting me? Sasuke I was already hurt, I was barely conscious! You insensitive—I can't believe you, you just—"

Sasuke stood know, his face twisted in anger, "Sakura! You don't understand. It was me or him! He hurt you if I didn't, I tried to avoid it, but he was causing you pain. It was me or him!"

"You could've preserved my dignity and let me be, you could've went after him!" Sakura shouted. Sasuke ground his teeth together.

"You don't understand!"
"What don't I understand? So you wanted to force yourself on me so the enemy couldn't?! Oh thank you so much! Is that what you want! A thank you for your noble deed?! Sasuke, you jerk, I was saving myself for someone I would love…you are nowhere close to a man. You should've just let me get hurt and do your job by taking out the enemy, not letting him watch, you pervert!" Sakura screamed, she didn't realize she was crying but she hated him. She didn't care that he stood there shocked by her words, she didn't care that he hadn't let the other man touch her like that, but she was now pregnant because Sasuke fell for their plan all along.

"You're an idiot! They wanted you to have sex with me! You bastard! They wanted you to do that, you just now gave them the upper hand, because this seal is irreplaceable!" Sakura slapped Sasuke. He remained frozen. He thought he had done the right thing, he had taken Sakura, he was someone she knew, a teammate, a friend even, rather than let the disgusting man have his way with her, rather than have that man kill her.
Sakura was furious. Sasuke barely felt any of the hits she was aiming at him, he wasn't bothered by her attacks, what bothered him was that she couldn't see what he did for her.

"I'd watch yourself. You seem a little too confident." Sasuke remarked, walking forward. The enemy bent down and grabbed a fistful of Sakura's hair, pulling it, and making the pink-haired Kunoichi moan out in pain.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks, "That's right Uchiha, I wouldn't be too cocky yourself." Sasuke growled in aggravation.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes, walk forward Uchiha," Sasuke could do nothing but obey the man. He clenched his jaw. Uchiha men never obeyed.

"I'll give you ten minutes, I'll sit right over here, but trust me, I wouldn't try anything, Sakura won't feel very well if you get too far from me," The man snickered walking back to his chair. Sasuke kneeled down beside Sakura, checking his teammate was still doing okay on her own before he turned to the man.

"I said ten minutes, starting now." Sasuke glared at the man.

"Oh you don't know what I'm asking, silly me," the man laughed to himself, Sasuke only became more enraged, "Ten minutes to deflower Ayame or whoever the hell she is, before I do. And I'm being generous here, I would've already had her, if it weren't for—"

Sasuke looked down at his teammate wide-eyed, he couldn't just deflower her in front of this sick pervert. That couldn't be the only thing he wanted? A perverted show put on for him? Sakura was in pain enough, Sasuke didn't need to add to it.

Sasuke smirked as he noticed the man left Sakura, "What happens if I don't, I can just kill you—"

Sakura let out a scream as she began to jolt in all different directions as though she's been shocked. Sasuke glared back at the man, "I would hurry Uchiha. You don't have much time. I'm instructed to kill her if you don't do what I asked. Such as waste." The man sat in his chair, putting his feet up on the table.

Sasuke looked down at his teammate. He could do it or let this scum take away something that she saved or worse kill her. He tried to believe she still loved him like when they were Genin. Yeah, he had to believe she'd forgive him for what he was about to do.

He knelt down in front of Sakura.

"You know Uchiha, this girl here would've gotten away with what she was going to do too, if I didn't let my boss meet her first. You know he took a great appreciation for her. Just what he was looking for too he seemed to recognize her a teammate of yours." The man laughed, "Hurry up Uchiha, although it'll probably take less than a minute for you to finish."

Sasuke leaned over Sakura, "I'm sorry…Sakura…I'm sorry," he whispered.

When Sasuke pushed in, she cried out in pain, Sasuke gripped her hips.

"You know Ayame or whoever, here was supposed to be sold off…I had a nice bid going for her." Sasuke grit his teeth, "I'm going to kill you." Sasuke growled to the man.

"I'm shaking in my boots, Uchiha," with the snap of the man's fingers Sakura was being shocked, she tensed, and Sasuke could feel every electric shock going through her to him. He bit his lip, trying to stop the pain. Sasuke glared at the man, if he kept shocking her like this Sasuke wasn't going to be helping her much.

"Relax…please…" Sasuke tried holding her closer, but she cried out. He didn't know what to do.

"You're really no good at this…" the man mocked.

Sasuke picked up the pace, he didn't want to delay it anymore the shocks began once more, but the voltage was amped up.

"It's a shame really, if my boss didn't want to preserve people like you, I'd have already taken Ayame or Sakura for myself and done away with you. Although the boss man will do away with both of you once he gets what he wants…I'll just ask him to save Sakura for me…or maybe I'll ask him to let you watch me take her. You with what the boss is planning, you could have you kill her if he wanted." The man sent a shock that brought Sakura to tears. Sasuke could barely understand the man, the electric impulses that went to him from Sakura, were blurring his vision.

Sasuke glared at the man before looking at the pained expression on Sakura's face. He was useless, he didn't want to cause Sakura the pain, but the thought of that man taking what he cherished. He didn't want to lose anyone else in his life.

Sasuke closed his eyes, "Hn." With one last push he finished, trying to settle his nerves and get his vision back to normal from all the electric pulses. He quickly pulled himself out and fixed Sakura as much as he could.

Tsunade held Sakura back while Kakashi blocked Sasuke from her anger.

"Sasuke! Answer me! You asshole, why did you do it! Why didn't you just forget about me?!" Sakura yelled.

Sasuke looked at the green eyes that were filled with anger, "I'm sorry, Sakura. It was the only way." Sasuke looked away from Sakura and headed for the door. He wasn't going to stay here where he wasn't welcomed.

Naruto had found Sasuke walking home alone.

"Did you tell her, yet?"

"No."

"Sasuke! You—"

"I tried…She won't listen to my reasoning." Sasuke stated walking up to his apartment door.

"What's your reason Sasuke, you told me about what the man had told you to do…but you never said why."

Sasuke opened his door to his apartment, "Because I don't want to lose anyone else…if I lost Sakura, I'd lose the annoying feeling she gives me when I see her...But it's all over..."


Author's Note: Thanks for Reading! Hope you enjoyed it. I'll update as soon as a I can! It's about 2:30 in the morning right now and I'm living off of pure love for writing.

Also, I'm not making Sasuke out of character...I just feel like (if anyone's kept up with the Manga or shows) that he's slowly getting a heart, even if he'd still be a jerk.