Guess what peeps! I'm back with Chapter three!
I'm so happy for he responses this story has gotten! And I'm glad to see someone noticed that I was indeed using the Lyrics of 'Trading Yesterday's Shattered'.
I do believe i had been listening to the song when writing to this the first time around because I even left a little foot note at the end of the chapters. and I did my math and the lyrics might have enough lines to title all of my chapters, if I'm missing any I'll try to give them an equally good title and if I have them left over I'll probably include them at the last chapter.
so without further adieu, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do believe I'm running out of decent, funny witty worth reading disclaimers….. crap… I own an over active imagination which tends to abandon me when I most need it, and gives me the most awesomemest of plots! But I don't own Naruto! Fuck!
Has it ever happened to you that when you want to avoid something that something ends up finding its way to you?
Say for instance you're standing outside of your job, and you're waiting for some sort of transport to pass by so you can go home but it never comes, jet when you have a ride home, said transport is passing and passing and passing. And one is left to ponder in: Where the fuck where you when I needed you's.
This is basically how Sakura felt, she had been trying quite hard to avoid running into Sasuke, and failing miserably, mainly because it was a direct order from Lady Tsunade. Seeing as the Raven haired Uchiha seemed to be causing quite the amount of stress on her pupil and Sakura needed to have a Stress Free environment for the rest of her pregnancy.
Which is also part of the reason she gave the Pink haired Kunoichi early Maternity leave, on the view of a high risk pregnancy.
It had been shortly after she had returned to work at the hospital. Shizune had been avoiding her, and whenever Sakura saw her she seemed to have a hurt look in her eyes. Sakura had wanted to speak to her, explain why she had lied, but she didn't get much of a chance.
It had been a Wednesday, and patients were rolling into the hospital like crazy, while no accidents had been reported it appears everyone had fallen on some sort of agreement to all have a personal accident or get sick on the same day. It had been stressful, and Sakura had been up and down the Hospital quite a few times. Tsunade was there as well because they lacked personnel to attend to everyone.
She was coming down the stairs when she began to feel light headed, so she stopped for a minute to regain her breath and clear her mind, also, to stop herself from throwing up for the twentieth time in under two hours. She thought she was feeling better when she began making her way down the stairs again when she felt a very sharp pain near her cervix. She gasped out and froze mid step, breathing deeply. The pain went away and Sakura stepped down again and the pain returned to her with a vengeance.
She cried out and clutched at her stomach, her emerald orbs glassing over with tears, fear clutching at her heart.
Tsunade and Shizune were coming up the stairs discussing a patient's release when they saw her. Eyes widened in shock at her form and they rushed over to her and took her to an emergency examination room.
They had her lay down and breath until she calmed herself down. Then Tsunade brought out a sonogram machine and explained to Sakura that she needed to get a look at her child. Sakura nodded, her eyes remaining closed, she couldn't force herself to see, scared that if she saw something it would frighten her more, even if there was nothing wrong, and she was under strict orders to calm herself down.
It was a few minutes later that Tsunade spoke taking Sakura out of her breathing trance. "Sakura, I need to speak to you." She said in a tone Sakura didn't much like, it sent a feeling of dread flooding through her.
The blood seemed to leave her and she could feel herself starting to panic. "I won't tell you anything unless you lay your ass back down and calm the fuck down Sakura, how many times to I have to tell you?" The Hokage asked.
Sakura tried once more to regain her calm and once both women were sure the Pink haired Kunoichi was calm enough the elder of the two spoke. "While it's nothing life threatening, for now, it's something that does need to be dealt with in order to ensure the best health to both you and your child." Tsunade spoke.
Sakura nodded slowly. "What is it, do I have something, is the –"
"The child appears to be perfectly fine, and both you and the baby are in perfect health for the time being, and it will be up to you to keep it that way." She said.
Again, Sakura nodded. "What-"
"Will you stop interrupting me and let me talk woman?!" Tsunade snapped. "You have one of the rare cases of Placenta Praevia, do you know what that is and what it means?" the Blonde woman asked.
Sakura nodded. "Yes, in terms I would use to describe to civilians, it's basically when the wall of placenta that protects the fetus is closer to the vaginal exit, and it can produce a high risk pregnancy." She summarized.
"That is correct." The Blonde nodded. "It will take a few test to figure out what caused you to have this, but for the mean time I need you to promise me.. no you know something screw that, I'm ordering you to remain in a stress free environment and avoid any reckless behavior, no heavy lifting, and everything we tell pregnant patients to follow though you need to do so, no excuses." She said.
And so she had changed apartments, she was currently living alone, but close enough to the others that if she ever needed their assistance, or just simply missed them she could either walk over or yell really, really loudly from her balcony.
Everyone had been really understanding when she explained why she had to move out, some might have even over reacted a bit. Naruto helped her move most of her stuff to her new apartment, Ino and Tenten had forced her to go out with Hinata and Shikamaru while the two of them moved around the furniture and painted the house for her.
She had to admit they had been a little too pushy with her, but she understood why they were doing it, they were worried about her, and though it made her feel useless, like she had all those years when they were still training to get pass the Chunin exams, when she still had to rely on other people to do things for her.
But she could not deny that being able to spend a whole day doing nothing but going baby clothes shopping.
"I don't know about you guys but I'm starving." Sakura said with a faint yawn.
"It seems to me like you're tired too." Shikamaru added with a yawn himself.
"Well that too." Sakura admitted with a faint blush covering her slightly paler cheeks. "Well, I know this little ramen shop around the corner… Na-Naruto seems to really like going there." Hinata suggested.
Sakura made a face. "You know, I'm actually more in the mood to buying food and cooking for us all back at my place." She admitted.
"Oh grate more bags for me to carry." Shikamaru sighed, causing the pink haired woman to frown and narrow her eyes at him. "I didn't force you to take all of them. I told you to let me carry a few of the lighter ones, and you refused. Besides, clothing isn't even that heavy." She pointed out.
"Yeah well whatever, Ino would have chopped my head off if I didn't offer proper assistance." He said, in the distance, opposite from them Naruto grinned in achievement and raced over to the trio. "Hey guys, I've been looking for you." He grinned.
"Really, why so?" asked Sakura.
"Well, because you have no food a home and I wanted to make sure you got enough food, I wanted to see if you could give me a list so I could go and purchase them for you." He said, causing Sakura to smile.
"Naruto, you're so thoughtful, and as a matter of fact we were just on our way to the market to buy groceries." She admitted.
"Really? That's great, let's go!" he exclaimed and began to lead the way.
They walked in comfortable chatter on their way to the market place. Jet Naruto, who was the most distracted of the bunch, seemed to have been the first to notice a certain Raven haired man sitting with his back resting against a tree.
"Um.. Sakura I think we better head a different direction." He suggested. Sakura looked up to her friend with a confused look on her face. "Why so, what's the matter?" she asked.
"You know, this place was a whole lot quieter before you four rounded up the corner." A familiar icy tone droned.
"Well excuse us, but we didn't know we were going to run into a stuck up bastard on our way here, else we would have gone the other direction, anything to avoid looking at your sorry ass." She said.
"Hn." Was the only reply from the Uchiha. "Why all the bags, did you finally find yourself someone who could afford to keep you around?" he snapped at Sakura.
Naruto, Hinata and Shikamaru all stiffened and Sakura remained calm, breathing evenly though her nose. "I did actually, though it surprises me to know that he didn't think you important enough to tell you of it." She smirked when his eyes snapped opened and glared at her. "Come on guys, we need to get there before all the fresh stuff goes." She said and walked in front of the group.
"Sakura don't you think that might have been a little mean?" Hinata asked once they reached the market place. She had actually been the first one of the group to speak after the incident with Sasuke.
Sakura shrugged as she munched on an apple. "We was being a dick, I only stood my ground and didn't let it affect me." She said. "Beside's I how was I supposed to know that that asswipe was going to be there. I mean doesn't he usually wallow in self hatred around this time of the day?" she asked.
Naruto laughed at that one. "Good one Sakura." He said. "But well, he's normally training out in the fields in the afternoon. Still not a clue as to what he was doing there." He said.
"Well whatever, I'm having a really good day and I won't let Mr. Emo ruin it for me." She said as she finished her apple.
"You know Sakura, that's the fourth apple you've had since we got here, keep it up and your baby bump will turn into an apple bump." Shikamaru said.
Sakura's eyes narrowed and flicked him the finger. "Suck un this Shikamaru." But it was true, the baby was developing quite well and while she wasn't yet showing, she was gaining just a little bit of weight, but then again with all the morning sickness she was experiencing she worried that she wasn't really gaining any, but only gained it in order to lose it.
And that was just the beginning of their awkward and undesired encounters. They began bumping into each other at Ramen Shops, pharmacies –whenever Sakura had to go restock on prenatal vitamins- Clothing stores, Rooftops –when she was on her way to some place he would be there, almost as if he were stalking here- Parks, in few were words there were very few places Sakura could go without seeing Sasuke.
Most of the times she didn't go alone, but the company tended to get on her nerves to she opted to go alone sometimes, but whenever she would go out to some place Sasuke would be there, or around the place, or on the way to the place. And it was just so unfair. The point of avoiding someone is so you won't have to deal with them, not to have them pop up everywhere you go.
But to bump into Sasuke in a candy store, now that was really strange, Sasuke didn't normally purchase sweets, mainly because he had once said he detested the goods, so why was he in a blasted candy shop purchasing chocolate?!
A pink haired kunoichi happily made her way inside a candy store. She made her way to the chocolate section, and smiled as he hands found the last container of white chocolates and a box of mint chocolate covered raisins.
"Yes and there on sale so I can get both." She grinned as she gathered both items and turned around, only to freeze in her spot.
Standing, not two rows ahead of her, inspecting containers of sweet candy, stood a tall man with raven locks, onyx eyes and a scowl on his face. She backed away slowly, not wanting to be spotted and ended up crashing into a Jelly-Bean Machine, nearly knocking it over.
"You alright Sakura?" someone spoke blocking her from the view of said Raven haired man.
Sakura breathed in relief. "Thank you Kiba, I was just a little startled, that's all." She assured. Kiba nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I saw him too and saw you practically turn as white as a ghost." He noted, the shaggy brown haired man smiled, looking down at her amusingly.
"Need any help?" he asked as he bent down and picked up the items she had dropped. Sakura smile uneasily, "Thank you." She said, "I… well… um…" she trailed.
"It's alright, I know about it." He said. "And I'm a grave." He said. Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "You better be." She said.
"Do you doubt me?" he asked as he walked her over to the register and watched her pay for her purchases. "No I don't, but if you would excuse me, I really have to go." She said, her eyes darting to the man she was desperately trying to avoid.
Kiba unsubtly turned his head over his shoulder, seeing a stoic Sasuke looking at the candy containers and looked back, nodding slightly in understanding. "Yeah, don't worry about it, hope to see you soon, don't be a stranger alright."
She smiled. "Alright." She said before walking out, her jaded orbs glanced one last time to the man who was still glaring down at the sweets, flinching slightly as she saw his eyes glancing up at her, before turning around and quickly walking out.
It had been about a month since their last little encounter whilst on her way to the market place, and Sakura could not have been more thankful for the fact that it had mercifully been her last.
It probably had a lot to do with the fact that her only places she went to was the hospital for routinely checkups with Tsunade, who kept pestering her about not taking enough care of herself. Firstly, because she had lost weight again instead of gaining it.
"But it's not my fault!" the pinkette whined. "I eat, but I can't hold it in for more than a few minutes before I throw it up." She said. "I have to wait till my stomach settles to eat again."
"Well I don't care, get food in your system, I don't care if you puke it back out, right after you wrench out everything you just had, I want you to eat something, water some crackers anything, but you need to eat more, if by your next check up you haven't gained at least 3 pounds I'm having you admitted into the hospital for constant watch and care." She threatened. "Am I Clear?"
Sakura frowned, heat rushing to her face in frustration. "Crystal clear." She muttered.
"And now, I need to bring up your blood pressure, it's getting a little on the high side, have you not been listening to a single thing I have told you about remaining in a calm and stress free environment?" she crossed her arms.
"Not my fault the Uchiha bastard can put me in a foul mood by just breathing and being mentioned while I'm in the same room." She retorted. "Is Sasuke the Father?" Tsunade rose a brow.
"Would I be this upset if he weren't?" she asked. Tsunade laughed at that. "I assume he makes you nauseous whenever you're anywhere near him." She guessed, and Sakura nodded. "Typical, also I need you to lay off the salt, as of now." she said firmly once more.
"What? But it's the only thing that settles my stomach!" she whined again. "Sakura it's not good for the baby, It causes you to retain too many liquids, it fucks up your bladder, and if you don't I'll force a nutritionist to go raid your house and remove all foods with sodium in them and then force him to feed you… though a hose or an IV." She said.
Sakura's eyes narrowed at the woman. "I'll do my best." She hissed.
"Much better." Tsunade smirked.
About an hour later Sakura left the hospital. She stopped at the corner, removing one of her flats and leaning against a wall. She felt drained, her back and feet ached, and she was starving, that and she was felling slightly light headed.
A hand traveled down to her slightly swollen stomach rubbing at it. "Little guy I thought you and I had an agreement." She said as she tried to breathe evenly. "You're not allowed to make mommy feel sick outside of the house, only inside it, remember?" She knew she must have looked quite silly talking to her stomach, but as a medical Ninja, Sakura knew that from the very beginning if a mother talked to her child it would build a connection, and though it would not obey her since the fetus had no personality yet, it would calm at the familiarity of the voice.
"Sakura…_" someone asked. "Sakura are you feeling alright?" a familiar worried voice questioned as it neared her.
"Frankly Iruka Sensei, I feel like crap." She said. "You look like you're about to pass out on the spot, you're as white as a ghost and you're sweating." He said as he wrapped and arm around her waist. His eyes widened. "Sakura are you…?" he trailed.
Sakura offered him a smile. "Surprise?" she asked. "Does Kakashi know about this?" he asked.
"Does Kakashi know about what Iruka?" said silver haired Shinobi asked casually as he walked past the pair, his little orange book not leaving his sight as he walked.
"That Sakura was pre-"he was cut out.
"About to pass out..." Sakura breathed. "Not here Sensei, I'll explain later." She promised Iruka. Kakashi upon hearing his ex-pupil's voice turned around and rushed to her side and picked her up bridal style just after she had finished peaking and she passed out.
"Iruka, if you would join us, I would appreciate the assistance in delivering Sakura to her apartment and made sure she was alright." he said.
With a curt nod the two sensei's were off in a blur, appearing moments later in Sakura's apartment and setting her down on her bed. "We should fetch her some water, for when she wakes." Iruka suggested, and Kakashi nodded.
"If you would be kind enough as to fetch a pitcher and a glass from the kitchen I will properly explain to you her unique predicament." He said.
When Iruka returned to the bedroom Kakashi explained to him Sakura's story, leaving out a few minor details he felt were only for Sakura to divulge, like the father, and how she came to be in said condition, all he really told him was basically that she had gotten discovered she had gotten pregnant after a mission and she wanted to keep the identity of the father a secret for their own protection.
She came to a few hours later, her eyes fluttering open. She tried to sit up but gentle hands held her down. "Hey, take it easy." Iruka spoke. "Here, take this." He said offering her a cup of water. One which Sakura took and gulped down gratefully and then handed him back the glass. "Go ahead say it, you know you want to." She said.
Iruka frowned, and while Kakashi was in the kitchen preparing something for the three of them to eat. "How could you have been so reckless Sakura, getting yourself with child in a mission, did none f us teach you anything?" he asked.
Sakura blinked, she had not been expecting that, where had he - Oh, Kakashi must have told him what she was going to tell Sasuke if he ever found out about me she thought. "It wasn't something I was planning to do, it came unexpectedly." she said. "I had already completed the mission when I saw him, he was... just there, I could smell the Alcohol on him as I walked past him, I spotted a chance to take him down and took it, but.. I wasn't able to... quite honestly I feel grateful to be alive after that..." she shivered and unconsciously rubbed at a small scar behind her left ear.
Iruka rose a brow, noticing the gesture and grasped her hand in his and tilted her head to the side and inspected the old wound. "IU?" he said. "What does that mean?" he asked. From the kitchen the faint sound of something clattering to the floor could be heard.
Sakura bit her lip. "Sakura, what does it mean. What does IU stand for is it an organization, some sort of-"
"Their Initials." she spoke softly. "Whose initials are they?" Iruka asked, and when she remained silent he grasped her by the shoulders and forced her to look back at him. "Sakura, tell me, who branded you with their steel?" he demanded.
Kakashi stepped into view then. "Iruka, I think we should give the girl some room, go set the table, I'll try and see if I can get her to talk to me about all of this." he suggested.
Iruka was a little reluctant to leave, but one look at Sakura's pleading face, and Kakashi's demanding eye, he nodded and rose from his seat and left for the kitchen.
Kakashi stepped in and closed the door behind him. "When you told me you were going to lie to Sasuke to make him believe the child would be his brother's I didn't expect you to go the full length of creating a back ground story that could be believable and scar yourself for back up." he said accusingly, the disappointment clear in his tone.
Sakura remained silent and looked out her window. "Unless, it's not a complete lie." he guessed.
Sakura's tear stained eyes looked back at him. "He very nearly killed me, I... I thought that if I got him drunk enough and with a little bit of sex to wear him out I would be able to at least wound him enough to get the upper hand in a -" she gasped when Kakashi wrapped her up in her arms and pulled hr close to him, causing the tears she was holding back to spill over and spoil his vest.
"What did he do to you?" he asked. Sakura cried. "he took me as his said if i ever crossed paths with him again he would do the same, he ... he carved his initials into my skin, said it would make the seal on my skin all the more definite." she sobbed.
"What type of seal, have you been able to get it off, and why hasn't anyone been able to see it." he asked.
"It's a seal only visible to those who have mastered the Mangeku-Sharingan can view it." she rasped out. "So even if you and Sasuke used your Sharingan on me, if the Hyuga clan used their Byakugan with them, they wouldn't be able to see it, and only he can remove it from me, and if he won't do it, then all i can do is hope someone kills the bastard to set me free." she said. "Before I figure out what the seal can do to me." she wept.
Her sensei held her as she wept, until Iruka knocked at the door telling them the table had been set and the food had been served. They ate in silence, Sakura ate very slowly as she tried to keep the food in her system.
Afterwards they said their good-byes and left each to their own homes for rest.
It had been nearly a week since her two sensei's had come over and had supper with her. While the two elder men were worried about the young pink haired woman, they were certain that she could take care of herself so long as she remained inside the Village walls and in the company of others.
Sakura hadn't agreed to that, but they didn't seem to care, because now every time Sakura stepped out of her house to do anything a ninja or two would show up, claiming they were headed in the same direction as her.
Today she had had enough. she pulled her purse to her and pulled out a kunai and roughly slammed Naruto up against the wooden fence, pressing the knife right under his chin. "S-Sakura..." his voice trembled.
"Listen here Naruto, I will be in the Fields, reading a book and enjoy myself today, because for the first time in the last 3 months I was able to keep my breakfast down, if you follow me it better be from a very good distance. I do not want to -"
"But I was just going to ask you if you had seen my house keys..." he admitted.
Sakura frowned, her face reddening in embarrassment. "Oh Naruto I'm so sorry." she said. "I thought you were going to... never mind." she said. "But no, I haven't see your keys, did you check to see if you left them in you Jacket? You know the one you let Hinata borrow because she was cold?" she asked.
Naruto's eyes thinned in embarrassment. "You know... come to think about it I was wondering where my jacket was too..." he laughed."I'll be leaving you now." he said and looked at the kunai. "Um, Sakura, would you mind?" he asked.
Sakura reddened even more and stepped away from him, putting the kunai back in her purse. "Of course, I'm sorry Naruto." he said. He grinned at her. "Don't worry about it, I think I know what that was for." he winked at her before he left.
Sakura collected herself again, feeling slightly ashamed for attacking her friend like that, and made her way over to the Fields.
Smiling to herself she set down a blanket on the grass and pulled out a book and a bottle of water before laying down on her back and read. It was a maternity book, and had a fake cover, in case he showed up and caught sight of it, and in case he pulled it from her hands she had been practicing a simple genjutsu to make the book appear to be of some other genre.
she had been reading peacefully, and was somewhere near entering a peaceful sleep when the second most annoying voice snapped her from her thoughts.
"Hey Ugly,"
"Ugh, go away Sai, I'm not in the mood for your bull right now." Sakura said
His dark black eyes inspected my figure in a way that would be considered rude, if not perverse. "I see you're finally putting on some weight, might want to be careful, it's easier for women to gain weight than to lose it." he reminded.
A vein popped out of her head. "You know, I've been told that men now a days have a thing for women with meat on their bones, but then again you wouldn't know since everyone knows you're gay, and you're only jealous of me because Naruto gives more attention to me than to you." she remarked with a smirk on her face as she returned to the book she had been reading.
Sai's eyes narrowed, her words having hit their intended mark. He stepped towards her, the intent clear on his face as he reached for her.
A Kunai flashed in front of him and stuck the the ground, Sai looked down at his hand which had been cut by the knife's blade. "Steer clear of her Sai, I mean it." Naruto said looking at the pale man dead in the eye.
Sakura's head swiftly turned towards the voice she knew all too well "Naruto..." she said, had he followed her hear.
"Hn, later ugly," he told Sakura as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Naruto." he nodded his head to the blonde before walking away from them.
"Hey, I was looking for Hinata and she told me that thse left the jacket at your old apartment, and no one is home right now, and I wanted to ask you if you still had the keys to the place?" he asked as he sratched te back of his head, a stupid looking goofy grin on his face.
Sakura smiled. "Yeah, i have the key, but I have no intention of returning home right now to get they set of keys, today is my day, and I want o stay out here and read a good book and eat as much as my stomach can hold." she informed and picked up her book again.
Naruto frowned and crossed his arms at his chest, pouting like a child. "Fine." he huffed and flopped down beside her. They spent a few minutes of reading in silence. Naruto's head, which was rested on Sakura's shoulder as she read snapped up.
"Sakura i'm bored entertain me." he said.
"I'm busy Naruto, entertain yourself."
"Can we talk about the babe?" he asked. For a moment Sakura thought Naruto meant to talk about some good looking girl that had walked passed and had caught his attention when his hand hovered over her slightly swelling stomach.
"Oh." she said. "Yeah." she smiled. "What do you want to now?" she asked.
Naruto grinned again. "Can I touch it please?" he asked and Sakura smiled and nodded, the knuckle headed ninja wasted no time in pressing his hands to her stomach. "Wow, it sure is active in there." he said. "Does it move around a lot? Does it wear you out?"
Sakura frowned. "Call it an it one more time and I will hit you upside the head." she warned.
"Sorry, but since I don't know what it is well..." he said. "...So how is she?" he asked.
Sakura rose a brow. "What makes you think it's a girl?" she asked. Naruto shrugged and retrieved his hand. "I don't know, I think it would seem right, I guess." he said.
Sakura smiled. "Actually I've been having a few dreams of me with a little girl, so there's the possibility that it might be." she said. "And she's fine, " deciding to roll with a Girl for the time being, till she knew what it was. "A little restless, especially at night but she's fine, and really really healthy." she smiled.
"Thank god for that." he said. "What about you how are you feeling?" he asked.
"I'm fine, still light headed, but I finally put on some weight and according to Tsunade, if I keep it and keep putting on a few more pounds I should be better by the time she has to admit me into the hospital." she said.
"What? Why are you getting admitted?" he asked. "Because I'm running a high risk pregnancy, it's required if I want to have a safe delivery." she said
Naruto frowned. "Naruto, I'll be fine, I promise, I'm sure Tsunade will let you visit me everyday and let you know everything." she promised.
"What about Sasuke?" he asked.
The Pink haired Kunoichi frowned. "He can't know about it Naruto, you know it." she sighed. "But I just don't know how I'll be able to hide it from him much longer." She said softly.
Naruto frowned at her and took her head but nodded slightly. "I know, Sakura, but when you do tell him or if he ever finds out about her, I'll be there for you, we all will, you know that right?"
She nodded and looked up at him. "I know Naruto but..." he voice trailed.
Her sight narrowed in on an approaching figure and her eyes widened at the realization that it was Sasuke.
And he seemed to be looking right at her. "Shit." She murmured.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear..
