Itachi froze at the sound of his lover's voice. Instinctively, he reacted, flickering into their main chamber with non-perceivable speed. Sakura had already tossed off the blankets he had covered her with, and she was struggling to sit herself up. His mind was drawing up a blank, and all he could think was that he was finally going to be a father. His eyes wide and mystified, Itachi stared down at her.

Realization struck. Sakura was in pain. He then moved to help her, putting pillows behind her back for support. She stilled suddenly, then clutched her abdomen, gasping in her discomfort. He was not sure what she needed, besides a change in clothes. The only thing he knew was she was suffering from contractions, and there was nothing he could do about that. She was panting softly when it passed, then a small smile curved on her lips.

He returned it with a crooked one of his own, then carefully stripped her, putting her in a plain, white yukata. The smile spread, then a quiet giggle escaped her. "Itachi, do you think you can do something for me?" She asked slowly, her fingers spreading across her stomach. He nodded silently, anxious for his lover.

"I need you to boil some water and get some clean towels. If you could get Karin for me too, she would be helpful." Sakura rasped, another contraction starting before she was ready for it. He nodded his head, giving her hand a soft squeeze.

"I will be back in ten minutes, can you handle being alone for a little while?"

She nodded, squeezing his hand back, then watching as he disappeared out the room. He gave her one last look, concern clear on his face, then closed the shoji screen and dashed down the hall to complete his tasks.

0000

Orochimaru knew that Itachi was suspicious of him, but there was nothing the cautious Uchiha could do once he left his little lover alone to get Karin, and whatever else was necessary for childbirth. Those short minutes he had been given was all he was going to need to reenter the world of the living, with the unwilling assistance of Sakura and her unborn child.

He had only known that she was going into labor the moment a flustered Itachi had pounded on Karin's door, then ordered her to go to Sakura's side. It had been his signal to move out, because his own quarters were just opposite of Karin's, and it was pathetically easy for him to incapacitate the kunoichi. As soon as he was certain Itachi was out of range again, Orochimaru emerged from his room, and silently went to Karin's.

The redhead kunoichi had her back turned from the door, and had not heard him open it. She had not suspected that anything was out of place, at least not until it was too late. Orochimaru quickly drew a kunai, then held it to her unprotected and vulnerable throat. She froze in fear, then slowly turned her head to see who had crept up to her. Karin gasped when seeing her old master.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

She instantly knew what the snake was after. She called for strength she did not possess to stop him from getting to Sakura. Karin could do little more than glare at him, and curse his existence, which did little to help her friend. She had no idea what exactly Orochimaru had planned up his sleeve, but it would be considerably unpleasant, no matter what it was.

Karin could do nothing but hope Sakura would forgive her as Orochimaru tied her up with thick ropes. The man cackled cruelly at her, as if to say that she never had a chance against him, even though she desired to defeat him to protect her friend. The girl was weak, in his point of view, and she would likely never see Sakura again. If he had to, Orochimaru would use her life-force with her child's.

He continued to laugh to himself as he walked down the hall, thinking Itachi to be the most foolish man in existence for leaving his dearest Sakura alone at such a vital moment. Itachi had known he was planning something, yet he had left her so quickly. It was his own fault then, when he discovered what happened to her. Orochimaru laughed all the way to the chambers Sakura and Itachi shared, only once reaching his destination did he sober considerably.

When the shoji screen slid open again, Sakura had been a little surprised that Itachi had returned so soon. She then guessed he must have sent Karin immediately, and so turned her head to greet her friend, only to find it was neither Karin or Itachi, but Orochimaru.

She had spent around a year in the afterlife, and Orochimaru had been the one member of purgatory she had managed to completely avoid. He had been the one to take Sasuke to sound, then corrupt him until he was nearly unrecognizable. Sasuke had changed so much since spending those three years outside Konoha, and it was because Orochimaru had taken him out, then showed him hell. Sakura wanted him out of the room, and fast.

A sickening smile spread on the snake's face as he stepped into the threshold. Sakura shuddered apprehensively at the terrifying expression on his face, bringing her hands protectively up to her abdomen. Something must have been terribly wrong, and she did not like it one bit. A frown grew on her face, in contrast to his grin.

"Now, now Sakura. You have nothing to fear from me, though I suppose your unborn child does." He snickered, closing the door behind him. Sakura had been so tempted to scream for Itachi, for any sort of help, because she knew that moment that she was in danger, and more importantly, her child was. Before she could even open her mouth though, Orochimaru moved his hand to cover it. Her eyes widened in shock, as she wondered how he had moved so quickly.

"Since I am such a kind person, I will tell you what is going to happen, because there is no way you or your Itachi can ever prevent it now."

Sakura glared up at him, struggling to free her mouth, and call Itachi. Orochimaru would not have any of that, and he was stronger than her by far, especially with the condition she was in. Sakura felt utterly defenseless, and knew there was nothing she could possibly do. The thought caused tears to form in her green eyes.

"Ever since Itachi took notice of you, I knew you would bear his child. I was the one that forced Karin to back off, because my plan would not be possible unless a woman went into child labor." Orochimaru started, ignoring the tears falling from her eyes.

"When a child is born in this world, it brings a new life-force in, which I have learned to use for my benefit. The new life-force is stronger than anyone else's, and can be honed to return to the world of the living. It is a forbidden jutsu, naturally, and has only been used a few times successfully, but the chances come around rarely.

"Unfortunately, there is a price for using this jutsu. I had wanted to keep the child's Sharingan as well, but those eyes are not worth never living again."

Sakura knew then why she had a perfectly good reason to be fearful. Orochimaru was going to kill her child to return to the living world. Frantically she thrashed about, trying to free herself, but sadly failing. He laughed at her attempts, not allowing her even to think she had a chance. Very much against her will, he tore her yukata open, showing the bare skin of her stomach, and freeing her unbound breasts.

He bit his finger, drawing blood, then wrote kanji with the crimson liquid across her stomach, incanting what sounded like gibberish to her ears. He pulled a scroll, continuing to recite the spell under his breath.

Itachi was not certain why, but as he waited for the water to boil, he felt like something was amiss. He dismissed it at first, pardoning it as anxiety at becoming a father. Then, it was as if he could sense that Sakura was terrified, and he was not sure how or why. He wondered if something had gone wrong with their child, and stopped pacing in the kitchen. He dashed straight to where she was.

When he got to the room, he knew he was too late. Orochimaru stood over her, his disgusting hand covering her bare stomach. Sakura's eyes flashed to his, filled with more fear than he had ever seen in them, as if she was a trapped and hunted animal, stuck in a corner. Blood covered her, though it did not appear to be hers, and silent tears covered her frightened face.

Itachi stepped quickly forward, with every intention in brutally killing Orochimaru, however useless it may have been. The snake's yellow eyes thinned dangerously as a dark, deranged smile spread on his face. "You are too late, Uchiha. Good-bye." He hissed.

Itachi was not certain what exactly was happening, but a strange, unfamiliar sensation spread through his entire body. Confused, he looked at Sakura and Orochimaru, realizing they were evaporating, as if from thin air. It startled him, and he saw the same shock on Sakura's face. He looked down at his hands, and for the first time in a long while, he was scared. Itachi could see through his own hands, as if he were a hologram.

When he looked up at Sakura again, she was completely transparent. A moment later, he could not see her face again. Then he could see nothing at all, but a bright, shining light.

Orochimaru was right, he had been too late, and for all he knew, he would never see his beloved Sakura ever again. He was tempted to cry, and he probably would have, if it were not for the fact that he felt as if he were completely disconnected from anything, like gravity did not apply to him. Was he going to wander in this empty, bright space for the rest of eternity, all alone?

Seconds later, there was nothing at all.

0000

It was a sudden shock when Uchiha Itachi came to. There had been a deep, never ending nothing, then suddenly, there had been existence. He could see an orange-reddish light through his eyelids, though could hardly summon the strength to lift them. For the first time in a year and a half, he felt grass ticking his skin, and smelled rich scents of earth and vegetation. Wind blew over his face, and he almost forgot about the troubles he had to deal with.

Almost.

Sakura's fearful expression flew through his mind, and he abruptly shot his eyes open, and sat up before his body was ready for it. It was sunset, interestingly enough, while it had only just been sunrise. He looked around him, surrounded by the familiar forests of Konoha, and then hundreds of gravestones.

Uchiha Itachi

Loyal Shinobi of Konohagakure

Older Brother

He had been buried in Konoha, he realized with surprise. Somehow though, he was not underground. He was alive. Looking around his gravestone, he saw the familiar names of his family, and he felt strange, seeing his own names next to them, when he had done nothing to deserve it. He should have been left to rot like a criminal in the Uchiha hideout, where Sasuke had killed him. He had betrayed his family, yet Konoha had been kind enough to let him rest with the people he loved.

He shook his head. He loved Sakura now, and if he was there, then surely she was too. He expanded his senses, searching for her warm, comforting chakra. It was faint, though Itachi could tell she was not far from where he was, and that worried him.

He got to his feet, perhaps too quickly than he should have, because he felt his head rush, and his stomach flip. Itachi ignored it though, and began to run to where he knew Sakura was. He masked his chakra signature, not ready to deal with other shinobi until he was certain Sakura was safe.

She was keeled over in the fetal position under a tree by her own gravestone, crying softly to herself. He crouched down next to her shaking form, wrapping two strong arms around her. She spun her head around nearly too quickly, then relaxed slightly at seeing it was him. Something was terribly wrong, he knew it. He immediately knew what it was, and dread spread, his heart dropping down into his stomach. It was their child; it had to be.

Sakura did not have to say anything, because he wordlessly slipped his arms under her, then scooped her up, disappearing from the cemetery. Itachi was not so presumptuous as to think he could fix this on his own. It was impossible, and he needed help. As foolish as it seemed, there was only one place he could think of going. The only thing he hoped was that they had not changed the location of the hospital since last time he had visited.

In anyone had noticed him on his way, or recognized him at least, they had not told the authorities. Thankfully, the location of Konoha's hospital had not changed since the last time he had been there, as a thirteen year old ANBU captain. It was exactly as he remembered it, a comforting fact, though Sakura's safety was on his mind more than anything.

The woman who greeted them upon entrance stood there in shock. He read her name-tag on her uniform, seeing it was Shizune. He had never met the woman, but he knew she was an apprentice to the Hokage. She would, naturally, recognize both Sakura and himself, and know they were supposed to be dead. He had no choice though, this Shizune was going to have to help them, whether she alerted the Hokage or not. Sakura's well being was the priority.

"Sakura-chan..." Shizune breathed, her eyes wide. It had to be some sort of illusion. For Uchiha Itachi to be there though, did not make sense if it was a daydream. The pink haired girl, who she had grown to love like a little sister was curled up in the Uchiha's chest, as if she were in pain. Then, she noticed the bulge of Sakura's abdomen.

"Shizune-san, I know you likely believe this is some unusual illusion, but I promise this is very real. I have no time to explain in detail, but we are alive, and the child," Itachi paused to regain control over his roaring emotions. "Something interrupted the labor; our son...and this is the only place we could go." He could not find the words to speak, but the medic seemed to make sense of what he had awkwardly said.

She was shocked by how much emotion the man was showing, how much concern, and fear. If she did not know any better, she would have said he loved her. It did not matter though, because Sakura's condition was vital, and it was clear she was not in a good stage. She had no idea how Sakura was alive, and carrying Uchiha Itachi's child, but there was only thing she needed to do. Make sure she did not die again.

Her expression steeling, Shizune nodded her head, then led Itachi down the hall to the birthing ward. She had no choice but to believe him, because before she was a shinobi, Shizune was a medic. She lived to heal others, and she had been given the chance to see her little sister again. She would not pass up such a wonderful opportunity.

Sakura was set up in the emergency birthing room, and Shizune collected nurses while she went, sending a chunin to fetch Tsunade, telling him it was an extremely important. The room was sterilized, and no one who was not as well, could not be permitted entrance. Itachi wanted to stay with her, but with her state, it went against hospital regulation.

He frantically paced the hall by her room, a nervous nurse standing with him, just to be sure he did not do something untoward. Itachi turned to the young woman with uncertainty.

"Mai-san, please, I must do something, or I will surely go mad." He pleaded, all of his calmness tossed out the window long before. The nurse bit her lip, hesitantly meeting his gaze. Mai knew Sakura from a long time ago, and held respect for her superior. She also knew what Sakura would want, as soon as she gave birth.

She let out a sigh. "If you want to help Haruno-san, then you could go get her two best friends, Uzumaki Naruto and Yamanaka Ino." Mai told him. His eyebrows knitted together, but he nodded his head, knowing that their presences would put Sakura at ease, if by a little. He hated to leave Sakura, but it was necessary.

He hopped through an open window, searching for the chakra signature of Uzumaki Naruto first. He did not know who Yamanaka Ino was, but if he found Naruto, he was certain the blond would help him find her.

Naruto was sitting at Ichiraku's ramen stand, and Itachi was surprised to find another familiar person with him. His younger brother. It should not have been too startling, if he was alive, and Sakura was alive. He could bring Sasuke along as well, not for Sakura's sake, but for his own sanity. Itachi quickly stepped into the roadside shop.

Before Itachi could even demand Naruto to come to the hospital, Sasuke interrupted. "Aniki? What are you doing here too? Where is Sakura? I thought she would be with you."

"She went into labor. Sakura is at the hospital. I need to get him, and some girl named 'Yamanaka Ino.'"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "She went into labor already? It is a week early! How the hell did we even get back here?" He asked loudly.

Naruto looked at Itachi, a small frown forming on his face. "By labor, do you mean childbirth?" He asked slowly. Itachi's expression tightened; he did not feel comfortable talking about it just yet. He nodded his head carefully.

"And when were you going to tell you got Saku-chan pregnant, Teme!" Naruto shouted, turning to Sasuke. Itachi let out a huff of air. This was not going as well as he had hoped.

Sasuke smirked. "I am not the one who got Sakura pregnant, Dobe."

"I did, and she is in danger. The only reason I am not with her as we speak is because she would want you there, as well as this Ino Yamanaka girl."

"You got-

"Yes, and what do you not understand about 'danger?' Either you come with me, or I am leaving you both." Itachi said with irritation, stepping away. Both Sasuke and Naruto followed behind him wordlessly.

"I know where Ino lives, aniki. I will get her." Sasuke murmured, evaporating out in a poof of smoke. "Thank you, otouto," he replied, though Sasuke was not there to hear him.

Upon his return, Itachi could hear Sakura screaming in pain. He went back to his nervous habit of pacing the hall, while Naruto sat in a chair, tapping his foot on the floor. Sasuke came minutes later, leading a platinum blond kunoichi behind him. The kunoichi had a determined look in her eye, and was wearing a hospital uniform.

Ino gave Itachi an apprehensive glance, before walking past him wordlessly, entering Sakura's room, and closing the door again. Itachi went back to pacing the hall, and Sasuke sat next to Naruto, twiddling his thumbs and glaring at the tiled floor. The girl screaming in the other room was their teammate, and they had spent many years protecting her. It was hard to listen, knowing they could do nothing.

It could have been hours, or even days from what Itachi could tell, but finally, her tortured cries ceased.

There was no wailing of a newborn, and the empty silence caused for Itachi to still. He did not care, he was going in there. No one tried to stop him when Itachi flew the door open. There was Sakura's soft, miserable sobs, but besides that, he could hear nothing. Cradled in her sweaty arms was a motionless baby boy, still covered with blood.

Sakura disregarded her tears, and kissed the forehead of their son. Her white yukata and face was covered with blood when she looked up at him mournfully. "Itachi, please forgive me, he..." She could not even finish her statement, and choked on her words. He hushed her sadly, moving past the room of helpless nurses to scoop her into his arms.

He was not used to crying, and right away, he did not like the sensation of it. His eyes stung from his salty tears. This was nothing like the night he had massacred his family; he was tempted to admit it was much worse.

Uchiha Kazuki, his son, was a stillborn.

The blood that had been covering Sakura and his son smeared over him, and the overwhelming pain that kept tightening in his chest made him choke on air. He heard a voice sobbing alongside Sakura's, and a moment later, he realized that voice was his. It was strange, that gulping, suffocating sensation of crying. It had been years since he had last done it, and he had forgotten how miserable it felt.

He was too weak to care when the various nurses pulled him apart from Sakura, then took his dead son from her arms. The painful need to gulp for air was gone, but tears still burned down his cheeks, and he was past the point of caring what any of the medics and nurses thought of him. After taking Kazuki, everyone in the room left.

They seemed to understand their need to grieve in privacy. The sorrow passed, and Itachi was consumed with fury. He knew who had caused for his son to die such an unnecessary death. If he was back in the world of living, as well as Sasuke and Sakura, then surely the monster who had done this was too.

A wave of determination washed over him. He was going to kill Orochimaru in the most wanton way his passive mind could think of. That snake was going to get what he deserved, for taking away the only thing he and Sakura had ever created together. He had been right about one thing, though. Itachi had been too late, and if he had never left her side, Sakura would have given birth to a beautiful, healthy boy.

Sakura fell into blissful unconsciousness, sleeping on a bed with new sheets. Itachi held her as she slept peacefully, exhausted from the entire ordeal. He would slept alongside her, but his mind was too full of killing Orochimaru to ever rest. He was offered food, water, even sake, but he refused them all, wanting no more then watch Sakura's serene face.

He was afraid she would never forgive him for this, because it was his fault Orochimaru had managed to get to her. It was his duty, as the father of her child, to protect her from any danger, and he had failed. He had failed Sakura, and he had failed his son. Itachi knew he could never make up for what he had done to her, because she would be scarred for the remainder of her life.

Would she ever want to try to have another child with him? As unplanned as her pregnancy had been, he had wanted their son. His hold around her tightened slightly, as he breathed in the smell of blood and sweat in her hair. Yes, he very much wanted for her to conceive with him again, but it was not something he would ever force upon her. Itachi wanted her to want to bear his children.

This day should have been a happy one, a day of miracles. It was not though, and as he breathed in her scent, a rueful sorrow surged through him again. He was going to remember this day for the rest of his life, but not for the reason he was supposed to. All he could think was that Orochimaru was going down, as soon as Sakura was well again.

AN: Yes, I am sorry. Most of you are going to be very angry with me for this, but it had been my plan since the beginning. Orochimaru is a bastard, and he had been planning to use their child before Sakura even got pregnant, if you recall. It was a quick update though, right? (avoids brick thrown at head)