Third movement, Part 4

"It's definite. You are pregnant," Heikuro said after he looked at the test results.

"Congratulations, Mayuri-san!" Lupa squealed as she wrapped her arms around Mayuri and jumped up and down.

Though she had been expecting it, hearing the new from Heikuro's lips were still a surprise."Thank you. Thanks," she said over sniffles and tears.

"You're expected delivery day should be September first," Heikuro stated as he took off his glasses.

"Thank you, Heikuro."

He didn't look appreciated though. He bent his head and scratched his neck as he often did when he faced a dilemma.

"What's wrong with you?" Lupa asked. The two of them had gotten very friendly during the months that Mayuri had been in a depression. It seemed to Mayuri that they two of them were on a best friend and maybe future couple basis.

"Nothing," he said at first, but threw his head up and looked straight into Mayuri's eyes. "Are you sure you want to have this baby?"

Mayuri slumped her shoulders down. "What kind of question is that? Of course I do!"

"Think about it for a second," he said. "You are only twenty years old and without a husband to support you. You don't own a house; you don't even own that little room you have at the inn. You don't have a lot of money, and the clan has disavowed you since you married. How are you going to raise this child and keep yourself afloat?"

"I'll think of something," Mayuri answered soberly, now faced with the harsh reality of life. "I'll do anything, but I'm having this baby, Heikuro."

"Look, it's not like I'm asking you to abort this pregnancy. You can still have this baby and later give it up for adoption."

"And what?" Mayuri exploded. "Give away the only gift that my husband had left me? Don't you know, it was this baby that pulled me out of my depression, that made me understand that I needed to stop grieving and start living. His baby saved my life, and I can't terminate or give it away. Please understand, Heikuro, this is baby is my only life line left."

"I support Mayuri-san on this. I'll even stay behind and help her work to save up some money, help her find a place to live."

Heikuro sighed and he knew he lost. "Fine, I'll stay behind also just to keep an eye on the two of you. We'll both stay with you, Mayuri, until you know what your next step is."

"I'll miss you a lot," Joiji said as he held Mayuri's small hands. Tears flowed freely from his eyes. "Oh, goodness, I never thought it would be this hard. I've watched you grow up. You're practically my daughter. To think that you won't be traveling with us anymore… It's just inconceivable."

Mayuri put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, Joiji. I'll be sure to stay within the travel route the caravan takes. You'll be able to see me again at least once a year."

"Here take this," he said and handed to her a little pouch. "It isn't much, but it's not like you had let me celebrate your wedding with you. Think of it as a gift, for you and your baby. I hope to be able to see your child someday."

"Thank you very much, Joiji. Once I've settled down I'll send you a letter."

He turned to Heikuro and Lupa. "Take good care of our demanding princess."

"Don't worry, Uncle Joiji. She's in safe hands. I won't let her do anything too reckless with that babe in her."

He nodded and clamored up to his cart. He said his final goodbye in good spirits and went to catch up with the caravan.

"I'm home, Mayuri-san," Lupa said as she entered the inn room.

"Welcome home, how was work?" Mayuri asked as she polished one of her instruments.

"It went well. I'm seriously learning so much. I'm so glad that I stayed behind with you. The master of the shop and his wife are so knowledgeable and they hold no information back from me."

"So, you've found your calling?"

"Yeah. You know how I've always hated my parents work as pottery peddlers? But now that I'm working for someone else's business and I can the beauty of it. How did you realize your calling with music?"

"Well, I understood music before I understood words, you see. It was the way Kaimu and I communicated with each other until I learned how to speak. So, I've always known that it would be my calling, my trade. Okay, I've got to go. I have a performance in half an hour."

"You're going out now? Heikuro is going to lecture again."

"Don't worry. It's for a small gathering where mothers come to look for potential son-in-laws and daughter-in-laws."

"You're not going to there to hook up are you?"

Mayuri made a face and waved her hand up and down. "No. No. Please. One man is enough in my life."

"Even if he's no longer here?"

Mayuri paused at the door. "He is enough for me. I can't accept any one else the way we accepted each other... I'll see you later."

Two more months passed and Mayuri's belly had begun to grow larger.

"Everything seems fine," Heikuro said after he examined her. "The baby's growing steadily, and its heartbeat is strong. Do you feel and thing strange? Like nausea?"

"No, nothing of the sort, I don't even feel uncomfortable."

"That's good. This pregnancy seems to be rather easy. You don't even have mood swings or crave food like the other mothers I had to be a companion for," Lupa said.

"Oh yes, thank goodness. I couldn't stand their whining!"

The three of them laughed together as they sat around a small table for tea.

Mayuri set her cup down.

"I think you two should leave for the caravan now, before it gets too late. There's a cut route that leads straight to Sunagakure. The route is more dangerous but it's faster. I met some travelers that say they know the land very well. I think you two should go with them. They leave in a week."

"But what will you do?"

"I'll stay here, gather a few more things and travel to Konoha. It's Itachi's hometown and I would like to raise his child there."

"We can go with you. You don't have to do this alone," Heikuro said calmly.

"I knew you would say that, but I feel like I need to do this alone, to finish this journey with my own strength because there will be many more journeys I need face alone. I can't depend on someone else when my child depends on me. Please, let me do this on my own. Don't worry, won't be completely alone. I'll travel with a caravan so I'll at least have the protection of a group."

Heikuro and Lupa looked at each other. There was no helping it. They could argue the issue with her, but they knew her stubborn streak ran almost as long as Masamoto's and arguing would only be a waste of time. They sighed together.

"Okay, then at least let us see to is that you have everything you need before we set off with those travelers you talked about."

"Thanks, Heikuro, Lupa. This means a lot to me."

Wiithin the next week, Mayuri sold many of her costumes. She wouldn't need them anymore and only kept some that were simpler in design. She costumes brought a fortune to her wallet. If she needed more money she simply needed to start playing on the streets.

Heikuro and Lupa left with the travelers soon and Mayuri promised to send them word as soon as she was at Konoha. Meanwhile, the caravan Mayuri would travel with wouldn't leave for another month. They wanted to delay their travel start since there was word of a Great War brewing near the borders of Konoha.

The Kages from every great shinobi village had gathered together against one evil. Shinobis and kuniochis were being deported from every village. But for travelers, whose paycheck came from selling goods from one place to another, traveling even in times of war as necessary.

And so Mayuri left Amegakure with them. She rode on her cart with all her belongings and instruments. She carried some of the younger children with her and they played quietly at the back of her cart.

As they exited the gates of Amegakure, Mayuri looked in the direction of the cherry tree and lonely hill. She hadn't returned to that place since she buried Itachi there. She couldn't, because it would have made her stay, so that she would never have to leave him. So she gritted her teeth and didn't look anymore as they traveled farther away.