Sakura flinches when the angry glares turn to her. She hesitantly tells the story. At the end she admits to thinking that when Shikamaru had said Uchiha she had assumed he ment Sasuke and was jealous.
Naruto turns a sickly shade of green. "You thought I was in love with Sasuke?" She asks Sakura.
Sakura nods her head and stares at her feet, ashamed. Every ninja is taught in the academy to get all the facts.
"That's gross." Says Naruto with open disgust. She then looks up at Sasuke with a sheepish smile. "No offence intended. I just can't imagine that. I really do see you as a brother. Hence the fact that it would be gross."
Itachi looks down at her. "If he's my brother and you see him as a brother then where does that leave us?" He asks playfully.
Naruto pats his cheek. "You're over thinking things again." She tells him.
The corners of his mouth twitch up into a small smile. "I just wanted to be sure." He tells her.
She winks and turns back to the small crowd. They are still looking at the two in disbelief. Naruto sighs. "I'd be willing to take a blood test." She tells Tsunade in hopes of calming everyone down and re-earning their trust.
Tsunade calls out for Shizune to enter the room. When Tsunade holds out her hand and Shizune immediately places a needle in her open palm. Tsunade wastes no time in pricking the vein in Naruto's arm to draw the needed blood. When she is done she hands the tube back to Shizune, who takes it to the lab to be tested.
Tsunade stands in front of Naruto and is startled to find that the young woman is shorter than she is. Naruto was always taller than she is. "I'm going to ask you directly." Says Tsunade to Naruto. "Are you Uzumaki Naruto?" She asks.
Itachi and Naruto share a look. Then Naruto sighs. "No, I'm not." She admits.
Tsunade holds her ground even though her instincts are telling her to put distance between the two of them. The other ninja tense, and Gaara's sand begins to form a shield between the two of them, just in case. "Then who are you?" She demands angrily. First this girl claims to be Naruto, and gives a plausible explanation as to how it could happen, then she changes her mind? Tsunade's patience disappears completely. The room's occupants wait in a strained silence for Shizune to return, as Tsunade silently glares at the blonde.
They wait for a good half an hour when they finally hear a knock at the door. It draws her attention from the woman, but she doesn't take her eyes off of her. "Enter." Says Tsunade. Shizune quickly gives her the envelope with the results, and walks back outside. Tsunade takes her eyes off the girl to view the results, confident that Gaara will use hs sand to protect her if it's needed.
She quickly finds what she's looking for. Her eyebrows disappear into her hairline. She lifts the first paper to see the second, and drops the folder. She looks at the young blonde in total shock. The chakra levels in the room rise as everyone prepares for a battle.
"G-gaki?" Asks Tsunade.
"In the flesh." Naruto tells her with a small smile.
"I- I don't understand." Tsunade tells the woman. "You said you weren't Naruto, but you are." She tells her.
Naruto reaches for Itachi's hand. She smiles and looks up at him. "That's because I'm not Uzumaki Naruto anymore. While Itachi and I were in the village we decided to finally get married. I'm technically Uchiha Naruto now." She says.
Sasuke sits heavily on the chair behind him, and is unable to take his eyes off of the couple in front of him. Itachi is married?
"This is not the time for such minor technicalities!" Yells Tsunade. Then she picks up the folder and shoves it towards Naruto as if to show it to her. "Do you know about this?" She asks her.
Naruto laughs at the older blonde's expression. "Yes baa-chan, we are both well aware.
The Raikage's patience finally reaches it's limits. "Is this the brat or not? And is he ,ah, she aware of what?"
Tsunade turns to face the Kage. "This is Naruto. I have the proof right here." She holds up the folder.
Sakura and Sasuke exchange a disbelieving, but happy, glance. "But that doesn't answer what she is aware of." Says Gaara. He's happy to have the blonde back but curiosity as to what the three of them know that the rest of them don't makes him slightly weary of the two. Is Naruto sick?
Itachi places his arms possesivley around Naruto's waist. She places her hands on top of his and smiles up at him. His gaze softens and he kisses her on the forehead. Naruto looks at each of the rooms occupants before she answers.
"I'm pregnant." She tells them. "She moves one hand to rub her belly. "I'm 20 weeks along."
Tsunade still seems like she is in shock. She points to where Naruto is rubbing. "May I?" She asks.
Naruto smiles. "Sure, I don't mind." She assures the woman. She pulls her shirt up enough to show the bulging seal on her stomach. It's obvious the blonde is pregnant, though no one would have expected the ANBU gear to hide it so well.
Tsunade pushes chakra into her hands and lays them gently on Naruto's stomach. Tsunade closes her eyes in concentration as she feels along the sides of Naru's stomach. Her eyes snap open and she stops. "I suppose you knew about that as well." She deadpans.
Naruto laughs. "Yes, I know about both of my babies." She assures the woman. Tsunade stands, and Naruto pulls the shirt back down over her stomach.
Sasuke looks as though his brain has short-circuted with all of the new information. Sakura still looks guilty. Gaara is smiling proudly. Shikamaru actually looks interested, and the others seem neutral. Naruto walks over to Gaara, and throws her arms around him in a hug. He hugs her back.
"I'm sorry for making you guys worry." She tells them when she releases him. "But I don't regret what I did. I only did what I thought was right." She walks back over to Itachi who throws his arm back around her waist.
"What are you going to do now?" Asks Tsunade. "You can't go back on active duty, and your old apartment building was never rebuilt after Pain's attack."
Naruto smiles and shoots Sasuke a playful look. "We're going to move back into the Uchiha estates." She tells them. Sasuke blanches, and Naruto's smile only gets bigger. "It does ,after all, belong to all Uchiha's."
"Very well." Agrees Tsunade."You are free to go home, or rejoin the party. I would recommend going home for now, though. There is going to be a lot of confusion in the room. I also have to prepare a formal statement, find evidence, and then reinstate you both into the village."
Naruto snorts. "Yeah, that'll happen soon." She says knowingly. Tsunade always puts off her paperwork until the last possible moment.
Itachi grabs her hand. "Regardless, I think it would be wise to take what time we can get."
"Alright." Agrees Naruto. Both she and Itachi place their masks back on to avoid as much attention as possible on the way home. As much attention two ANBU can avoid attention.
"Just remember," Warns Tsunade "You need to take it easy on how much chakra you use, and absolutely no heavy lifting." Naruto nods, and she and Itachi exit the room first.
Naruto and Itachi walk toward the Uchiha estate hand in hand. Sasuke follows the two of them, silently staring. He doesn't know how to feel about this. His two closest people are alive, and they are also married? He feels anger, because they kept him in the dark. Confusion, how exactly did it happen without him knowing? Worst of all he feels as though he understands. Naruto is Itachi's opposite yet somehow complimentary counter piece.
For a long time he thought he had feelings for the blonde beyond those of friendship. He was right. He loves Naruto. Not the same obvious way that Itachi does, but something more gentle. He really sees Naruto as he used to see Itachi. As a sibling to look up to, to admire, and to protect. He knows the blonde is younger than he is, and although the thought is odd, Naruto has always been more mature than he is. When she isn't acting like the dobe she is, anyway.
He looks down at Naruto's and Itachi's hands. He knows he's been a snake, personality-wise. He killed his brother, and nearly did the same to his best friend on several occasions. When he finally learned the truth about his clan, he was able to stand back and think logically. It was the first time he felt truly free, and strong.
Itachi wasn't the reason he left his beloved village. No, that decision was all Sasuke's. Itachi tried to steer him to become strong inside Konoha's walls. However, when Orochimaru placed the seal on his shoulder Sasuke wanted to learn how to use the curse mark from it's source. When he left, it was because he was scared. What ,besides pain, would the seal do to him?
When he was fighting with Naruto in the valley, he was screaming at his body to stop but the irrational anger took over. He wasn't even able to stop the seal in time to avoid killing Naruto. Flashbacks of his hand aimed right at the blonde's heart constantly plagued his mind as he ran to Orochimaru. He would learn how to control it, and then he would return. That had been his plan. He didn't know how to deal with his brother at the time. He said he would kill him, but he was so conflicted over it. He still remembers the haunted look in Itachi's eyes the night of the massacre. No one with that look in their eyes kills their family to test their strength. Sasuke shakes his head in attempt to clear the depressing thoughts. I truly am a snake compared to them. He thinks sadly, and looks at the pebble strewn ground beneath his feet.
"You're wrong you know." Whispers a voice.
Sasuke looks up t see Naruto looking back at him. "About what?" He asks her. There is no way she knows where his thoughts just were.
Naruto turns back to the front. "You aren't a snake." She says.
So maybe she does know... or it was just an accurate guess. "Then what am I?" He asks, reluctantly admitting his dark thoughts.
"You would be a wolf." She tells him, without even taking the time to think about it.
A wolf? Sasuke tries to compare himself to the animal, but can't see the connection. He sighs. "How do you see me as a wolf?" He asks.
Naruto glances back at him before she answers. "I see a wolf in you because everything you have done is for your family. You were alone for all these years, but they were always at the forefront of your mind. You may have not realized it, but Itachi and I did. I believe that a part of you thought that killing itachi would make them proud and you happy. It was a way for you to protect them even if they were gone.
He doesn't know if she is exactly right, but most of it is true. A wolf... he likes thinking of himself that way.
"Just so you know." Says Naruto. Sasuke wonders if she is going to add to her whole wolf idea. "If you ever try to kill my husband again, I will personally castrate you with rusty senbon needles." She tells him pleasantly.
Sasuke stops mid-step. That conversation just took a scary turn. Then he winces. With senbon needles? Every male within hearing distance shoots Sasuke sympathetic looks while they get as far away from Naruto as they can.
Itachi chuckles at the scene. Leave it to Naruto to change topics so quickly, and without sounding unpleasant. He grips her hand more snugly in his and continues home. It feels strange to be returning after so much time away, but it's still home.
The house looms in front of the trio, outlined my the moon's light. Itachi battles the memories that threaten to make themselves known. Naruto senses his distress and squeezes his hand. The small action brings him comfort, and he successfully holds the memories at bay. It doesn't surprise him when Sasuke veers away from the main house and into one of the ones that was unoccupied at the time of the massacre.
He and Naruto follow quietly as he walks into the house and turns on the lights as he goes. "I'll hire a gennin team to clean any house you choose tomorrow, but for now you can both stay here. The other houses are dusty." He tells them.
"Very well." Agrees Itachi.
Sasuke leads them up to a spare bedroom and opens the door. "You guys can sleep in here." He tells them as he flickers on a light. "My bedroom is across the hall if you need anything and the bathroom is at the end of the hallway." He tells Naruto more than Itachi. Itachi would know, because most of the houses are designed with the same layout.
"Thanks, Sasuke." Says Naruto. Sasuke nods and walks back to his own bedroom. Today's events seem more like a dream than reality. He quickly changes clothes and lays in his own bed.
His dreams are plagued by blood. Images of his brother's death, and Naruto's ripped jacket play through his mind again and again.
A soft whisper of sound goes unnoticed as he suffers from his nightmares, but a warm hand on his forehead brings him close to consciousness. Quietly comforting words that he isn't quite awake enough to understand calm him. Peace sweeps through him and washes away his nightmares, finally allowing him to slip into a fitful, dreamless sleep.
Naruto looks down at Sasuke and removes her hand from his forehead. His breathing has deepened and his face is relaxed. Itachi stands in the doorway with his arms crossed. She hugs him around tha waist, and he around her shoulders. "Why is it you can soothe other people's dreams, but not your own?" He asks quietly, mindful to his sleeping brother.
Naru places her ear on his chest. "It is because my nightmares are always soothed when I wake up, and you are still at my side." She tells him honestly. She reaches up with one hand and places it on his chest next to her face. "You are my reason for living for all these years. My reason for never giving up hope. As long as your heart still beats, and I am close enough to listen, my nightmares will ever be anything but bad dreams."
Itachi uses his fingers to gently lift her face to his. "Then I will always stay beside you, for you are to me what you say I am to you." He kisses her gently, lovingly, and seals his vow.
She smiles, and his eyes soften. "Now back to bed, you should not be awake so late in your condition." He tells her.
Naruto rolls her eyes. "I'm pregnant, not sick." She tells him stubbornly.
Itachi grips the back of her neck and places his forehead on hers. "We have spent the last few weeks traveling in order to arrive on time. It would make me feel much better if you were to lay down and rest."
Naruto stretches up and kisses Itachi again gently. "You could have said as much, and saved yourself some time." She tells him.
He just looks into her eyes. She sighs. "Fine, lets just go back to bed." She tells him as she walks back to their shared room. Itachi follows closely after, and turns the light off for the last time that night.
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So... I thought I was supposed to update this Monday... Not last Monday... My mistake. I'll be sure to update next Monday, too, according to my original schedule.
Very fluffy this chapter, but I really wanted to put some depth into their relationship.
Review?