Chapter 20 You have got to be kidding me?

Sakura cold see her breath even as she lied in her and Naruto's bed, there was no real heat apart from their body heat. Sakura knew that there was a very good heating system but she also knew that the winter was uncommonly strong this year. For over two months the ground had been totally covered with snow, normally the Leaf would get a week or two of snow a year with a huge snow storm maybe once in a decade and that is what they had now. Once a day Naruto would stick his head out the den only to report that more snow was on the ground, from what she could see there was at least three feet of snow on the ground. This meant that everyone had shut inside their dens and that they had to live off the supplies they had gathered before winter. This was bad for Sakura because that meant the Naruto was always in the den and that she didn't get much time to work on a cure for him however the upside was that the two of them spent a lot of time snuggling together for warmth. Naruto would spend most of his day sleeping or walking around the lower levels for a workout. Sakura did the same thing only when she went for one of her walks she would actually go and work on a cure. The first task and the most dangerous for her was to get a blood sample of Naruto's so that she could create a cure and there was no time like the present.

"Naruto?" asked Sakura as she looked over to the sleeping Naruto. For once she was glade when Naruto didn't answer her calls. Slowly she reached under side pillow and pulled out a medical needle.

"Just keep sleeping." ordered Sakura as she lifted the extra skin on the back of Naruto's neck before sticking the needle into the skin, only to miss a vein.

"If only I could use some of my medical justu I could find a vein, essay damn transformation." thought Sakura as she tried again only to finally get a vein. Quickly she pulled out some blood before pulling the needle out of Naruto's neck. "I need to get this down to the lab as soon as possible."

Slowly Sakura stood up from the bed that she shared with Naruto. As she stood she made sure to stretch a bit, it was already clear she was with child. From her years of medical training she guessed she was between three and four months along. For the past few months she had to pass off as being totally animal minded however she had slipped up a few times. Most of the time it revolved around eating former humans, like Shizune. She just couldn't bring herself to eat her former teacher's aide. She remembered how Naruto looked at her when she refused to eat the meat.

Flashback

Shizune's body lied in the middle of the room. Naruto had used his claws to ripped off parts of her dead flesh.

"Here you go Sakura-chan." said Naruto as he handed her a large piece of Shizune's legs muscle to here. Sakura looked at the meat before gingerly biting down into it. "Is something wrong?"

"Just doesn't smell right." lied Sakura as Naruto sniffed the meat.

"Smells fine to me." said Naruto

"Also the taste is off." added Sakura

"Maybe it has to do with your pregnancy?" asked Naruto as Sakura saw an opening.

"Likely vixens get strange cravings." said Sakura

"What would you like?" asked Naruto "Anything for my vixen and my kits."

"I remember seeing some of the non-transformed duck." said Sakura as Naruto stood up and headed down to the storage room to get the meal.

"I am so sorry Shizune." said Sakura as she reached up and closed her friend's eye lids.

End flashback

So far Sakura has avoided eating the flesh of transformed people but she still had to get used to some things. Apart from their main living area the entire place was dirty and wasn't that well maintained. Judging from the read out from the main computer the base was almost out of heating oil and other key supplies. Due to lack of upkeep the hydroelectric system could fail at any time. This made it her push herself harder to get as much work possible done before the power system failed.

"Alright Sakura what do we know?" asked Sakura as she looked at Naruto's blood sample from under a microscope. "It's a chakra based virus that transforms people based on chakra and physical strength, the stronger a person the higher a person's transformation. The infection started around demon chakra which starts the transformation and according to Ino blocks access to most higher level human thought. Ino found a way to return higher level thought by destroying a part of the virus. However if I can find a way to destroy the score of the virus in the demon charka we may change back totally."

"Why would you want to change back…for all you know Naruto will turn against us." Said Inner Sakura as looked up from the microscope, she knew full well what her inner self was doing. For months while she was working on Naruto's cure she had been planting hints that Naruto wouldn't love her once he got his mind back or he would blame himself for turning her. She would be lying to herself those thoughts hadn't crossed her mind.

"I know I love Naruto-kun but does he love me?" thought Sakura as she stopped working and just looked down at the table "Or does he just consider me to be the best mate he can get?"

"It is better to have Naruto-kun as an animal for sure then it is to risk losing his love as a human." said Inner Sakura

"No…I can't just think of myself." stated Sakura as she stood up and started working again on a cure "I need to find a cure for this whole thing and will require time and help. I can't keep that hidden from Naruto-kun, I need to find a cure."

As Sakura went back to work on a cure, the hours seamed to drag on and on. She was lucky that Naruto was a heavy sleeper and wouldn't be up for a while and if he did wake up he knew she took walks around the lower levels to relax. Finally she decided to call it quits however as she started to pack things away she heard footsteps coming toward her.

"Crap Naruto-kun is up?" thought Sakura as she turned off the lights off and prayed that Naruto didn't find her. Finally the sound passed as the shadow of Naruto walked by and started heading downstairs. Slowly Sakura opened the door up and left the room, however as she was about to head upstairs she heard the sound of an opening door.

"What is Naruto-kun up too?" thought Sakura as she walked down the stairs after Naruto. As she head down the stairs she entered the third level of the base. This level was suppose to be used as cells just like the ones at the base where they originally turned but here they were never used. However Sakura did find something very odd, a trap door was open in the floor, she could hear footsteps and smell a Naruto.

"Just like the other base." thought Sakura as she went toward the stairs. Suddenly she heard the beeping sound filled the air that caused her to stop in her tracks. "What in the world? That sounds like a microwave."

Slightly Sakura stepped down into the lower level what she saw was Naruto standing in front of a make shift table waiting. Slowly she made her way behind some boxes just in time for another beep. Sakura's eyes widened as she watched Naruto pick up a steaming hot cup of instant Ramón noodles. Slowly he walked over and sat down at a small table, he picked up a fork as he started to eat the Ramón noodles.

"My God." Thought Sakura as she leaned forward a bit too far causing a box to fall. The sound of a falling box caused Naruto to look toward the sound. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw who was spying on him.

"Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto as he tossed the Ramón noodles to the side. "It isn't what you think."

"Your human minded?" asked Sakura as Naruto tried to find a way out it.

"Yes." said Naruto as he grabbed Sakura's shoulder "Please don't leave me because of it, I just woke up one morning with my old mind back. I will do anything to make you stay, just don't leave me Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked up into those blue eyes so worried about losing her, she didn't down before slapping his chest in frustration.

"You baka." cried Sakura "I was afraid to tell you, I didn't want to lose you."

"What your human minded?" asked Naruto as he looked into his vixen's eyes.

"Yes." said Sakura "I have been working on a cure for you for months."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Naruto

"Because I didn't want to lose you." answered Sakura "We both are just bakas for not speaking up."

"Ya, we are." Said Naruto as he pulled Sakura close "I know I said it when you thought I was an animal but I really do love you."

"And I love you." answered Sakura as she suddenly felt a kick as she placed her head on the soft spot on Naruto's neck. "Naruto-kun our kids are kicking."

"Can I place my hand on?" asked Naruto as Sakura looked at him.

"Of course, they are our kids." answered Sakura as Naruto placed his hand on Sakura's stomic. He smiled as he felt another kick. "Naruto-kun we need to talk."

"I know." said Naruto

"How long have you been human minded?" asked Sakura

"I woke up just after around a year after we turned." answered Naruto, that was almost three years ago." answered Naruto "How about you?"

"Only a few months ago, when I ran into Ino." said Sakura "She and Kiba are also like us."

"But I had a run in with them a year ago and barley got away, if they are human minded why would they do that?" asked Naruto

"They have to keep their cover, they do have a son." answered Sakura as she looked into his eyes, on some levels she didn't want to ask the question but she needed too. "Naruto if you have been human minded for so long why did you kill Shizune and those other people."

Instantly she wished she hadn't asked as Naruto back away and sat down on a chair. He leaned over resting his forehead in his hand.

"Sakura-chan, if I knew you where human minded I would have never killed her or anyone else…" said Naruto "But winter was coming and I didn't want to go though the same thing we went through the first year when you where…."

"When I was what?" asked Sakura as Naruto looked at here.

"You don't remember?" asked Naruto

"Remember what?" asked Sakura as Naruto looked down.

"Sakura-chan…this isn't the first time you where pregnant." said Naruto as Sakura's eyes widened.

"What?" asked Sakura

"The first winter right after we turned you became pregnant." said Naruto "However we didn't have enough food stored up for the winter and I failed, I couldn't find food for us….we almost starved to death and then…."

"Miscarriage." said Sakura as she remembered from medical school that poor nutrition raised the chances of a miscarriage as she leaned back against the wall.

"Ya." answered Naruto as sadness struck Sakura like a lightning bolt; she had learned that she had lost a kid. "It almost destroyed us both even as animals, you didn't move for a week and I hardly wanted to move. It was around that time that I regained my human mind."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Sakura to her inner self

"It isn't something I like to talk about." answered Inner Sakura with pain in her voice.

"How far along?" asked Sakura "How far along was I?"

"About a month and a half." answered Naruto "Listen Sakura-chan, I murder those people and for that I deserve your hate and whatever punishment is in stored for me when I die, but I did it for you and our kids. I didn't want that to happen again, I didn't want to lose another kid. So I killed to Shizune to keep my family alive."

"I don't hate you Naruto-kun." said Sakura as she placed a hand on Naruto's cheek. "And you may have done horrible things but you did it for the right reasons. Now why don't you help me find a cure so we can get the world back to as normal as possible?"

"Sure." said Naruto

"What is it Naruto-kun?" asked Sakura

"If we were both human minded and hide it out of fear that we would be discovered then who else is human minded?" asked Naruto

Miles away on the top floor of the rebuilt Hokage building stood Sasuke Uchiha watching the sun rise. In his cat like paws was a large glass of wine.

"Nothing like a glass of wine after a perfect exulted plan." said Sasuke as he turned around to face other large cats standing before him. On the ground before him lied the body of Kabuto and other human sound leaders. "The age of pure man is over a new age has begun, the age of the catman."

"We are ready to begin the purge of the village." reported a large tiger man

"Good, then tonight we remove those scum from my village." ordered Sasuke as he looked out over the village as he sat down in the Hokage's chair. "If only you could see me now, dead last…I have taken your women, your village and your dream job. Now all I have to take is your life."

Well I hope you liked this chapter and the little twist I placed into the story.