Note: please read first!
This chapter had no BETAREADER, so you will find grammar mistakes. I am sorry about that. However I was asked to update and I really want to update no matter what, after such a long time. So I apologize about the grammar mistakes beforehand: sorry!
I am searching currently for a new one, however it is not as easy at is seems to find someone willingly... my Betareader vanished, I still hope she will be back and we are able to work together again. Until then the following chapters will be like this with no correction.
So, please bear with the non corrected version of this chapter.
Thank you
PS: Do not forget this is a Drama story. THIS IS No Sakura bashing or something like that. Have the description of this story in mind or read the notice in chapter 04.
Sorry the Word to format is not working for me... anyway please enjoy.
.
.
.
"Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else."
Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven
.
.
.
Touch.
Warm.
Kiss.
Embrace.
The warmth surrounding her whole being making her feel whole then...
Falling.
Cold.
Loss.
Ache.
She still feel the cold breeze of the night on her skin when he vanished into nothingness in front of her blurry vision.
She still feel the piercing ache in her heart from his words, knowing it was not his fault. However it ached all the same. Sai had taken her the night to his paint and cavern filled apartment. She remembered she awoke to the sound of the chirping birds and the sound of a brush moving on a cavern. Her nose was filled with the smell of fresh paint and the smell of his black coal ink. When she sat up he was standing on his small balcony, only in his pants, and his body was smeared with paint. Her red cried eyes watching him. He looked like he was in deep thought when he felt her eyes on him. They only stared at each other for a while, not saying anything before he simply offered her a cold cup of coffee.
Some days had gone by since then and it never stopped to feel like an unreal but real movie since Naruto had left the village and her behind.
Oh, she had cried so much one night when she was not able to hold it any longer, she had allowed herself to cry. She wished she was strong enough not to cry, but this time she let her strong self behind. For the few hours of weakness and crying over him blaming herself of being such a big fool and she rushed into work, without thinking twice. Research facility and the hospital filling any free hour she had. This way she was able to shut the noise from her thoughts and the outside world out and mostly of him. Being occupied let her stop thinking about him. A simple solution for her weak heart and the desire to cry out otherwise. For some more days it worked just like that. Hiding away from the world, working like a cloak work only get enough rest that it won´t hurt pregnancy. The white doc coat, two sizes bigger as normal, let her hide her growing belly.
Nevertheless it was only a question of time when she will be called out to field duty again. The day came faster as she wanted to, it would force her to admit to publicly that she is pregnant. She had entered the second trimester save, the nausea was gone. Only the slightly sleepiness clings to her like a parasite. However she will manage that. She won´t be able to hide her swelling middle any longer. She was too thin and the small bump was clearly seen when she won´t wear wide shirts like today. She had hoped that maybe she was one of those rare women who don´t look pregnant until the fifth month, however her condition was special and it was rare that she won´t show more than she already should. The bump told her it will grow now rapidly. She sighed, getting fat was nothing she liked, in the end she was proud of the bump anyway and it did not matter at all. Her due date was the last December week, maybe a bit earlier it may be even Christmas Eve. Who knows, she will see when the time comes. She will be there.
With a last look in her mirror and satisfied that she does hide the little bump successfully enough let her smile and grabbed her pouch, it was her last Mission. A simple C-Rank one, nothing big nothing bad. Deliver a scroll, heal a sickly child and come back. Sai was going with her with Shikamaru who needs to talk to the Mizukage.
Why Sai was going with both of them, she had no idea. Maybe Sai was afraid that she was still angry with him? From the small fight they had last time, or was he worried that she may scalp Shikamaru? He was one reason Naruto refused to hear her out.
They had already talked later on, and she was not sure if she laughed or cried back then. He apologized and he took her out for meals very often to make it all better, in the end she was not angry at Sai and his foul mouth anymore, neither at Shikamaru after she heard his side and his logical reasons of assumption. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time like her and fate moved on its own. Maybe it even had a meaning that this all happened? 'Enough of this thoughts' she scolded herself and drifted back to Sai while putting her boots on. He was not somebody on insisting something, but she got the feeling he did exactly that. Moreover he was also to unknown reason attached to her like a lost puppy the last few weeks. Maybe she should just ask him, at least he shut his mouth on whatever he knows about her. It is the first time did not blurred out stupid stuff that she may have to hit 'reasonable' into him again.
Finished with her boots Sakura called out
"Mum?"
"Yes?" and her mothers head pooped out of nothing in the hallway.
"I will go now" Sakura announced
"Are you sure?" Sakura raised an eyebrow
"Yes?" her mother eyes were downcast a moment, what was with her?
"Take care, come home safe"
"I will Mum, I have Sai and Shikamaru with me"
"Oh yes the pale boy and the genius"
"He is not that pale" Sakura smiled
"Yeah right, even a dead one have more taint than he" Sakura had to chuckle. Yes indeed, he was white as a blank sheet of paper. Maybe she will find a way to bully him into a long-term mission in Suna where he has to be out in the sun 24/7. Maybe that would help is taint.
"Anyway-" she grabbed the door handle "-see you later"
"Bye honey, take care"
"I will" and closed the door behind her and like she already predicted Sai was waiting for her. Looking tired like all the other days, he was training hard she knows. Sometimes he asked for an advice and she told him where he would get the better answers. However he pointed out that Konoha has still a leak somewhere to the enemies. Now with Danzo gone and some power hungry beings in the underground it was not safe to shout out some information's or news into the world. They would do anything to gain Konoha and others to destroy it.
"Yes I know" Sakura sighed. "I don´t like that either"
"Without light there is no shadow, with no shadow there is no light" Sai said.
"Where did you read that?" she asked.
"Secret" Sai retorted cockily and Sakura smiled. So he insisted on her help here and there and she told him her theoretical knowledge hoping it would help him. Sai seemed satisfied with her support but not satisfied with his progress. He was more of an impatient person as he lets on. Frustration was often written on his forehead, next to stubbornness about it and tiredness.
He had trained every free minute, day after day after she had lifted the secret about the seal to him. Back then Sai only stood there with eyes wide open, frozen in place before he vanished without saying anything. She had seen him only a week later with a look in his eyes she had never seen before with a big question.
"I am the real thing or fake?" she had known what he meant or better why he would ask such a question. Nevertheless she was able to assure him that he was the real thing and no fake at all. Sai had already started to change himself, however that day triggered more than she imagined.
For the first time he seemed not stoic like he used too, fixated and in deep thoughts were more the description for Sai at the moment. It even creep her out he was changing so quickly and was attached to her without calling her 'ugly' in at least every second sentence. At the end she was not able to complain, his attachment to her was a relieve in another way. She does not feels alone, she has to admit that. However seeing him today again with the dark rings under his eyes told her, his night sleep was short again.
"You should sleep more Sai" he grunted softly
"And you need more beauty sleep" Sakura smiled. Yes, some stuff would never change, right?
"Hours?"
"Hours?"
"Nearly four, more than enough" Sakura sighed at this.
"It would be good if you sleep as often as you are able to manage six hours on free days even some more"
"Maybe..." he only said and both walked towards the gates where the other teammate was already waiting for them. Chatting with the Guards while waiting for them.
"Ready?" Shikamaru asked
"Yes"
"Yes" and the three man cell was off, not knowing what this journey won´t be everything but no routine.
.
.
The tall man let his hand rand through his shaggy wet silver hair. It was raining hard, the streets already overflowing with the amount of water coming down. He had known the rainy season in Rice Country was something else, however he had forgotten it was that bad around this time here. With quick steps he found his way to an Inn, happy that he was not washed away with the amount of water coming down. He never intended to stay here overnight. However his soaked through clothe, exhausted body, being hungry and the damn rain let him decide otherwise. With a sign his well known features vanished replaced by a brown haired middle aged guy.
"How can I help you?" the front desk guy asked him.
"A room for the night and possible a hot meal?"
"No problem Sir" and the man searched through the book, which room was open.
"You are lucky, we only have two rooms available"
"Lucky me" Kakashi smiled and paid the price for the one-night stay and took the key.
"Second floor, to the right, the last room"
"Thank you" and the Copy Nina vanished dripping water all the way along. He heard the man already calling out a girl name, telling her to mob after him.
The first thing he did was stepping out of his wet clothes. He emptied all bags and wring everything twice and hung them up. With a flick of his hands the fire in the fireplace lit up, sending warmth right away through the room and letting his chilled down skin run over with goosebumps. The next thing he knew was that he was under the hot spray of the shower and sighed again in delight that his skin loose the chilliness slowly and letting him feel again like a normal living being. When he came back out, on the small table was a big tray with food. Covered that it won´t lose its heat. He had felt someone coming in, however chakra less and even when that person had tried to touch him, he would have been dead in mere seconds if necessary.
While rubbing his hair and his mask less face he sat down, food was a very good idea and called his Nin-ken out.
"Hey hoooo!" the dog barked out, looking up to his master. Half naked.
"I hope you won´t ask me of something strange?" the dog asked. Kakashi sighed.
"No Pakkun" and the dog hopped onto the bed, making himself comfortable. The warmth of the room and a fluffy bed is also inviting to a dog.
"Eat up over there, it smells good, than tell me what you want" Kakashi grunted and the dog stared at him, meaning what he had said. The male turned around, took the lit off and found a big bowl of soup with some bread in another small bowl.
"I need you to take something to Tsunade-sama" he said after he was done.
"Will do" Pakkun answered and Kakashi searched in his back bag for a scroll. With a soft noise he opened it and scribbled something else onto it. He was sure he should bring this scroll himself, however he was on a Mission and not able to turn around to deliver information. However for that problem he was able to call his pet friends. The next was the searching for a water proof surrounding for the scroll and after some more searching in his bag he found a plastic wrapping. It will do its job.
"Be quick" he said.
"Like every time" the dog barked and Kakashi opened the window, the cold wind send a chill into the room and Pakkun was gone. He really was bothered what he came across, a few times already. First he sought about a man searching for his lost woman, the second triggered his brain more and the third time let his assumptions start. However no conclusion was solving the mystery. What bothered him the most, his current mission has nothing to do with it, and Kakashi wished he was able to search more about what he had found out. However it has to wait until that mission was over and thought about the woman again, afraid to the core. The Villagers and the woman told him the same, as the case before. Three man came out of nowhere asking of her origins and when this baby will be born, and if she was sure she was not from that clan. This woman was lucky, her due date was not fitting, or so he was told. Nonetheless he found out that she was indeed related to 'that' clan, the specific DNA had "thinned" she was not even a quarter. So she was not useful to them? Maybe so, maybe not. The next thought was, that indeed some of that clan was scattered around, so some were able to flee back then? Or did some left due to marriage or other reasons before the disaster stroked?
Nevertheless it seems there was something up, something bad when they already searching for a pregnant woman with a specific due date from with specific DNA traits. He refused to think that it may be a chimera due to all the bad and evil he already had encountered.
On top the description of one of the three man was not to his liking.
"Sasuke..." he breathed out "What are you up to?"
.
.
They had travelled two days when they arrived a small Village near the boarder. The decision of taking a rest was quickly found.
"Ah a nice bath would be wonderful" Sakura breathed out, stretching a bit while sitting on the bed. They got a 'family' room, that they are able to stay together. Sakura did not mind, however the over protectiveness was something what was bothering her a bit. Was that the male mode when a pregnant woman was around? It was a bit annoying, however she will deal with it in her own way.
"There is a public bath not far away" Shikamaru said while both hand where in his backpack, searching for something.
"Ah yes we walked by" she had seen it, and she was delighted.
"How about we go all, afterwards we eat?" Sai suggested.
"Oh, such a wonderful idea" Sakura smiled and searched for a change of clothe.
Sakura hummed while sitting there making more bubbles with the shampoo in her hair. She had no idea why she loved the public bath that much, she just liked it. She filled her washing basin and purred it over her head. A shriek behind her let her turn around. A small boy, not older as three was sitting on his butt behind her. Using both hands to wipe the soapy water of his face.
"Oh dear" she said and turned around fully. "Are you okay?" she asked and used a towel to dry the child a bit off.
"Mama?" the small one asked and a woman already rushed over.
"Kaito-chan!" and the small child got teary.
"Sorry" the mother apologized to Sakura.
"He did nothing wrong" Sakura assured.
"That is why I told you not to run around" the woman scolded her child a bit. With another apology both were gone. Sakura had just a smile in her face, rubbing unknown to herself her stomach.
"First day of the new year" a voice next to her said, her head moved around.
"Hm?" Sakura hummed out not really thinking she was addressed.
"Your will give birth on the first day of the new year" it was an old woman. Her long gray hair wet attached to her ached body. A small child scrubbing with a sponge the back of the woman.
"Granny?" the child asked.
"Hush Hina-chan" and the child pouted.
"I am due in December" Sakura offered with a smile the correction of her prediction.
"Like I said" the Granny started "You will give birth on the first day of the new year to one healthy boy" Sakura still had a hand over her stomach.
"Your prediction is not that far off, however-" the old woman hold up a hand.
"The first day of the new year one healthy son" Sakura shut her mouth. The Granny would be stubborn about it, right?
"Be prepared" and Sakura did not know how to interpret the look in the eyes of the old woman. Prepared for what? Being a mother? Is there a way to be prepared for that? If it would be there a pill 'perfect mother' she would take it for sure, or she will just try her hardest like everybody else. Never thinking at the words of the Granny again. The rest of her bath was event less and the evening was peaceful, however the Villagers seemed to be on the edge and while eating they heard some locals talking.
"Awful, isn´t it?" the older one asked the younger one.
"Yes it is, why would someone scare a pregnant woman like that?"
"Yeah, hell I would love to beat the shit out of them. Now she is bedridden from the shock, her health fails her"
"I know. Her body barley goes on... and what about the unborn?"
"Poor Goro-san, maybe he will lose both"
"This will be a dark hour then"
"I wish I could do something" Sakura was already on her feet, her both male companions behind her.
"Excuse me" and bowed slightly when the two males faced her.
"I.. We did not mean to overhear what you are talking about, however we did" she explained.
"It´s rude to listen to someone else conversation" Sakuras hand trembled a bit, however it was not the time to be rash.
"I know, sorry about that"
"Damn right, now go" the older one hushed her.
"I am a Doctor, maybe I am able to help" she just said afterwards.
"Pfft" it was the older one. "A little girl?" he asked. "When our local doctor is not able to help, then no one is. Little girls like you should go back home and play with dolls or something" the man ordered a new round of Sake, ignoring her completely.
She however was already shaken with anger.
"Little girl?" she breathed out "Playing with dolls?" it was Shikamarus hand which stopped her doing something stupid and dragged her out. She was breathing heavy.
"Chill" Shikamaru said "It is not good for the both of you" and it was like a cold bucket of water over her. He was right about that.
"Ah sorry" she apologized.
"Hm hm" he mumbled when Sai came out too, he had paid and rubbed his forehead a bit. Somehow he got a headache again.
"Let´s search for the doctor, it is the quickest way to find the woman in question"
"Every minute passing by means the loss of the child and maybe even..." it felt sick to her mouth to say it.
"We know" and all three vanished into three different directions. The Village was not big in population, however it still took some time to find the doctor who was surprised by the late night visitors.
"Yes, her name is Arisu Manabou, her husband is Goro Manabou" the doctor explained and handed her his medical file of her. He was a Doctor of the 'non' ninja way and he respected Medic Nins, he expected quickly that the pink haired young woman may was the help Arisu needed.
Sakura frowned over the written report of the doctor, Kazuo Hajime. A petite build man in his mid thirties.
"Bring me to her, now" she demanded and the doctor only nodded. With the quickest pace the doctor was able to maintain they went out of the Village, down in a small Valley. Even without the daylight, everyone was able to tell how beautiful it must be there. Sadly there was not time to lose thoughts about the nice scenery and Kazuo knocked at the door. It took a moment when a tall man, with sad and worried eyes opened the door.
"Doctor" and opened the door a bit more. "In the middle of the night?" the poor man was sleep deprived.
"A Medic Nin came across our Village and heard about your wife, may she look over her? Maybe she will find something" Goro looked at the tree foreigners.
"Oh a Medical Ninja?" looking back and forth between Shikamaru and Sai. "And his assistance?" and looked at Sakura. How cliché Sakura thought, the woman is only the assistance?
"This is Sakura Haruno, she is the Medical Ninja"
"Oh..." he only said, eyeing her for a second time.
"Look" Sakura said a bit annoyed. "We can waste time here in your door frame and let you wonder how is it able that a woman is a Medical Ninja, or you let us in and I examine your wife and maybe will even find out what is wrong. It is your choice, if we may have the chance to safe her life or not" after this Goro moved aside, making room to let them in.
It would be really stupid not to take any chance to help is wife, maybe she was all talk, maybe she was not. He did not dare to hope, however the tiny bit of hope was lit up again.
The hut was lit with oil lamps, a stew on the fireplace. A small kid about four or five years old asleep on the thick carpet near the fireplace. A blanket draped over the small frame. An open door with faint light, lured her in. The wood creaked under feet when she approached the bed. The checks of Arisu were bright red, a wet cloth on her forehead. A high fever. She felt the presence behind her.
"How long does she have the high fever?" she asked, knowing she will get an answer.
"Since the morning"
"Hmmm" Sakura said, it was not good to maintain so long a high fever. Her hand put the cover aside, the baby lump clearly seen. It would be around seven or eight month. In a moment she would know more. Her hand touched the wet nightgown over her belly. Her eyes closed in concentration. Letting her chakra slowly in. The woman felt the disturbance and her head moved with a groan.
"Sakura-san?" Kazuo asked, fearing already the worst, since she said nothing for a while. Her hand stopped glowing and again more silence.
"There is nothing you can do?" Goro asked already strained before he knew the answer.
"The child is well developed for barley eight month" she said tension in her voice, her mind some steps ahead of her.
"I need hot water, clean towels and the rest I will write down" out of nowhere she had a notepad with a pen in her hand.
"What are you gonna do?" Goro asked.
"You child will be born now" she only said and pushed the note in the hand of the doctor.
"Sai make sure to be quick" he nodded only and grabbed the doctors arm to take him with him.
"What do you mean? It is not due date and..." he lost any words he might wanted to say.
"It is either that or both will die, choose right now" she said looking the tall man in his eyes and Goro answered without hesitation "Ok" and Shikamaru frowned already, knowing he will have to do something he does not want to do...
Only minutes later Sai come back with the local doctor who was slight green in the face. Sai had a smirk in his face, Sakura did not pay any attention to it however Shikamaru did for a moment. So the doctor has motion sickness? It sure was a hell ride for the poor man on Sais bird. Anyway his bag looked like it was good filled with whatever Sakura had requested.
Goro helped as much as Sakura let him, since he was protective and very afraid of what will happen further on. The information that a woman he never saw will force the birth of his child, was something which did not settled in completely. He did not even dared to ask how and what will happen after the birth. He was too afraid.
With all the commotion the young child woke up, since his father had to move him, flare the fire more to boil some water.
"Dad?" the tiny voice asked, tired and irritated with all the unknown faces.
"Eiji " his father acknowledged the little boy "These people will help to bring your brother or sister into this world" he said, patting the dirty brown coloured hair of the boy. Big eyes go from his father to the unknown and back.
"And Mum?" the adult tried to smile "They will try their best, let us pray for mum and your sibling" and took his child into his lap.
"Whatever you will hear" Sakura started "You will not enter, you do not want to see it" she said. A nod to Sai was all, and an ink hound was out of the scroll guarding the door.
The hot water was on the empty nightstand. Towels on the rim of the bed. Sakura had her hair already pinned up and was using a big towel around her chest, which goes down to her knees as a lab coat. There was just nothing else.
Kazuo used the windowsill to put together what Sakura requested. The empty injections will be filled in not time and he mixed and mixed, sweat on his forehead.
"Both of you clean your hand again" she ordered and both male did. She did too. Inhaled and exhaled again. The situation was bad, very bad and the outcome was in question. However she will try her best, her condition was not one to do such a medical treatment. She would lie if she says she know everything will be fine, that her chakra supplement won´t fail her due to her own pregnancy. She has no idea, however she has to try. Without any help of her, the death of both would be sure. She leaned with one knee on the bed, using the tonic to disinfect the swollen stomach.
Sai hold a big fluffy towel in both arms. Shikamaru holding the tray of whatever Sakura may need.
"Kazuo-sama, are you ready?" she asked and the doctor turned around, a small tray with three injections ready.
"You will have to help the baby, use the bluish injection, afterwards you will tell Sai how to rub to help the circulation, ok?"
"Ok"
"I will start now" and her hand started to glow in brighter green, they had ever saw as healing chakra. With a swift but still careful motion she let her hand move, blood was seen quickly. A few more swift cuts here and there. The woman groaned. They did not use medics on her, the feverish state was enough not to let her feel much at the very moment, however she will be in a bit. That is why she was bound the bed, she had no time to feel sorry. Anaesthetics would kill the woman right away, if the body send her the will to wake up and she will wake up. It would be a good sign until she will fade away again into the darkness.
Sai never moved his eyes, it was the first time he saw Sakura in action like that. He know she was a good medic, a really good one and like Shikamaru they were amazed by what she was doing right now.
"Here it comes" she said and all of sudden with what looked a rough movement the baby was just out. No cry was heard and Sakura cursed. Sending a quick shook through the poor child. A mouth motion was seen and pushed the baby in Sais arms, the local doctor already next to him with the shoot. Without out thinking twice, the needle pierced the skin.
"Come" Sai heard and he puts the child down onto cushioned box in the corner. Without any hesitation the doctor put his finger in the tiny mouth, trying to get whatever was there out. A bit of slime was found.
"Like this" the doctor said shortly after. They don´t have much time, that was something Sai understood perfectly. The baby need to breath and he helped rubbing some special herbal lotion onto the body of the small child. "Don´t use force" Kazuo told Sai again, making Sai a bit afraid he might hurt the baby.
Sakura however was nearly thrown off the bed when Arisu screamed and trashed her body to the left and right with eyes wide open, only to roll back in her head and fall back.
"Not good" she only said, healing the c-section layer by layer. Her hands were bloodstained and sweat on her forehead.
"Give me the red one" she said to Shikamaru who hurried around the bed to fetch the object she asked for. She snatched it out of his hand, with her mouth she took the plastic lit of. Pushing the needle in Arisus arm.
"Water" and the bowl was next to her only a small cry interrupted her for a second, a smile graced her for a second and she went ahead trying to safe the mother of two children.
Kazuo sighed out in relief, the baby gaining a healthy colour now and was crying since it sure was cold.
Sai looked down amazed by the small being crying there, helpless and naked. They were all small like this when they were born? So tiny, such small hands and fingers. Small legs, feet and toes. Such a small fragile being is what they were all once were?
It was an odd good feeling he was harbouring now. It was warm and pleasant. Something he never experienced before. In the meantime while Sai stared, Kazuo had gotten a fresh towel after he washed his hands, pushing it again in Sais arms, putting the baby in it and covered the new being in this world with the corners of the towel. Now in a fluffy towel and starting to feel warm, the crying was subsiding down.
"Bring her to Goro-san, please..." and Sai nodded silently.
Goro was clutching onto the table when he heard his wife scream, his son had started crying right after that. What to do? He asked himself, yes what to do? He could only wait and he did. Patting the head of his son, never letting his eyes move away from the door to the bedroom.
The doorknob moved, the door creaked while being opened slightly and a dark dresses boy walked out, in one arm a green towel. The door creaked again when he closed the door, trying not to let them see what was going on inside.
With slow and steady steps he approached Goro, his eyes were already glued to onto him. With a small motion he hinted to take the bundle from him and Goro did, small noises reached the ears while the baby was shifted from one to another.
"It is a girl" Sai informed. "Kazuo-san said it is nothing worrisome about her" he was not sure if it was ok to say she was healthy, she was early born and for now alive and well enough.
"A girl" and looked down, looking at his daughter which wasn´t supposed to be in this world just yet and here she was.
"Thank you" he said and the small boy clutched the leg of his father.
"Eiji " Goro said "Look your sister" and kneeled down to the level of Eiji.
"Oh" the boy said, with red puffy eyes and tears on his cheek. "Small" he hiccuped.
"Yes, isn´t she?" his father asked.
"I was that small too?" he asked, rubbing his wet eyes.
"Yes once" and the child tried to smile. "No never" and his father smiled at him.
Sai watched the scene before him. He never knew fatherly love or mothers love. It was only in books, a rough description of what it may be. Sakura told him, that it is hard to describe what it feels like to be a mother in wait. She tried to explained it in words, however it does not make any sense to him and maybe that was what it is about. The undying love, everlasting feeling of protection, the non stopping warmth in your chest. It had no real sense, it is just there when you love somebody, when you are going to be a parent. He really has no idea, however he wished that maybe it would be nice to know.
"What about Mum, Dad?" and the grown man froze. Looking then up to Sai.
"They try" he only said and Goro was sure the meaning behind it was more negative as positive. Goro turned his head to Eiji.
"One of your prayers was heard Eiji" and whipped the baby in his arms a bit.
"Maybe God is able to hear another prayer of ours for Mum" and the small kid nodded his head...
It was Shikamarus arms who supported all her weight, when she clutched onto him. Her chakra system had shut her out of using anymore and only fatigue was left. Her breathing was hard, her body was aching and she was feeling like she need to throw up. Yes, overworked she was not able to deny it. However it may was worth it, the baby was healthy and alive and the next hours and the regular injection will tell if she succeeded saving Arisu or not. She had the pregnancy poison in her body. A mental state which let her body weakens with an infection god knows from where that comes in her liver. It was not detectable for an ordinary doctors without the equipment, the poison was easily diagnosed with a virus infection.
"Every hour she need a shot" she informed Kazuo panting. "And now I have to excuse myself" she huffed out with a ragged breath and went slump in Shikamarus arms. She nearly slipped away, his grip was a bit rougher around her body.
"Sakura..." he breathed out...
.
.
The small fire was dying down slowly when a girl put some more wood into it, to feed the fire again. Still she did not stop complaining to the one of the two males. They were fighting about useless stuff and Sasuke frowned lightly at both of them. More of irritation and annoyance than anything else. Why where they with him again? He asked himself, ah yes Madara shoved them onto him.
The girls name was Nari Ekigushi. Her hair was slightly greenish with a hint of brown, her skin was bronze and her eyes a dull yellowish colour, which let her eyes glow when light hit them. The other one was Shige Motori a thin and very pale young man, somewhat older than himself as far as he was able to tell. He had blond hair and pale violet eyes. His high was about a head taller than he, as for the girl she was shorter as him and maybe about 18 or 19 years old.
Like the other days he tried to shut them out of his normally silent world, trying to focus on something else without loosing the touch of his surroundings. So he looked up the sky. It was cloudless night sky with the glittering of the thousand of stars and a thin sickle of the moon. It was a night view he liked, and he did not liked much stuff anyway. However it did not let him forget his unsatisfying thoughts of his, about the mission he was send on. It was for the propose of tacking down Konoha, and hell he will even go out to get some jobs done for Madara, if it helps succeeding the goal.
Madara was smart or just insane, he was not able to decide. However the man was smart enough to have another plan to make up for a failure. The failure was only because Naruto showed up, when he was not supposed to be there at all. A wrong calculation and a downfall for the plan, the next one will even think about the fox and he will be the one bring him down. He has more than enough time to find a way and train to take him down.
Another mute sigh of his, letting his thoughts drifting back to his current problem. His mission.
He was briefed about it. He was in search of a woman. Someone who was carrying the blood of the once well known and feared long lived clan. As far as he knew know it was perished, annihilated and very few around the world shattered. The original pure bloodline mixed with other ones, letting it slowly fade out. However they must be at least one, who wasn´t that mixed down, since she was the object of his mission. Or better the child she was giving birth too.
It make the search a bit easier. A pregnant woman of that clan was rarer than a clan member at all. However with the few survivors scattered around the world, did not helped him at all. At least there were three other teams out there to in search for the mission target.
The first thing he did after he got the Mission was trying to sought out the history of the clan and what else he was able to get his hands of it.
The clan was blessed with the long lives, they were getting older than anybody else. They were master of the Fuuin Techniques, sealing's are one of the most complex Jutsus he came across. And he did not like to say it, however even he is only able to use low ranked Fuuin. The higher ones are nothing he may ever touch.
Next to it, the most well known and visible trait of the clan was the hair colour. The DNA was aggressive, like his. Eating any trait of the other partner away, and so the search was down to red heads. Red hairs like Karin, he assumed back then already belong to that clan. He wondered how it was possible that Naruto was a blond, maybe there was something wrong with the DNA calculation, or it was once in a million happening.
He had no idea and did not care much about it. However a difficult feeling, that he may know where to find that pregnant woman never left his mind. He had to shake his head to it, since it was not possible. He sighed mentally. At least his search was down to a woman with red hair, most likely up to 95%. Being pregnant, which is 100 %.
It should not be that hard to find her, right?
The only thing he asked himself was, why the hell did he not find her yet?
.
.
Shikamaru rubbed his temples, his eyes tired from watching over the sleeping Sakura, her head in his lap, for an unknown reason a hand on her lump. Somehow he want to make sure her child was safe and wished he would be able to use some medic jutsu. Kazuo was dead tired to, staying awake the whole night giving shot after shot. Using his stethoscope to make sure the heart beats regular, that the lungs won´t made unusual sounds. He also said, that as far as he was able to tell about a pregnant Shinobi that Sakura was just exhausted and would be fine when she wakes up. For the rest Sakura need to make sure herself, he was able to hear the normal regular heartbeat and was surprised by something however said nothing else. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but was to tired to ask and leaned onto the wooden wall behind him.
Sai looked terrible with dark rings under his eyes when he walked through the door, two big bags full of grocery with him.
"Sakura?" he asked
"No" and the early sun was shining through the windows. Sai put everything out, holding out a box with formula and a bottle to the little boy.
"Give this your dad, you sister is hungry" and the boy skipped away.
"I will make breakfast" he announced. He was not a great chef, however for a decent breakfast his cooking skills were good enough.
A sizzling sound and the smell of fresh tea filled her nose, saying it was time to eat something and she should wake up, about right now. Her heavy lids opened slowly and she groaned a bit. Her body was a bit sore of the overuse of her chakra.
"It smells good" she moaned, feeling a warm hand vanished from her belly and a tired Shikamaru was looking down to her.
"It is good to have you awake" he said "Are you fine?" he asked
"Hmm hmm" she hummed letting her hand glow over her belly. "We are all fine" she said then "It was the backfire of overusing chakra, my body will automatically shut down the usage of chakra when it is at the point of hurting the pregnant me"
"Ok?" he asked and she sat up very slowly, rubbing her back in the process. The bank was not a suitable place to sleep, still better than the floor.
"Come eat" Sai said and put down a plate with scrambled eggs and some bread. Simple but good enough. She looked around. Kazuo was explaining something to Goro who was feeding the baby girl with the bottle. Eiji was sitting besides him, looking at the small being sucking on the bottle.
"In a minute, let me look at Arisu-san first" and stood up. To her amazement the woman woke up under her soft touch.
"Hmmm" the woman groaned, she was still pale. The fever was down to a non dangerous temperature. The last side effects of all what happened.
"Arisu-san" Sakura asked "Do you hear me, Arisu-san"
"Hmmm" and her eyes fluttered open...
.
.
Tsunade stared down at the scroll. The one Kakashi had send her. Her folded hands, were already white from her pressure, her lips a thin line her eyes a sharp look.
The reported events he came across weren't the first ones. It already happened a good amount of time. Frightened pregnant women all over the nations. Some were very blood thinned descendant of the clan, some not, some where. She thought there were less of the clan survivors out there, know they all know that was not the case. They were more than everybody had thought.
However with Kakashis Report made the assumptions she and the intelligence facility had more true and more terrifying. What when Madara got his hands on that child. It would mean the world was fated to be destroyed forever. How she wished that this will never happen. Not now or ever. It was clear as the blue sky out there. This child means war and the downfall of the world.
.
.
With a nearly two day delay the moved on. Sakura refreshed with chakra and enough sleep like the other two. While sitting on the ink bird again, she was deep in thoughts. Shikamaru tried to scribble down something in the scroll and Sai rubbed his forehead on the same spot about an hour already, leaving behind a red area.
Arisu had made it. She came through and was thankful to Sakura, the gods and whatever was there that she was allowed to be alive like her daughter.
Sakura was then a bit shy all of a sudden, waved it off. 'It is my job, I am happy I could help' the small Eiji liked her very much and was happy to see his mother well, or better getting well.
Shikamaru asked for the cause of the mental shut down and Arisu had frozen up for some time.
"Maybe we will find the bastards" he suggested and slowly the bedridden woman told them what happened. It was disturbing, very disturbing and let all three fell in deep thoughts about the information's they got.
"We should gather information's about incidents like that" Sai suggested and Shikamaru nodded.
"Yes I think so too" he said and started to scribble down in his scroll, after this one was full he took the next one. He let his thoughts move his hands to write down whatever. His brain was working at his best and Sakura had another ill feeling about the whole story.
"It isn´t good, when it is what I think it is" she said and Sai eyebrows moved to a thinking position.
"Hmmm" he hummed out, another habit he took from someone and all three did not say another word until they had reached their destination.
.
.
It was about a week later when they were called into the Hokage office. They had written long reports about the last mission. However they quickly found out, that this wasn´t the first case.
"About Arisu Manabou incident" the Tsunade started. "I wanted to let you know we will start an investigation"
"You don´t have to tell us" Sakura said, wondering why they were told. Shikamaru know already and Sai knows now too.
"I trust you, that is why I tell you, guys and sighed a bit. "Kakashi found something similar in a few more cases not to mention our intelligence facility gathered information of similar cases since weeks" she explained. "Why I am telling you that?" she asked.
"I will need you out there and you need to know what is going on. I want you guys to know that it is Sasuke related, which means Madara" and Sakura hold her breath a cold chill run down her spine.
"Sasuke..." she breathed out.
"Yes... sadly yes" she said leaning back.
"The problem is, you know how much value the Uzumaki blood have, yes?"
"They are known for long living and feared for the sealing techniques"
"Yes, that is a reason too" Tsunade breathed out "The other one is the compatible of being a host for a Biju" another chill down her spine.
"There are no other Biju out there, right?" Sakura dared to ask. Wasn´t the extracted Bijus lost in the last war? And the only one left Naruto and Bee itself?
"That is what we do not know, it is possible to hold onto the essence for god knows how long. Never ever one tried before. So we fear the worst, the what if is bigger than the what if not" Sakura rubbed her arms.
"Not pleasant" she said
"It is not" Tsunade answered "I assumed already, whenever our Naruto will be a father himself he will constantly fight of enemies who wants to take his children for being either a container of an Biju, evil essence or whatever" the knowledge was ugly, it was something you do not want to know.
"Anyway... we need to find that child"
"And then?"
"Either hide it... or the worst case..."
"Eliminate" Sai finished the sentence that was the moment Sakura was sick to her stomach, ready to puke.
"No" she breathed out.
"That is why I will choose the first one, however we still have the underground problems" she said "Just because Danzo is dead, does not mean the 'root' of it died" and looked at Sai.
"That is true" he said "However since my loyalty is with my friends, I have no access to any of the group. Names alone won´t be enough to investigate them, nor will they be investigated that easily."
"I know that" Tsunade sighed. Sakura believes in Sai, she had too and she will. After putting his life in her hands and being grateful to her afterwards were true words. So she had to put her faith into him, no matter what.
"We can only try our best to find and keep that child safe" Tsunade announced. "That bastard is not allowed to mess with a child live, we just cannot allow it..."
.
.
"WHAT!" Sakura nearly dropped the tea cup.
"You know what I said" Shikamaru said, putting his tea cup down.
"Why... how can you... even consider..." Sakura was lost, lost in all the mess she tried so hard not to drown. She was afraid to disappoint her parents, not being able to be a good mother, not being able to survive as a single parent and being that young. It was one of these days were the fears overweight the happiness about being pregnant.
"The rumour is going around the village anyway. At the moment it is not in the open that you are really pregnant, however since my assumption on Nejis party everybody thinks 'we' are expecting" rubbing his neck while saying so.
"No wonder Ino is avoiding me" Sakura mumbled. She felt the looks of Ino on her and every time she wanted to start a conversation the blonde excuses herself and fled into any direction where Sakura was not.
"She is pissed at me, I shrugged her off back then when I had the first signs of being pregnant and now with the rumours she flees when she sees me" Sakura sighed
"Very mature" he sighed.
"Yes... Anyway there should be another way" Sakura suggested after a while, noticing that a dark haired one sneaked noiseless into house. Her parents were out at work, it was only midday.
"Ah gosh" Sakura said standing up "Can´t you bleed out in the bathroom instead of the fresh cleaned floor?" she asked the wounded one. Sai huffed only and was dragged into the bathroom.
"You starting to get the bad habit of Kakashi of not visiting the hospital" Sai himself grunted unlike him. He sure was in pain, the Anbu gear told her, that is was for sure an ugly mission and a bloody on top. He was tired and exhausted. The muscles were stiff under her hands, he need some good nutrition and sleep.
"I trust you more" was his only statement he said to her, and it made her shut up again, while he bleeds on the white tiled floor. She frowned slightly when the pulled down his pants without hesitation showing her his leg was blue and a cut was neatly running down, it was not deep however poisoned.
"You are an idiot" she hissed and her hands started to glow in her soothing green chakra. Shikamaru himself stood in the door frame, looking at her work and wondered again how anybody could have missed in the academy days that she was a natural talent to medic jutsu or had chakra control like no other, it was like prodigies or genius. One of the kind once every few years. Somebody had missed the chance to take a good look at her back then.
"Shikamaru?" she asked
"Yes?"
"Can you fetch something from my room and a glass of water?"
"Sure"
"It is in the left shelf in the brown box, the second bottle with the number eight on it"
"Ok" and he was off. She frowned at his leg again.
"Make sure you won´t die, got it?"
"Yes" he said, giving her a tired Sai smile.
"Idiot" and smiled too, after she was done healing him she shoved three pills down his throat. "I don´t care, just sleep" she just said to him and he was already asleep when his head hit her pillow. She sighed.
"Man" she breathed out "Idiot" and shut the door behind her, joining Shikamaru in the kitchen again.
"And?" he asked, enjoying the Newspapers while she was gone.
"I need to change my sheets again" she grunted out and he only shrugged. Sai was not able to make more than three steps before he would fall unconscious. Since he was more proud as everybody thought, he took the her bed instead of being carried home by Shikamaru who would have done it.
Hours later Shikamaru was gone off to Suna, he would be back in a week. Sai was still sleeping in her bed like a log. Foreign to her that he was so defenceless. He would wake up at any slightest noise, ready to strike. She sat on the balcony with a big book in her lap, medical book. What else and was reading while enjoying the late rays of the sun. Dinner was already over and a tray with some Onigiri and a bowl of salad was on the desk for Sai if he ever will wake up today again. Somehow she doubted it and was ready to take the couch tonight. She sighed, he had to report back in the Anbu headquarter, he would get an earful, however it was not her problem, right?
.
.
Shikamaru yawned. He was playing GO the whole night with some old men he does not know, however it was fun and rubbed his neck a bit. The bit sleep he had whiled sitting was not refreshing, but better than nothing and was escorted up the tower. Like every time and was greeted politely.
"Shikamaru-san"
"Gaara-sama" he said and both shook hand.
"It is good to see you" Gaara said and pointed to the seat available for the Nara Clan member. Both sat down.
"Yes, same here" and put a box onto the table. Gaara removed the lit, looked over them a moment and closed the box again.
"Thank you for delivery"
"No problem at all, it is a honour"
"It may be was not a problem, however my substitute ambassador got his schedule jumbled up... otherwise he would have been there to fetch them in Konoha. I am sorry for the inconvenience" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. With all the stuff going on in his head and around him, now as Gaara mentioned. He hasn´t seen Temari for a long time.
"Oh? A substitute ambassador?"
"Yes, my sister is not available"
"I am allowed to ask why?"
"Yes sure" Gaara said and leaned back in his seat "Temari got a group of ten ninjas to teach them in wind based jutsus. It is like a ritual of growing up or like graduation of the wind jutsu school after they come back. They are in an enclosed area, nobody is allowed to leave until training is done, nobody is allowed in until they are finished. It takes between six to twelve month. Until then I have to live with my sloppy ambassador... I better send my brother next time..." and the young Hokage sighed...
.
.
One week later a figure was standing on her balcony while she was deep in thoughts, again. She drifted of like that very often, having doubts and fears about her future. She sighed then all so often telling herself to be strong and to figure out how this all will work out.
It filled her thoughts around the clock. The what to do now, how to manage, how to this how to that. It seems there were more questions as answers available to her. The only thing she was sure of was, she was able to provide. She never had to pay rent or buy something beside ninja gear for herself. Her mother scolded her when she bought herself a skirt to go out.
"Safe your money for later, honey" her mother said and her father only nodded. "If you want a skirt, just tell us" she felt so little in that moment. She wanted to be independent and stay strong and pay for herself. After talking about the why she should safe up and why her parents force her to take some providing of theirs, she just shut up and let it be. She does understand the reason behind it and it made her parents happy to see she was not out of their reach yet. So she told them when she liked to have some new sandals or a lotion. Her mother smiled happily then and either they went shopping together or it was later up in her room on her desk. Every time she thanked with a big smile and got a big smile in return.
Now everything is not the same anymore. She won´t be able nor does she want to rely on her parents. It was not fair to push her heavy load onto them. They did a fine job with her, and was now her time to show she was not a bad daughter, even while pregnant that young.
Sakura hold up her bankbook, she just let it update in the morning and now she looked through the sides. The neatly printed numbers. One paycheck after another, Mission payment. The number of her paycheck had rapidly grown after she had become a Jonin and the Head of the Hospital. Even the mission pay went up as well too, she is double paid. Once for being in the Mission and the second for being a Medic on Mission. With that amount of money she is on the safe side. She is able to provide no matter what even alone if necessary and when is able to be back on Mission, she is able to pay for a Nanny and the Day-care and still there will be enough to live a comfortable life. Still a bit of doubt lingers in her, how could it not. She was for heavens sake only a 17 year old young woman and she will be at the end of this year a mother. It scared sometimes the better out of her, letting her heart beating faster. Afraid of the ugly truth out there, the one hunting her often in her dreams. The thoughts of holding her own child in her arms, let is subside down very quickly. Forgetting the bad thoughts and whatnot. The happiness overweight fears quickly and effective.
She sighed a bit, putting her bankbook in the drawer of her desk. Today she brought herself a new big shirt, against her mother wishes. However it was maternal clothes so she couldn´t just ask. The bag rustled a bit when she got the new shirt out, it was sleeveless for the summer heat. She wrapped herself out of her clothes and searched in her wardrobe for shorts. After a minute or two she was frustrated and found out that she indeed has only her ninja gear shorts and only one pair unbroken shorts in dark brown. She sighed and pushed her legs through, next was the shirt. Or better it was more dress like. The soft cloth fell over her butt and belly, she let her hand run over the clothe. The dress shirt was in a soft pale green, the band under her boobs was snow-white with a bow. She looked at herself in the mirror. Front, side, front and side again. Her hand under her small lump. Indeed she was very pregnant wasn´t she? A soft knock on her window was heard. She whirled around a bit surprised, her shoulder length hair moving slightly with her movement. Feeling like she might got an heart attack just now, wasn´t she a Shinobi? For heavens sake.
"Jumpy?" he asked.
"Haha" she grunted. "Hey" she said to her visitor. The door from her balcony was wide open and there weren't many who would just come to her like that.
"Hey there too" she was greeted back and the male studied her from head to toe, it let redden her cheeks a bit.
"What?" she asked. He did not dare to say he was there the whole time, he would earn him a punch to Suna or so.
"Dunno" he said "Pregnant woman are all beautiful" he said and she opened her mouth then shut it, then open it again this time with words coming out.
"I am ugly while not pregnant then?" Quickly he caught his own mistake, he should have said it not like that, right?
"Sakura" he said, seeing her slight angry look. "That is defiantly not the case you know as good as me you are a pretty one and you know as a Medic with some psychology lessons that pregnant women are even more beautiful to men, right?" Sakura 'hmpfed' only however was satisfied with is accurate excuse and hell, he said she was pretty before and being pretty now should count, right?
"Anyway, I like the green shirt you got"
"Yeah right?" she asked back grinning at herself in the mirror again.
"Did you thought of a kimono style shirt too?"
"Hm? No, not really I was never in the Kimono business"
"How about I show you what I mean, my cousin said there were really comfy"
"Oh ok, show me later if I am still alive then..." and frowned a bit.
"You will" he said, his voice changed from soft to business. She sighed mute.
It was time, time to tell and starting to life something she never imagined she will do. All for safety and be sure nothing bad will happen. It was a decision she, no they both or with Sai in it three came to. It was the easiest and sadly the best. Guilt was running through her veins.
"Don´t look like that" he said to her, seeing already what she thought about.
"But..."
"No! No regrets about that" he said and she looked down to her naked feet. Painted with green nail polish, something she would never do while in the mission roster. From today on she will be a free bird about that and she will paint her nails and toes to her heart content.
"I see you in an hour" he said, putting a small bag on her bad, bid his farewell and was gone. Inside were green tea cookies. She smiled slightly and munched some trying not to remember the live changing decision they had chosen together...
He was sitting on the reeling of her balcony and she sat again on the balcony this time to enjoy the small breeze, the first moving wind in days. He was in a grouched form, his arms loose in his lap a cigarette in his mouth. Sakura stared at him for a moment while the trees let the moonlight play on his features. They had talked about it, again and again. She had thought about it for many days, he did it too and the conclusion was "We do it" he said to her what she thought.
"Yes we do" resting her head on the reeling only dressed in a pale nightgown. He was wearing a sloppy greyish baggies, a plain white shirt and Geta on his feet. He did not shave the last two or three days, some stubble was seen in his face. Bags under his eyes, he was gone for a mission. Only showered, stuffed himself with food and found then the notice she had left for him and here he was.
Dead tired, mind set.
There was no other way, for now and maybe even later. Now they both knew, if they start this, there was no way out of it and no way back. He lifted his hand slowly into her direction. It was a small gesture, a sweet one for bystanders. However to them it was the beginning.
Sakura lifted her hand too, laying it softly into his hand. He squeezed it softly. And for the longest time, she did smile happy at him for real. She felt save for this moment and grateful that she had no words for it. The sacrifice he is making. What was her aching heart for that price he pays? Nothing to be compared, there was nothing, nothing at all...
Visit me - Junablossom - on devianArt
You will find in my Gallery and Scrapbook stuff for True Lies and many other things :-)
Please: Review too to help erasing mistakes and for support.
I hope you did enjoy my story.
Junablossom