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September seventh, still the seventeenth week
Matsuri grudgingly came to get them as the sun was setting, it was the first time they had seen her all day and Naruto was actually kind of glad for it. She didn't seem to like any of them, him most of all. Naruto had opened the door when she had knocked and he stony expression soured, if that was possible. "Kazekage-sama has requested your presence, I'm to take you there." She glared at him as she spoke. Before he could say anything, the redhead turned around and took a step away from him, knocking on Yamato and Apricot's room.
"Better get your shoes on, Kakashi." Naruto left the door open. He turned back into the room to see his old mentor reclining on his bed, Icha Icha Paradise book in his hands. "Gaara's asked for us." Kakashi didn't look to him as he closed his book and slid off his bed silently to grab his shoes. The blonde couldn't help but smile as he toed on his own shoes, they had been loafing around all day and he could tell his old mentor was still tired from their trip to Suna.
"You're still tired, Kakashi-sensei?" The blonde couldn't help but tease. Kakashi's good eye swiveled towards him as he pointedly put on his footwear. "Have you thought about retiring? 'Cause, you're not getting any younger." That earned Icha Icha Paradise being thrown at his head. Naruto dodged it and turned his head to smile at Matsuri when her head whipped in his direction at the sound.
"Come on, Apricot." Yamato opened the door to their room and stepped out, already prepared to go. The blonde could see Apricot braiding her wet hair as she stood up from her bed. Naruto picked up the book Kakashi had thrown at him and handed it to the white haired man to stick into his vest discretely.
"How was showing Apricot Suna?" Kakashi asked Yamato. He and Naruto both stepped out of the room, Kakashi shutting the door as Yamato gave them both a pointed, irritated look.
"As much fun as you would expect." Yamato muttered quietly. "We finally managed to get her into some shoes." The brunette male motioned with his head to the room. Matsuri was pointedly watching Kyoko; waiting for her to leave the room so she could get on with her duties and Naruto followed her gaze. He could see the pair of well-used leather boots now covering her normally bare feet.
"The sand finally did you in?" Naruto asked with a grin. Apricot looked up to him with her wide green eyes and then down at the shoes, surprised by the question. She nodded in response and shut the door.
"Are you all finally ready?" Matsuri ground out. Naruto glanced over to Yamato, raising his eyebrows; someone was in a really bad mood. Splaying his hand out in front of them, Yamato bowed to her with a politely gracious smile. He was obviously trying to placate her but she just glared at him as she passed. Naruto grinned as Apricot followed the other woman immediately and Yamato straightened, obviously chagrinned. They followed the sand ninja through the halls once again in silence, up at least six flights of stairs; the blonde gave up counting them, and finally led them out to the rooftop. The sun was still setting but the heat of the day had already ebbed substantially, a cool breeze surprising him for a moment. From here he could see the entire village and the desert surrounding it, the sloping dunes of sand that stretched for miles, the darkening sky tinged with yellow and orange. What a sight.
"Come on." Matsuri looked back to them for a quick moment. She jumped off the rooftop and they followed her, Apricot scrambling against the tiles when she made a slipped landing. Yamato took a step towards her, preparing to jump after her if she fell. When she righted herself, she bit her lip and tugged on her braid almost ruthfully as she refused to meet anyone's gaze. After a few seconds, Matsuri waited for the younger redhead to get her footing, then jumped to the next rooftop. Naruto was the first to jump, Kakashi and Apricot following him with Yamato taking the rear, to make sure she wouldn't fall. They moved across the village, finally stopping on the outskirts, the old rickety building seemingly built into the protective wall that hid the village from the rest of the world and protected it from dust storms.
Matsuri dropped down to the street, casting a furtive glance down the street, both ways. Naruto did the same thing, far less discrete but there was no one in sight, not even the tingling feeling at the back of his head of knowing he was being watched by Sand anbu. A soft thud alerted the blonde that Kakashi had fallen just a foot behind him, then a louder thud with a resounding crack that probably meant Apricot broke a bone in her foot or leg. Yamato's soft thud came seconds after and Naruto looked over to them, noticing how Apricot was wincing as she kneeled on the ground, her hands wrapped around her ankle.
"This way." The sand ninja didn't bother stopping for the other redhead this time, she opened the door to the old building and stepped inside. Apricot stood up again, her face pale and lips pursed in a thin line but she walked on her own two feet into the house, following Matsuri first. Naruto let Yamato follow after the younger girl; he certainly wasn't going to take over the role of her caretaker. Inside the house was dark; there weren't any windows and only a single bulb that flickered randomly. It lighted the nearly empty room, showing that the dirty, dusty floor was littered with splintered pieces of wood and the narrow stairs in the far corner. Matsuri was already by the stairs, turned and facing the limping Apricot. He heard Kakashi close the door behind them, the room now only lit by the flickering light bulb.
"He's waiting for you upstairs." Matsuri spoke in a low voice. She jerked her head at the stairs and rolled her eyes. Naruto eyed her as he moved towards the stairs, watching Kyoko limp her way up them. When he passed the Sand nin, she gave him a harsh, glancing glare before stalking away from the stairs. Pausing on the third step, he turned and watched her open the door again, slamming it shut loudly behind her. Naruto opened his mouth to say something but a well-placed stare from Kakashi's one eye made him close it again.
"What crawled up her ass and died?" The blonde muttered when they reached the top of the stairs. At least this new room had a window that viewed the street, he could see the dying sunlight peaking through boarded up glass. Gaara was leaning against the wall right in front of the stairs and he watched them as they filed into the room. Naruto noticed the Kazekage's lack of formal robes; he was wearing his ninja gear instead. There was another singular light bulb hanging from the ceiling but at least this one didn't flicker.
"I," Gaara hesitated and blinked once. Naruto could tell he was surprised by the question and he suddenly felt bad for asking about it. "Couldn't return her feelings." That made the blonde flush and he could see Apricot move to a sidewall, still limping on her maybe still broken foot.
"Oh." Naruto raised his eyebrows and let his lips part in surprise. He didn't know what else to say. Yamato and Kakashi spread out, surveying the small room with forced curiosity. Gaara remained where he was, only his eyes moving as he followed them both as they walked around.
"It happens. She'll get over it." Kakashi nonchalantly. "We're going to need more light in here next time. Will that be easy to arrange?" He looked to the Kazekage in askance, waiting until the redheaded male gave a small nod. Naruto glanced over to Apricot again; she had pulled off the shoe and was pulling on her foot with a painful grimace as an expression.
"What are you doing?" He walked over to her, leaning down to get a closer look at her foot. Kyoko continued to pull on her ankle, wincing when a cracking sound resounded in the small room. It came from her ankle.
"It feels like I have a broken bone, or just a fracture." Apricot grunted. "I'm trying to give the regenerating process a kick start." There was total silence as the girl finally released her grip on her foot, dropping it to the floor gently.
"Are you an idiot? What makes you think that messing with broken bones is going to kick start the healing process?" Naruto frowned at her. She looked up at him, her rusty colored eyebrows raised in a helpless blank stare.
"I can't just sit through the pain until my body decides to heal itself." Kyoko shot back finally.
"Yes you can, you're just being a baby." Yamato shot back, obviously irritated. Naruto glanced to him before turning away from the girl, looking for a clear spot on the floor to sit down. Kakashi had already taken up a spot by the closed windows, having decided that this spot would be to his advantage.
"I can't do instantaneous regeneration like he can!" Kyoko pointed at Naruto accusingly. "I have to be seriously dying for it to kick in that fast." Naruto shrugged his shoulders and kicked at the floor, spreading the dust and wood out enough for him to sit down and not get a splinter in his ass.
"How long does it take for your regeneration to kick in?" Gaara suddenly spoke up. He was staring at Apricot intently and Naruto glanced between the two as he sat down, not knowing where this was going.
"From anywhere between five minutes to a couple hours, broken bones always take the longest when they aren't clean breaks." Apricot answered promptly. Then she glanced to Yamato, her green eyes wide, as if she was suddenly realizing something. "Is that important?" Naruto watched Yamato shrug his shoulders, obviously as lost as Naruto was as to why the Kazekage was asking.
"That wasn't the case at the chuunin exams, was it? You didn't look like you were hurt at all." Kakashi said. Naruto leaned back on his hands to look at his old teacher, realizing that it was straight to business.
"Probably due to the weakened seals. With Kyuubi's chakra leaking through it sped up the regeneration process." Naruto spoke up. Gaara nodded and pushed himself off the wall, pulling a folded sheaf of paper out of his sleeve. With a flick of his wrist, he sent it flying across the room to Kakashi who caught it with ease.
"That's all the information I know of related to the seals." The Kazekage clarified. Naruto watched as his old teacher pocketed the papers and pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise book, deeming it a good time to no longer look like he was paying attention.
"Well, shall we get started?" Yamato asked. He moved closer to Gaara and looked over to Apricot on the wall, she was still grimacing when Naruto glanced at her.
"What are we going to do, exactly?" Kyoko asked. Naruto watched her lift herself up on her uninjured foot and hands to do a strange version of a crabwalk. She stopped when she got near the blonde and sat back down, avoiding her damaged leg.
"Meditate, try to find how strong the connection is between your seals." Gaara answered quietly. "Do we have a way to control the Kyuubi if he attempts to force the seals open?"
"That's my area of expertise." Yamato raised his hand and gave the Kazekage a half smile. Gaara glanced to him with a small nod and then turned her attention back to Kyoko as she opened her mouth. Naruto could see her lean forward out of his peripherals.
"Are we going to have to talk to Kyuubi?" Kyoko asked nervously. There was a small popping sound from her ankle and she winced, her bone probably slowly regenerated. Yamato sighed loudly as he slowly sat down in front of them, crossing his legs and stretching out his arms, preparing for a long sigil with raised hands. Naruto raised an eyebrow at him and Yamato tilted his head to crack his neck in response.
"Does he talk to you normally?" Gaara's forehead wrinkled and Naruto stared at him in surprise.
"Sometimes, when he's feeling particularly violent and destructive." Apricot answered. She sucked her lips into her mouth and awkwardly eyed the Kazekage's shins through his robes. "It's always when I'm asleep though, it's uh, a subconscious, conscious thing."
"That is so weird, Gaara." Naruto interrupted any response the male would have had. He raised his own and then raised a hand to one of his, scratching it as his friends eyes met his. "It's like you have eyebrows, but you know, you don't."
"Are we going to start anytime soon?" Yamato spoke up, already starting to sound agitated. "I'd rather not be in this position longer than necessary." He dropped his hands but didn't move from his position on the floor, staring at Naruto expectantly.
"Right, sorry." The blonde ducked his head in apology. He looked back up to Gaara, watching him raise a hand to where his eyebrows should have been, running his fingers over the smooth skin. "You know how to do this, Apricot?" Naruto tried to hide his smile and turned to the girl, watching her gingerly pull her foot closer to her body as she tried to cross them. Yamato raised his hands again
"I'm usually trying to ignore him, not trying to get him to talk to me." Apricot winced as she folded her legs beneath her, another crack coming from her leg before she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"It shouldn't be too hard, just focus on the sound of his raging." Kakashi mentioned. Naruto snorted and turned his head to give the white haired man a pointed look.
"How would you know? Do you have a demon fox sealed inside of you?" The blonde kept his tone light, attempting to keep the serious topic as teasing as possible and grinned when his old sensei's eye met his gaze and turned back around.
"I thought we were going to start." Yamato bit out. Naruto stifled his grin, hearing the irritated tone the older male barely tried to hide. Looking back over to Apricot again, he straightened and set his hands on his knees, starting to mentally prepare himself for a long meditation.
"I don't even know how to do this," Apricot's gaze shifted from Naruto to Yamato. "Even if I can find a way to see how strong the connection is, what will I do if Kyuubi starts talking to me?" The fear in her voice is almost palpable and not for the first time, Naruto felt sympathy for the girl. He remembered the first time he had spoken with the fox demon and if he hadn't been so angry, so intent on fighting Haku, he would have been scared shitless.
"Nothing?" Yamato raised an eyebrow at her.
"That may not be possible." Gaara refuted. Yamato looked to Naruto and the blonde could see that his red haired friend's eyes were focused on him too. He was the only one who knew what it was like, meeting and talking to Kyuubi.
"Well, whatever you see or hear, don't do anything and don't touch anything." Naruto finally decided to say. "I don't know what it's going to look like to you but Kyuubi'll be there, in a cage. Don't go near him." He glanced over to the green-eyed girl, watching her nod in response.
"Let Naruto do all the work." Kakashi called out. Naruto had to tilt his body away from the girl as she whipped her head around, her braided hair nearly hitting him.
"I was planning on it." Kyoko glared at the white haired man. Kakashi hadn't lifted his head from his book but the blonde could see the tell tale wrinkle in his mask that showed his teasing smile.
"Okay, now that we've gotten that out of the way." Naruto grinned at Yamato knowingly and the older male rolled his eyes.
"Finally." Yamato muttered. He inhaled deeply before turning to Apricot. "You'll need to concentrate on breathing evenly. Close your eyes and focus on absolutely nothing. Shouldn't be too hard for you." The brunette man glanced over to Naruto with a grin. He answered with a grin of his own before closing his eyes, letting his body relax and inhaled softly. Not knowing if Apricot was following his lead, Naruto placed his hands on his knees, bowing his head. It had taken more than one of these lessons to learn that if he didn't, he would have a very sore neck for hours afterwards. Willing his muscles to lose their tension, Naruto delved into the darkness searching for the familiar place inside his mind.
As always, the sound of water dripping was the first sign that he had reached that room inside his mind. Sometimes, if he kept his eyes closed long enough, he could hear Kyuubi breathing and sometimes pacing. Naruto didn't wait for that though, the familiar sight of the demon's cage was the first thing he saw. "Wondered when you'd be coming to see me." Kyuubi's voice echoed in the room but there were no giant eyes staring at him from behind the giant bars. "Damn brat." Naruto didn't flinch when suddenly the fox's face came into view, his red eyes and fangs glowing in the darkness.
"Sasuke strengthened her seal, you won't be escaping through her." The blonde spoke just loud enough for the fox to hear him and refrained from letting any emotion slip through. Kyuubi's grin just got wider as he stared down at Naruto.
"And you got the Uchiha bitch pregnant." That struck a cord in the blonde but he didn't let it show, he'd gotten used to the fox egging him on at every chance he got. "What does a whining whelp hold against your unborn kit?"
"The other half of your chakra." The blonde answered. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop from saying anything more. Kyuubi's eyes twitched, looking the blonde over.
"Not in the mood to talk, brat?" The fox would have raised an eyebrow if he had one, or at least Naruto thought so. There was never a smell in the room, the blonde always thought it would reek of sewage but whenever he inhaled through his nose there was nothing. Sometimes he forgot that this was all in his head, literally, and found himself watching where he was stepping for human waste or something equally disgusting to step in.
"You talk to her, when she sleeps." Naruto didn't drop his gaze as Kyuubi's fanged grin practically dropped into nonexistence. An urge to smirk at the fox grew, he knew more than Kyuubi thought he did and gave him the advantage.
"That's why you're here." It was an accusation; no quips included this time, which obviously meant he struck a nerve with the fox. "Are you jealous, brat? Wishing I would whisper in your thoughts as you stick your little prick inside the Uchiha bitch?" Kyuubi opened his mouth, his fangs suddenly seeming longer than they had been a fleeting second ago. He had spoken too soon and it pissed him off, listening to the fox, or anyone for that matter, belittle the Uchiha. That didn't mean he was going to let himself fall for it and defend his lovers honor. Oh no, this was Sasuke's fight and he wouldn't hesitate to kick Naruto's ass for trying to after dealing with Kyuubi.
"Sasuke was the one who shoved you back in your cage when you tried to escape through the girl." Naruto glared up at the fox. "You're lucky he doesn't know that's what you call him because when he does find out, he's not going to just stand there and take it." Kyuubi's mouth closes as they stare at each other in silence.
"When will that be, brat?" The fox finally responds. "He won't be strong enough to use his damned eyes while he carries that thing inside of him." Naruto can't help but bristle at the demon's accusation; it was another obvious jab to make him angry. It worked though; Naruto stepped forward, closer to the dark, damp cage inside his mind and snarled at the demon.
"That 'thing' is my child!" The blonde bellowed. His anger was practically palpable, roiling just under the surface of everything. Even Kyuubi's chakra started to bubble up, seeping through the sealed entrance of the cage. Naruto curled his fingers into the palms of his hands, snarling at the nine-tailed fox. "And you will not talk about my child that way." Kyuubi stared down at him for a long moment.
"Struck something sensitive, haven't I?" He finally said. The anger that had been receding flared again, his chakra once again slipping through the bars of the cage. Naruto wanted to scream at the giant ball of fur when he gave a fanged grin. "There are still five months before that kit is born, what would happen if the Uchiha bitch loses it?"
"Enough." The blonde let his own chakra flare, quelling Kyuubi's, forcing it back into the cage. "I have had it with you already!" Dark, clenching fear is spreading through Naruto's chest but he can't let it show or Kyuubi would never stop taunting him. He wasn't getting anywhere with the demon fox already and showing him the fear he felt would just compound the problem.
"Leave then." Kyuubi's response is sharp and commanding. It's another one of his tactics to try to get him to leave and it cuts through the anger and fear growing in the pit of his stomach.
"You think I've forgotten why I came here in the first place?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the fox. "I know you can talk at her, which means there's a way for you to get to her from here. Somewhere inside that cage." Kyuubi lowers his face, the bottom row of his teeth nearly on the floor as he tries to look the blonde in the eye.
"Really?" The fox's red eyes bore down onto Naruto. This particular stare used to make Naruto feel small and insignificant when he was younger but he'd been getting this look from the demon for years. It hardly affected him anymore. "Rip off the seal and I'll show you." Kyuubi parted his teeth again, realizing that yet another of his tactics no longer affected his container.
"I'm not an idiot." Naruto scoffed. The fox lifted his head, his blood red eyes still staring the blonde down.
"Could have fooled me, letting the Uchiha bitch walk all over you. Letting him roll you over and dominate you like a female in heat before you filled the bitch with your kit." Kyuubi growls. His pupils narrowing into slits as if he's remembering it happening, it infuriated the blonde and both their chakras flared. The bubbling red seeping through the bars again as his nails dig into the skin of his palms and bright blue chakra swirling around him.
"Tell me how you talk to her!" Naruto yells. He's too angry to feel much of anything else anymore; Kyuubi's chakra is rising off the floor. They're standing off, both know that Naruto has all the control but that doesn't make the nine tailed fox stand down.
"No." Kyuubi states. That's all it takes to break the blonde's control and he takes the demons chakra using it to fuel his anger. The demon's teeth reflect the red glow of the chakra as Naruto lets it consume him. He's glaring at Kyuubi, staring into those slits of black and opens his mouth to curse the fox. The words never get past his lips, he's jerked out of the room in his mind and into darkness. His senses come back to him one at a time in quick succession, the world is still dark but it's because his eyes are closed. He's still sitting with his arms on his knees and it's cooler than he remembered it being, his sweat cooling on his skin and making him uncomfortable. There are other people in the room, Naruto can hear them breathing before he remembers who all is there. Opening his eyes, the blonde blinks and tries to shift his sore muscles. He's staring at Yamato as he bumps different parts of his body against his wooden restraints and the older man relaxes, the wood around him trembling before pulling away.
"Good to have you back, Naruto." Yamato lets his hands fall from their position in front of him and he slouches. Naruto leans backwards, stretching the kinks out of his back. Gaara hasn't moved from his spot behind Yamato but Apricot has moved farther away from him, almost across the room. She was facing him, sitting with her legs crossed like she had been trying to meditate.
"How long was I talking to him?" The blonde looked behind him, seeing that Kakashi had read three quarters of his Icha Icha Paradise. It could have been a few minutes or even an hour, depending on how long it took him to focus on the place where the demon was caged. Kakashi had either been reading or had jumped pages.
"Half an hour." The masked man answered. Naruto turned his head back to a comfortable position, glancing at the girl again.
"What about Apricot? What happened with her?" Kyoko opened her eyes at the sound of her name and groaned, collapsing onto her back.
"Kyuubi's chakra flared and shoved her over there." Yamato nodded to where the redhead was now laying. The girl lolled her head to glare at him pointedly.
"Other than that, nothing happened. I just sat here like an idiot for half an hour." Kyoko groaned.
"Nothing new." Kakashi added. Naruto watched as her head turned to him so she could glare at the white haired male even though she knew he would be unaffected.
"Did you find something?" Yamato spoke up before Apricot could say anything to Kakashi. Naruto turned back to him. His latest memory of talking to the fox demon coming to mind and he frowned.
"No, Kyuubi just kept antagonizing me." The blonde clenched his hands into fists and bit into the side of his cheek. "He knows what I'm looking for and he's not going to give it up."
"We'll have to keep trying." Gaara spoke for the first time since the blonde came out of talking the nine-tailed fox
"Right." Naruto sighed and straightened again. He smiled up at the Kazekage and realized he hadn't told the redhead about the baby yet. Gaara was his friend, probably one of his closer friends considering all that they had been through. Naruto would have a chat as soon as he had an unwatched moment with him.
September tenth, the eighteenth week
"Come on, Sasuke. Stop napping." Sakura's voice pervaded his unconsciousness, rousing him. Sasuke opened his eyes a crack, seeing the coffee table in front of him. A blur of pink hair peered in his vision, Sakura's face coming into view as he blinked and opened his eyes wider. "We have to go shopping for maternity clothes."
"I have enough clothes." Sasuke grumpily muttered. He started to move onto his back, closing his eyes. Sakura didn't seem to want to leave him alone; she gripped his shoulder and gently pulled him onto his side again.
"How many times have I told you not to lie on your back? It's not good for you." Sakura huffed at him.
"Hn." Sasuke remained on his side, looking up to her face in a sullen frown.
"Anyway, maternity clothes, for when you can't fit into these anymore." Sakura smiled down at him and straightened up. "I'm not going through the humiliation of going there by myself." Sasuke stared at the coffee table for a few more seconds, his body weighing heavily on the couch, his middle section an uncomfortable weight he was still getting used to.
"Buying maternity clothes will give away my pregnancy." Sasuke raised a hand to wipe the sleep from his eyes and tried to stretch out his limbs as indiscreetly as possible.
"It's going to happen anyway, might as well be when you're buying the clothes than when they see you in them." Sakura retorted. Sasuke didn't respond to her and flexed his toes as he rolled his shoulder blades to work the kinks out of his back. "You can't hide in here forever," She inflected a more serious tone in her voice. "It's not what I want for you, what Naruto wants for you." Sasuke wanted to growl at her but he contained the urge. His blonde would want him to get out of the compound, or at least be more social with their teammate and Iruka.
"Fine." Sasuke sighed and sat up. Sakura moved away, smiling as the Uchiha moved to stand up. "Where's Iruka?" Sasuke paused. He must have stood too quickly as he was starting to feel light headed. The pink haired woman was at his side in an instant, holding him at the elbow to help him sit back down.
"Teaching at the academy, today's my day off so I thought I'd come alleviate you some of your hard earned money." Sakura continued as if Sasuke hadn't had a dizzy spell. She knew to ignore it or have the hormonal asshole ignore her. Sakura watched as the dark haired male raised his hand to his stomach as he took deep breaths. Once he felt grounded, Sasuke tried again and stood without the feeling of dizziness.
"Naruto left most of his mission pay for me to use." The Uchiha supplied. He padded into the hallway, heading for the main bedroom to change shirts, he heard his friend follow him standing in the doorway as he pulled off his sleeveless shirt for one that would cover his seal.
"Are you saving money?" She stood in the doorway, admiring his rounded stomach as it disappeared under a black short-sleeved shirt. It was still too warm for him to wear long sleeves but he didn't change out of Naruto's orange shorts.
"For the baby." Sasuke turned to her, following her back down the hallway to the front door. They pulled their shoes on quietly, Sasuke leaning against the wall to do the job quicker. Sakura took the liberty of opening the door and walking out first, letting the Uchiha follow behind her.
"Oh, we're going to have to do another ultrasound test." The pink haired woman suddenly brought up as they stepped off the front porch. Sasuke paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, don't get like that, Sasuke. It needs to happen and the guy wasn't so bad the first time, remember?" Stepping down to the soft dirt ground, Sasuke passed her with an emotionless expression. Sakura followed after him, smiling. "Your appointment is on the thirteenth." She matched his gate and smiled innocently when the Uchiha glanced over to her angrily.
He was starting to feel dirty again; the one night he'd allowed himself to return to his apartment had been well worth it. Old age was slowly getting to him, no longer able to stand living in filth as long as he used to. Bottles were piling behind him again but his accumulating grime was nowhere near as bad as it had been before. His meeting with the elders would not go well, again. He had nothing new to report to them and it wouldn't be long before they replaced him.
The reason behind the Uchiha and the Kyuubi container going to the hospital a few weeks ago was still unclear and it irritated him that this was his one lead that he couldn't follow. He had seen the Sharingan holder parade the female container through the village to the academy, had seen the way he had interacted with the academy teacher up until they had gone into the building but couldn't understand what they had said to each other to make them react the way they did.
Iruka Umino, the academy teacher left every day but never forgot to relock the barrier, now privy to the seal along with the Uchiha and Kyuubi's container old teammate and Hokage's pet, Sakura Haruno. The Uchiha had yet to be seen leaving the compound since his visit to the hospital two weeks ago and he was getting antsy. How long was he going to stay cooped up in there, hidden from the world? It had been a month since his surveillance had started and the Uchiha had only been out once. The pink haired teenager had yet to come through the gate this morning and he had seen her come back the night before so he knew she was in the compound. He sat there, back hunched over, his eyes barely seeing over the roof's edge in a perfect view of the sealed gate at the least conspicuous angle. To his surprise, the barrier shimmered and disappeared as the gate opened.
Haruno and the Uchiha came out, which had him on immediate alert. There he was, the damned brat who didn't dare to show his face out in the world for weeks at a time was suddenly out in the open. Leaning closer to the edge, it was easy to tell the brat had gained weight, no longer a thin figure but stouter at his stomach and fuller in the face. Had the Uchiha done nothing but gain weight while he was holed up in there? He watched the fattened teen reseal the barrier and the two started down the street.
It was his duty to follow them but both of them were highly trained, skilled ninja and could tell when they were being followed. They knew standard protocol for stalking and the Uchiha was probably on his guard. He waited longer than necessary to move but they wouldn't be expecting someone to follow them once they were out. Being in the safety of their home village would ensure a lower level of awareness that he, as a retired anbu, had never given up.
Quietly, he crouched and jumped to the next building, following the trail of the two in the street. He kept away from the ledge, daring to look onto the street once. He could see them well enough, Haruno's pink hair a dead giveaway. They went on like this, rooftop after rooftop, still only daring to look down on the street every three or four jumps to make sure he was still following them.
He'd lost them twice but had found them when he went back to a crossroad. The streets were getting fairly busy, people milling about, going on with their insignificant, civilian lives but it was only a matter of spotting bright pink hair. To have such naturally bright hair was Haruno's downfall and he couldn't help but wonder how many more years she would live. Through the streets they continued to walk, seemingly aimless but he could tell they were going, someplace. It was hard to tell at first but it became clear that the pink haired ninja was leading the Uchiha. Frowning, he jumped to the next building and mapped the area in his head; this wasn't near any store either of the two teenagers went to on a regular basis.
Just where were they going? Throwing his caution to the wind for a brief moment, he looked up again and found them, missing from the street. Daring to step closer to the edge, he scanned the street, for any sign of the easy to see Haruno or the harder to discern black hair of the Uchiha. He looked up and down the street, barely catching sight of the fat male teen unwillingly walk into one of the stores. It took just one look at the name of the store and he stopped short, what were they doing in that shop, of all places?
"He's been following us since we left the compound." Sasuke muttered darkly.
"And I said let him." Sakura spared a glance at the building they both knew the man who had been following them had jumped onto. "Catching him and giving him a scare won't get you brownie points with the elders." Sakura sang sarcastically. Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes, was that what his Sharingan had been downgraded to? He could kill with a single look, literally, and she had termed it as a scare?
"Killing him wouldn't either." He spoke softly. His teammate had walked into the women's clothing store and he reluctantly followed her in. Several older women were in the store already; an elderly woman was helping one of them out, probably owner.
"You're pregnant," She said louder than the Uchiha would have liked and he glared at her when he felt the stares of the customers in the store looked to them. Sakura noted it but continued to stare at her teammate, daring him to interrupt her. "Pregnant people are not assassins."
"Most people that get pregnant are women." Sasuke shot back in a hushed tone. He didn't know why he was fighting with Sakura, he knew he couldn't attack the stalker, murderous intent or not. Maybe it was because he missed Naruto, or it was this irritated mood he'd been in since Sakura had made it her personal mission to keep him company.
"Are you saying that women can't be assassins?" Sakura tilted her head in another challenge. They both knew perfectly well just how dangerous a female ninja could be and Sasuke wasn't sure what his teammate was getting at.
"I'm saying that men don't get pregnant." The Uchiha growled under his breath. He raised his arms to cross them over his solid stomach as a movement in his peripheral vision made him stiffen. The owner of the shop was moving towards them, through the racks of women's clothing at a quick rate.
"Then explain to me your condition again?" Sakura smiled smugly and Sasuke glared at her. Instead of saying anything, he pursed his lips and bit back the response bubbling in his throat.
"Can I help you with anything?" The older woman spoke with concern. Obviously she was the owner of the shop and with one glance, he could tell she did not approve of them being there. It might have been because they were so young, or maybe it was the quiet but obvious fighting she didn't like. Sakura turned to face the elder woman and the dark haired male spared another glance at the shop owner.
"Actually yes," Sakura smiled warmly and Sasuke turned his head away from the two. The older woman had definitely been giving him a hard stare and knew that she had assumed he had knocked Sakura up. How wrong she was. "We're looking to get him some maternity clothes, the less feminine the better." His teammate spoke with a sugary sweet voice that made Sasuke's stomach churn.
"I'm sorry?" The older woman sounded perplexed. This was it, the secret of his baby was out and there would be no going back. His child, Naruto's child, would be the topic of gossip for every woman in the village before the month was out. Where was Naruto when he needed him?
"Your maternity section, please." Sakura added a tone of command under her light air and tilt of her head. The older women seemed shocked for second, glancing back to the Uchiha, looking confused. Sasuke just stared back at her, not willing to give her an answer. His teammate noticed the pause, easily saw the glance and turned to Sasuke herself. "Why don't we just go find it ourselves, huh?" This seemed to jerk the older woman out of her stupor.
"Oh, it's just there," She turned and waved her hand at the right side of the store, her expression growing into one of concern and disbelief. "But, did I hear you correctly? That he-" Sakura was grabbing his hand and dragging him forcefully past the shop owner.
"Yes, you heard me correctly." The pink haired female's voice was far too sweet again. He stared at the older woman for a second longer before glancing at the other occupants of the store. All women, all in various stages of pregnancy, were staring at Sakura and himself. The insistent tugging on his hand made him look away and he glared at the back of Sakura's head as he was once again, led around like a pet. When she finally stopped at a circular rack, Sasuke pried his hand out of her grip and crossed his arms over his chest. He kept his stare on the clothes, bright colors and feminine patterns, none of it appealed to him. Immediately, Sakura started to look through the shirts, systematically shaking her head time and time again. When she looked up at him, he stared back at her calmly.
"Well," She splayed her hand out at the oval rack before lifting up a green and pink flowered shirt. "Either you start looking for something you want to wear or I pick them all out for you." Sakura raised her eyebrows and dangled the maternity shirt in warning before replacing it on the rack. Unwillingly, Sasuke dropped one of his hands and started to peer at the shirts disdainfully.
"They're all, so colorful." He murmured unhappily. Sakura sighed loudly and dropped her hand from the rack. She turned her head, grazing her eyes over the other customers who were probably not so discretely glancing their way and to the rack next to them.
"That's okay, Sasuke. Look, there's more, muted colors over here." She moved over to the next circular rack and immediately picked out a black, dress like shirt. He must have made a face because his teammate rolled her eyes and stomped over to him, thrusting it into his hands. "Go try it on."
"No." The Uchiha glared at the shirt in his hands. He looked up to Sakura who had returned to the new rack and was looking through the clothes again. He stepped up to the rack next to her, tightening his grip on the fabric in his hands.
"Do it, Sasuke. Or I swear I will go into the changing room and force it on you." Sakura muttered. She sounded irritated, was probably more irritated than she was letting on and he honestly didn't want to think about it. As if his day was bad enough. Naruto was still gone, he was getting fatter by the minute, and now his teammate was trying to get him to wear maternity clothes.
"It won't fit me for weeks, Sakura." Sasuke heard himself hissing. "And besides, are you really going to use physical force on someone who's pregnant?" He was glaring at her when he haphazardly returned the shirt to the rack. Sakura looked back to him, daggers in her green eyes as she now rummaged through the rack without even looking.
"If you would just go and try it on without complaining I wouldn't have to threaten using force." Sakura started to raise her voice. She dropped her hand from the rack and kept her gaze even, unblinkingly meeting Sasuke's black, endless depths.
"On a pregnant man." The Uchiha knew he was egging her on, he knew she would take the bait and relished in the released fury in those now jade cold eyes. This was the rise he had been wanting from someone, anyone for weeks now and, he didn't want it. This was wrong, he was trying to take out his anger, his bottled energy on her and she was letting him.
"Yes, on a pregnant man!" Sakura half screamed. That shocked the both of them into silence, staring at each other with wounded gazes. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." She apologized immediately, her softening gaze dropping to his chest and then to his stomach. Sasuke could feel the waves of guilt coming from her and his own chest was wrapped in the emotion, even if he didn't show it.
"No," Sasuke started. He noticed the movement in his peripheral vision and he glanced away just long enough to see the other customers look away suddenly. "I goaded you." Sasuke watched his teammate glance up at him with a weak smile and look away. It was the closest thing she had ever gotten to an apology from him, she would probably never anything so close to 'I'm sorry' ever again.
"Is it the baby?" Sakura asked softly. She turned back to the rack and started to glance at the shirts again, forgiving him silently. Sasuke pulled at the shirt Sakura had handed to him but let it drop once he saw the feminine cut.
"It's Naruto. He won't fight with me, it makes me anxious." Sasuke murmured. He didn't want to admit to it but now he felt obligated too, what had been going through his mind when he goaded the pinkette.
"And he's been gone too, that certainly doesn't help." Sakura supplied. She focused on the rack of clothes, looking through them without picking another one up. "You haven't talked to him about it?" Sasuke didn't answer as the woman moved on to another rack. Silence reigned over them for a long while, the Uchiha now actively looked through the racks, he even picked up a few of them before dropping them back for one thing or another.
"These are all so, feminine." Sasuke finally gritted out. He watched Sakura frown at the rack of clothes before setting her expression in grim determination. She picked one shirt, then another and worked her way around the circular rack before she had her arms full of shirts.
"We'll have to make do, here." She thrust them all into Sasuke's hands and then looked around intently. "I'm pretty sure there's a changing room around here somewhere." When she saw it, she pointed in the direction and looked back to the Uchiha expectantly.
"Keep looking." Sasuke muttered. He stepped past her towards the open doorway and ignored the looks all the women in the store gave him as he disappeared into a changing room. Sasuke would have tossed all the shirts to the floor in distain in any other circumstance, but this time he hung them on a hook on the wall and pulled off his shirt. The changing room was rather wide; enough for two people to fit comfortably and there was a mirror opposite of the door, revealing his thickened middle and the black swirling markings of his tattoo. Sasuke blinked in surprise, it had been a while since he had looked at himself in a full-length mirror. The one that had been in their apartment was sitting unused in a closet. It was unnerving and thrilling all at the same time when he ran his hand over his stomach.
Looking at the shirts, the Uchiha picked up the first one and took it off the hanger, pulling it on before he could talk himself out of it. It was black and simple with a high waist; the fabric flowed around his stomach. It would be a few more months until he'd be filling it in. Turning sideways in the mirror, he eyed the three quartered sleeves and thought about ripping them off, they made his thin arms look feminine. Even the part that covered his chest was droopy, where cleavage was supposed to fill it and he pulled at it.
"It looks like most of the clothes we pick out will have that problem." Sakura spoke calmly as she opened the door to the changing room, more clothes bundled under one of her arms. Sasuke didn't answer her, choosing to pull off the shirt and replace it on its hanger instead. "I got some long sleeved shirts and sweaters since I know you won't want to do this again and winter will be here before you know it." Sasuke gave her a look as he picked up another shirt, this one a dark blue and considerably less fabric than the previous one.
"Hn." Sasuke muttered. He quickly pulled the second shirt on, purposefully ignoring Sakura's gaze at his stomach. This dark blue shirt was far less feminine than the first and the chest was less, droopy as well. It was practically a t-shirt, the seam between his chest and his stomach was modest and the flowing fabric over his stomach would allow him comfort in the coming months. He watched her dump the armful of clothes onto the bench and started to sort through them.
"That one's much better." Sakura supplied when she glanced at him again. The Uchiha grunted as he pulled the shirt off and replaced it on its hanger. He picked a third shirt up before immediately discarding it, Sasuke Uchiha, wearing frills or ruffles? Not a chance. The two after that were summarily tossed aside because of their plunging V-necks. Sakura picked up the discards and gave them a careful look. Sasuke watched her tuck the three shirts under her arm and began picking through the mountain she had brought with her.
Sasuke quietly sorted through the shirts as Sakura came and went to dump more clothes onto the pile, taking the ones he didn't want back out. It surprised the Uchiha just how many of these maternity clothes actually fit him and were as neutrally gender based as they were. When he thought he was done, having gone through all the shirts Sakura had dumped into the changing room, she came back yet again. This time with her arms loaded with pants. He couldn't have been able to hold back his groan of frustration even if he tried.