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Warnings: Contains adult language, themes, and suggestions. It is not suitable for anyone below the age of 16 per FFN guidelines.
September seventeenth, the nineteenth week
The first thing he did when he woke up was to run for the bathroom to puke. He hadn't even had anything heavy for dinner the night before and still his stomach had decided to have an upheaval. Sasuke had decided early on in his life that he hated the taste of bile and he had had more than his fair share since getting pregnant. In all honesty, he was getting sick of it and damn Naruto for not being there to point out that bit of irony to him. He hocked puke and saliva into the bowl before reaching to flush the toilet and slowly stood up. Luckily, the nausea had passed and he washed his mouth and hands without another wave of it hitting him. It had gotten noticeably colder since his blonde had left for Suna and without him, and Apricot for that matter, the compound was eerily quiet.
Sasuke had taken to wearing some of the clothes he and Sakura had bought the week before and actually enjoyed sleeping in some of them. Stripping off the slightly feminine grey long sleeve and pulled the black sweats down to his ankles before kicking them off. He kicked them across the floor, directed at the laundry basket and stepped out of the bathroom to grab a towel and clean clothes. Before they had moved into the compound, Sasuke enjoyed walking around in various states of undress, especially in their small apartment where he could feel Naruto's eyes on him. Even in the compound he relished being able to walk around without a shirt but since Apricot had joined them, Sakura and Iruka-sensei subsequently, it felt awkward exposing so much skin. With Naruto and Apricot both in Suna though, Sasuke was mostly left alone until Sakura got done with her shift at the hospital and Iruka was gone most of the day at the academy.
Stepping out of the bathroom, he shivered at the slight draft in the empty house and quickly made his way into the hallway closet where they kept the towels. It felt, strange to be in the house alone but he had been making do the last two weeks and it wasn't going to start bothering him now. Opening the closet door, he pulled a towel out and quickly stepped back into his room. He was halfway to the bathroom when he stopped short, looking at himself in a mirror. Sakura had pulled it out of a closet and set up there while he had tried on jackets and coats. Now, Sasuke was looking more closely at his body than he had in weeks. Sasuke wasn't afraid of his body changing, he accepted that he would be looking different but he wasn't entirely prepared for, well for this.
His stomach was thick, sticking out from his thin frame and he had expected that but as he stepped closer, he saw them clearly. Stretch marks, he had stretch marks. Turning sideways, Sasuke ran his fingers over the pink veiny lines set across his stomach, mouth agape in horror. It would only get worse, he realized, the marks would only get darker and more expansive as he got bigger. Sasuke let out a sigh and faced the mirror again, looking over his body for more changes.
He raised his hand over his stomach, brushing past the stretch marks and up to his nipples. Sasuke felt himself visibly wince at the feel of the flabby skin, he had lost the definition of his abs weeks ago but now his pectorals had sunk below a thin layer of fat. Instead of his clearly defined muscles, his chest was decidedly pudgy and his stomach was sticking out like he was four and a half months pregnant, which he was. On top of that, the skin of his nipples had darkened from their original pinkness to an almost brown color and he frowned. Sasuke remembered reading about darkening nipples but he hadn't taken it seriously, just like morning sickness. Everything that could go wrong with his body during pregnancy was going wrong; he should have known this the minute he started throwing up. He couldn't look at his body anymore. Turning away from the mirror, he strode back into the bathroom and tossed the towel onto the counter as he glanced at his appearance one last time in a mirror.
Freezing mid-step, Sasuke stared at his face and stepped closer, turning his head and brushing his hair out of his face. He'd have to get his hair cut soon but that wasn't what he was looking at, he was looking at a pimple. A pimple. He had never gotten a pimple before; Uchiha's didn't get pimples! The thing was right under his hairline, his skin pink in irritation and white pus close to the surface. A sudden urge to pop it made his fingers twitch. Sasuke didn't raise his hand to his face though, he knew from watching others that if he popped it, it would probably scar. So he didn't touch it, he didn't cry about it, he'd ignore it and maybe ask Sakura for some kind of cleanser or ointment. Stepping into the shower, he turned the water on and flipped it to a hot temperature, enjoying the way the heated water washed over him. As he was rinsing off soap from his ever-changing body, he heard someone walking towards the bedroom and the bathroom. Sasuke had two choices as to who it could be and one of them was still at the academy, teaching. While he had left the bathroom door open, Sakura wouldn't walk in unless it was absolutely necessary and he waited for her to call out to him.
"Come out when your done, I'm going to cut your hair before we go to your ultrasound." Sakura finally called out. Her voice echoed in the bathroom as he tilted his head back and let the water spill across his face. She thought of the same thing, now that his natural spikes were drooping and were brushing against his shoulders.
"Is that before or after filing paperwork for the hospital?" He called out. Sasuke turned the water off, immediately missing the wet heat. Pulling back the shower curtain, the dark-haired male stepped out onto a rug while reaching for his towel.
"Before, I don't see why you're complaining about filing paperwork, at least Tsunade-sama hasn't been giving you the mission of finding Tora or doing trash collection. You've been getting the good in-village missions." Sakura's voice continued to echo in the bathroom but he could tell that she was out in his bedroom; probably browsing through his closet to see if he was wearing the clothes they had bought. He chose to ignore her for drying his hair and upper body before wrapping the now somewhat wet towel around his lower half and walking out. Sakura had been inconspicuously checking his open closet from across the bed. When he glanced at her, she was inspecting her nails before she glanced up with a grin.
"They're a waste of my time, genin could be doing these jobs." Sasuke turned to his closet and waited for Sakura to turn around before he dropped his towel and stepped into a pair of boxers and sweat pants. He wondered what Naruto would say when he found a majority of his boxers with the waistbands cut in several places for more allowance.
"So you don't want to keep earning your pay until you go on maternity leave? I had thought you wanted to save up for the baby?" Sakura asked. Sasuke reached for a long sleeved shirt and pulled it over his stomach as the pinkette turned her head, giving him a sidelong glance to see if he was dressed. "Have you been meditating? You seem a little agitated." The Uchiha gave a pointed look and she shrugged her shoulders at him innocently.
"There are other missions that I could be doing, something more important than organizing files." He carded a hand through his wet hair and sighed before gently leaning himself back onto his bed, a hand coming to his stomach reflexively.
"Mhm, where do you guys keep your scissors?" Sakura seemed satisfied with his answer and instead walked out of the room, looking for the most likely place scissors would be.
"Kitchen, drawer left of the sink." Sasuke raised his voice as Sakura's footsteps faded farther into the house. He tapped his fingers against his burgeoning stomach before setting his palm over his belly button and started to rub smooth, gentle circles. Sakura took a few minutes and the Uchiha let his mind wander, there had been a few more surprising instances where he had felt the fluttering in his stomach, proof that the baby was moving. Each time it happened, Sasuke had stiffened in surprise before taking a deep breath and let the feeling take its course. Naruto had been on his mind consistently, wondering how the blonde was doing in Suna, if he had told Gaara about the baby, if they had figured out a way to keep Apricot's seal from deteriorating.
"Alright, to the bathroom with you." It was a gentle command and Sasuke had to refrain from sighing. He pulled himself up into a sitting position and then off the bed completely. "So what's new with you today?" The pinkette asked as she swiped the damp towel Sasuke had used to dry off. She laid the towel out in front of the bathtub and motioned for him to sit on the rim.
"I still have morning sickness," Sasuke started. He stepped into the tub and sat down with his back straight. The Uchiha turned his head, watching Sakura nod encouragingly for him to continue. "I've gained more weight. Stretch marks are already starting to show along with some pain in my sides, no more than we expected." Sakura raised her hand to his head, gently pushing him to turn his head. He complied and felt her play with his hair a moment longer.
"Do the changes bother you?" She asked. Sasuke thought about it for a minute, feeling her hand ruffle the wet and drooping spikes of his hair, getting a feel for the length of his hair.
"I have flab on my arms." He finally muttered. Sakura stilled as he said it, a second after she dropped her hand and leaned forward so that their faces were next to each other. Sasuke tilted his head by just a fraction so he could meet Sakura's gaze.
"Can you say that again," Sakura tried to pull off the innocent look but Sasuke had been given that look more than a few times in his lifetime. "Please?" He stared back at her for a long moment but her innocent look just morphed into a smile.
"I have flab on my arms." Sasuke repeated slowly. He narrowed his eyes to glare at his old teammate when she smiled and straightened. Her hand returned to his hair and he was starting to get irritated with her, she was practically massaging his scalp and it was getting creepy. "Are you going to cut my hair?" His not so subtle prodding didn't deter Sakura, instead she scratched at his scalp, pushing his head forward with a gentle force.
"I've never gotten to do this and for all I know, it might be my last chance." Sakura sighed longingly. She gently tugged on his hair to get him to raise his head and he did so, rolling his eyes. For a moment she continued to run her fingers through his hair but when he raised a hand to stop her, she let go voluntarily. "Fine, fine. You always did like to ruin my fun." Sasuke heard the sound of scissors opening and closing as Sakura prepared to cut his hair.
They fell into a companionable silence, the sound of hair being cut and their breathing echoing off the ceramic tiles and porcelain bathtub. Strands of hair fell across his shoulders, locks of hair tumbled onto the towel on the floor and Sasuke continued to think absent-mindedly. He started with wondering why he was trusting Sakura with his hair but if she did mess it up he could just let it grow out. Sasuke's thoughts strayed back to his blonde again but this time it was more of what would Naruto think about his changed body. Would he even be able to get it up with Sasuke's body like this? The Uchiha could just picture it, Naruto's hands sliding up from his hips over his stretch marks and the blonde's half-hard erection would shrink under his fingertips. The blonde would find him unattractive and there was no way he'd be able to get hard. The thought made him physically shudder and he felt Sakura pause in her work, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You okay?" She asked softly. Sasuke gave her a sharp nod and the pinkette dropped her hand from his shoulder "I'm almost done, just need you to turn around so I can do your bangs." Sakura murmured. He complied quietly, pulling his feet out of the tub and setting them on either side of the hair littered towel. Sakura crouched down and leaned to his right, tugging on his hair. This silence was more awkward than the one before, he kept his gaze averted from Sakura's face as she did her work. He wouldn't think about it, there hadn't been any word when Naruto would be back so what good would it do to worry over how the blonde would react to his body, or wouldn't react for that matter. Sakura moved to his left side and Sasuke's eyes darted to her face but she was focused on his hair. Feeling the awkwardness creep in, the Uchiha tried to look anywhere but at his teammate until she pulled away and stood up.
"Finished." She said with obvious satisfaction. Sasuke leaned over, aware of the fullness of his stomach and picked the towel up by its edges. Standing up, Sasuke dropped it on the counter, determined to deal with it later and looked at himself in the mirror. Sakura watched him with a smug look, both of them admiring her handiwork. It surprised Sasuke how close it was to how he normally cut his hair; she had done a surprisingly good job.
"You pay far too much attention to my hair." Sasuke raised his hand to the back of his head, feeling the still somewhat wet spikes naturally rising to stick out. Sakura snorted but she seemed content with his response and walked out of the bathroom. He stayed for a few more seconds, brushed a lock of hair behind his ear and watched how it fell right back into place, just how he liked it. That left Sasuke slightly unnerved at the amount of attention his old teammate gave him.
When he stepped out of the bathroom, Sakura was waiting for him just outside the doorframe. She pushed a small rectangular envelope into his chest, holding it there until his hands automatically came up to touch it and then let go before he could pull his hand away. "Here," Sakura told him. He watched her turn around and made a hasty retreat as he pulled the envelope away from his body to look at it. "We're going to be late getting you to your ultrasound appointment." Almost immediately after he laid eyes on the thing he knew what it was, Sakura's obvious avoidance tactic making it a dead giveaway. He nearly crumpled the envelope and it's contents as he chased after her down the hallway. Sakura had practically made it to the door when she stopped and turned around, standing her ground against his barely quelled rage.
"I told you," Sasuke thrust the envelope back at her but she simply put her hands on her hips and refused to take it. "We don't want your money, you pay for utilities and water, that's it." He didn't drop his hand when she refused to take back the envelope.
"And I told my parents that but do you want to know what they said to me? They told me I was using Naruto to manipulate you! It didn't matter to them that you both pressured me into not paying rent. They gave me this money, telling me that if I didn't give it to you, they'd disown me." Sakura raised her hands but she didn't take the envelope but instead, crossed her arms across her chest.
"I'm not going to accept it." Sasuke stated with finality but Sakura just raised her eyebrows at him. After another moment of standoff, the Uchiha reached forward and slid the envelope of money between her two arms, as degradingly juvenile as that was. As soon as he stepped back, Sakura took the envelope and stepped toward him, intent on giving it right back but he backed up, no longer caring if it was childish.
"Sasuke, just take my parents money." Sakura sighed. She stopped chasing after him and held the money out, offering it to him. Sasuke had the sudden urge to wrap his hands behind his back and shove them under the waistband of his pants so he couldn't take it. "For the baby." That took the Uchiha by surprise. He blinked and looked down at the envelope before cautiously meeting his old teammates green eyes.
"How much is it?" Sasuke asked tentatively. Sakura thrust the envelope of money at him again, pursing her lips that meant she wouldn't say anything until he took the damn thing. With great reluctance, the Uchiha brought one hand from behind his back to take it and then raised his other hand to open it and actually see how much money she was trying to give him.
"That right there? Enough for a safety deposit and first month's rent." Sasuke let his shoulders drop, relieved that it wasn't as much money as he had previously thought. As he opened it though, he started to frown as he mentally counted the paper bills before letting it develop into a full-blown scowl.
"It's too much." Sasuke jammed the money back inside the envelop and was going to hand it back to Sakura but she stopped him, covering the back of his hand with her own. They both paused when the Uchiha's stomach growled loudly and reminded him that he had yet to eat that morning. Giving Sakura a pointed stare, he wordlessly told her to not say anything.
"It's about average for a one bedroom apartment with a bath and kitchen." Sakura spoke in a gentle tone. "If you tell me that I haven't moved into an apartment yet, consider that the first month's rent and security deposit for when I do." She pushed his hand closer to him tenderly, smiling at him in such a way that made his chest tight. Sasuke dropped his scowl and stepped away from Sakura, heading back to his bedroom to find a temporary place to put the money until he could figure out what he was going to do with it.
"We've really got to get going, Sasuke. I had planned to give you the money when I still had a pair of scissors in hand." The pink haired ninja called out after him. Sasuke snorted as he dropped the envelope on the bathroom counter, next to the towel with his hair on it. He'd deal with it all later. Grabbing a chuunin vest from his closet, Sasuke put it on as he made his way back to the front door and found that Sakura had disappeared.
"I thought we were leaving." Sasuke called out. He grabbed his headband from the coffee table in the living room, and then moved to put his shoes on and zip up the vest since it would better hide his growing middle. The sound of movement in the kitchen alerted him to where the Sakura had gone.
"You need to eat because I know you'll be starving later." Sakura came back with an apple in hand and waited for Sasuke to stand up before tossing it to him. "I don't care if you weren't a breakfast person before you got pregnant, you need to eat consistent meals. You're eating for two."
"Are you my personal caregiver now?" Sasuke caught the apple and looked at it briefly before taking a bite out of it. Sakura eased on her own shoes and followed the Uchiha out of the house, letting him shut the door after her.
"I'd say that's Naruto's job but since he's not here, yes." Sakura stepped off the porch and let the dark-haired male catch up to her as they walked. He chose to ignore her answer in favor for the apple he was devouring bite-by-bite. When all he had left was the core, they were at the gate and Sakura moved to take the barrier down. They slipped out into a slightly crowded street, only a few people looking in their direction as Sakura closed the barrier while the Uchiha sought out a trashcan.
"He's watching again." Sasuke muttered when they rejoined on the side of the street, making their way to the hospital. "Has he been following you and Iruka?" He stuffed his hands into his pockets and
"Iruka says he feels like someone's watching him leave most days and he's there whenever and I leave and comeback. The only time he's followed me has been when I'm with you." Sakura murmured. She reached into her kunai pouch and pulled out a second apple, holding it out for the Uchiha to take. He took it, nodding gratefully when he still felt the pangs of hunger.
"An elder spy then. Do you think he's told them yet?" Sasuke tilted his head as he gave a quick glance to the roof that the stalker was on and brought the apple to his lips.
"Not sure, rumors are definitely spreading like wildfire. Ino asked me if I was the one pregnant yesterday." Sakura was frowning when Sasuke looked over to her. He didn't know what to say to that and took longer than he needed to chew on his bite. "It's bad when your parents think you're using your friends but it'd be even worse if my friends think I'm pregnant."
"With the child belonging to one of your friends who's already in a serious relationship at that." Sasuke murmured. He raised the apple to his mouth as he glanced over to his friend who rolled her eyes and nodded. They ignored the person following them on the rooftops and the few open stares Sasuke was getting from older women on the street who had apparently heard the rumors.
"It's not easy to believe that a man is pregnant." Sakura sighed. "But letting the rumors spread how we want them now means that it won't be a surprise later when you're out walking with Naruto when your belly is too big to hide."
"Some people will think that you're the one that's pregnant until then." Sasuke responded softly. He glanced over to his old teammate who nodded in agreement and didn't bother contradicting him.
"You can go buy diapers or something with Naruto when he gets back from Suna, show off your big tummy to whole village and prove to them they're wrong." Sakura told him with a smile and Sasuke snorted.
"Even though it's going to attract the elders' attention even more than I already have?" The Uchiha asked.
"Yes." She told him in mock seriousness. He grinned back at her as she laughed. They paused in their conversation when they stepped onto a busy street, focusing on getting to the hospital without too much jostling. "Have you been making a list of things you'll need for the baby?" The pinkette asked as the crowd thinned and they could walk side by side again.
"Yes, most of it I can find in the compound." Sasuke felt the urge to rub his stomach but with the chuunin vest on, he stuffed his hands in his pockets. They were in sight of the hospital now and their stalker was still diligently following them from his supposed safe distance.
"I don't think so. Start stockpiling diapers now." Sakura raised finger to point at him with a serious expression. "You'll need formula, toys that aren't stuffed with dust, and you can't use old bottles to feed a baby. We can search for baby clothes in the compound though, and there's got to be a crib or two." Sasuke watched her glance in front of her to avoid walking into someone and then look back at him.
"There were six cribs." The Uchiha stated. His old teammate's eyebrows rose and he tilted his head to her. They just outside the hospital's gates when Sasuke stopped and leaned over slightly, the fluttering feeling was starting again. It was starting to give the Uchiha goosebumps every time it happened.
"You kept track?" Sakura glanced uneasily at the roof of a building, knowing their stalker was watching them. She moved closer to him, checking him over to see if anything was wrong. Sasuke shook his head and clenched his hands around the fabric of his pockets, waiting for the shivering to stop.
"We were planning to sell the furniture, I had one of Naruto's clones write it down." He glanced to her and straightened, still clenching his fists inside his pockets. With a small nod to Sakura, they started walking again, past the hospital gates and through the doors. Nurses at the front desk looked up for a second, nodded to Sakura and they dropped their heads again.
"That's a really good idea, Sasuke." Sakura took the lead and walked past the front desk and the Uchiha saw from his peripherals that more than one of the nurses were glancing at him. "You know, you might have a knack for this landlord, manager thing." He stared at her when she smiled at him.
"I'm a ninja, not a proprietor." The dark-haired male scoffed quietly. Sakura raised her eyebrows at him as they maneuvered their way through the maze of hallways.
"You're going to have to face it, Sasuke. Opening up the compound for people to live in means that they're going to pay you to live in houses and apartments that you own. That's exactly what a landlord does." Sakura grinned. Sasuke made a small noise at the back of his throat but didn't give any other response.
When they reached the same room they had been in weeks ago, Sakura opened the door and let the Uchiha in first. She gave the long hallway a cautious glance before shutting the door behind her. "He didn't follow us into the hospital." Sasuke muttered as he nodded to the technician and sat down in the chair. Sasuke looked him over with a quick glance, same brown hair, same glasses, and same average stature. He even had the same expression of fear as he did the last time Sasuke saw him.
"Yeah." Sakura replied in a gentle tone. "Good morning, how are you today?" She asked the sonographer. The male nodded his head shakily, swallowing loudly as he moved to set up the ultrasound machine.
"Um, I'm fine. Should I be worried?" The ultrasound technician glanced between them both. Sakura shook her head and smiled warmly at him. Sasuke let his eyebrows twitch and opened his chuunin vest to pull his shirt up, revealing his growing stomach.
"No, nothing to be concerned about." Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "It's nothing that we can't handle." It seemed to soothe the older man but Sasuke wasn't fooled by the false confidence his old teammate was exuding. If someone was following them inside the hospital, it wouldn't be hard to figure out the technician was helping them with something especially with the rumors that were going around.
"Okay then, shall we start?" The technician smiled at Sakura's reassurances and picked up a familiar unlabeled tube. Sasuke pushed the sides of his vest farther apart but not enough to give the technician room to move. "Can you?" He motioned to the vest and Sasuke sat up and pulled it off, freeing his upper body for movement. "Thanks." The older man smiled. Sasuke dropped the vest over the side of the chair and sat back again, raising his shirt again. The technician poured the clear gel directly onto the Uchiha's swelling middle, it was cold and the fluttering feeling started again when the technician spread it over his skin with a white cloth. Sakura remained standing near the door, her sharp green eyes darting to it seconds before shadows of feet passed it, the dull, unintelligible sounds of conversation could be heard. The technician didn't notice Sakura's tense posture as he turned the ultrasound machine on, typing in commands before the screen hummed to life.
"You should let him print you picture this time. So you can show, your partner." Sakura said distractedly. Sasuke gave her a pointed stare; he briefly wondered why she had called Naruto his partner until he remembered that they had promised not to give their names to the technician. They had already been over this the last time he was here and knew the pink haired woman was trying to change his mind, using his missing blonde to her advantage.
"Is he out of the village?" The brunette male asked. Sasuke looked over to him, debating if answering would be detrimental for a moment before nodding once. "I can see if I can take one without the gender showing, so you won't be able to tell." The man offered without missing a beat. Sasuke watched the man look away; he grabbed the handheld part of the machine and typed a few more commands into the keyboard. When the man turned back to the Uchiha, his smile dropped at the stone cold expression the pregnant male had.
"Rumors are already spreading that you're pregnant, having an ultrasound picture isn't going to do more damage." Sasuke turned his head at the only female in the room as she spoke. Sakura was tense again, her head angled at the door as another shadow passed the door. The Uchiha gripped the armrests of the chair, looking between his friend and the sonographer.
"Fine." He relented, letting his grip on the chair loosen. Sakura smiled at him and the technician nodded, moving the handheld piece of machinery over the Uchiha's stomach.
"Alright, here we go." The man murmured. Sasuke turned his eyes to the monitor, watching it change from black to grey, the blurred images changing as the technician moved the handheld piece. After a few seconds the screen turned to mostly grey, Sasuke could see the technician glance up at the screen and move his hand accordingly. "There you are." He murmured and continued to move the machine.
The Uchiha watched the screen silently, keeping his peripheral vision on Sakura who continued to tense and relax as people walked past the room. Something moved on the monitor and suddenly, it held all of his attention; he couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped him. He could see Sakura's head whip towards him but he tightened his grip on the armrest again as he stared up at the monitor. The sonographer looked completely unfazed when the Uchiha looked over to him, the man was actually smiling as he stared up at the screen and Sasuke looked back to it in shock. "That's a foot." Sasuke finally managed to get out. He saw Sakura take a step closer in his peripherals and took a quick second to glance at her slightly awed expression before returning his attention to the screen. A few weeks ago, it had taken the sonographer to point out what they were looking at for him to see it. Now there, right there on the screen, was his baby's foot.
"Yes it is." The brunette man reached up with his free hand to point at the monitor. "There's the foot and this right here, is the baby's cranium." He pointed to the white blob that looked so similar to a head and Sasuke nearly stopped breathing. That was his child, Naruto's child, right there, inside of him. It took looking away from the screen to remind him to breathe; he could feel the slight pressure on his stomach move as the technician continued the ultrasound.
"You okay?" Sakura asked. She took a step closer to him and Sasuke closed his eyes for a brief moment and nodded. He opened his eyes again and glanced to the sonographer who was raptly paying attention to the monitor as he moved the handheld piece across his skin with one hand and typed a command into the keyboard. Another moment of mentally preparing himself and he looked up to the screen again, watching the image change with every movement. Sasuke could make out a foot again, he saw the head with a fair amount of clarity but as the technician moved the equipment the images changed. It got harder to make things out, at one point he thought he saw a hand or an elbow and then the technician took the handheld piece off of his abdomen and turned the monitor off with a tap on the keyboard.
"Everything looks fine, the baby and the umbilical cord look healthy and as you know the Amniocentesis test came back negative so you're in the clear." The brunette male spoke distractedly. He cleaned the handheld piece with another white cloth, setting it down on the cart. "You're," The man paused. "Nineteen weeks pregnant? What was the exact date the seal became active?"
"May fourteenth." Sasuke answered. The sonographer flicked his eyes upwards, probably mentally counting the months. The Uchiha looked to Sakura with a knowing gaze, he had figured it out hours after the seal had appeared and Sakura weaseled out the exact date from him days after finding out.
"So we're looking at your due date to be in early February." The sonographer's response didn't surprise them. "It'd be better to perform the cesarean a few days before the due date with chakra wombs." Sasuke watched the man lean on the far side of the machine.
"We thought as much." Sakura spoke up. The Uchiha kept his eyes on the technician as he reached for his vest and pulled down his shirt simultaneously. His old teammate leaned over curiously, trying to see what the sonographer was grabbing.
"Let's decide on a specific date when you get closer to the nine month mark, but for now," The sonographer straightened in his chair, a rectangle piece of paper in his hand that he held out for Sasuke to take. "You're free to go." Sasuke's eyes dropped to the man's outstretched hand, a picture of the ultrasound in his hand. He tilted the picture in his hand once and then waited for the pregnant male to take it.
"Thank you again, for doing this." Sakura smiled at the older man. The Uchiha was reluctant to grab the photo, he pulled on his vest before reaching to take the picture and even then he didn't glance at it as he slipped it into a pocket on the inside of the vest.
"It's been a pleasure," The sonographer looked from the pregnant male to the pink haired medical-nin in training with a tentative and uncertain grin. "Mostly." Sasuke looked away from him, swinging his legs to the side of the chair and moving to stand. Lightheadedness came on quickly and the Uchiha dropped his head, taking deep breaths as he heard Sakura step closer to him. He tried to stand, to show that he was fine but the dizziness took him over again along with a twinge of pain in his side.
"Ah, ah, mister. Take it easy; you got up too quickly again." Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder and gently forced him to sit back down. Sasuke pushed off her hand as soon as he was sitting again with his head down. "Hey, this is better than the nosebleeds." She sighed loudly but didn't attempt to touch him again. He continued to inhale and exhale as the pain in his side slowly ebbed away, waiting for the dizziness to subside.
"Hn." Sasuke hummed his response. He could hear the sonographer stand up and head over towards the door. When he opened his eyes the brunette was opened the door and slipping out into the hallway without a backward glance at them.
"Feeling better now, Sasuke?" His old teammate took a step back when he lifted his head and attempted to stand a second time. It was successful, he looked over to Sakura in a silent response as he zipped up his chuunin vest and followed the pink haired woman to the door. "Okay, let's get you to the records room so you can start your mission, filing paperwork." She couldn't keep the grin out of her voice as they left the room and Sasuke glared at the back of her head.
"I'd rather de-weed four training fields." The Uchiha muttered. His old teammate gave an exaggerated sigh as she looked over to him with a fake look of sympathy. They turned a corner and Sakura lead him closer to the front entrance of the hospital before she took him into a stairwell. Making their way down two flights of stairs, Sakura opened a door and led him into another hallway.
"Poor Sasuke, forced to sit on his ass all day and alphabetize files." Sakura grinned at him. "Whatever will the poor Uchiha do?" He didn't bother giving his old teammate a response to that question and let Sakura lead him to a door marked 'Medical Records'. She opened the door, held it open for him and Sasuke stepped into the doorway, flipping on the light switch on. The room was filled with metal cabinets and a small desk with three mountains of manila folders stacked on top of it.
"I didn't bring lunch." The Uchiha turned to glare at Sakura. This was nothing short of torture and she was leaving him here? "You were the one who told me to have consistent meals." She raised her hand to his shoulder, squeezing the shoulder of his vest. Sasuke wasn't sure if she meant it to be reassuring or a warning.
"I'll come visit you and we can go get food during lunch then." The pinkette pushed him farther into the room and leaned against the doorframe. "And I'll come to let you know when you're off the hook for the day because this project is going to take the better part of the week." Sasuke raised his hand to run his fingers through his newly cut hair and nodded to her as he sighed. At this rate he would never do a mission that required his ninja skills before his maternity leave, he'd be a desk jockey for the next couple of months.
They were mocking him, making an idiot out of him. What other reason could there be? It must be a ruse, all of them in on it, knowing he was watching and reporting back to the elders. There was just no way that, that the Uchiha, a man, was pregnant. He had refused to believe it. He hadn't gone to the elders when he watched Haruno and the Uchiha walk into the clothes store that sold women's clothing because he knew they were up to something and he still didn't feel the need to tell the elders when other patrons of the shop left with wide eyes and were talking amongst themselves. Sasuke Uchiha was pregnant, not the Haruno brat but the fattened male. They had most likely been lied to; to cover the tracks of what the brats were doing.
Oh, but then they had taken it even farther, going to the hospital together an hour before Sasuke was to start his filing medical records and an hour and a half before Sakura was on duty in the maternity ward. Of course he had followed them into the hospital, to prove their hoax for what it was. Slipping into the crawlspace between the ceiling and the air vents was easy even in his old age and he had silently watched his unsuspecting targets from above. The brief flash of uncertainty hit him when he heard Haruno explain that rumors were already spreading about the pregnancy and he knew immediately that he had to squash the feeling.
With silently quick movements that had proved his continued usefulness to the elders, he pulled the thin layer of insulation on the ceiling back. The ceiling panel was chipped in the corner, just enough to slip a fingertip into and he did so as the people below him continued to talk, pushing the panel back mere centimeters to look directly down on the Uchiha brat. That's when the other man put the machine on the teen's fattened stomach and the kid looked like he had gone into shock. 'That's a foot' was what made his uncertainty return and he turned his attention to the screen of the machine as the other man mentioned things he was pointing to. On the screen was what was inside the Uchiha's stomach; the brat wasn't fat, he was pregnant.
His stomach curdled in a way that had happened only once when he was a younger man. The stench of decaying bodies and coagulated blood hit him as if he had travelled back in time to the Uchiha massacre. Dead bodies that had been an entire clan living, breathing, and scheming people the day before. It had been one of his last missions before he had retired, to watch the Uchiha clan and report back to the Hokage. They had been planning a coup d'état, to take over the village and Danzo had gotten Itachi Uchiha to stop it.
Itachi had been a tactical genius, passing the chuunin and jonin tests with ease, had joined the anbu ranks when he was only eleven. The boy had been a proven prodigy. They had even been on several missions together when the kid was twelve and he had seen the growing male kill ruthlessly, without mercy and remained unaffected. He couldn't have said he was surprised when Itachi had then ruthlessly killed his entire family for the sake of his village. The one thing he hadn't understood was why the teenage boy had killed all his family except for his little brother. The little brother who had amounted to nothing in comparison, who had defected at the same age Itachi had made anbu captain and was at this very moment, reviving his power hungry clan.
It had to be stopped. The elders would have to be told and they would require proof. So he sat there, continuing to watch and listen as the Uchiha and Haruno brats talked to the other man. He didn't bother replacing the ceiling panel when he set the insulation back and moved through the crawlspace so that he was out in the hallway.
Temporarily giving up on following the Uchiha brat proved fruitful, he had followed the other man down the hallway and had plucked the man off his feet before he realized what was happening. After a quick punch in the face to stun the man, he was too frightened to do anything more than whimper as he carried him through the crawlspace, out of the hospital. The elder's shared home was closer to the hospital than the compound and was much quicker to get to even with the other man flung across his back.
"You have finally found something about the Uchiha?" Koharu Utatane asked as soon as he had stepped into their receiving room. The small rectangular room was dark, two chairs set up at the far end where the elders sat when they were dealing with official business. She was sitting in her chair as she always did but Homura Mitokado was noticeably absent from his own. He automatically lowered his head, dropping the hood of his cloak as he stepped forward but didn't pull off his old anbu mask. Old habits still died hard. Releasing the now silent man from his back, the sonographer collapsing on the floor as he stooped to kneel.
"Yes, Utatane-sama." He didn't lift his head when he answered and he didn't stop the man he had carried from scrambling to his knees, looking around wildly with a hand on his face, blood pouring from his nose.
"Well, Baku?" She had used his name for the first time since calling on him for this mission, which proved that he had finally had the success she had been looking for. He knew from her short acknowledgment that she was not in the mood to wait for Mitokado-sama and who was he to question it? He lifted his head and stood, grabbing the man by his bloodstained collar. The man remained on his knees, shocked at the sight of the female elder.
"I followed Sasuke Uchiha to the hospital again, he was meeting him." He pulled at the man's shirt, trying to get him to stand but he stubbornly refused to get his feet under him. Utatane-sama tilted her head at the man, studying him and Baku waited for orders with a smirk. He had once again demonstrated his worth to the elders and they would not tolerate the Uchiha trying to revive his clan.
"What is your name?" Utatane-sama asked. Baku tightened his grip on the man's collar, wondering if he would have to convince the man to speak. It seemed that the man would be willing; he finally got his feet under him and tried to pull away from his grasp.
"Kusushi," The man raised his shaking hand to readjust his glasses. "I'm a sonographer in the maternity ward at Leaf Hospital." Utatane-sama stared at him, attempting to figure out why the Uchiha brat had gone to see him.
"And why was Sasuke Uchiha meeting you?" She asked after a few short seconds. Kusushi seemed hesitant to answer, opening his mouth and then looking away from the female elder.
"He wasn't." The man sounded resolute.
"Do not lie!" Utatane-sama called out loudly. "Why was Sasuke Uchiha meeting with you?" Baku had watched the man flinch at the tone of voice but he didn't look up to the elder.
"They didn't tell me their names!" Kusushi spoke up. Utatane-sama looked to him with her sharp gaze for an answer.
"The Haruno girl was with him." He answered. The elder nodded to him and turned her attention back to the sonographer, her frown deepening. She had realized that whatever the Uchiha was doing, Sakura Haruno was also in on it and from there she could assume that the Hokage knew what they were doing to at least an extent.
"Everyone in this village can recognize the Uchiha brat, you don't need him to tell you his name." Baku watched the man avert his gaze, proving that he had known exactly whom he had been dealing with. "Why was the Uchiha meeting with you in the hospital?" The elder asked. The sonographer's jaw set and remained silent, even when the retired anbu shook him vigorously. "Baku." She barked out when she lost the patience to wait.
"The Uchiha met with him so he could get an ultrasound, he's pregnant." He watched in satisfaction as the frown on the elders face deepened and the man in his grasp stiffened. To his surprise, instead of the elder asking him more questions, she turned her head.
"Sai!" She called out. Baku turned his head as a panel in the wall opened and a dark haired figure stepped out. "What do you know of this?" The elder asked. The man was wearing all black, his pale midriff and forearms exposed. Dull black eyes looked Baku over for a brief moment before he directed his gaze to the man in his grasp. A few seconds later he returned his attention to Utatane-sama and stepped into the middle of the room, standing right next to the retired anbu.
"There have been rumors of Sasuke's pregnancy. As of yet, I have been unable to get close enough to determine them to be true." Sai spoke in a lifeless tone. The sonographer, who was still in his grasp, jerked his head towards the emotionless teen in surprise.
"Rumors? Had you heard of them, Baku?" Utatane-sama returned her attention to him and Baku felt a spark of anger begin to spread. He was at least three times the brat's age; he knew how to do his job.
"I was aware of the rumors." The retired anbu conceded. "Proof required further observation." He shook the man in his grasp for effect but he averted his gaze when the elder's stare remained on him. "Shall I kill him?" Even he knew it was a poor attempt to retain what little favor he had left with the female elder.
"I do not think that would be wise." Sai spoke out. "If he goes missing or is found dead, the Uchiha will be suspicious and will raise his guard, even more so than it is now." Baku narrowed his eyes at him, looking for any emotion that he could call the young boy out on while Utatane-sama considered what he had said.
"Sai, take him back to the hospital. I'm sure he has already been missed." The elder motioned her hand at him. "I would keep this meeting to yourself and be grateful you still have your life, Kusushi." Sai dutifully moved around Baku as Kusushi nodded his head, taking the sonographer out of his grasp and pushing him out of the room. "Baku." The elder called out his name with a low tone once the two had left the room. "I want you to continue your surveillance on the Uchiha."
"Yes, Utatane-sama." He felt the pride swell in his chest as he dropped to his knee again. Even retired and in old age, he could still be of use to the elders and his village. Koharu Utatane raised herself from her chair, smoothing her robes in a calm fashion.
"And when you get the chance, kill him." Baku bowed his head to the elder as she left to keep his widening grin hidden.
"Of course." He responded. It didn't matter if Sai was younger or the elder's favorite, this job was entrusted to him. He would be the one to finish Itachi's work and end the Uchiha bloodline once and for all.
The slamming of the door made Sasuke jump in surprise, looking to who stood in the doorway. Sakura barged into the room, tugging, to the Uchiha's surprise, Sai by his elbow. She turned around, motioned outside of the door and watched as his sonographer poked his head into the room warily, blood drying on his face and clothes. He dropped the file in his hands into it's alphabetically ordered spot and slammed the filing cabinet shut and moved to sit behind the desk spinning in the swivel chair to face them so he could hide his stomach from sight.
"Tell him." The pink haired woman growled. "Tell him what you told me." That immediately set Sasuke on edge and he turned his attention to Sai. His look-alike was grimacing while looking anywhere but at the Uchiha. Sakura shoved Sai forward with force, his knees bumping into the desk between them. The Uchiha could feel his teammates rage just under the surface and he had to think, what was his sonographer doing here with her and Sai?
"The elders know." Sai answered. It took all of Sasuke's concentration to keep his face a calm, collected mask when the other dark haired male finally met his glare. At least the asshole wasn't wearing that stupid smile he normally had on his face. Sakura sighed heavily and turned to the ultrasound technician who was still hovering outside the door.
"Hey, let's get you cleaned up while they duke it out." The pinkette stepped out of the room and faced the man in the glasses.
"You mean fight? In the records room!" The technician cried out. Sasuke could see them out of his peripherals, Sakura ushering him away from the doorway and she reached back and shut the door before he could hear more of the technician's qualms about the destruction of records.
"Know about what?" Sasuke growled. Sai's courage seemed to fail him again and he looked away, turning his body away from the Uchiha.
"That you're with child." Sai responded quietly. The Uchiha inhaled quietly through his nose and leaned back. He watched how the other dark-haired male glanced over to him, to see his expanded stomach now that it wasn't hidden under the desk.
"How did you find out?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. Sai shifted his stance, crossing his arms over his chest while still keeping his gaze away from the Uchiha's face.
"There were rumors, women said they saw you in a maternity shop. I didn't know for certain until Utatane-sama called me to their home, Baku had your sonographer there already." Sai chanced a second glance at Sasuke's stomach and he let him.
"Baku?" Sasuke frowned at the name. Sai shifted again, turning to face the Uchiha with his arms still crossed.
"The man whose been watching you." The other man answered. His deadened stare met Sasuke's gaze calmly now. "Utatane-sama threatened to kill the sonographer if he told you the elders are aware of your pregnancy so I'm doing it for him."
"Why are you telling me?" Sasuke leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. With a single change in his facial expression, the Uchiha softened his glare to just a stare. Sai noticed the change and dropped his arms, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"You're not just doing this for yourself." Sai's lips quirked upwards for a brief second but before Sasuke could scowl at the bastard for trying to pull that shit with him, he dropped it. "I may not know what love is exactly, but you love Naruto-kun." Sasuke couldn't stop himself from tensing at that.
"I've told you before, my relationship with Naruto-" Sasuke started.
"It's none of my concern." Sai interrupted. "I came to warn you, to help because the elders are going to come after you." Sasuke frowned at him as he continued. "Naruto-kun is my friend. I want to protect what's important to him, his precious person and his unborn child." Sasuke could see the man's eyes harden before he looked away. He stared at Sai, wondering just how much emotion the other male was feeling to show even the smallest amount in his expression. It was obvious something about the elders coming after Naruto's precious person, or more likely an unborn child didn't sit well with him. Sai uncharacteristically shifted his weight from one foot to another before hesitantly glancing at the pregnant male again. "Can I ask you something?" Sai tilted his head.
"What?" The Uchiha retorted gruffly. They both stared at each other; Sasuke waiting for the other to ask his question, Sai, probably trying to guess what emotion the Uchiha was showing.
"Why did you go to the maternity shop? You had to have known it would cause the rumors of your pregnancy to spread and catch the elders' attention." Sai forced his mouth downwards, into what looked to be a frown. The pregnant male raised an eyebrow, silently debating if he should tell him the reason. It had only been a few days prior when he realized why he had let Sakura talk him into going to the maternity shop, why going had been important.
"Ever since I was brought back, I have been hiding." Sasuke stood, setting his hands on the desk. "I'm not going to keep my pregnancy a secret from anyone anymore." Sasuke raised one of his hands and ran it through his hair. Sai's facial expression didn't change in the slightest, to busy thinking about what the Uchiha had said. All too soon the door to the records room opened and Sakura stuck her head in.
"Are you two done?" The pinkette looked to Sasuke with a nervous expression but the Uchiha still had his eyes trained on Sai. "Sasuke, there are some things I think we need to discuss."
"Yes," Sasuke stood up, started to zip up his jacket and looked to Sai. "You're going to go to the Hokage and tell her what you told me. Let her decide what to do about the elders." The Uchiha raised his eyebrows at Sai and the other dark haired male nodded with that stupid, emotionless smile already back in place.
"Oh, and congratulations." Sai bowed to the Uchiha with his fake smile before turning away.
"Right," Sakura leaned against the doorframe and let Sai walk past her. Sasuke sat back down in the swivel chair and watched Sakura close the door to the records room. "So they know?" She murmured. Sasuke nodded and the pinkette sighed heavily, setting her hands on her hips. "I had hoped Naruto would be back before they found out. What do you think they could be doing in Suna for so long?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, setting a hand on his stomach as he tried to imagine what his blonde was doing.