*IMPORTANT NOTICE!* As of 1/31/15, this chapter has been EDITED to abide the FFN guidelines. To view the entire, unedited and much better version, links are available on my profile.
I am abiding by FFN ratings and removing-anything overtly dark or violent, and the scenes of complete and unrepentant smut that are considered MA, from this site. I do this in order to protect reviews linked to my stories and account that I want to keep from anyone with an email account, hate for my stories, and want my account banned for whatever their weak excuses may be.
Warnings: Contains adult language, themes, and suggestions. It is not suitable for anyone below the age of 16 per FFN guidelines.
Chapter Note: If I got some of the information wrong at the end of the chapter, I apologize in advance.
September twenty-fifth, still the twentieth week,
Sasuke woke to the feeling of his nose being pushed into a warm shoulder. He opened his eyes and blinked the sleep away as he lifted his head to look to Naruto. The blonde was still asleep, his lips slightly parted and arm wrapped over the Uchiha's side as his bladder made an urgent pang for attention. He pulled the blonde's arm off of him and slipped off the bed, knowing he wouldn't wake him when he went to the bathroom. Naruto followed him, rolling onto his stomach and over to Sasuke's side of the bed with his hand outstretched. Giving the sleeping blonde a smile, he went to the bathroom and relieved himself. Flushing the toilet and washing his hands, he thought about how he could properly welcome Naruto home. Helping the blonde shower because he was falling asleep from exhaustion didn't count. His eyes landed on one bottle and a wicked idea popped into his head.
Walking back to the bed, Sasuke pulled their blanket off the bed. The blonde didn't even twitch as Sasuke sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the tips of his fingers against Naruto's feet. As expected, his lover didn't seem to feel it, obliviously sleeping on. Opening the bottle of massage oil, the Uchiha poured a small amount into his open palm and set the bottle down on the edge of the bed. He warmed the oil between his hands before taking one of the blonde's feet and started to massage it. Sasuke rubbed the oil in, spreading it across the blonde's arch, heel and over his ankle. He ran his hands up the back of Naruto's calf, putting pressure on the back of his knee where he knew there would be soreness. The blonde sighed in his sleep but didn't wake so the Uchiha took Naruto's other foot and gave it the same treatment. Naruto's toes twitched at the tingling feeling but he didn't wake. He paused in his massage to pour more oil on his hands before moving to Naruto's thighs. Pressing his thumbs in deep, Sasuke felt out each muscle and eased whatever tension was left in them.
This was not the first time Naruto's ability to sleep through anything had irritated him but he only paused long enough to reapply the oil and move into a more comfortable position. He swung a leg over Naruto's and leaned forward, splaying his fingers across the blonde's muscled back. "Hmmnn." Naruto mumbled sleepily. Sasuke felt the muscles under his fingers flex, the blonde's hips twist as he stretched underneath the Uchiha's body. "G'morning." The Uchiha nodded silently as he pressed down on Naruto's shoulder blades, feeling out the knots before working on them. Naruto turned his head, looking up to Sasuke with a dreamy smile on his face.
"Welcome home." Sasuke leaned over and murmured. Sasuke straightened and continued the massage, sliding his hands down tan arms to spread what was left of the oil. Naruto closed his eyes again, his smile slowly fading as he probably drifted in and out sleep. Once the Uchiha decided that Naruto was adequately relaxed, he eased up on the pressure of his hands.
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"That was harder than I thought it'd be." Naruto laughed breathlessly. Sasuke dipped his head in a nod.
"Won't be able to do it like that for much longer." Sasuke huffed. "I'll be too big, and I am talking about my stomach."
"Then I'll just have to show you how much I love you in other ways." The blonde responded happily. Sasuke watched as Naruto reached out, setting a hand on his protruding abdomen. Their eyes met briefly before Naruto grinned mischievously and let his fingers trail downward.
"Wait." The Uchiha reached out, gripping the blonde's wrist to keep him from continuing. "I have to show you something." Naruto blinked in confusion as Sasuke moved off the bed to look for something. It took him a minute but the dark haired male found his chuunin vest and dug his hands into its pockets. "Here."
"What is it?" The blonde asked. Sasuke pulled something rectangular and white out of his vest pocket and moved back to the bed. Naruto held out his hand as the Uchiha sat down and flipped it over to see what was on the other side. Sasuke watched the blonde's jaw drop and shocked blue eyes met his. "Is this?"
"It's from a second ultrasound." The Uchiha nodded as his lover shifted, sitting up as he continued to stare at the ultrasound picture. "I had a checkup that coincided with my mission at the hospital."
"Our baby. That's our baby." Naruto breathed. Sasuke moved to sit beside the enraptured blonde. "Did you find out if it was a girl or boy?" The blue-eyed blonde finally looked up from the picture and slipped his arm around Sasuke's shoulders. The dark haired male shook his head and was pulled close as he raised the ultrasound picture up for both of them to see.
"Did you want me too?" Sasuke questioned. They both looked at the grey and black picture, seeing the tiny little foot and the outline of the baby's head that the sonographer had pointed out to the Uchiha.
"No," Naruto let his cheek rest against Sasuke's head. After a few minutes of silence, the blonde rolled to the side of the bed, leaning the ultrasound picture against the frame of the picture of Sasuke and Itachi as kids. "Now, back to demonstrating how much I love you." Naruto rolled back to the Uchiha, lying on his side as he pressed a kiss to Sasuke's temple, and dipped his head down as he trailed kisses across Sasuke's cheek.
"Love you too." The Uchiha whispered. He felt his entire body respond, heart pounding in his chest and the skin of his arms and shoulders prickling as the blonde's lips traced a path down his neck. Naruto grinned against his collarbone and Sasuke allowed the blonde to roll him over onto his back.
September twenty-ninth, still the twentieth week
"It didn't affect Kyoko?" Sasuke frowned. The two clones massaging his feet in front of him nodded simultaneously. They hadn't really spent much time talking about Suna, Naruto had slept for most of the day after coming back, only getting up to make himself instant ramen. The days following that, he had been helping the substitute at the academy while Iruka recovered and then today the Hokage had sent him on a scroll delivery mission to the Fire Daiymo with Yamato. Naruto, the real Naruto, had left the three clones in hopes that at least one of them would last until he got back. Instead of the temperamental mood the blonde thought he'd be in because of the lack of quality time, Sasuke found himself glad for the company. His feet had been sore for most of the day and the clones were more than willing to accommodate him in hopes they wouldn't be dispelled.
"Not like it did me." The clone he was leaning against answered. "Her eyes turned red and the contact weakened her seal even faster but her hand didn't burn where we touched." Sasuke nodded, his head resting comfortably in the crook of Naruto's neck as the blonde's hands moved across his chest and stomach. Naruto's fingers had been playing with the hem of his shirt since they'd settled on the bed half an hour ago and Sasuke was surprised the clone hadn't slipped it under his shirt or down his sweatpants by now.
"Hn." The Uchiha murmured. Naruto's clones holding his feet nodded in unison and one of them pressed their thumbs into his heel. He let out a soft sigh and let himself melt into the blonde behind him. The clone leaned backwards to let Sasuke recline against him as the two clones holding his feet started to sync their hand movements.
"Any idea why?" Naruto's clone holding his left foot asked. Sasuke closed his eyes in response and let the information of what happened in Suna sink in. He had known that physical proximity weakened Apricot's seal but from what the clones were telling him, when they touched the seal practically crumbled away in comparison. Add Naruto's hand being burned by the chakra as it forced it's way down his pathways and it was a troubling problem.
"Sasuke?" A clone called out softly. Opening his eyes, he raised an eyebrow at the two clones in front of him who were watching him expectantly. Their hands eased away from his heels, reaching for his ankles and the Uchiha flexed his feet appreciatively.
"Mh," He grunted softly in response. Reaching up with one hand, Sasuke grabbed the tan hand on his stomach and cupped it in his own. Brushing his thumb against the warm skin, he closed his eyes again and let his mind drift back to his earlier thoughts. The chakra couldn't be contained by Apricot's seal forever but was it possible to make a seal that would transfer Kyuubi's chakra from Apricot to Naruto without killing him? He hadn't come across anything like that after the chuunin exams when he had been researching how to strengthen the girl's seal.
"Any ideas?" The clone behind him asked quietly. Sasuke opened his eyes again and shook his head. The two Narutos rubbing his ankles watched him and one of them shrugged his shoulders as the other looked towards the door. Listening attentively, the Uchiha could hear soft footfalls against wooden floors and the sound of a flak jacket being dropped to the floor.
"I'll have to ask permission from the Hokage to get in the scroll rooms. If there's anything that could help, it'd be in there." Sasuke replied. He pulled his legs away from the clones and moved to sit up straight on the bed. The real Naruto walked in as the Uchiha turned around and he watched the blonde's eyes meet his in mild surprise.
"What are you still doing up?" He asked. Sasuke watched him pull off his forehead protector and move to set it down on their nightstand. His flak jacket was noticeably missing from his person, leaving him in his all black uniform.
"We were talking." The Uchiha answered. Naruto looked to his clones and nodded in understanding as he stepped up to the bed and leaned in for a kiss. Sasuke could feel the clones dispel as the blonde's fingers ran through his hair and firmly kissed Naruto as the memories of the clones sank in.
"She told me she's still waiting on permissions from the clerks of some restricted sections to allow you access." Naruto when he pulled back and straightened as he lifted his long-sleeved black shirt over his head. Sasuke watched him turn towards their bathroom before shifting on the bed, already prepared for sleep.
"A pregnant male is too dangerous, I could knock a shelf over with my fat belly." Sasuke answered sarcastically. He pulled down the sheets and settled into a comfortable position, facing the bathroom so he could watch the blonde pull off his pants and boxers before starting to brush his teeth, completely naked. When Naruto finished, he walked out grinning because he knew Sasuke was admiring him and went to their closet, pulling on a shirt and a pair of boxers. It was a new pair, the waistband fully intact and completely unwearable for the Uchiha.
"Teme," The blonde chided tenderly. "You're five months pregnant, not fat." Naruto lowered his gaze to Sasuke's rounded middle and his grin widened.
"Would you rather say it's because I deserted the village for three years and was forcibly brought back?" The Uchiha questioned. Naruto raised his eyebrows at him and Sasuke raised an eyebrow right back. Bringing the fact into the conversation purposefully rather than letting it go was because he wasn't ashamed and his partner didn't need to skirt around it. He was pregnant, not unable to face the consequences of his mistakes. The blonde went to turn out the lights and walked around to his side of the bed and got in, shifting closer as he pulled the sheets up to their shoulders.
"No, I'd prefer if it you just said you were pregnant." Naruto answered. He slipped one of his hands under a pillow and one over the Uchiha's waist to pull him closer. "Rather than fat, 'cause you're not."
"Do you know if the Hokage is going to do anything more about the elders?" Sasuke asked, changing the topic quickly. He shifted into a comfortable position and pulled his extra pillow between his legs as the blonde repositioned accordingly.
"She's planning on meeting with the Daimyo but the elders have had him in their pockets for years, it's why they've remained in their positions for so long." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Essentially they're going to get a slap on their wrists and won't be able to try it again."
"Hn." Sasuke murmured. The blonde shrugged his shoulders and scooted closer, his lips brushed the tip of his nose before moving lower to kiss the pregnant male's chin. "Usuratonkachi." He raised his hand to the blonde's face and bit down on a lower lip in warning. Naruto started to laugh in response and pressed himself closer to his bed partner. A fluttering feeling started in his stomach and the Uchiha inhaled softly, he reached for the blonde's hand and pulled up his shirt.
"Teme, what are you, doing?" Naruto's voice trailed off as Sasuke pressed a tan hand to his abdomen and moved it over where the feeling of movement was growing stronger. "Oh." The blonde whispered. "Oh shit, is that? Is that the baby?" Sasuke nodded, not lifting his eyes from where Naruto's hand touched his stomach. The tan hand started to move across his skin and the Uchiha finally looked up, Naruto's expression was one of wonder as the baby's kicking stopped. When the tan hand finally pulled away, Sasuke could feel himself blushing and felt a sudden pressure on his bladder that had to have been the baby's doing.
"Now I have to pee, idiot." He tried to sound grumpy but Naruto just laughed.
October first, the twenty-first week,
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"You taste good." The blonde murmured with a grin. He pressed his lips to Sasuke's abdomen, his hands holding the Uchiha's hips as he started to place kisses along his stomach.
"You're obsessed." Sasuke frowned. He had thought the blonde had been infatuated with his baby bump before he'd left for Suna but now Naruto couldn't seem to go more than ten minutes without touching his stomach. The blonde looked up from the Uchiha's baby bump with a grin and finally pulled away to stand up. Sasuke watched him, admiring the way Naruto's muscles flexed under his tan skin. Turning around, the Uchiha looked into their mirror as he reached for a small towel and watched the blonde grab his toothbrush.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Naruto asked. He spread toothpaste onto the bristles and slipped the head of the toothbrush into his mouth. "Ish shexy." The blonde grinned, the toothpaste already starting to foam and Sasuke shook his head at him, slipping the towel under warm water. His baby bump was slowly getting bigger and the marks he had noticed a few weeks ago had grown along with it.
"So is acne." Sasuke responded sarcastically. The Uchiha tilted his head upward, showing the blonde the pimple that had showed up practically overnight on his chin. The reason he had gotten out of bed was to take his prenatal pills and put ointment on the damn thing and that was where his lover had cornered him. Leaning forward, Naruto spat out the foamy toothpaste and started to clean his toothbrush under the running water.
"Only on you." Naruto breathed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Sasuke glanced over to him, dropping the wet towel on a growing pile of dirty laundry that they had yet to touch that week. He turned his body, surveying his profile and the extent of the vein like marks. "What are you looking at?"
"Stretch marks." Sasuke replied. He looked over to the blonde, watching as apprehension started form in his chest. The fear that Naruto would find his body unattractive flushed out his afterglow quickly. Watching the blonde focus curiously on his abdomen, he felt his chest tighten as tan hands reach out to him.
"I don't see anything." The blonde brushed his fingers against Sasuke's skin, feeling for what the Uchiha was seeing. "Teme, I think you're overreacting." Naruto was smiled and set both of his hands on Sasuke's abdomen as the pregnant male felt his face heat up. The feeling in his chest was quickly replaced with embarrassment as he looked down to his stomach again.
"I'm not." Sasuke retorted quickly. He could see himself blushing in the bathroom mirror as he swatted the blonde's hands away. Naruto continued to grin as the naked Uchiha left their bathroom, leaning against the counter as he appreciated the view. "Iruka's going back to the academy today." Sasuke called out as he looked away from his lover. The blonde took the obvious change in subject in stride, stepping out of the bathroom to watch Sasuke dress. Sasuke watched Naruto smile when he realized that they were his, altered with several cuts in the waistband of the boxers.
"Sakura's packed and ready to move into her new apartment too, I'm going to lend her some clones while we're out." Naruto added. The Uchiha pulled on pants as the blonde wrestled with his traditional black shirt before he started a search for his pants. Sasuke picked out a dark blue sweater, knowing the weather was getting colder and was glad once again that Sakura had forced him to go clothes shopping.
"Hn." Sasuke responded. He tugged at his sweater as the blonde hopped into his trademark orange pants. "It's getting colder." The Uchiha watched Naruto button his pants and reach for his forehead protector even though he wasn't going out for a mission.
"We still have a few weeks before I need to bust out my winter clothes." Naruto grabbed his orange and black jacket, slipping into it with practiced ease. "You look good in yours though." Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the blonde in warning as Naruto zipped his jacket up and grinned back.
"Come on." The Uchiha told the blonde as he left their bedroom. Naruto obediently followed him to the entryway of their house and dutifully pulled on his shoes. "What are we doing for breakfast?" Sasuke asked quietly. The blonde just shrugged his shoulders and opened the door for the dark haired male, patting the Uchiha's ass as he walked out. Instead of calling out the blonde's name in surprise or yelling at the idiot for the sexual harassment, Sasuke turned his head to glare at him.
"Don't even think about touching my stomach today." He told Naruto seriously. The blonde opened his mouth to protest but was interrupted by the sound of a door opening. They both looked across the street and watched Sakura walk out, suitcase in hand.
"Hey guys, where are you two off to so early?" Sakura called out to them. Sasuke raised his hands in a mock wave to her as he stepped off their porch, Naruto shutting the front door and following after him. Sakura set the suitcase down and watched them come closer.
"Gotta sign up for parenting classes, we're gonna look for places that sell diapers and formula," Naruto's hand reached for Sasuke's stomach and the Uchiha quickly slapped it away. "Ow!" The blonde cried out. He frowned at Sasuke but the dark haired man ignored him. Sakura raised one eyebrow quizzically and looked between the two men.
"What'd he do this time?" The pink haired woman asked the Uchiha. Naruto made an indignant noise; Sasuke glanced over to him pointedly and watched the blonde cross his arms over his chest.
"I slapped his ass." Naruto muttered sullenly as he pouted. "That doesn't justify being forbidden to touch you all day." Sasuke didn't respond to the blonde's complaints and listened to Sakura laugh softly as she looked between the two men.
"Have you guys had breakfast yet?" The pink haired woman set her hands on her hips as she nodded back to the house she had been living in the weeks previous. "Apricot's finally mastered the art of the timer on the oven. She," Sakura raised her hand to make air quotations. "Baked the dough Iruka made."
"She made bread and didn't burn it?" Naruto grinned when Sakura nodded. "I gotta see this." The blonde passed their old teammate and stepped into the house. Sasuke followed him, walking with Sakura as his eyes lingered on her suitcase.
"It's awkward living with them," Sakura told him. "Not only were they my mentors but Iruka-sensei is loud." Sasuke cringed and Sakura laughed at his expression.
"I didn't need to know that." The Uchiha muttered. They stepped into the aroma of baked bread and Sasuke felt a pang of hunger hit his stomach. Apricot and Naruto were both sitting in the kitchen, Naruto biting into a slice of bread and the girl watched him nervously.
"It isn't bad." Naruto told Sasuke when he saw him. "Here, try some." The blonde held out a half eaten piece to him and he took it. It tasted fine and the Uchiha ate the piece and accepted another slice that the blonde gave him. Apricot grinned ecstatically when he took the second piece and continued to smile even after he sent her a pointed stare. Sakura tilted her head up when the ceiling started to creak and Sasuke listened to the sounds of someone coming down the stairs.
"Good morning everyone." Iruka called out as he entered the kitchen. Sasuke nodded to the teacher as he leaned past them to grab a slice of bread. "Thank you for making the bread, Apricot." Kyoko ducked her head down as she started to blush. Iruka had on his flak jacket, obviously excited about going back to the academy and looked back to the stairs where Kakashi was coming down. The man was barefoot, in a pair of boxers, a black undershirt and his facemask that seemed to be on inside out.
"We need to start locking the door." Kakashi muttered to no one in particular as he leaned over and snatched a few pieces of the still warm bread. Iruka rolled his eyes and Naruto chuckled as the white haired man turned and went back upstairs.
"He's just upset Iruka-sensei has to go back to work." Naruto winked at his old teacher and watched the dark skinned male start to choke on his bread. "Especially since Sakura's moving out today." Apricot giggled and Iruka turned, raising his hand to his mouth as he tried to cough away his blush.
"Stop teasing him." Sasuke ordered as he reached for another piece of bread from the quickly diminishing pile. "Let's go." The Uchiha stood up and nodded to the redheaded girl in silent thanks for the food.
"Hang on, Naruto promised me he would help me move all my stuff out." Sakura stepped in front of Sasuke to keep him from leaving but Naruto was already raising his hands in the hand signs.
"Kage bunshin no jutsu." The blonde called out. Three poofs of cloud smoke rose around him as three replicas of Naruto came into existence. "I didn't forget." One of the clones stuck his tongue out at his old teammate as the original blonde reached for the remaining slices of bread and stuffed one into his mouth. Smiling, the pink haired ninja moved out of the doorway and set her hand on Sasuke's shoulder.
"Thanks, Naruto. You two have fun, enjoy your day off." Sakura told them. Nodding to her, the Uchiha stepped forward and let the pink haired woman turn her attention to the blonde's clones.
"Will do, Sakura!" Naruto called out as he turned to follow the Uchiha out of the house. The blonde tentatively slipped his hand into Sasuke's and smiled when the dark haired male glanced over to him in warning. "I'm not allowed to touch your belly." He raised their hands and smiled pleasantly as they made their way to the front entrance of the compound. "You didn't say anything about holding your hand." The barrier had been dropped for a week now and not a single assassin had attempted to kill them, no one had ventured in, not even kids who were messing around. It was almost relieving to know that not everyone in the village was out to get them. Naruto stuffed the last of his bread into his mouth but didn't let go of Sasuke's hand and he opened the front gate, closing it quietly behind them. It was still early in the morning, only a few people were up and about and none of them paid the two any real attention.
"Where to first?" Sasuke asked. He glanced over to his lover as the blonde contemplated the question.
"We should probably sign up for classes first, I'm not sure if all the stores are open yet." Naruto answered. Sasuke stuffed his hands into the pockets of his pants as he caught the stare of an older woman on him. He glared at her until she looked away before turning his attention back to Naruto.
"Hn." The Uchiha replied softly.
"Naruto!" A shrill cry pierced the morning quiet and both men paused to look around for the blonde haired girl. "Sasuke!" Ino called out to them again. Sasuke saw a hand rise up and nudged the blonde to get him to look in the same direction he was. Ino's smile brightened when she knew they saw her down the street and she looked behind her, her long hair whipping around wildly. Behind Ino were several people, Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino, Chouji, and Kiba, all coming towards them. Sasuke immediately remembered months ago when they were at Ichiraku's and people had come to congratulate him on his reinstatement as a genin.
"Hey guys, what are you all doing together?" Naruto called out. They started walking towards each other, Ino jogging with her eyes trained on the Uchiha.
"So it's true. You are pregnant!" She exclaimed loudly. Strangers on the street looked to their forming group in surprise and Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blonde woman.
"Told you." Shikamaru sighed loudly as they slowly followed Ino. "Hinata and I found out during the chuunin exam debacle." Almost everyone's gaze turned to Hinata whose face lit up in a bright red flush.
"And you didn't tell me?" Ino cried out incredulously. "Just because you work so close to the Hokage doesn't mean you get to keep secrets from me, Shikamaru! Especially if they're about Sasuke!" Sasuke frowned at the girl but she was intently glaring at the lazy genius.
"Hokage-sama told us to keep it a secret from everyone," The Hyuuga spoke up softly. "And we wanted to protect Sasuke." Hinata met the Uchiha's gaze and he nodded to her. Ino huffed loudly, crossed her arms over her chest and looked the Uchiha's body over again.
"Where are you guys off to?" Naruto asked in attempt to change the subject. His stiff body posture was more than enough evidence that the angry woman was making him uncomfortable.
"Just got off perimeter duty," Chouji replied. "We were on our way to get some breakfast, want to come?" The heavier male stuck his hands in his pockets out of habit, looking for a bag of chips he normally had stowed away.
"Can't, we're on our way to the hospital to sign up for baby classes and then we have to do some shopping." Naruto smiled as he shook his head and Sasuke almost unconsciously started to shift his weight in embarrassment. He looked to the group of their peers with more nervousness than he would ever admit. Shikamaru, Shino, and Chouji didn't seem affected at all by the knowledge, Hinata and Ino smiled good-naturedly while Kiba had cocked an eyebrow up and was smirking at Naruto.
"What classes are you planning on taking?" Ino asked. She glanced down to Sasuke's stomach curiously and bit her lower lip, probably wanting to touch but knew better than to just do it.
"The parenting class. Maybe one or two other classes but they focus on the actual childbirth." Sasuke explained. He ignored the looks she kept giving his baby bump, he wasn't in the mood to deal with her.
"Which isn't possible." Ino nodded in understanding. "How are you going to give birth?" Her fingers twitched but she didn't make any move towards his baby bump and Sasuke shifted his weight under her scrutiny.
"A Cesarean most likely, he doesn't have a birthing canal." Kiba grinned. The Uchiha glared at the dog lover and could see Hinata's face heat up again. Ino turned on Kiba and swatted at him with an open palm as Naruto shifted uncomfortably. "Hey!" The dog lover cried out. He raised his arm to protect himself and gave the blonde woman an accusatory stare. "There's no other way, I'm just saying." Kiba huffed and stepped away from the violent woman.
"It's none of your business, Kiba." Naruto stuck his tongue out at his friend and placed his arm over Sasuke's shoulders. Sasuke glanced to the silent members of the group, Shino and Chouji looked content to wait and Hinata was obviously embarrassed, her gaze averted to her vocal teammate.
"Can I touch your belly?" Ino asked suddenly. The Uchiha opened his mouth to refuse her but his idiot beat him to it.
"No." Naruto interrupted. "If I'm forbidden from touching his stomach today, so is everyone else." Ino frowned at the two of them but Sasuke just crossed his arms over his chest, accentuating the plumpness of his abdomen.
"What did you do this time?" Kiba asked. Naruto quietly raised his hand, all but his middle finger bent as he flipped the dog lover off. Shikamaru snorted and calmly stared back at Kiba when the man looked over with a glare.
"Um, I didn't get a change to say this before but, congratulations." Hinata spoke up softly. She gave Sasuke a small smile and the Uchiha nodded to her in return.
"Yeah, yeah. Congratulations on getting Sasuke pregnant." Kiba rolled his eyes. Naruto kicked his foot out at him and this time it was the dog lover who stuck his tongue out at him.
"Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet?" Ino asked blatantly. Sasuke found himself frowning as he glanced to the girl who was still looking at his lower body.
"Troublesome." Shikamaru sighed loudly. Naruto's arm around his shoulders tightened and Sasuke leaned into his lover just a fraction more, knowing the group would be aware of the subtle movement.
"We don't." Sasuke responded tersely. He glared at the longhaired woman and Ino just frowned at him before turning to the other woman in the group.
"Hinata, use your Byakugan and see what the baby's gender is." She ordered. The Hyuuga's jaw dropped in surprise and her blush disappeared, leaving her face pale. Hinata and Ino both looked to Sasuke and the Uchiha watched as the Hyuuga glanced to Naruto helplessly.
"We don't want to know." Sasuke glared at her harshly. He saw Hinata look back to him gratefully and watched her nod with a grateful smile.
"Why not?" Ino asked. She looked between Sasuke and Naruto with an uncomprehending stare. "Why wouldn't you want to know?"
"It doesn't matter what gender the baby is." Naruto told her. "We're still going to love him or her either way." Ino gaped at the blonde and Sasuke glanced over to him, their eyes meeting as Naruto nodded to him resolutely.
"I don't know what to look for." Hinata spoke up when Ino opened her mouth again to retort. "I wouldn't be able to tell you the gender even if you wanted me too." Sasuke looked away from his blonde to give the dark haired girl a smile of his own. He could see Kiba's eyes widen and Shino shifted under his jacket in response and he couldn't stop from morphing his smile into a smirk as he looked between Hinata's teammates.
"It's their kid, Ino. Lighten up." Shikamaru muttered. The woman whipped her head back to the lazy genius, scowling at him and the hand around Sasuke's shoulders tightened again. He inhaled deeply when the feeling of the baby moving hit him; it had gone from a popping feeling to more of a tingling sensation that moved over the weeks. He dropped his crossed arms and set one on his stomach, the feeling growing stronger.
"Hinata," Sasuke called out to the pale-eyed woman. He motioned for her to come close, reaching for her hand to hold it against his abdomen. She blinked in confusion, wondering what the Uchiha was doing.
"Hey, why does she get to touch your stomach?" Ino huffed indignantly. Sasuke shot her a cold stare and she had the decency to look away, chastised. Naruto looked down to where Sasuke was holding the Hyuuga's hand and stuffed his hands in his pockets with a content smile.
"Oh, the baby is moving." Hinata murmured. Sasuke nodded and tried not to shift his weight as the sensation started to fade. The dark haired girl dropped her hand and stepped back, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she nodded her head in thanks.
"Shikamaru, did you want to feel too?" Naruto asked with a grin.
"No." Shikamaru answered pointedly. "I want to get breakfast." Sasuke blinked at him as he let his hands fall to his sides.
"I'm starving." Chouji added. Sasuke watched Shino nod his head and then looked to Ino who had moved off to the side and was sulking.
"Yeah, we'll catch you later guys." Kiba moved past Sasuke and Naruto, patting the blonde's shoulder. Naruto waved as the group moved past him and only gave Ino a glance as she strut past him. The blonde pulled his hands from his pocket and immediately grabbed Sasuke's hand and pulled him down the street.
"Bye guys!" Naruto called out as he walked, not bothering to look back. Sasuke let his lover lead him around a street corner and then pulled him back. He saw the blonde's expression and knew Naruto was angry as they started to walk side by side again.
"She's such a bitch." Naruto growled under his breath. Sasuke agreed with him but only squeezed his hand in response. "Can you believe she wanted Hinata to see what the gender our baby is?" He asked incredulously. Some civilians watched them as they passed, most of them staring at Sasuke's stomach. The Uchiha ignored them.
"I'll mention it to Sakura." He murmured quietly. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the blonde look over to him.
"No, I'll talk to Ino about it." Naruto raised their hands and kissed the back of Sasuke's palm. "Sakura's her friend, not her keeper." Sasuke nodded and forced their hands back down between them. They settled into silence until they reached the hospital and went straight to the front desk. An older woman in a nurse's uniform was there, head lifting from the desk when they stopped in front of it. Brunette and brown eyes, she had crow's feet in the corners of her eyes and a few wrinkles that gave away her age.
"Good morning, are you looking for Sakura?" She smiled and looked between them as Naruto shook his head. Sasuke slipped his hand into his pocket and was glad the front desk was too high for her to see his stomach.
"Actually we were looking to sign up for some parenting and baby classes." The blonde smiled back at her as he leaned on the counter. Sasuke watched her glance to him and cocked her head slightly to the side.
"Of course, congratulations." She told them. Her smile widened when Sasuke looked away in embarrassment. "There are a few different classes we offer, have you had a chance to look at any of our pamphlets?" The woman asked.
"You have pamphlets?" Naruto questioned in response. She nodded as she opened a drawer of the desk and pulled outa handful of pamphlets of different colors. "Ooh, look at these, Sasuke." He took the pamphlets and gave them cursory looks before handing half of them to the Uchiha with a teasing smile.
"Dobe." Sasuke muttered. The urge to kick the blonde was strong but he restrained himself and turned his attention to the sheets of folded paper. "What classes would you recommend?" He asked tentatively. Glancing up from the pamphlets, he blinked in surprise when he saw the nurse looking at Naruto with a nostalgic gaze. She quickly realized that he had asked her a question and changed her expression as she turned to him.
"We have a few parenting classes, Baby Basics and Parent Training." She informed them with a kind smile. She reached up and pointed to one of the pamphlets that Sasuke held and looked to Naruto to see if he was paying attention. "There are also Lamaze classes, those focus on the actual childbirth which I don't think you two would need and there's also Bradley Method classes that also focus on natural childbirth but they also teach exercise and diet which you might find helpful."
"Oh, okay." Naruto nodded in understanding as he leaned over Sasuke to see the pamphlet. He bit his lower lip as he tried to keep up with what the nurse was saying and Sasuke had to hold back his smirk.
"Right here," The woman continued. She turned to tap the pamphlets in the blonde's hands. "You've got a guide for baby product safety and a pamphlet for sleep training, you're going to want to read that one and have questions ready when you go over it in the Baby Basics class." Sasuke watched the blonde look to his own hands and blinked, still trying to comprehend what she was saying.
"Do you have any more information on the Parent Training and Baby Basics classes?" Sasuke asked. The nurse nodded and pulled two brochures from a rack on the side of her desk.
"The Parent Training is a six week course that covers everything you should be doing as a parent from infancy to young adulthood. Baby Basics focuses more on how to properly take care of your child from the first day out of the hospital and tends to run about three to four weeks, depending on how fast the instructor goes through the material." She handed the brochures to Sasuke; having realized the blonde was a little lost. "There are a few discount and installment payment options available that you can look at in the brochures as well. Do you have any other questions I can answer?" The nurse sat back in her chair and smiled at the two of them expectantly.
"Um?" Naruto paused. He looked through the pamphlets in his hands and then looked to the Uchiha with wide eyes, not knowing what to say.
"When does the Baby Basics class start?" Sasuke asked.
"Let me see here," The nurse straightened in her chair and picked up a pencil. She flipped through some paperwork on her desk and Naruto glanced over to the Uchiha again and eyed the handful of pamphlets and brochures, probably feeling suddenly overwhelmed. "It looks like the class starts back up again later this month, on the fifteenth. Shall I sign both of you up?" Sasuke glanced to the blonde and watched him grin hesitantly. Realization was sinking in again, five months had already flown by but here they were, going to have a baby together. He reached for Naruto's hand and gave it a squeeze, knowing exactly what he was feeling.