And we're back with the next chapter. Will Sakura and Lee tell their friends... or chicken out?

Chichi - father

Hahaoya - mother

o.O.o

Chapter 5

Sakura did indeed wake him up before racing to the toilet. Lee faithfully stood beside her as she retched the remains of her dinner, smoothing back her hair with a gentle hand. She stayed over the toilet seat for a moment, sighing, and stood.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Lee smiled, wishing that there was something he could do to help his cherry blossom, but there wasn't. "Anytime." He hated seeing her like this, but it was unavoidable. His child was growing inside Sakura, his child and not Sasuke's. A thrill of satisfaction shot through him and he was suddenly glad of the events that had transpired.

Sakura's pregnancy was an accident; the one thing they'd never thought would happen, but they weren't invincible. Yet Lee couldn't be happier. He felt that this would allow him and Sakura to grow closer in a different way and maybe she could begin to care for him like he cared for her.

To be honest, Sakura's pregnancy was the best thing that had ever happened to Lee, accident or not, and he was determined to stick with her no matter what the consequence.

They got dressed and went to the kitchen for breakfast. Lee prepared eggs on toast, then ditched the eggs because they made Sakura feel nauseous. They had jam on toast instead and then Sakura announced that she would like some almonds as well. Lee hunted for almonds and found them on the protein shelf, handing them over proudly.

Gai walked inside from his morning workout and beamed at the pair. "When shall I take you to young Hinata's house?"

"Eleven, I think," Sakura said around a mouthful of almonds. "Hey Gai, you might want to keep the mattress out. I don't know how they'll take the news and we might need to get out of there."

"A smart choice," Gai chirped. "I'll be at the gym today, so you feel free to pop in whenever you want!"

Lee nodded thoughtfully. "Our friends are not like you, chichi. They will be shocked at our confession and may not accept it as easily."

Gai looked horrified. "How could they not be happy?! I can't wait to have Rock Lee Junior running around the house!"

His words triggered a doubt in Lee's mind. How would he and Sakura take care of the baby when it was born? Would they need to move out together? Would he and Gai move in with Sakura and her parents? Would he even move in with her? He'd already made the decision to leave school with her, but there was too much to think about. Lee wasn't incredibly intelligent like Sasuke and he knew there would always be something he forgot.

Actually, a good way to get money would be to apply for government funds. The government had programs where they gave money to people in need – one such was Youth Allowance, where students attending University would get money to help pay for their textbooks and things. Maybe there was one for teenage parents… he wasn't going to let Gai, Mebuki and Kizashi pay for everything, as he knew from his research that babies were the most expensive types of humans out there. They required constant attention and an endless supply of ever-larger clothes.

Sakura's mind seemed to be running in a similar direction to his and they exchanged a look. Gai, oblivious, whipped out some cereal and poured milk into the bowl while humming. Sakura looked at the milk with distaste and Lee made a mental note to not give her milk for the next eight months.

o.O.o

"Hinata! Hi!" Lee grinned and hugged the small girl happily, his infectious smile making the normally shy girl grin too. In the hallway behind her, Lee could see her brother Neji slouched against the wall grumpily, hands in his pockets.

"I'm so glad to see you two," Hinata said happily. "Ino and Tenten are already in the lounge."

Sakura blinked. "I thought we were early."

"So are they. Come on!"

Both Lee and Sakura knew Hinata's house inside-out, as they'd been there many times before, and moved without thinking about it. Ino and Tenten waved from where they sat comfortably on the three mattresses that had been set up for the occasion. Sakura, Ino, Hinata and Tenten would sleep on the mattresses and Lee would take the couch, as usual.

He bounded forward and embraced both girls, almost falling on them. Hinata giggled at his antics and Lee didn't see the frown Sakura shot in his direction. He was just happy to see his friends, as always.

"I trust you are all well," he said immediately, holding Tenten at arms'-length. The brunette grinned and nodded.

"I had my karate grading this morning," she announced, "and I graded to blue-belt!"

"That's great!" Sakura and Lee chorused.

Ino slung her arm around her friend's shoulders. "I'm so proud of you! I know how hard you worked for that grading."

Tenten shrugged. "I've still gotta get through purple and brown before I get to black. I'm not crazy athletic like Lee so it's gonna take some time."

Hinata had snuck from the room and returned with orange juice and cups. "Would you all like a drink?" she asked. Everyone chorused their agreement and she poured out the drinks. Lee gulped his down happily and noticed that Sakura's face was a little pale. She raised the cup to her lips and took another sip, frowning.

Then she retched horribly and covered her mouth with her hand, running to the nearest sink to throw up. Lee was immediately by her side and patted her back as she coughed, eyes closed to the discomfort.

Their friends stared in confusion. Once the coughing died down, Hinata spoke. "Are you okay Sakura?"

"I'm fine," she replied softly. "I don't think that orange juice agreed with me." She washed out her mouth and straightened, letting the water clean the sink of her breakfast. Lee couldn't help but feel concerned. If she continued like this, she was bound to lose all the weight she would need for pregnancy.

"Will it be like this the whole time?" Lee hissed.

"No, I've only got a month or so before the baby starts getting bigger and my stomach settles." They re-joined their friends and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened.

They stayed in the Hyuga household until lunch. Neji cooked them yakitori on the barbecue, as their chichi, Hiashi Hyuga, was with the other Hyuga child, Hanabi Hyuga, at ballet practice. Hanabi was only in primary school and was the favoured child of the controlling Hiashi, and Lee found that while Hiashi would do anything for little Hanabi, he always maintained a disappointed air around Hinata and Neji.

Neji was older than Hinata by eleven months. He had been born in early January, with his hahaoya becoming pregnant quite quickly afterwards. Hinata was born eleven months later in late December. As a result, the two were in the same year at school, despite not being twins. Hinata sometimes wondered out loud if her hahaoya should have stopped breastfeeding so early in Neji's life, since a woman couldn't get pregnant while she breastfed. If she hadn't stopped breastfeeding, Hinata would have been born later and into the year below theirs. Not long after Hanabi was born, Hinata's hahaoya died. Hinata was the only one in their friendship group with any siblings, but she wasn't the only one that didn't have a hahaoya-like figure in her life.

Ino's chichi, Inoichi, was a proud, hard-working man who did everything he could to provide for his little girl. His wife, Ino's hahaoya, had died when Ino was six and although Inoichi did his best, there were always situations where the blonde girl needed her hahaoya. That's where her friends came in. They acted as her support and were the major female influences on her life, as they'd been friends for close to twelve years. Lee still remembered Ino on the day her hahaoya died in an accident. The blonde girl had been heartbroken and her little six-year-old friends had cheered her up and made her realise that her hahaoya would want Ino to be happy. Since that day, the five friends held Ino's hahaoya in a state of reverence.

Now Tenten had a lack of a chichi-like figure. She'd never known her parents and lived in a foster home for the first few years of her life. When she turned three, she was taken in by an older couple. Tenten wasn't bothered that her 'parents' were both women and took it in her stride, wanting nothing more than to make them proud. Both hahaoyas loved their adopted daughter and were always happy for Tenten to invite her friends over. Lee thought they were the sweetest ladies.

Sakura was the only one with both her parents. Hinata had a chichi, brother and sister, but no hahaoya. Ino had a chichi but not a hahaoya. Lee had an adopted chichi and Tenten had two adopted hahaoyas. They were quite a diverse group.

After lunch, they decided to go to the local park and get ice-cream and play with a soccer ball Tenten had brought. Even Neji decided to go with them, much to Lee's surprise. He'd always found Hinata's older brother to be… well, to be a jerk. Yet Neji walked calmly between Lee and Tenten, just behind the other three girls.

They reached the park easily and it wasn't busy. Ino chose the edge of the grassy area, right next to a tree line, to play. They were just kicking or throwing the ball to each other without any competition. Neji joined in, but he didn't smile or look like he was having fun. The Hyuga was hard to read. His presence seemed to disconcert Hinata and she was very quiet. Eventually Lee couldn't take the awkwardness and crossed to Neji, a frown on his face.

"Why are you here?" he asked quietly. "Your presence is making Hinata uncomfortable."

"I'm bored," the long-haired boy state bluntly. "My friends are busy. I've got no study. I have no job yet. I'm tired and I just want to try and have fun." He grimaced. "I don't know if it's succeeding or not."

Lee nodded. "You should try and smile!"

Neji sighed and let his gaze wander over the four girls, settling on Tenten. "Has Tenten always been this loud? She's so quiet whenever I see her."

"She is like a flower. She blooms when she chooses and when she is comfortable with her surroundings." Lee grinned as he realized that he was describing Sakura. "School has never been her favourite place and she always loves to spend time with us. I understand her need, as I am also an only-child. Why the sudden curiosity?"

The Hyuga shrugged. "I've never really hung out with Hinata's friends before. I have my own. To be honest, I always hated how loud you guys where whenever you were over, so I locked myself away." His gaze rested on Tenten again. "It might be-"

Whatever he was going to say was interrupted when there was a sudden cry and Sakura covered her stomach with her arms, eyes wide. Lee froze as the ball bounced away from her, back towards a confused Ino.

"What's up?" Ino asked. "It just hit your chest. We're all girls here."

Sakura shook her head soundlessly and bolted behind the nearest tree, drawing her legs up to her chest to protect her stomach. As she wrapped her arms around her legs, Lee was galvanised into action and darted over to her, skidding to a stop beside her and throwing his arm around his blossom's shoulders.

"Where were you hit?" he asked quietly.

"The chest," she replied softly. "I just… what if that was my stomach? What could have happened?"

"It did not happen." He squeezed her shoulders in support and understanding. "Remain here. I will explain." Lee stood and faced her concerned friends and Neji, smiling. "Sakura was just worried that the ball could hit her stomach next, and as you know she is sick so that could be disastrous."

"I'd rather watch," Sakura called softly. "I'm sorry guys."

"It's alright," Ino replied immediately. "We understand." She narrowed her eyes at the others. "Don't we?"

"Yes," they chorused, nodding empathetically.

o.O.o

It was now late into the night and the house was asleep. Hiashi and Hanabi were both in bed and Neji was doing whatever. The five friends were awake in the lounge room, the room lit by a few lanterns.

"I think now is the time we share our information," Tenten whispered. "Ino, you go first."

"Okay." Ino wriggled on the mattress and grinned, her blush unseen in the dim light. "Well I like someone and he's not super-hot or popular, can you believe it?"

"It's Choji, isn't it?" Sakura asked calmly.

Ino looked crestfallen. "How did you guess?"

"You made it pretty obvious by the way you blushed every time he was around."

"Well yes. I like Choji. He's not amazingly hot, but I think his personality makes him incredibly attractive. He's so kind and friendly and he always offers me some chips. You know I like a man with an appetite. That's one of the reasons it didn't work out with Shikamaru. He didn't eat much." She chuckled. "Wow, it seems I'm going to date both sons of my chichi's friends."

At Ino's confession and declaration, Sakura's mind flicked straight to Lee. If Ino could like someone for his personality alone, why couldn't she? Why couldn't she like Lee? He had the best personality and it made up for his lack of attractiveness, so he looked cute instead of undesirable. Tenten started speaking and Sakura shook her head, focusing her attention on her friend.

"I think that Choji would be the biggest idiot if he didn't notice you," the brunette declared. "You're smart and pretty and you have everything going for you."

"That's why he probably won't notice me," Ino pointed out. "He's so humble that he'll think I'm too good for him. I know the type." She shifted her attention to the quiet Hinata. "So dearest Hinata, I believe you've made progress in talking to Kiba. Do share."

Sometimes, Sakura reflected, a gossip circle could be really immature. Were her friends really that focused on boys and crushes? They honestly didn't understand anything about the real world, but they were teenagers. Let them have their ignorance for a while longer. Sakura's hand ghosted over her belly and she glanced over at where Lee sat, eyes riveted on Hinata as she began to speak.

"He talked to me," the black-haired girl murmured. "He asked how my holiday was and how my day was going. He asked if I spent my holidays hanging out with my boyfriend and I told him I didn't have one."

"That means he wants to know if you're single or not," Tenten hissed.

Hinata shot Tenten an evil grin. "I know what it means. Now why don't you tell everyone of the crush you have on my brother?"

Tenten stared in horror. "Hinata! I told you that in the strictest of confidence."

Ino nudged her friend and grinned. "Come on, tell us tell us!"

"I like him. That's it. We were partnered for a science project earlier this year and I saw how brilliant he was and yeah. Sakura's turn." She successfully diverted everyone's attention to the pink-haired girl. Sakura shifted.

"Well?" Ino asked. "Do you have any news? Any new crushes?"

"I have news…" Sakura said slowly. This was it. She'd spent the entire day agonising over how to tell her friends of her pregnancy. While her parents had quickly accepted it, her friends would take longer to come to terms with it. After all, she wasn't showing any physical signs or growth yet.

"Do tell," Tenten said slyly. They obviously thought she was going to tell them of a new crush or something equally pointless. Boy, were they in for a surprise.

"Brace yourself," she warned. "This is news you're not expecting. It'll shock you."

"I think we can handle it," Ino said confidently.

"You asked for it." She brushed her hair behind her ears and looked down at her feet, hesitating.

"Just say it," Ino sighed. Fine. She'd say it. Sakura took another deep breath and raised her head, meeting Lee's eyes before looking back down again.

"I'm pregnant."

o.O.o

Curled up in the hallway outside the lounge room, Neji froze.

Earlier in the day he'd told the truth. He was bored and in need of something to do, so at around midnight he decided to listen in to his sister's conversation with her friends. First, he learned that Ino had a crush on his friend Choji. Then he heard that Hinata was gathering the courage to ask Kiba out. Neji made a mental note to warn Kiba against dating his sister. It wasn't happening, not on his watch.

Then, to his surprise, Tenten had a crush on him. It wasn't what he was expecting. But she was different to other girls like Ino and Sakura, as she was tomboyish and unafraid to push herself in HPE class. As she said it, he remembered the science project. He was unaware that he'd made such an impression on her.

But after all that, the surprises weren't done.

Neji crawled silently to his room as the conversation continued, his mind reeling from the information. He closed his bedroom door and grabbed his phone, dialling a number by heart. It was answered after three rings.

"What?" came Sasuke's irritated voice.

"Sasuke, did you and Sakura ever do it?" Neji asked urgently. There was a pause.

"No. Why?"

"She's-" He cut off immediately, reason registering in his brain. Sakura had confided in her friends. She certainly hadn't told Neji anything and he doubted she'd be very pleased if he blabbed her secret to whoever could listen. It might be best to let it go for now. He'd talk to Hinata in the morning.

"Hello, Neji? She's what?"

"Never mind. I'm sorry to bother you. Good night." He hung up immediately and turned off his phone, knowing that Sasuke would undoubtedly call him back a few times.

Neji threw himself on his bed and sighed. Thinking about what he'd heard, he was struck by a sudden thought. If Sakura and Sasuke had never slept together, then who was the chichi?