Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 50: Forgiveness

Flashback

She gripped the fortified metal bars of the hospital bed on either side of her with clammy hands. She squeezed. The bar groaned and complained as it bent underneath her fingers. A scream ripped through her throat. It took everything out of her. She was in so much pain and there was nothing anyone could do to alleviate any of it. She just wanted it to end already.

'Hang in there, Flower-chan,' Akemi's voice encouraged her gently.

Beads of sweat clung to her forehead even in the cool room on a cool night. She stared up at the ceiling.

"I can't," she said in between labored breaths.

"Sakura, you have to." Tsunade's voice was as hard as her expression. She looked up at the pinkette who looked dangerously close to losing consciousness. "Sakura!" She all but barked out at her.

"I need to rest," Sakura said weakly. "Just a minute, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura leaned her head against one of her arms. She just wanted a minute to catch her breath.

"Her blood pressure is tanking," a voice she did not recognize called out in a hasty tone.

"Sakura, you need to stay awake. You need to keep pushing." Tsunade's voice was curt and laced with urgency.

"I can't," she shook her head. "I'm tired." She really was. She would feel better after a quick nap. They could try again then.

"Tsunade-sama!" The same nurse called out with increasing alarm.

Tsunade made a sound of pure frustration. "Sakura, you need to push." She growled with authority. "Pull yourself together!"

She shook her head again. She had nothing left to give. All her strength was gone, it had forsaken her. Sakura felt someone touch the sides of her face.

"Damn it," Tsunade cursed. She took one last look at the sweaty, listless, form that was Sakura. Her eyes had shut closed. Tsunade stood up to her full height.

"We're going to have to cut," she said in a low voice to her assistant. Tsunade moved from between Sakura's knees to her hip. Her hand became cloaked in a blue light.

The blond's ears perked. He felt his panic start to recede as a wave of calm overcame him.

"No," Minato put himself between the woman and her doctor. He shook his head. "It's not what Sakura wants."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him. The pinkette breathed shallowly. Tsunade could not believe the audacity of the man. His navy gaze did not intimidate her one bit. It added to her agitation.

"I know that! But right now it's not about what she wants, it's about saving their lives. Stay out of my way." She made to shove him out of her path.

"She can do it." His eyes were clear and focused.

They did not have time to argue. Tsunade's eyes flickered to the clock on the wall.

"Thirty seconds, if she doesn't push in thirty seconds I'm taking over," Tsunade said with every bit of authority she was capable of.

"Okay," Minato nodded his head. He was already back at Sakura's side. He held her face in his hands.

"Sakura," he said her name firmly.

"Minato," her eyes were still closed.

"Sakura," his breath was hot against her lips. He was so close. He tapped the sides of her face. Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked her eyes open. His dark eyes bore into hers. "You need to push."

"I can't, Minato," she said in defeat. "I'm sorry," she leaned back against the bed.

"You can and you will," he told her firmly.

Tsunade ticked down the seconds in her head. She was back at her post, watching for any development. Waiting.

"I know you can do it," he told her gently. "Can you try? For me?"

She breathed heavily. Her hair was plastered on her neck and forehead. Her jade eyes scanned his face. He was a source of comfort even in this scenario.

"You can do it." He whispered as he brought his forehead to press up against hers. "I know you can. I believe in you."

"Okay," she muttered weakly. She grabbed her knees, she pulled herself into a semi-upright position. She held onto the bars. "I'm ready," she announced in a weak voice.

"Good, now push!" Tsunade commanded her.

Sakura screamed as she did so. She breathed as she leaned back. She felt his hands on her shoulders, he squeezed them reassuringly. He was holding her up.

"You're doing great," he told her encouragingly.

"Just a little more," Tsunade looked every bit as tired as the rest of them. They were approaching nineteen hours in total quickly. "Push!"

Sakura squeezed her eyes together and let out another scream. She felt as if she were being split open.

"Again!"

Minato held his breath as he braced himself for another sound of pure pain to reach his ears. His heart lurched in his chest. He closed his eyes and tightened his embrace around her shoulders.

"Ahh!" She roared with everything she had. The bars completely crumbled.

High-pitched cries that were not her own filled the room. She fell back heavily into the bed. She stared at the ceiling with tears cascading down her cheeks. She was filled instantly with relief. Even the throbbing pain was not as pronounced anymore.

Minato looked at her with an agape mouth. Lines of indecision marred his face. He did not know where to look.

Tsunade regarded the newborn in her hands. She could not help but get misty-eyed.

"He's here," she said softly as she cut the umbilical cord. Naruto's wails did not let up in the slightest. He was adamant to let them all know that he had arrived.

Sakura let out a euphoric gasp. Everything was forgotten, the pain she just endured. She was ecstatic. She turned her head to look at Minato. He looked like he was in shock.

"Minato," she said with concern as she recognized his expression. He looked dazed as he walked to where Tsuande was.

The Sannin grinned at him as she held the baby in her arms.

"Do you want to hold him?" She asked Minato with a smile. Their previous heated standoff was gone from her mind.

He swallowed audibly as he moved closer. His eyes locked on top of his head. His hair was blond. He could make that out even through the afterbirth that was still covering his son. He had a son. He ignored the lightheadedness that suddenly rose up in him. He did not remember how to breathe. His heart was pounding in his ears.

Minato's eyes took in the tiny face in Tsunade's arms. There was no warning. His eyes rolled back in his head. His legs gave out from underneath him. He landed on the floor with a thud.

"Minato!" Sakura covered her mouth with her hands.

Tsunade stepped over his unconscious frame and came to a stop at Sakura's bedside.

"Say hello to Naruto, Sakura."

Sakura cried as Tsunade placed the crying Naruto in her arms.

"Hi, Baby," she greeted him breathlessly. He let out another wail. His tiny fists were clenched loosely as his eyes were squeezed shut. "Oh, you're okay, Naruto," Sakura assured him gently. "He's beautiful," she cooed as she drank in his face. She rocked him softly, it did not take long for him to settle against her chest. He stared at her with his blue eyes. He opened his mouth to let out a yawn. He was perfect.

Tsunade put a hand on her head affectionately. Her arm slid over Sakura's shoulder as the blonde rested her head against hers. They both took in the newborn with loving eyes.

"He really is," Tsunade said in agreement.

They sat there staring at him for what had to be several minutes, not saying a word and not moving. They were captivated by him. Obsessed at first sight.

A couple of nurses in the room moved. It drew her attention.

"Is Minato still on the floor?" Sakura tore her eyes from Narutu's face for a fraction of a second to look at the blonde right next to her.

"He is," Tsunade said as she stroked Naruto's cheek with the back of her finger. "He'll be fine." Her voice lacked complete and utter concern for Naruto's father.

Sakura felt Tsunade's chakra enter her system from the hand that was on her shoulder. The pain died down. She felt instantly better.

"Thank you, Tsunade-shishou," she said with immense gratitude. "For everything," she did not have the words. She hoped the sentiment encapsulated it all.

Tsunade looked at Sakura and Naruto with great pride in her eyes.

"Just don't ask me to babysit," she said gruffly, the smile on her face undercut her words and tone.

Sakura laughed. "Understood," she looked up as two of the nurses lifted the still-unconscious Minato to the empty cot in the room. "Did you know that was going to happen?" Sakura asked her mentor.

Tsunade's lips twitched upwards as amusement danced in her eyes. "I had a feeling," she grinned. "He was a real mess. Downright hysterical, it was very unbecoming of a man of his rank."

Sakura bit her lip to keep her smile from growing. "He did come through for me," she took in his unconscious face with a tender expression. "Couldn't have done it without him, without either of you."

"Say no more," Tsunade said with a sigh. She walked over to the great Yondaime. She pumped chakra into his head from his temples. "He's fine," she pulled her hand back. "He has a concussion. He'll be up soon."

Sakura looked down at Naruto in her arms. "Your daddy was so excited to meet you that he could not stand it," she kissed his forehead. "He loves you so much, Naruto." The newborn did not stir in her arms.

Tsunade watched the exchange with a soft expression in her eyes.

End of Flashback

The neon numbers of the clock on the oven read 4:27.

Sakura did not move a muscle, she kept her breathing slow despite the rapid beating of her heart. Minato was still asleep. She really was going insane. She could have sworn she heard Akemi's voice if the Hime's vocal cords were capable of generating such a guttural sound. She waited with bated breath for the second-longest thirty seconds of her life. She did not hear the goddess's voice. Her stomach churned in disappointment. Sakura blinked her eyes closed. She sighed softly. Minato's arm tensed around her out of pure reflex.

She did not see the darkness that she was expecting, instead, the whole field was flooded with light. Sakura looked down at herself. She could see her feet again. A warmth filled her. She remembered this place.

Bells.

The soothing sound was one she could place anywhere and in any state. She was back.

"Hime!" She called out loudly. Sakura's hair whipped around her in a wide arch as she searched desperately for the long-departed face of her ally. Sakura heard her distinctive laughter before she saw her. It did not matter. She turned on her heel. She put her head down and ran full speed towards the direction from which it came.

She wrapped her arms around the woman's frame. She clung to her tightly.

"Hime," Sakura breathed. She could not believe it. "I've missed you!" Her voice was equal parts giddy and relieved.

Akemi patted her on the back. "I've missed you too, Flower-chan."

It was like a part of her was alive again. Sakura pulled back. She looked at the perfectly symmetrical face of the goddess. She was exactly as she remembered her. Only her memory did not do her any justice. She was too pretty to look at. It was like staring into the sun, it was detrimental. Sakura had to lower her gaze for a split second before she once again focused on her gold eyes.

"No tears for me?" Akemi joked as her hands traced the skin under Sakura's dry eyes.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm all cried out," she had no more tears to spare. She was all out of salt.

Akemi's demeanor changed completely. "We do not have much time."

Sakura's smile fell off her face. It dissolved into a serious expression. "Spider," Sakura said the name with venom.

"She's not to be trusted." Akemi's lips pulled into a frown.

"I know," Sakura said grimly. "She's my half-sister."

Akemi sighed deeply. "She is."

"You knew?" Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Not at first. I didn't realize until much much later. When the poison started to separate us." Akemi said quickly. They did not have time to waste. "I saw the seal." Her gold eyes pinned Sakura with a strict look. "You need to check Minato."

Sakura squared her shoulders. She and Akemi could hash this out later. Right now they had more pressing matters.

"Show me."

Akemi raised her hand, Sakura watched as tendrils of light rose up and filled the air. They intersected and overlapped. Sakura took a step back.

"Are you sure you're up for more, Bat?" Inoichi asked the ANBU tiredly. His vision was starting to swim but he pushed through, they were close. They were so close. So close in fact, that no one in the room seemed to care that they had worked straight into the night and into the early hours of the morning.

Ban nodded his head. "I w-w-ant t-to help."

Tsunade looked at the two men in the room with her. "I'm willing to keep going if you are." She looked at Inoichi. They had cracked the formula. His memories were back. They were making progress at unblocking the repressed memories - the moment Ban was so overwhelmed by the poison that he did not remember. They did not want to stop now.

"Okay," Inoichi looked at Ban. "Concentrate but don't fight me in there, Bat. I need you to think about the last few days you remember before you woke up from the coma. I can take it from there. Just get me close."

Ban set his jaw in tension. "Okay." He said with determination. He moved his yellow eyes first from Inoichi and then to Tsunade. He nodded at her.

Her green hands touched either side of his temples. The chakra burned slightly just from the sheer amount she had been channeling. He closed his eyes at Inoichi and put his hand on the top of his head. Ban waited intently for Inoichi's instructions.

Inoichi saw Bat interacting with Sakura. She had just brought him books among other things. Inoichi saw Bat's eyes focus on the drawing on the wall, the picture by Naruto. Another day passed. Bat moved about the cell. He conversed with the guard. The guard gave him the salve for the wrist restraints. Inoichi watched as Bat did his best to alleviate the pain the welts and friction caused. He watched Bat read the book for most of the day. He took exercise breaks. Push Ups were all the chains allowed. They rattled. He looked at the picture again before going to bed. For days that was all Inoichi saw. Bat's wrongful incarceration and Bat enduring it with calm and unbelievable patience.

The colors and images became dull and muted before everything faded to black. He hit a wall. Quite literally, he hit a mental block that stretched the full length of the space and it was about five feet wide. He could see nothing over it and nothing past it. He narrowed his teal eyes. This was it. The answer lay here. He brought his hands together. The poison was gone but the memory was still blocked. He touched his palms to the barrier. He ignored the jolt of electricity he felt coming from it. It did not want to be disturbed. Inoichi gritted his teeth together. He focused his mind, his concentration, to penetrate the obstruction. He just needed to find one weakness. He just needed a small peephole to see what was inside.

He set his chakra through the barrier he searched for such a thing, a crack, a wrinkle, anything that would let him in.

"Keep concentrating Bat. Keep thinking, don't give up!" He communicated to Bat's brain.

He grunted as he overwhelmed the barrier with chakra. A small crack started to form in the corner. It was no bigger than a centimeter wide and a couple of centimeters tall. He could see light flooding from behind it. It stood out against the darkness. Hope started to build in him.

"Steady, Bat!" He all but barked out. He was beginning to sense the field around him shift to another memory. "No! Stay there Bat." He ordered. The crack grew in size slightly.

He was beginning to fade. The strain was too much. He stubbornly kept his focus. The veins in his forehead began to bulge. He poured more chakra right where the crack was.

"Just a little longer, Bat!" He roared as he gave it all one last push. He was being pulled back. The crack spread. The barrier split open slightly. He saw Bat turn around in his bed.

The image suddenly blurred. He cursed under his breath as he poured even more chakra to keep himself tethered. Sweat pooled at his brow. He flickered in and out of existence once.

"No!" Inoichi fought back against the pull. "Just a few seconds more." He hung on with a white knuckle grip as if his life depended on it. The barrier snapped back in place. His eyes widened as he was thrown onto his back. The connection broke.

He was pushed out. Inoichi stood there with his hands on his knees panting. He was sweating profusely from the brow. Bat was not faring much better. Tsunade held her tongue. Her eyes asked the question that her mouth could not.

"It's Spider," Inoichi said in between pants. "Her mask was the last thing I, we, saw."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "You need to tell Minato, right away."

Ionichi nodded. "Where are you going?" He asked her. She was already at the door.

"I'm paying the Elders a visit. They need to be made aware." Tsunade said through tight lips.

"Right now?" Inoichi glanced at the clock.

"We can't wait. The sooner she's in custody, the sooner we can go back to our lives." Tsunade said curtly. Her amber eyes darted to the slacked-faced ANBU. "Bat," the man straightened. "Stay here."

"B-but-" he began to protest.

"No buts. We need to take her quietly. We cannot risk others finding out and ending up as targets." The look in Tsunade's eyes cut off any and all protests.

Ionoichi nodded. He brought his hands into a familiar seal. He thought of the three individuals he needed to relay the message to. He did not have the time to catch his breath, not when they had an ANBU to catch.

Sakura blinked her eyes open. She could just make out the outlines of Naruto's blocks stacked into a tower in the corner of the room right in front of the planter. She put her hand on her stomach as she slowly moved onto her back she turned onto her side so that she was facing him.

"Sorry," she muttered apologetically as his eyelids opened. "Did I wake you?"

"It's alright," he rubbed his eyes. His voice was thick with sleep. "Did you need something?" He was not entirely awake yet.

"Actually," she lowered the octaves of her voice as she traced circles on the front of his shirt. She leaned forward as much as her bulging stomach would allow. She pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth.

"We're still in the window." She smiled a certain type of way after her face came into view again.

He furrowed his brow. He recognized the presence of something in her eye. He instantly was more alert. He moved with more grace than she would, considering that they were essentially a tangle of limbs. She was in his arms in less time than it would have taken her to get off the couch, pregnant or otherwise.

His mouth moved against hers as he maneuvered both of them towards the stairs. She knew he would not drop her. She pressed her lips against his shoulder as they descended down the steps. Her eyes scanned for any movement. For now, they were alone, Akemi had told her as much but it only took a couple of seconds for things to change.

Minato's hand paused around the door handle. She could see the hesitation on his face. It was gone in the blink of an eye. He opened the door. It closed with a click behind them. She set her feet on the ground as he lowered her. He did not let go of her hand. Light filled the space when he flipped the switch.

"I need paper and a pen." She looked at Minato.

He led her to the desk. She sat down. His eyes were scanning the space even as he handed her a blank piece of paper from the desk drawer. Sakura made room for it by pushing aside a scroll. She pictured the seal in her mind. She began to draw with quick, dark lines. Minato watched with crossed arms. He kept staring at the door. She finished the sketch. It took less than a couple of minutes. She leaned back in the chair. Minato narrowed his eyes at the seal.

"This is the base of the seal that Akemi-hime saw that separated us." Sakura looked at him. He was listening closely. "It's why I was so low energy for a while, the connection between her chakra and mine was severed. She's back."

He worked past the tightness in his chest. It was the past. She was fine. He looked at the seal. It was a combination of three seals that he had worked with before.

"I can break it." He said confidently. "Without consequences to the person sealed but the caster will know." His eyes became a darker shade of blue. "There's no way around that," he rubbed his face. All traces of sleep were long gone. His jaw clenched slightly. "I'm sure of it," he added firmly.

Sakura nodded. "I need you to check if you were sealed." Her voice was grave.

Minato looked at her with surprise. She smiled sadly.

"My dad cheated on my mom. He fathered another child. He has another daughter, Minato." She dumped everything on him all at once.

"What?" He thought his head might just explode.

"Spider is his daughter. She's my half-sister." Sakura carried on. They did not have time for him to ask questions. If she was watching she would get suspicious. "I need you to check yourself for a seal."

He was trying to play catchup as fast as he humanly could. They had a lot to talk about still but for now, he chose to trust her. Minato's hands flew through signs, the jutsu would expose any on his body. They would be illuminated with a glow.

Sakura held her breath as they waited. She let out a sigh of relief as the back of his left hand was cast in a bright white light. MInato's eyes narrowed. He used his right hand to form seals. He touched his fingertips to the seal on his skin. Black ink rose in the air before vanishing.

"Is it gone?" Sakura asked for confirmation, not believing her eyes. She needed to hear it from him.

"It's gone." He ran his hands through his hair.

'Thank you, thank you, thank you, Hime.'

She got up as quickly as she could so that she could hug him. He was free.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She said in pure relief. The thing hanging over their heads for months was gone. She held onto him tightly. "You're safe." She said more for her own benefit than his.

He was stiff and frozen in her arms. She tried not to take it personally. He was in shock. It was a lot to process. A lot to wrap his mind around. She lowered herself slowly back into the chair. Her hand was still in his.

He looked at his left hand, the one Sakura was holding, where the seal had been. His eyes focused on the spot between the base of his thumb and index finger. He could vividly picture it. The dark black lines that wreaked havoc on his life. His mind raced as he went through everything he had learned about it. Spider had to have touched him to place the seal. His jaw clenched as he reached deep into the abyss to pull out the memories. He pieced together the timeline in his head.

His heart stopped. He remembered. It was in the same spot where her fingers had brushed his that day in the office when his cloak had fallen from the back of his chair. Months ago. It was after he had given the samurai training program to Rin and Shizune without discussing it with Sakura first. It was not too long after he had forgotten about the appointment. Right after the undiagnosed health scare forced Sakura to spend the night in the hospital.

He blinked slowly. The seal had been placed well after Sakura had stormed his office. It was after - the one and only time Spider had touched him had been after - his fight with Sakura. After Sakura had asked - demanded - that he keep Spider away from Naruto and her. After he had told her that was just not possible. After he had heavily insinuated that she was being ridiculous, paranoid, and suspicious for no reason.

His heart was beating painfully in his chest.

"Darling?" She asked him in a small, timid voice. She did not want to startle him. She probably should have been more gentle with the news.

He sank to his knees in front of her. Sakura's eyes widened and her lips parted. His head was bowed in what had to be an uncomfortable position.

"Minato?" She could not keep the alarm from her voice.

His hand slipped from hers. He sat back on his ankles. His arms were out in front of him, his palms pressed flat against the ground.

She was too stunned to think clearly. She was having a hard time focusing.

He lowered his forehead to the floor right next to her feet. He held the position. He counted to ten, the silence was suffocating, before he moved his lips.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura." He sounded completely destroyed, gutted.

Her eyes widened when the realization hit her. "Minato, get up." She begged him. He was out of reach. She could not pull him up herself.

Dogeza.

"I should have believed you." He closed his eyes. He started to shake slightly. "This whole thing could have been avoided if I listened to you back when you warned me about her."

Of all the emotions that made up the tidal wave that swept him, guilt was the strongest. He had played into Spider's hands. He had hurt Sakura in the process.

"I should have trusted you." His voice broke. "I'm so sorry."

She saw tears raining down from his face to the floor. Her heart lurched painfully.

"Minato," she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Please get up. We can talk about this later." She held onto reality. They needed to find Spider.

"Forgive me." He pleaded.

"Get up," she repeated with a quiver in her voice. Her desperation was growing.

He shook his head. He was still in the position. The seconds that ticked away with him like that physically pained her. Something inside of her snapped. Her hands curled into fists.

"Damn straight," she was angry enough to shake him. He was lucky that she could not get her hands on him right now. Very lucky.

His whole body flinched but he did not lift his head.

"You should have believed me!" She raised her voice. She was free to scream. It was just the two of them. The seals would contain their voices, her voice. She was so angry. She was practically shaking. Her hands curled into fists.

"None of this should have happened."

"I'm sorry." He repeated brokenly. His eyes were squeezed together tightly.

Her lip curled upwards. Her eyes were so cold. Sakura was enveloped in fury; fury she felt for being put in this situation. The fury she felt towards Spider for doing this to her and for doing this to Minato.

"Look at me when you're speaking to me." She forced her tone to be even and firm. It took more strength than she thought she had. "Look me in the eye."

She held her breath as he slowly lifted his head. His eyes were red when they met hers. They were filled to the brim with guilt and remorse.

"Get up," she ordered firmly.

He rose to his knees. They were more or less at eye level now. Sakura sat at the edge of the seat. One hand fisted around his shirt. He felt her pull him closer to her. A fist darted out towards him. He closed his eyes and braced for impact. His breath hitched when the blow never came, instead, he felt her hand on the side of his face. The touch was tender and gentle, not unsympathetic and pain-inducing. His eyes snapped open. He stared at her in shock.

Her eyes were warmly looking at him. "There's nothing to forgive." She said softly. "You were poisoned."

He shook his head. His stormy orbs lowered to the ground once more. She was letting him off too easily. He did not deserve it.

"I should have realized it sooner. I should have seen it. I let myself get swept up in it. I let it change me. I was terrible to you." He was still distressed by it all. "I was so cruel to you."

She wrapped her arms around him. She cradled his head protectively. She closed her eyes and waited for his tears to stop flowing. He was not in a receptive state right now. She held him until the initial shock of it all wore off. It was only when his breathing leveled that she pulled back.

"It wasn't your fault. Spider was messing with your head." She looked at him with understanding and patience. She was renewed in her vigor. "She can't hurt you now. The seal is gone. Shikaku dosed you with the antidote. Once she's arrested this will all be over." There was hope in her voice again. It was almost all behind them. "It's not your fault." She repeated firmly.

He shook his head. "It wasn't all her." His voice was tight with emotion. He registered the panic flash in Sakura's eyes. "I was trying to protect you from all this stress. I remember how you described what it was like being pregnant with Naruto. How you felt like you were holding your breath the whole time. How scary it was when he did not move for a while. How your mind would go to dark places. And how relieved you were when he finally did move."

She looked at him in shock. She did not even remember telling him. It was starting to come back, the conversation, in bits and pieces.

"I wanted to keep this away from you. I wanted to protect you. I tried to protect you. That was all me. I meant what I said Sakura, fixing the world is not your job. It's too much for any one person. I wanted to figure out who was behind this without burdening you. Especially with you not being at a hundred percent. I thought I could do it. There's only so little I can do for you. I could not even manage that. Instead of taking from your burdens, I added to them. I became one of them. I'm so sorry."

Tears pricked at her eyes and her throat burned with emotion. When he put it like that, how could she not give him what he wanted?

"Darling, it's okay. We figured it out. It's behind us." She diligently combated his guilt. "We're okay. Your heart was in the right place. You were thinking of me, of our family. I could have handled it better. I should have handled it better. I could have been more patient. You kept us safe. You protected us. You're not a burden. You're never a burden." Somehow the tears remained in her eyes. " You did what you thought was best."

"I acted out of fear, Sakura. You were right, I'm a hypocrite. I did the things I accused you of." He looked at her. There was shame rooted deep in his cobalt irises. "I've been dealing with these emotions for a while now. I just did not know how to say it." He felt the wetness trail down his face. She wiped the tears gently as they came in waves. "I should have told you much, much sooner. I thought I could keep them locked up. I thought I was stronger than this." His voice broke. It was wrought with disappointment and resentment. All aimed at himself.

"Minato," she held his head as he cried into her chest. "You're the person I admire the most," she rubbed soothing circles on his back with the hand that was not massaging his head. "You're the one person I can always count on. You're my hero." She breathed in through her nose deeply. His scent kept her tethered to what remained of her sanity.

His throat was closing up on him. His heart lurched as he processed her words. He was wrong for thinking she would think any less of him. She was his strength. He needed her.

"I should have told you what I was feeling," she could barely make out the muffled words. "I'm sorry." The guilt continued to make it hard for him to breathe.

"We both could have done things differently. We both should have been more open." She said in a gentle voice.

She donned a small smile on her face. "I should have told you about the pregnancy sooner. I was going to actually believe it or not on the night of the attack." She took a deep breath. "I was so happy, I am happy. I will be happy. I just didn't want to give the universe another reason to tear us apart. It was stupid and selfish and if I could go back I would tell you sooner."

She heard his breath loudly. The fabric of her shirt had wet spots. She rocked them gently back and forth.

"You're not a failure. I've never seen you as that and I don't plan on seeing you that way either." She said firmly. "You're my hero, damn it. The village's beloved Yondaime. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. I'm constantly in awe of you."

He held her tighter. He let her voice wash over him. The tightness in his chest was letting up marginally.

"I'm only alive because of you Minato. You kept me alive and you keep me alive. In more ways than one. I can only do what I do, I only did what I did, because of you. You are the reason why my heart is full. You gave me my world. You gave me peace of mind, stability, companionship, reassurance, support, and love. You gave me everything I could have ever wanted. You've given me more than I could even dream of. You've taken from my burdens more than you've added. Much more. I'm sorry that I haven't done a good job of reminding you of that."

She chipped away at the boulders sitting on his chest with each word. Each utterance was a strike of a pickaxe. He was getting lighter.

"Sakura," he closed his eyes and let her voice continue to ease his burdens.

Sakura bit her lip. "I didn't know that you knew about my nightmares. Truth be told, I was hoping that was something I never had to tell you."

He slowly lifted his head. He looked her in the eye. She looked tormented.

"I didn't want to tell you about the nightmares because I didn't want them to weigh on you. I didn't want to add to your burdens." She took a big breath. She could see the trepidation in his red, tear-filled eyes. "I was trapped in Madara's Tsukuyomi for 72 hours." She said numbly.

His eyes widened at the admission. His breath hitched in his throat. He waited with dread for her to expand on that fact.

"He used the faces of those I loved, those who I knew to torture me. He tried to break me with the memories of them. He wanted me to be a shell of who I was before he drained me dry." She bit her lip. Her eyes were clear and tear-free. She knew he could not hurt her now.

He held her hands in his own. He was not sure who the gesture benefited more. It was reassuring to feel her there next to him. It kept him attached to reality.

"He almost did." She looked at him with a defeated expression. "He used you to break me."

Her words were a kick in the throat. He was left lightheaded, disoriented, and out of breath. He wanted the truth and she was giving it to him. He was moments away from begging for mercy.

She touched the side of his face. His cobalt eyes held so much pain.

"I would do it all over again. In a heartbeat." She said unwaveringly. "I did not want you to let what happened to me be something you blamed yourself for. It's not your fault." Her voice softened. "Everything comes at a cost, even love. It was the cost for this life and I'm happy to pay it."

Her face fell. "But I should not have kept that from you."

"I should have told you how they were affecting me," his tongue felt thick in his mouth. "I should have said something."

She traced the sides of his face with melancholy in her eyes. "We both need to work on that. I think we should from now on let the other person decide what they can or cannot handle. The only thing we managed to protect was the truth and not each other."

He nodded his head and cleared his throat. They were both guilty of deciding what was best for the other.

"Thank you for telling me. Thank you for all of it. I needed to hear it, Sakura."

"And I need to hear it too, Minato."

He exhaled the air in his lungs. "I know," he pressed his forehead against hers. "I'll complain more."

She chuckled. "That's all I ask."

"I'm sorry." His eyes fell from her face.

Her insides twisted.

"I wished I waited for you. I regret not waiting for you." He swallowed thickly.

"Minato -" she closed her eyes. She did not know if she wanted to hear this.

"Please," his cobalt eyes were so stormy. They took her breath away for all the wrong reasons. "I hadn't figured out that I loved you back then. I was confused, a little lost, hurt, and weak. I was trying to make it work. I didn't see a path forward with you and me. At that time I really thought there was no chance for us. I was trying to forget you. I was trying to let the idea of us go. At the time, I thought that Kushina and I could be together, that we could have a life together. I wanted to believe that. I believed that."

She swayed. "You were trying to make it work between the two of you." She kept the emotion out of her voice.

"It was one time. I regretted it instantly." He searched her face desperately. "I still regret it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was scared of how you'd react. I was scared that it would doom us before we even started. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Her face was held together in a grimace. "What happened doesn't change anything between us. It wasn't my business. I'm sorry that I brought it up the way I did. I was trying to get through to you. I was desperate for something to work." She bit her lip. "I don't want any more secrets between us."

"I don't either." He held her gaze.

They needed to address the Spider situation. But she did not want to stop talking to him either. She was torn. It was silly. A part of her was scared this was not real and just some kind of dream.

He squeezed her hands. She felt that. She let out a slow breath.

"I don't want you to go through things alone." He said in an almost timid voice.

"I'm not alone, Minato." She looked at him with honesty on her features. "I haven't been alone since I met you." She smiled at him. "You've been watching my back since that day."

Her words pierced through the last of the rock. He could breathe openly again.

"I'm sorry for the things I said, how I said them. I'm sorry for implying…" he could not even bring himself to say the words. He felt terrible for saying them three times that day. He did not want her to have to hear them again. "I'm sorry for it all, Sakura." His eyes never left hers.

"I saw glimpses of you, Minato. Even when Spider was poisoning you. You fought back. There was enough of you in there to push back and get through to me. I know what was you and wasn't." She said solemnly.

"I got a little confused in the end, because of the news of my father. But I knew for the most part what wasn't you. My heart knew. I just wish I listened to it. Instead of letting my brain wear it down."

"Nothing happened." He had to say it even if she did not need to hear it. He needed to do this for them, quash any misunderstanding right here and now.

"I know," she framed his face. He leaned into her touch.

"I would never do that to you, to us." His dark gaze caused her breath to hitch. "I regret relying on her help." He swallowed back the lump in his throat. "I'll regret it every day."

Her head was starting to spin. She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. Her voice was gentle but it held conviction.

"She gave you panic attacks to create an opening for herself. She exploited a weakness in our relationship. I don't know why. Maybe she's in love with you. Maybe she just hates me. Maybe it's both. Maybe it's neither of those things. I don't know why she is doing this. I don't care why. All I know is she did not win. I don't care about the rest." She took a deep breath.

"I don't blame you. I trust you. I trusted you in the past, and I trust you now. But there was a period of time when I did not trust you."

His brow furrowed and his stomach dropped. He looked at her with slightly parted lips as his heart pounded in his ears.

"Because of Spider, I could not trust you." It physically pained her to say the words. From the heartbroken look on his face, it pained him just as much to hear them. She had to be honest. If this was to work.

"I couldn't trust you with everything and at times it felt like I could not trust you with anything. She was watching so I had to trick you into taking the antidote," she swallowed thickly. "That is my regret. Because of what she was doing and what she held in her hand, I could not trust you. But she's gone from your head now."

"For a little while we forgot who we were. But that's over now. You just showed me that. You believed me. You looked for the seal when I asked. The relief I felt," she smiled earnestly. "Kami, the relief I felt - feel - is almost indescribable. You believed me. That mattered more than if the whole world was on my side. It would not have mattered if the whole world was on my side if you weren't. You trusted me. And that's all I need. Spider did not change that. She could not change that." She kissed his hands.

"I trust you, this you, completely. You fought hard to hold on for me." Sakura took in the astonishment on his face. There was only open honesty in her demeanor. "I trust you and I'm going to show you every day."

He was very close to being moved to tears for a completely different reason.

"Thank you," there was so much he wanted to say still. He could see from her eyes that she felt the same.

"I don't want to spend any more time feeling guilty, fighting, or arguing about Spider." She took a deep breath. "Blanket apology accepted on one condition: we take from this. I want to move on. I want us to learn from this. Both of us. We have some real work to do."

"We do," he agreed with a heavy heart. They had their work cut out for them but at least they knew where the problems were and what needed to be addressed.

"I wasn't alone but I was lonely. Really lonely, Minato." She looked at him with unconcealed sadness in her eyes.

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I was lonely too."

"I don't want to be lonely anymore." She looked at him with certainty.

"You won't be. I won't be." He promised her. "I will do better. I will be better." He kissed the palms of her hands.

"Me too," she smiled at him. It made his heart skip a beat.

"Did you take the antidote?" He asked the question that was burning in his mind.

Sakura shook her head. She brought their interlocked hands to her stomach. He felt movement. Understanding hit him like a brick wall.

"Naruo, Itachi, Shikaku, and Kakashi are all immunized too." There was a sense of urgency to which she spoke. "I'm not sealed neither is Naruto, Tsunade-sama checked."

His brow furrowed. He opened his mouth to ask follow-up questions, everything about him felt sluggish. Like he was underwater.

"Later," she promised. "I'll explain everything later." She looked at him with trepidation. "As much detail as you want."

"Later," he said in a tight voice. "After we get Spider."

The relief he had felt at them finally being on the same page - more or less - was short-lived. There was something quite substantial in size gnawing at him in the back of his mind. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a long sigh.

Sakura stiffened. "What?" She asked him a sinking stomach.

"I just wish I knew what the Uchiha were planning." He admitted.

"Uchiha?" Sakura repeated in surprise. "What's going on?"

"Shunsuke is planning a revolt. The ANBU - Spider - is helping him. Itachi's been trying to learn what he can but it wasn't enough and we're running out of time." Minato frowned. Something was clearly bothering him.

"What is it?" She asked as she continued to work through what he shared. So much more was making sense now. The pieces were starting to come together. She finally had more of the picture.

"The seal," he said with a frown "has been tampered with. Someone's been in here."

She looked around the room. Minato registered the sudden stiffness in her frame. She wordlessly pulled a scroll towards her. The parchment crinkled.

His stomach sank. Sakura bit her lip. "I left the Kyuubi seal scroll open. I was looking at it for Kushina's appointment and I got distracted with something upstairs and I never got around to closing it." She said in a hollow voice. She brought a hand to hold against her forehead. "I completely forgot."

Fear started to rise through him, it gripped his heart. His mind was spinning.

"They had Itachi steal one of my kunai." His jaw clenched.

The air deflated from the room. She gripped his hand tightly. He looked at her with a controlled calm on his face.

"Naruto had a nosebleed at the park," Sakura said in a far-off voice. She looked at him with the beginning stages of panic in her eyes. "Spider was there." The color completely drained from Sakura's face.

"They plan on releasing the Kyuubi." He said the words they were both thinking.

Sakura looked at him frantically. "You need to get to Kushina. Right now."

"What about Spider? She knows that we know." He reminded her. She would be a target now. "We might still have time before the seal is gone."

Sakura shook her head. "Kakashi can handle her. You need to go help Kushina. We can't risk waiting." She was terrified. "Go, now." Her jade eyes were wild.

He gave her a long look. "You're always sending me away."

"It's because I know you'll always come back." She held his gaze unwavering.

Her pink lashes fluttered closed over her eyes as he kissed her forehead. He was gone by the time she opened them again. Sakura reached into the drawer of the desk. She pulled out a silver chain. She fisted it in her hand. She put the scroll back. She sent a prayer that Minato would be fast enough.

A/N: Hi there! Hope the apology/reconciliation was satisfying given everything they put each other through. Thank you for taking the time to read the words and to those who take the time to review. Until next time!