At eight months pregnant, Sakura has finally gathered up the courage to show Shisui her little shoebox and all the money inside.
They're going to be happy.
They're going to be free.
A lively fluttering starts in her belly and she smooths her hand over the distended skin, waiting on Shisui to meet her in her wing of the house.
Their baby has been confirmed to be a girl, preemptively sentenced to a life of serving as an incubator.
Just as Sakura has.
Mikoto's already begun drawing up the paperwork for the marriage between Sasuke and their very first daughter. Sakura hasn't been able to look at it at all and refuses to let Shisui open the envelope.
If they don't sign, their daughter doesn't have to marry a man almost twenty years her senior and play second fiddle to his Full-Blood-Uchiha wife.
The barest notes of Shisui's constantly concealed chakra dance along her senses and she takes a shuddering breath, praying to any god that might exist for strength.
The door to her wing is slid open and his footsteps make no noise but she knows he's come to bask in her company and see how she's feeling. Every second that passes brings him that much closer to the moment she shows him her hard work and begins the plan for their new lives out of Mikoto's reach.
His shadow slinks ahead of him on the floor before gliding up the wall and she straightens her back, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin.
He comes into view and his bright demeanor fades incrementally like the shade produced by drifting clouds blocking out the sun. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
This is her moment. Her time to be brave for her little girl. "I need to show you something."
His brows draw together and up, lips curving into an almost imperceptible frown. "Yeah. What's up?"
Shuffling to the panel she'd rigged under the floor mat, she carefully draws it open. Shisui's intense gaze on her makes the fine hair on her body stand on end but she trusts him. He loves her.
Picking up the cash laden box, she returns to him. "We've talked and talked and talked about this, but I refuse to believe that you're really alright with putting our daughter into a life of servitude. So I've been saving money back-"
"Sakura-"
"- So we can leave. Just you and me and our baby."
Long, strong fingers reach for the top of the box before they curl as if in recoil. "Sakura..."
"Go ahead," She gestures it forward. "I know it won't afford us the life you're used to but-"
Those calloused digits don't take the box. Instead, they drift back to the face of their owner and Sakura grasps at the last vestiges of her courage to follow them. They cover his mouth and his thick, dark lashes have already lowered to hide his thoughts as he stares at the floor. "I should have expected this."
"That's okay," She says, reaching out with her free hand but she startles when he grabs her wrist.
"No. It isn't." He replies softly. "I thought..." Shisui clears his throat before meeting her gaze and letting her go. His hand moves again, this time to point at the box as if it has personally insulted him. "You don't need that."
Sakura can't hide her confusion. "What?"
He cards through his hair with a gusty sigh. "This isn't going to work out, is it?"
The box topples from her own palms as she tries to find the very moment this conversation went sideways. "I didn't say that."
"Sakura, Itold youthat I cannot leave."
"Right. Because they'll hunt you-"
"Because I amloyalto my family and it is my duty to do all that I can to keep our bloodline and kekkei genkai strong."
"It doesn't have to be," She tries to argue but the words die on her tongue at the sight of his expression. "Don't you want more than this?"
"It doesn't matter what I want." Shisui concedes. He looks so hurt. So betrayed. "Once you've recovered from giving birth, I'll release you from service and send you home."
"W-what?!" She demands, grabbing his arm as he turns to leave. "Shisui, I thought we were in love?"
Gingerly disentangling himself, he says, "We are. But I can't convince you to be happy here and I can't leave."
"It's not that you can't," She argues. "It's that youwon't!"
"Why would I, Sakura?" He retorts. "Itachi and Sasuke are my family. Izumi is my wife. Do you know what would happen to her if I left?"
"Nothing, because she'd be under Itachi's protection."
"Wrong!" He says, whipping around to face her and drawing close enough that she can see the slivers of corded grey in his irises. The very tips of their noses almost touch. "She will be gifted to a new man and forbade from seeing Itachi. What worth does a woman carry under the reign of this regime, unless she can produce new soldiers?"
The response stings and she pulls away from him, shoulders coming up to her ears and arms wrapping around her gravid middle in a subconscious defense. "She is nothing."
"Nothing," He agrees. "Izumi will be treated as if she were worth nothing if I were to leave her behind. Do not ask me again."
Her eyes burn as she stares into his, a single tear breaks free of her lower lid but she refuses to allow her feelings to swallow her just yet.
"If I were female, I would have had my first child long before you did and I would have carried with pride," Shisui tells her, obviously not realizing his sex is moot because he would have been rendered sterile and useless like Izumi. "But that was not my lot and I can't change it. You didn't have to hide all of that because, once you're done here, you'll receive a pension and anything else you may need as compensation for your service."
"I hid it because we wouldn't be compensated if we left." She tries to cup his face but he pulls away. "So that's it then? That's all I am to you?"
"You've been planning an escape for months. Months, Sakura. I'm not going to keep you here any longer than you need to be. I've already established that my feelings aren't important here because they're irrelevant to my assignment."
"I-I'll be sure to bring her for visits," Sakura musters, bottom lip wobbling as she reluctantly accepts defeat.
His expression becomes flat. A faux disinterest that can't hide his disappointment and hurt.
"You're going to have to look for a new girl, aren't you?"
"I'll have Izumi bring me your runner up once you've been settled with your parents."
"My parents sold me to you like I was an object in their shop! Why would I want to go back to them?!"
"I'll find you another arrangement, then." He replies. "But you clearly don't want to stay here."
She snatches his arm again as he begins to leave. "Please don't go."
Dark eyes flick back towards her and he hesitates.
So Sakura hugs his arm to her chest. "I'm not going to fight you, but I still love you and want to spend my last few months by your side. Please."
"Come on, then. I have some errands to run."
And she steps over the cash that lies strewn on the floor, leaving it forgotten for awhile.
She isn't going to need it, anyway.