Silk

XI

It was dark where he was sitting. He knew it was dark. Pitch black even, with only the gentle faint light of a star somewhere way overhead of where he was. But what he could see didn’t make it so dark. He could make out the bars of the cage, the faint glow of a fire down the hall. He could sense someone near by simply because of the bright orange blob that they were. He blinked and the blob went away, but he could hear movement and breathing. He was huddled in the far corner of the cell when the drums started, a soft banging that heralded only bad news. His body was tense when they appeared, the barred door to his cell starting to creak open, a couple men with masks over their faces stepping into his cell with practiced steps. They’d been doing this since he was five, practicing stepping into the dark cell with torches and drums. He was used to it. But the knife was a new addition and he knew then that this time would be so much different.

He bolted before the adults could get a hold of him, darting between legs in his bid for freedom.

Kyo could only run, probably getting more lost than he wanted to be, but finally he saw light, and knew it to be the moon. The ten-year-old boy paused only to gauge distance before he bolted, using his speed against the adults’ more bulky bodies as he ran, rushing for the moonlight. He burst out of the underground compound and just kept running even though his lungs burned. He had to get away.

He didn’t want to die!
---
Zabuza was rubbing his bulging stomach, feeling the baby inside of him kick. Meizu was feeling much the same, they both knew, and now nearly all of those in Orochimaru’s circle knew what had caused this little miracle of life. Besides a very, very cruel God, of course. No, the scroll Haku had picked up eight months ago had allowed Zabuza, Meizu, and now Deidara, to get pregnant. Deidara was only four months, coinciding with the time of his arrival to Silk and the explosion in which the investigating shinobi found scraps of synthetic flesh and human blood along with scraps of an Akatsuki cloak burned into the synthetic flesh. A pretty convincing death. Orochimaru decided to forget it and commissioned a few nin to make sure that part of the forest grew back to its former glory. Zabuza and Meizu were very close to term and already had their shared home all set for the arrival of two babies. Sasori had already been quietly panicking over the fact Deidara was carrying his child, following the blonde everywhere he went despite the fact Kimimaru had told him Deidara was perfectly fine carrying the extra burden of the baby on his body.

Sasori ignored Kimimaru’s words and followed Deidara anyway.

Zabuza turned to look out the window of his home, watching Haku work in the rabbit-garden as it was called, partly wishing he could go out and join his beautiful lover. But Kimimaru had condemned him to the house to protect his health as much as he’d condemned Meizu, so while Meizu slept, Zabuza mused. The village was lively, especially with the two newest arrivals, one of which was bouncing up to Haku, Deidara not too far behind her.

Umi and Deidara had taken one look at each other when they met during a genin exam. Deidara had accompanied Sasori there and met the blonde girl, who had come as company for the boy Seiichiro. Sasuke had chosen the boy to train personally while Haku taught Umi to control her unique gift, and immediately became attached to one another. The little girl was certainly somewhat of a clone of the ex-Akatsuki member, and it was difficult not to say they were siblings when they were seen together. Umi had a loving home with Deidara and Sasori, though, and she certainly was happy living with the two. The trio stood talking, Umi probably cajoling Haku into another lesson with the Demon Ice Mirrors. Deidara was drawing the girl away soon enough, probably to do some sort of shopping, Haku waving her off with a promise no doubt, for the girl didn’t give her customary glare that was reserved for those who broke promises with her. Zabuza rubbed his stomach and couldn’t help the soft smile that appeared on his face.

“Hell must have frozen over. You’re smiling.”

Zabuza turned to face Sasuke and Seiichiro, the former leaning against the kitchen window’s sill as the latter watched from behind the elder’s slightly raised knee. Zabuza liked the two, though he’d never admit it outright, Sasuke having grown into his power, finding ways to gain more power without shedding blood, and Seiichiro proving his mettle as a young genin under Sasuke’s tutelage.

“Shut up,” Zabuza growled not near as menacingly as he wanted to. Sasuke only smirked, which almost infuriated Zabuza to the point he wanted to cause physical harm, but for the sake of the baby in his artificial womb he didn’t.

“Sei-kun and I are going out toward Iiga. We’ve gotten requests from a few people, you want anything?”

“If Haku’s made a request we’ve got everything.”

Sasuke nodded and slipped away, Sei trailing behind him. Zabuza watched the pair leave and wondered why the feeling in his gut felt more like dread than the need to use the bathroom because of the baby sitting on his bladder.