Bloodlines

Chapter 2

New beginnings

Naruto woke to the white brilliance of the Konoha Medical Center, the after image of Sasuke’s Sharingan eyes still burning in his mind.

He wondered momentarily if he was dreaming again. If he was, this one however seemed particularly vivid.


“Ah! He's awake!"

And that certainly wasn’t Kabuto's voice. Sakura's wide green eyes stared down at him, face a mix of happiness and worry. Behind her, arms crossed over her ample chest, Tsunade stood, face unreadable.

“Naruto! How do you feel?"

He blinked in groggy confusion at her as the thoughts in his head finally gained the strength to complete a full idea of what was happening. Instantly his hands flew to his stomach, to find the familiar bulk, it rippled comfortingly beneath his palm.

“Don’t worry. He's still there." Tsunade's voice drawled lazily. “There was no reason to remove him, and he's not quite ready to come out yet anyhow. One month left in fact.”

Naruto sighed, then realized.

“He? It’s a boy?”

“A normal human boy luckily, healthy as a baby in a boys womb can be. You sure seem able to bring home trouble brat.”

By the tight sound of her voice, Tsunade was unhappy about something. Naruto cupped his stomach, suddenly worried.

“It is rare than anything from Orochimaru’s turns out well. This is very serious Naruto. This baby is not something we were expecting to deal with when we got you back.”

“You won’t take him away will you? I know I’m young and stuff, but he’s the only family I’ve got!”

All the anger drained from the Hokage’s features in a long sigh.

“The council has made noises to that extent but I managed to convince them to wait until the tests were done. . . I myself see no reason to take him away. Plenty of Kunoichi have pregnancies at your age. It’s more the matter of how this pregnancy came to be that has my teeth on edge.”

The anger came back to her eyes, and Naruto was sure somewhere there was broken furniture being replaced in her office. In fact, he noticed the Chakra collar in pieces on the floor nearby, and touched his neck to make certain.

“What was done to you is an abomination Naruto. And one that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. It seems that whatever jutsu was placed on you is permanent.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes, noting Sakura’s flush and the wrinkle of pure fury evident on Tsunade’s usually smooth brow.

“What does that mean?”

If anything Sakura flushed to a new color of pink.

“W-well, Naruto kun. Kabuto was very thorough in making sure the baby had a way out.

Sakura paused looking a bit ill. And when it hit Naruto as to what she meant, she had to scramble for a bed pan can as Naruto was violently sick.

Ten minutes later and plenty of assurances that yes, he was still a boy and Naruto regained some of his composure.

“How did I get here?” He asked hoarsely once his stomach settled. Both Tsunade and Sakura glanced at each other.

“Well, we were hoping you had some idea. . . you were found outside the gates. No one saw anything. The collar on your neck was the only reason we knew where you had come from.”

The afterimage of red eyes in shadow flashed through his mind.

“Sasuke, I think it was Sasuke.” He turned, looking up at Sakura’s wide green eyes.

“Of course Sasuke. . . he would never have left you there.”

Sakura turned her eyes to the window, a dreamy smile on her face. Naruto watched her, hand over his stomach, wondering if what lay sleeping beneath his heart had more to do with Naruto’s escape than any moral obligation to old friends. He stayed silent however, letting Sakura have her moment. He himself was clinging to the idea that now, they may just have a concrete reason for Sasuke to come home.

He wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital as Tsunade wished to keep a close personal eye on him. He expected it to be a long boring stay, but it seemed the whole of Konoha had been told of his arrival. And of his condition.

When Shikamaru entered with a box of baby clothes instead of a Shogi board, Naruto felt the sudden tilt of strangeness in his world.

“All the girls pitched in and got you some stuff. My mom’s making me bring more later.” Shikamaru said, looking very much put upon. They both stared at each other, Shikamaru fidgeting with the box, until finally Naruto found his voice.

“Ah. Thanks. Guess this is stuff I’m gonna need later.” He stared at the box much like he would a plate of greens. He could see soft pastel colored clothing peeking out at him.

Shikamaru in turn was facing his own surreal moment as he stared at the bulge of his friend’s stomach, and at the strange softened features of Naruto’s face. Naruto’s hair was longer than before, almost to his shoulders, and he looked almost . . . pretty, with his big blue eyes and soft round face.

Shikamaru had expected to be disgusted. Instead, he almost wanted to ask if he could touch the fascinating curve.

“I’d stay if I could, but Tsunade’s got me helping in the office. Don’t worry though. You’re going to have plenty of visitors.”

Naruto grimaced, looking longingly out the window, and realizing that even without the collar, he was still stuck. No window escapes for awhile.

When Iruka arrived with a plush yellow bunny under his arm, Naruto wanted to crawl under his blankets and disappear.

“Naruto-kun, I brought you a gift.” His former teacher’s voice was soft, as if afraid Naruto would startle if he spoke too loud.

“I would have brought you ramen, but Sakura-chan forbade it.”

The yellow bunny was plunked onto Naruto’s round stomach, a pink smile stitched onto its face. Naruto clasped the soft creature to his chest, suddenly sure he knew just what every pregnant kunoichi felt like when facing their important people with their news.

“Yeah, she say’s I’d be better off eating dirt than ramen. The baby needs good stuff.” He scowled at his plate of half eaten vegetables. Iruka laughed softly.

“How are you Naruto? And no lies.”

“I’m fat as a whale, I haven’t peed standing up in months, and I have no idea what to do with a kid!” Naruto exploded, hands clenched in the bunny’s soft fur.

“I can barely keep my houseplant alive! And the last three nurses have called me Miss! Miss!” Naruto’s voice had steadily rose in both volume and pitch.

“I am not a GIRL!”

Outside Naruto’s window a flock of bird scattered in a whirr of wings. Iruka however, just looked amused.

“At lease you still have your spirit Naruto-kun. That makes me feel better.”

Naruto just glared, knowing somehow he was being made fun of. When Iruka leaned over and kissed him gently on the forehead, Naruto stared, surprised.

“Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help Naruto-kun. My door will always be open for you.”

Iruka stayed, chatting about things he had missed while he had been gone, and when he left, Naruto felt a little less disconnected from the world around him. He placed the bunny on the tiny box of clothes, and tried not to think of all he would need in comparison to what he had. Hopefully no more visitors would be by today. Jiraiya had already come by and given his own advice about babies being woman magnets. Sakura had made him leave shortly after.

He lay down, the bunny looked down at him, gentle stitched smile and soft fuzzy body. He snatched it quickly from the pile and clutched it as he fell asleep, the gentle movements of his child lulling him to sleep.

When the time came for the baby to be born, Tsunade decided the baby was large and developed enough to come out before it got too big for Naruto to handle.

He actually felt little, a Hyuuga nurse numbed anything from the waist down after the worst of the contractions started, and after that Naruto’s son, weighing five pounds, with hair as dark as coal and eyes of a murky midnight blue entered the world .

Tsunade actually looked rather emotional as she held the tiny screaming boy and pronounced him healthy. Naruto was allowed to hold him while the cord was clipped, then he was whisked away to be tested, a tiny band around his ankle proclaiming him to be Uzumaki Haku.


He had hoped that once Tsunade had confirmed he was well enough, he could go home and forget about the world in his nice comfortable bed for at least a week.

However, a large group of people he had been hoping to avoid in said home and bed, had come to see the newest member of Konoha. This was evident when the herd bypassed Naruto and headed right to the sleeping baby.

“Ooooh! He's so sweet! And look at those chubby cheeks!" Ino cooed, Hinata, face flushed, nodded wordlessly, and touched a gentle finger to the sleeping baby’s dark head.

“He looks just like Sasuke-chan! A little tiny mini Sasuke-chan!"

Naruto glared darkly at them, feeling a little affronted that yet again the teme was getting all the praise for Naruto's hard work.

The boys of the group stood back, looking more uncomfortable than anything.

Lee looked on the verge of tears and Sai, Neji and Shikamaru stood back, trying to pretend that they weren’t looking at the baby too. At least until they were shoved aside by a huge white and black head as Akamaru nosed his way inside to take his own look. Kiba strolled in his massive dog’s wake, hands shoved deep in his pockets.

“So . . ." Kiba shifted “Uh, congratulations." He scratched his head, at a loss for words.

“You have a fine son. He will be a proud addition to Konoha." Neji added gravely.

Lee couldn't seem to get past the tears and instead thrust a basket full of apples into Naruto’s lap and joined the girls around Haku's bassinet, Sai following.

“So, is he an Uchiha?" Shikamaru was never one to beat around the bush. Naruto set aside the apples with a sigh.

“Tsunade wants to test him, but . . . well look at him! He's Uchiha to the bone!"

He stared in askance to the groups of girls still giggling and praising Haku's innate Sasuke-ness.

“No he's not." Sakura rose from the group, Haku awake in her arms, tiny hands waving.

“His smile is all Naruto." She smiled down at the baby, who smiled brightly back.

“Tsunade granny says it’s just gas, everything else is Sasuke." Naruto groused, but inside, he felt a bit of pleasure that at least some of him had come through.

“No." Sakura brought the wiggling little creature over to Naruto.

“I don't think Sasuke once ever looked so . . . happy." She placed the baby in Naruto's arms. Naruto instantly grinned down into the little face that smiled happily up, a twin of Naruto’s own.