We'll Always Be

A/N: I got a long chapter here and I hope you all enjoy. This one was rough to write, but since one of the main characters is dealing with an unplanned teenage pregnancy, it's not going to be all flowers and rainbows. Although I think I've about reached my angst limit. After the next chapter, things should be getting fluffier.



As always, thank you for the support and the reviews. They are so wonderful to get and inspire faster writing.



Warnings: Lime, Angst, Discussion of Abortion, Bit more Angst.



Definitions:



Hi no Kuni – Fire Country



Tsuchi no Kuni – Earth Country



Ta no Kuni – Rice Country



doujutsu - eye technique



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Tsunade was in her office when dawn broke across the village. One might be impressed by her devotion to duty. That is, until one heard the snores.



With a long suffering sigh, Shizune carried her burden of paperwork to the desk her Hokage was diligently resting her head on. She shared a rueful glance with her comrade-in-arms, Tonton. It was a depressing thought that the pig had a greater work ethic than the strongest shinobi in the Village of Konoha.



She figured she would let Tsunade rest a little longer while she organized the paperwork left over from the previous day with the new bundle she had received that morning.



The sun rose and the village awakened. Shizune had decided she had let her mentor shirk her duties long enough. She was about to gently wake the Hokage with a shout in her ear but was interrupted by a short rap on the door.



Sakura greeted her senpai mechanically as she brought in reports from the hospital which had been completed the night before. Great, more paperwork. The entrance of the pink haired girl was enough to rouse Tsunade from her ‘nap.’



She wiped her face nonchalantly, as though she had not been drooling on her desk moments before. The Hokage made a show of grabbing a report which had recently been her pillow and reading it intently. Neither young woman bothered to point out the ink smudge on Tsunade’s face.



Grumbling about “morons who can’t walk in a straight line and want me to do something about the walls they run into,” she tossed the page over her shoulder and finally addressed her subordinates.



After receiving a status on the hospital records from her younger student, she asked, “How was Naruto’s arm?”



“It seemed fine once the cast was removed. He has been reminded not to do anything strenuous for at least a week,”



“Whether or not he will follow that order is a different matter.” Tsunade scowled at the trouble she was probably going to go through with the knucklehead.



Shizune frowned. “I’m sure Naruto-kun will take care of himself. You told Kakashi to talk to him about the danger. He would be foolish not to listen.” At the twin looks of “Are you crazy?!” from her companions, Shizune realized that this was Naruto. Making foolish decisions regarding his own health was a long established tradition.



“Care to wager on how long it will take Naruto to be hospitalized again?” The blonde woman smirked.



“Tsunade-sama! You shouldn’t make bets on the welfare of your shinobi.” Shizune tried to look reprovingly at her teacher. It was so hard being a Hokage’s conscience.



“Hai, hai.” Waving her assistant’s concerns aside, she expected to see amusement in Sakura’s jade eyes. Instead, the girl looked unhappy and distant. “Sakura?”



Jumping slightly from being brought back from her internal musings, Sakura focused her eyes on her leader. “Yes, shisho?”



“Is everything alright? You’ve seemed…distracted the last few weeks.”



“I’m fine. Is there anything else you needed? I was going to–”



“Hokage-sama?” All three women turned their attention to where Umino Iruka’s head poked around the door. The tip of his ponytail brushed the wall and his scarred nose was crinkled in discomfort.



“What is it?”



“Team Gai just came in and turned in their mission report. Hyuuga Neji says that he saw Uchiha Sasuke at the edge of his Byakugan late last night when his team were on their way back. It appeared to him as though Sasuke was trying to avoid detection and he was heading away from the village.” Iruka hesitated before continuing, the various expressions of confusion on his audience’s face worried him. “I was under the impression that all of Team 7 was on village-bound missions for a while after the recent fight they were involved in.”



Shizune and Sakura looked bewildered while Tsunade appeared concerned. “Where did Neji say he saw Sasuke?”



Iruka gave her the location but clarified, “His trajectory had seemed erratic to Neji. He couldn’t be sure where Sasuke was going.”



The Hokage’s eyes narrowed. “He saw no one else?”



“No, Hokage-sama.” Iruka wrung his hands as he asked the question on the two young women’s minds. “Was he given an unofficial mission?”



“No, he was not.” Amber eyes narrowed further into a glare, but it was not directed at anyone within the room. ‘What the hell are you up to, Uchiha?’ She had never been entirely comfortable around the young man. “Iruka, Team 8 should be preparing to leave on assignment. Find them and bring them here. Shizune, find Shikamaru, tell him to prepare a team for a retrieval mission and stand by for a location. Sakura, find Naruto, I want- Sakura!”



It was too late, the girl was already gone. Shaking her head at her student’s impulsiveness, Tsunade sent the other two out to follow her orders.



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Feet pounding as she ran through the village, Sakura was filled with dread. Had Sasuke left? Why? Where? Did Naruto know? She scoffed. Of course Naruto knew; Sasuke didn’t mind sharing things with him.



Sakura remembered how less than 3 months ago she discovered something she wished with all her heart that she could forget.



They had been sent to observe a base on the border between Tsuchi no Kuni and Hi no Kuni. Supposedly, all such installations were closed at the end of the last war. Team 7 was able to determine that it was being used by missing nin who had been attacking travelers on the nearby roads without mercy.



It was unanimously decided that the criminals had to be shut down. The ragtag group of, at most, Chuunin had been no match for the Konoha shinobi.



After the missing-nin were killed, their bodies were either immediately destroyed or, in the case of two who had a Bingo book reward on their heads, sealed in a scroll for easy transport. Once Kakashi had the opportunity to stop at a bounty station, Team 7 would get the reward for the bandits’ demise.



Sakura, in an impressive show of strength reduced the structure the missing nin were using as a base of operations to a pile of rubble. Grinning despite the effort it took, she had turned to Sasuke hoping for approval. Instead, the young Uchiha was wiping off his kunai as he gathered up the weapons scattered on the field. He was not paying her any attention.



“Wow, Sakura-chan, that was amazing!” Naruto was always kind enough to compliment her progress and his impressed voice was genuine. She was about to politely thank him when she noticed something that caused her to frown.



Sasuke handed Naruto’s collected weapons to him as he walked by without a word to either of his teammates. Naruto had not even had to look as he took them and put them away in his pouch. He never stopped smiling at the kunoichi.



Sakura felt a hurt deep inside her. There had been something so casual about the exchange. Why did it seem as though there was a world between the two young men that did not include her?



This thought continued to bother her on their return to Konoha. By the time they started back, it was already late afternoon and it was deemed prudent that they would camp that night safely within the borders of Hi no Kuni. Making use of the daylight, Kakashi sat in a tree with his nose buried in his trusty Icha Icha.



Rolling his eyes at the man, Naruto offered to set up the tents for everybody.



“I don’t want to have it fall on my head in the middle of the night! I’ll put them up and you can go get us some water.” Sakura wanted Sasuke to notice her work.



Holding his hands up, the blond backed away from her looking surprised at her vehemence. Quickly grabbing all of the water bottles, he left their camp to search for some fresh water.



Feeling relieved that she did not have to compete with Naruto for Sasuke’s attention, Sakura efficiently began setting up their tents. She had just finished the second tent when she decided it was time to grab Sasuke’s notice and ask for his assistance. Maybe working together on a project would help their camaraderie. Unfortunately, when she looked up at him, her smile fell as he was leaving the campsite.



“Sasuke-kun?”



“I’m going to scout around, make sure there aren't any more missing-nin in the area.” His voice carried back to her from the trees; he was already gone.



Frowning, she put up her own tent as she thought about the young Uchiha. She wanted to get him alone, maybe try to talk with him, prove that she was just as valuable as Naruto.



“I’ll be back, Kakashi-sensei.” She did not wait for his response; she knew he would not ask where she was going. The fear all men seemed to have of asking a woman why she would want privacy could be very useful. Masking her chakra, she followed where she believed Sasuke had gone.



Sakura would show him how good a kunoichi she was. That she was the strongest woman he would find. Ino had told her that Asuma-sensei's last words to her had been not to lose to Sakura in the battle for Sasuke's heart. She would not lose to Ino.



It did not take her long as she stealthily traveled within the forest until she heard voices nearby.



“Did you need something?” Naruto’s voice sounded playful to her ears in a way that she was not familiar with.



“I have some…tension that I need you to take care of.” She was confused, was Sasuke asking Naruto to spar or something? They had had enough of a fight against the missing-nin, hadn’t they?



“Do you see all these bottles of water I’m carrying? I’m busy. Why don’t you work it out yourself?” Sakura would have thought Naruto was being rude except that she could detect laughter in his tone. It was like he was teasing Sasuke in some way. She was getting closer and was nearly there when she heard a grunt and smack. Her shinobi experience easily recognized the sound of a body hitting a tree, but certainly not with enough force to hurt Naruto from the sound of his chuckle.



Careful to stay concealed, the kunoichi peeked around a tree and could just make out the shape of Naruto sitting on the ground with his back to a tree. Sasuke was standing over him with his back to her. They were at enough of an angle that she could see part of Sasuke’s profile and almost half of Naruto’s body; the part not covered by the young Uchiha’s frame.



Jade eyes widened as Sasuke suddenly lashed out, grabbing blond hair in his grip and pulling Naruto to his knees. Naruto made to grab at Sasuke’s arm when both his wrists were pinned within the grip of Sasuke’s free hand against the trunk of the tree.



Sakura barely contained her gasp when blond hair was released and she heard the sound of a zipper being lowered. “You’ll do as I say.” She couldn’t believe her ears. Her initial reaction was that he was so incredibly sexy. Not even her dreams could compare to how rich his voice was when he put in the effort. Her second reaction was harder to define. Disbelief was primary. This could not be happening.



“Oh really?” The girl could not see Naruto’s face, but the lack of surprise or outrage let her know that he was perfectly fine with what was occurring. His tone was challenging. Is he ever anything else?



A pale hand was back in blond locks leading Naruto’s face closer to Sasuke’s groin. “Yes.” The authority in that single word was blatant.



Sakura was both morbidly disappointed and sublimely relieved that she could not see any of the details of what was going on. Unfortunately for her, her ears painted a picture easily enough. She saw Sasuke’s hips begin a shallow thrusting motion and bile rose in her throat. She turned away from them, but could not move any further. Her own back now to a tree, tears fell from her eyes as she continued to invade their privacy.



“You’ll take it all.” Although it was phrased as a statement, Sakura could hear the underlying question in it, as though Sasuke wanted to make sure Naruto was willing. From the surprised and satisfied grunt heard from the pale young man, it seemed that Naruto had happily complied.



Groans picked up in pitch and speed. Her own breathing increased and it was through sheer force of will that she did not give herself away. A curious moist slapping noise was heard and despite her need for denial, Sakura’s medical training obligingly informed her that it was Sasuke’s balls smacking against the blond’s chin.



Sakura covered her mouth to choke off her sobs and, at Sasuke’s hitched moan, she was finally able to run. And run she did. She was not there to see Sasuke throw his head back in completion. She did not witness Naruto’s released hands wrap around Sasuke’s hips and hold him close. She did not see Sasuke's warm eyes look down on Naruto's smirking face. And she certainly did not see them kiss with undeniable passion.



Sakura ran until she had cried herself out. She did not return to the camp until much later that night. When Naruto asked her if she was okay, why she had been gone for so long, she told him to mind his own business.



How dare he act as though he cared about her? Didn’t he know that Sasuke was just using him for stress relief? Of course he was! And Sakura would prove it.



Sakura reached Sasuke’s apartment building and ran up the flight of stairs to the second floor. She had been to his home before to deliver messages, but had never been invited inside.



Unfortunately, it had not worked out that way. She had offered herself; had offered her body for sex and did not ask for anything in return. She had told Sasuke that she would not need a relationship; that she only wanted to give him what he needs.



In front of the apartment, Sakura paused as she tried to disengage the traps that she sensed on Sasuke’s home. She knew that her efforts would be known if Sasuke was inside and the fact that he did not come to the door she was breaking into spurred her already frantic emotions.



Sasuke did not accept her offer. It pierced her heart how disappointed he looked. His expression flashed to anger before quickly clearing as he coldly told her to never insult either of them like that again. What tenuous friendship she had felt with him was nearly gone after that incident. It wasn’t fair. Didn’t he understand how much she loved him? Had always loved him. Didn’t he realize how much she would gladly go through to be his?



Crashing through the entryway, she hurried inside, her senses alert. She had not been able to disable Sasuke’s security and expected an automatic attack, but realized that that would not be the case. The door closed behind her and she was locked in until Sasuke released her unless she wanted to break the apartment down around her. But that was not her concern because now she could sense what had been previously hidden; there was someone else in the apartment.



“Sasuke-kun!” Sakura tracked the chakra signature to the bedroom and raced down the hall and through the partially open door. Her face – which had been glowing from her exertion and joy at knowing that Sasuke was home – paled as she took in the room’s inhabitant.



Naruto sat on the window ledge looking up at the clouds in the sky. His back was against one side of the window while the foot of his bent leg was propped on the other side. His other foot was flat on the floor. He was only clothed in a pair of deep orange sleep pants which contrasted beautifully with the honey hue of his skin. His hair was messier than usual. All in all, it looked like he had rolled out of bed and had not moved since taking his seat at the window.



Sakura looked around and could find no trace of anyone else present. Her eyes narrowed at the rumpled bed and a hiss escaped from between her lips. She looked back at the blond who had made no move to acknowledge her arrival.



“Where’s Sasuke-kun?”



No response. A vein pulsed in her forehead.



“If you knew he was going to leave, why didn’t you stop him?”



Not even a twitch. Her fist clenched as her chakra began to gather.



“Where is he?!” In the blink of an eye, Sakura was at Naruto’s side with her arm shooting forward to punch him right in the jaw.



Naruto was faster.



Sakura did not even see his deflecting move that sent her fist into the wall perpendicular to where he was sitting. She was so used to him jumping around and joking whenever she would get mad and try to hit him that the ease with which he blocked her attack left her stunned. Disbelievingly, she pulled her hand from the damaged wall and turned to the young man again. This time she could make out the tension in his features. Her eyes strayed to his lap where a scroll lay.



“What is that?” Sakura tried to see what was written on it, but Naruto pulled it closer to his chest. She could make out his deep sigh as he turned away from the sky and rolled the scroll up. Only when it was safely closed from prying eyes did he finally meet her gaze.



She gasped at how tormented his cerulean orbs looked.



“Why are you here, Sakura-chan?”



That effectively brought her back to the matter at hand. “Why are you here?”



Naruto barely did more than raise an eyebrow, letting her know how foolish he thought her question was.



She changed tactics. She told him how Neji had seen Sasuke appearing as though he was sneaking from Konoha and she came to look for him at his home. During her explanation, she saw a glimmer of hope flicker and die in his eyes. After she finished talking he remained quiet, his expression introspective. Sakura noticed that he had not seemed at all surprised by what she told him.



“Did you know he was going to leave?”



“No. I got his message when I woke up.”



“Where is he going?”



Naruto did not look away, but the set of his jaw let her know that he was not going to answer. She tried again. “When is he coming back?” This time he did look down, but not before she caught sight of his pain. Sasuke had told him, had left him a message. Why?



“Why you?” Her voice was quiet, tightly controlled. “Why does he only see you?” Twin pools of jade begged for him to respond.



Strangely, a very small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Sasuke asked me that same question almost four years ago.” Naruto’s answer confused her. Why would Sasuke ask something like that? “He doesn’t only see me, Sakura-chan. He sees you and Kakashi-sensei and a lot of other people. He wants you to be his friend, but you keep pushing for more.” His face was somber again. “I’m not the only one he sees, but I am the only one he shares his bed with.”



There it was, exactly what she did not want him to say and she could hear the truth in his words. Hurt, she lashed out. “If he cared about you, he wouldn’t leave you behind, would he?”



Sakura had expected a much different reaction than the smile he gave her. “Yeah, I plan to tell the bastard that next time I see him.” With that, he began to stare at the sky again.



“Tsunade-sama is going to send a team to bring him back. She wants to see you.”



“Fine, you can tell her I’ll be there soon.”



Neither of them moved from their spots. Rolling his eyes, Naruto stood up and walked across the room to the dresser from which he grabbed the crystal necklace Tsunade had given him and put it on. Opening a drawer, he retrieved a change of clothes and went into the bathroom without a word to her.



Sakura was waiting near the entryway of Sasuke’s apartment when Naruto came out fully dressed in his shinobi attire. The black of his outfit made it apparent how pale he was beneath his natural tan. He slipped on his boots before he focused his attention on the door. He observed the traps she had sprung when she entered.



“You’re lucky. He disabled the lethal one before he left. Guess he didn’t want anyone to be hurt for checking on him.” Naruto hesitated before going through a short series of seals. When he opened the door, he let out a breath he had been holding. So softly, Sakura barely heard him. “You made sure I wouldn’t have to use much chakra. Thanks, bastard.”



“Why would…” she trailed off. Naruto was leisurely walking down the stairs and out the building. His slow pace continued to the Hokage tower.



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Tsunade felt her favorite gaki approach before he arrived at her office door with Sakura at his side. She and Shikamaru were just discussing how to proceed with the AWOL Uchiha. The Hokage had already sent Team 8 and Kakashi to track Sasuke. If they located him and needed help – for whatever reason – then Shikamaru would follow with support.



Now that they had a basic plan, she was hoping Naruto could shed some light on what was going on.



“Do you know why Sasuke left the village without authorization?”



Amber widened when Naruto closed her office door and requested privacy. She complied without comment, sealing the four of them inside. They would not be overheard.



Concisely, he provided them with the relevant details of how the curse seal was beginning to affect Sasuke again and that the containment seal Jiraiya had created was degrading. He stated that Sasuke left to remove Orochimaru’s influence which would be to Konoha's benefit.



To say that the other occupants of the room were stunned would be an understatement. Shikamaru recovered fastest and his mind was busy with the new information. Sakura remembered how easily enraged Sasuke had been when he received the curse back when they were genin. ‘How long has he been fighting it?’



“You knew this was happening and you didn't report it?” Tsunade was clearly upset with the younger blond.



“I didn’t know he was having as much trouble as he was. I thought we had time to wait for Ero-Sennin to come back and reinforce the containment seal.”



“That wasn’t your decision, you should have told Kakashi or me. How long has this been going on?”



“At least two weeks. He lost control of himself for a little while, but stopped before he did any harm. I only found out two days ago how much the curse was trying to control him and he said he had found a way to overcome it.”



“What was that?” Shikamaru was very interested if Sasuke came up with a way to overcome Orochimaru’s power.



Naruto affected nonchalance. “He’s gone, so it must not have worked the way I thought it would.”



“He didn’t tell you he was leaving?” He turned to his Hokage.



“No.”



“Very well.” Tsunade rested her chin on her knuckles. “Sasuke’s obviously not in his right mind. He’s being tracked, but if he’s headed to Oto, then Shikamaru can take his team out now. I assume you and Sakura will be joining them?”



“Hai!” Sakura was quick to agree, but Naruto just as swiftly shook his head. “I can’t go with them, baa-chan.”



The surprises just kept coming.



“What?!” Sakura shrieked and looked ready to let loose a verbal barrage, but Tsunade stopped her with her own question. “Why not?”



“Sasuke gave me something else I have to worry about. He made sure I wouldn’t follow him.” Turning to the lazy genius, Naruto continued. “If you catch up with the bastard, bring him back safely. He’s trying to do what he thinks is best. He’s not a traitor.”



Shikamaru’s sharp eyes saw the emotions boiling beneath Naruto’s calm façade. He knew Naruto would not refuse to go without a good reason and he was not going to pry.



“Troublesome. Let’s go, Sakura.” Nodding his head to the blonds, he left the room obviously expecting the pink kunoichi to follow. Still, she hesitated.



“I doubt you’ll reach Sasuke before he gets to Ta no Kuni, so you should hurry if you want any chance.”



Sakura stared at the seemingly emotionless Naruto. This was not the hyper idiot she had known for years. She did not know this man at all. Receiving an agreeing nod from Tsunade, she left determined that she would get answers when she returned.



When the office door closed again, it was like a string had been cut. His shoulders sagged and his arms wrapped around his waist as though he was physically holding himself together. His whole body slumped against the wall.



Tsunade was astounded by the transformation. “What did he do to you?”



With a shaky hand, he pulled a scroll from his pocket and held it out. She had to get up from her desk and walk over to him to take it. Her confusion increased when she noted the mark of a forbidden seal on the front of the scroll. It slipped from her fingers to land on her desk once she read what it was.



“How did he -? Why would -? Naruto, are you-?”



Not able to resist, he chuckled at her inability to form a complete sentence. “Was there a question in there, baa-chan?”



“Watch it, gaki!” From habit, she lifted her fist to smack him on top of his head, but his instant defensive crouch stopped her. Slowly, she brought her hand to her side. “You’re certainly acting as though you have something to protect.”



Naruto’s arms wrapped more firmly around his waist.



“Let me check.” Gently, she pried his arms apart enough that she could touch his belly over his clothes. He flinched when green medical chakra formed on her palm. “Don’t worry, I’m just going to look.” Lifting his shirt, she placed her palm directly on his abdomen. After a moment, she gasped. “Holy shit!”



Stepping back, she let him fix his shirt. “I need sake.” Tsunade took him by the hand and led him to her chair and sat him down. She was treating him delicately and he noticed.



“You finally ready to name me Hokage? Took you long enough. I’m not sure if we could have waited for you to get any older.”



“Naruto.” Her serious tone shut him up and the smile he had forced on his face dropped instantly. “Did you consent to this?”



“Sasuke didn’t tell me exactly what we were doing, but I did agree to it.”



“Why would you do that?” The look on her face made it clear she thought he was a complete idiot.



“Because he asked me to.”



“Why would he ask you when there are any number of girls in this village who would kill for such an honor without the need of a forbidden jutsu.” Her tone made it clear how little of an honor she thought it to be.



Naruto sat back in the chair, a hand unconsciously resting on his belly. “When we became genin, Sasuke said he had two goals. One was to kill Itachi, but no matter how hard he trains, his brother will always have the advantage of the Mangekyou Sharingan. Do you know how an Uchiha gains that ability?”



Tsunade shook her head. She knew how to heal the damage the doujutsu causes, but did not know how Itachi obtained his ability.



“By killing his closest friend.”



She grimaced. Ninja clans could have some truly gruesome guidelines. “You’re his closest friend.” It was a statement, but Naruto nodded his head anyways. “Is this…jutsu…supposed to protect you?”



Naruto’s expression became ironic. “His second goal is to restore his clan. I’m safe from him as long as I carry his…” he trailed off, unable to say the word.



“What kind of sick bastard would do this to you?” Tsunade was furious.



“Sasuke loves me, baa-chan. He didn’t want this with anyone else.” The sincerity Naruto showed nearly caused her to cry. Many times she had heard the knucklehead yell about how he would become Hokage and be acknowledged by the whole village. She had been told by his Academy sensei how lonely he had been as a child and that he pulled pranks to get attention. For this young man to state without a doubt that he was loved, it showed how much his heart had been healed and she had not even noticed it was happening.



“Are you two romantically involved?” She needed to hear the confirmation from him.



The blond male snorted at the phrasing. “Yeah.”



“How long?”



“About two years. We kept it hidden because we didn’t want to risk anybody ever using one of us against the other.” He grimaced. “The bastard obviously didn’t think of that when he did this.”



No matter what happened, Tsunade decided, she would do the best she could to keep both young men safe. She had known that Naruto was maturing while he gained strength, but she had not realized how much he had kept hidden. How much of that must be thanks to Sasuke?



However, the condition Sasuke left Naruto in was too dangerous. “Regardless of your feelings for each other, he still did not get your specific approval for this and there are a lot of risks to you. I think you should let me cancel the jutsu.”



Naruto bit his lip as dull blue was held by amber. How quickly his face could become haunted. “I’ve been thinking about it all morning and I don’t know what I-“ His head snapped to the door just before it opened to reveal Tsunade’s advisers, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.



The Hokage silently cursed. How could she forget to replace the locking seals when Shikamaru and Sakura left?



"Forgive us for interrupting, Tsunade. We couldn't help overhearing." Homura was polite in his invasion of her office.



'Eavesdropping is more like it.' She did not want Naruto involved with these two. "Was there something you wanted? Naruto was just leaving, weren't you?"



Sensing the sudden tension developing in the room, the young man nodded his head and got up from the desk.



"That won't be necessary. From what we heard, he was about to let you undo a technique that was forced upon him." Koharu attempted to smile at Naruto, but it did nothing to make him feel better. He had never had much contact with Konoha's council and did not know much about their authority, but he did know that sometimes they would choose to interfere with Tsunade's decisions and she could very rarely stop them. Homura walked to the desk and picked up the scroll Tsunade had dropped and began to read it.



"I haven't decided what I'm going to do."



"A shinobi of Konoha has gone missing. It is your duty as a Jounin of this village to assist in his capture. There is a jutsu keeping you from doing your duty. What decision needs to be made?" The councilwoman made it clear that the only choice she felt he had was to do as they said.



Tsunade internally cursed. "You've heard about the disappearance of Uchiha Sasuke?"



Koharu's stern face regarded her with condemnation. "Yes, despite your negligence in not advising us yourself."



"She's the Hokage! She doesn't have to report to you." Naruto's posture was offensive, he did not like the way these elders were treating one of his precious people.



"Quiet, gaki." Tsunade wanted to keep their attention on her hoping that Naruto's predicament would be forgotten long enough for him to leave her office. "There was no need to inform either of you. It was reported to me this morning that Sasuke was seen outside the village, a tracking team has been sent after him with another for support if needed. However, from what I have been told, his actions are not treasonous. He is on his way to remove a threat to Konoha. If he succeeds, I see no reason not to welcome him back."



"If you did not assign him a mission and he has left the village without leave, then he is a missing-nin."



"I do not believe that is the case and I will not label him for the hunters until I have proof." She was every inch the Hokage as she stared the elders down.



"Can you guarantee that his objective is to go kill Orochimaru and immediately come back?" Tsunade did not answer and Naruto found the wall to be particularly interesting. Koharu scoffed. "Uchiha Sasuke is a traitor, just like his brother. You threaten the safety of Konoha if you do not act accordingly."



"He is not the same as Itachi," Naruto snarled at the older woman.



"You are obviously biased." Her narrowed eyes looking significantly towards his abdomen.



Naruto's hand unconsciously came up to lay upon his belly. "This is my private business, it has nothing to do with you."



"On the contrary," Homura looked up from the scroll he had been reading. "You are a jinchuuriki and a jutsu of any nature that feeds off of your chakra could cause an instability to the seal that holds Kyuubi caged. This one is designed to draw upon your chakra for months. If the Kyuubi is released, Konoha could be destroyed. The risk is too great."



"Tsunade can keep an eye on me to make sure that doesn't happen. Right, baa-chan?"



The Hokage nodded at the young man whom she loves as a little brother. "If that is your wish, then I will do what I can to help you."



"Absolutely not." Homura bloated with his self-importance. "For the sake of the village and your own health, you will abort."



"Who the hell do you think you are?" Naruto pointed his finger in the councilman's nose. "Doesn't the village want more Uchihas? Isn't that what's best as far as you pompous asses are concerened, to have one of the strongest clans restored?"



"Even if the thing you supposedly carry really has Uchiha blood, that is no excuse to accept the other risks. If Uchiha Sasuke does return, there are sufficient women to repopulate his clan if that is his wish. If he doesn't," Homura shrugged, "well, it's evident that the remnants of that clan are not trustworthy. If the bloodline is lost to history, that is acceptable."



"I can't believe you people! Sasuke's been a celebrity almost all his life. I've had to listen for years to people talking about the great Uchiha and how all their hope is on Sasuke to represent the glory of Konoha. During our Chuunin exams, the stadium was packed with people who just wanted to see him fight. How can you be so quick to write him off?"



Tsunade heard the pain in Naruto's voice; the pain of being unacknowledged while the spotlight blazed on his best friend. 'No,' she thought, 'on his lover.' And now he was ardently defending his boyfriend's reputation and shinobi status.



Homura was unimpressed. "He made his choice when he deserted Konoha. Your only concern is to protect our village and that includes ending this extremely dangerous jutsu."



"Don't you dare order me." Naruto's fists were shaking at his sides and when the councilman began to speak again, his temper snapped. "This is my choice!"



Homura puffed up with offended dignity as Koharu tried to calm the situation. "Young man, I understand that you are stressed, but-"



"Stressed?!" The word came out as a hysterical exclamation. Gritting his teeth, he continued. "I am a sixteen year old male. I've been knocked up and abandoned by my boyfriend. Do you want to find out just how stressed I am, baba?" What started high pitched and rushed ended calm and deadly.



Before tensions could rise further, Tsunade put her hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You said that you were not sure what you wanted to do. Is that still the case?"



The blond Jounin's posture drooped a little under her calming touch. "Yes, I have to think about it. I still have a week that the jutsu can be terminated safely, I will make up my mind before then." He held out his hand for the scroll Homura was still clutching.



The councilman looked about to argue, but Koharu spoke first. "That is acceptable. We trust that you will make the correct decision."



Naruto grabbed the scroll from Homura's grip before turning to Tsunade. "What about Sasuke?"



"I will not rank him as a missing-nin unless he does something that is directly against Konoha or its shinobi. That is final." She directed the last statement to her advisers.



"Thank you." Without another word, Naruto left the Hokage's office behind.



"Tsunade, your preferential treatment is inexcusable."



Amber eyes narrowed at the concilors. "Why are you so determined to have Uchiha Sasuke labeled a traitor? What's the rush?"



"It is best to remove a threat before it becomes too dangerous." Tsunade was not happy with Homura's ambiguous reply.



Kohura finished her former teammate's statement. "That includes the abomination Uzumaki carries."



The Hokage hissed at the older duo. "The next time you enter my office, leave your bigotry behind. Now get out." She was seconds away from throwing her desk at the elders who wield entirely too much power.



"Don't forget who made you Hokage, Tsunade." Before the blonde's temper could erupt, the advisers were out of the room.



Now alone, Tsunade slumped into her chair with her head in her hands. 'I'm too old for this.'



"Shizune! Bring me some sake!"



^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^



Naruto made his way through the streets of Konoha without direction. Normally, if he felt this violently tempermental, he would go to the training grounds and work it off with practice on the dummies or a spar if he could. Unfortunately, now he barely had the amount of chakra he had available as a genin. Not much he could do with that in his current state of mind. And it would only get worse. As the months go by, more of his chakra would be needed until he'd be lucky to have any beyond what is necessary to keep himself and his...passenger...alive. He could not call it what it is. If he did, it would become real.



'Suke, you have no idea how much I want to kick your ass right now.'



He passed by his apartment, not ready to go inside quite yet. Something told him to go somewhere else to help him make his decision. He definitely needed somewhere else to calm down.



Naruto didn't notice the people he passed. He didn't hear Ayame of Ichiraku call out to him about their specials. He was completely lost inside himself, remembering the message Sasuke left in his mind.



'Everything I have is yours.'



The blond abruptly changed his direction. 'Fine, bastard. I'll take you up on that.'



Minutes later, he was entering Sasuke's apartment and activating the privacy jutsu relieved that he had the chakra to do so. Looking around, he noticed that the furniture of the main room was still pushed against the walls. The blank floor where they had stood less than a day before triggered something in Naruto to snap. With a yell, he picked up one of the dining chairs and threw it into the far wall.



Furniture was trashed in Sasuke's living/dining room until little more than a pile of wreckage was left. Amid the destroyed furniture sat Naruto, breathless and shaking. Tears coursed down his cheeks as he clutched his hair and screamed his anguish in the empty room.



He was alone. His other half, his world was gone and unless Shikamaru got lucky, Sasuke would not be coming back any time soon. 'Damnit Suke, you fucking bastard, how could you do this to me?!'



He laid back against the remains of a couch cushion panting as he tried to calm his breathing. His head pounded with the manic beating of his heart.



'What were you thinking? How can this be a good idea? Taking away my ability to fight and leaving me without your protection. Did that fucking curse mark make you completely lose your mind?'



His fingers began to massage his temples as his heaving breaths began to subside. Delicate tears continued to fall from his red-rimmed eyes.



'You know how much this screws up my plans, don't you? At least a year that I can't be a ninja, how can I train? How can I protect our village? How can I get strong enough to become Hokage? How can I do this without you?'



Golden hands followed his torso till they rested above the slight bump on his belly. "As if I wasn't a freak enough already." His voice was hoarse from his break down. One hand trailed under his shirt to touch his skin. His fingers traced the flesh that would fill out until he would have to waddle instead of walk. "I can feel you. I feel my chakra going to you, feeding you, supporting the organ that's grown inside me so that you can suck even more of my chakra from me." His bitter words were softly spoken, his anger diminishing.



'Why couldn't you have waited?'



"I don't mind the idea. I love the thought of Sasuke and I having a child together. But I'm sixteen. I'm a fucking Jounin. The Akatsuki wants to kill me. This is not the time."



'Why couldn't you have waited until you got back, Suke? Until after the Akatsuki was destroyed and I'm Hokage. That would be the best time. The job would require me to be in the village most of the time and you could be here with me. Why did you have to do this now?'



"I'm too young. The world is too unstable. I can't do this on my own. Your father is completely insane." His fingers continued to caress his belly.



'Did you think you wouldn't make it back? Is that it? You wanted to leave something of you behind for me? Is this a way to always keep you with me?'



"I know what you are. Sasuke decided; it was on the seal he made me paint on him. From what I read on that scroll, he could choose if you'd be a boy or a girl."



'I'm scared, Suke.'



Naruto sat up. His lips lifted as he poked his bump gently. "What am I going to do with you, little leech?"



^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^



Sasuke stood at the edge of a waterfall on the top of a carving in the cliffside. He knew of this place, the Valley of the End, though he had never been there before. When the Sound Four kidnapped him nearly four years ago, their path would have taken him to this site, but the intervention of Naruto and other available members of the Konoha 12 had stopped them.



Thinking of Naruto was hard. He knew that what he was putting his lover through was reprehensible, but it was the best he could do for them both. He hoped Naruto will choose to keep the baby, but even if he doesn't, he knows Naruto will do what he believes is best. He always does.



His curse seal burned on his shoulder. It knew its master was close.



Looking past the waterfall, Sasuke could see Ta no Kuni on the other side. He was not far from Orochimaru and he knew that there was no way he'd be caught by any Konoha shinobi that might be following him. However, there was one final precaution he needed to take.



He wanted to kill Orochimaru, but he knew that the snake's soul transfer would allow the man access to his mind. Sasuke did not want to risk the sannin having any knowledge of his relationship with Naruto and certainly not of the possibility that he'll be a father in a few months.



Sitting on the effigy, Sasuke closed his Sharingan eyes and began to round up every intimate memory he had of Naruto. He packaged them with his feelings for the blond and locked them within his mind. He left a trigger that as soon as Orochimaru is dead, the mental box would open and he'd remember his relationship.



He had been very careful. He did not lose his knowledge of missions or techniques. He was on Team Kakashi; his teammates were Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto. The thoughts of these people brought a vague sense of comraderie and memories of training with the blond idiot recalled how much growth he accomplished by competing with his rival.



Standing, Sasuke shook off the slight haziness in his mind wondering why he was hesitating. He had a mission to do. He would kill Orochimaru for daring to gain control of an Uchiha. Once the pretentious snake was destroyed, he'd seek out Itachi and avenge his clan. Then he could return to Konoha.



Something told him that that was where he belonged.



Resolutely, the young Uchiha leaped over the waterfall and entered the dominion of Otogakure.



TBC