Never Leave Me - Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Naruto spent his first day and a half back in Konoha confined to a hospital bed; refusing to answer questions, and demanding nutrition, rest, and the ability to walk. As soon as the blond was able to walk a straight line without someone coming to try and catch him at every wobble and totter, he checked himself out despite Shizune’s insistence that he stay longer.
A mere hour after his impromptu departure from the hospital, while eating lunch with Iruka and the triplets, Sakura showed up with a summons from Tsunade.
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Tsunade stood in her office leaning back on her desk and staring at the two teens sitting in front of her.
Naruto had just finished telling herself and Sakura what he’d been through the last couple weeks. He’d explained how the Akatsuki hadn’t been able to extract the Kyuubi, despite their efforts, due to the strength of the Yondaime’s seal. He told them that somehow, they hadn’t gone into detail; the Akatsuki had known he could reproduce and decided to use it to their advantage and combine the strongest genes possible, if the Kyuubi’s chakra was transferred, it was merely a bonus.
Tsunade looked calm, as if she was taking the information in stride, but her jaw was clenched, her back was stiff, and her hands were clenching and unclenching into fists. Naruto looked unfocused and otherwise blank, already accepting of the events. It was Sakura who was a mess.
The pink haired girl sat beside her teammate, she held one of his hands in hers, their fingers threaded together, and her free hand cupping the back of the hand she held as if she expected him to either disappear or crumble. Tears streamed down her face, and her eyes were pink and a little puffy; she took deep, slow breaths that made her chest shuddered every few moments.
Naruto turned his head and looked at her. There was no smile of any kind on his face; not the usual smile trying to reassure her, or even a fake smile that said he was over the things that had happened and she was being foolish for the emotions she was exhibiting. The look on his face was blank as if he were simply passing his gaze over her, but his look was anything but fleeting as he held her green eyes with his blue. Those captivatingly blue eyes held gratitude, and somewhere deep in their depths trying to hide behind a mask that wasn’t fully constructed, was pain.
Sakura choked, pink lips parting. She collapsed against his shoulder a sobbing mess, a hand coming up and clutching the front of his shirt. She continually murmured ‘I’m so sorry’ over and over again.
Tsunade licked her lips and took a deep breath as Naruto’s gaze returned to her. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re already showing signs? That’s early, and even faster than last time.”
“Maybe I’m quick to get sick just like I’m quick to heal.” Naruto shrugged his unburdened shoulder.
“You didn’t show symptoms of your first pregnancy until the average two months into it. Why are you showing symptoms only a week in this time?” She crossed her arms with a puzzled look on her face.
“Baa-chan, I honestly don’t know. Can I go see my kids?”
“First, do you want an abortion?”
Naruto sagged in his seat, but his eyes hardened an ounce. “You know I don’t.”
Sakura jerked up, pinked eyes now red, her pretty face slightly unattractive with blotches of flushed skin. “Why? Why do you want to keep it? Why…?”
“It’s still a life, Sakura-chan, and it hasn’t done anything wrong to deserve death.” He answered without looking at her.
She tried to search his face and eyes, her own eyes darting over his face over and over like she was reading a book at break-neck speeds. “Naruto…”
“You do realize that by going through with this pregnancy you are playing right into the Akatsuki’s hands, don’t you? They’ll come after you relentlessly now, both you and your kids will be in danger Naruto; I urge you to get an abortion.”
The blond boy was quiet a moment before taking a decisive breath. “We’ll keep the pregnancy between the three of us. I know my limitations while pregnant; I’ll go back to training and everyday life, and the Akatsuki will believe I got the abortion.”
“Then they’ll come after you again, or what happens when you start to show?” Tsunade reasoned.
“I have no doubt you’ve boosted security both since my disappearance and since I’ve been returned, they’ll have trouble getting in now, and we’re all also expecting it. And when I start to show, Akatsuki will catch wind of a rumor that I’ve left on another training trip.”
Tsunade furrowed her brow. “The timing will be suspicious.”
“And they’ll start chasing a ghost. I can even send a bunshin with Ero-Sennin to help fool them.”
“Naruto, you…”
Naruto eased his hand away from the pink haired girl and stood up. “I’m going to see my kids now, figure the rest out for yourself.” He then turned and left the Hokage’s office, passing by Kakashi who was waiting in the hall, reading his book.
“Naruto,” Kakashi’s monotone voice called as he followed his lone blond student. “You’re pregnant.”
Naruto’s steps barely faltered as he glanced at the Jounin out of the corner of his eye. “Eaves-dropping Kakashi-sensei?”
“No, I believe those doors are sound proof,” he paused, cocking his head. “Well, unless Hokage-sama yells.”
Naruto chuckled. “Then ninja intuition?”
“Just a teacher knowing his students; are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine as soon as I see my kids.”
“That’s a lie, but I’ll let it go. Let me know if you need anything.”
Naruto stopped abruptly, and Kakashi came to a smooth stop beside him, his book dangling at his side as he focused his full attention on the genuine smile on the young boy’s face. “Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.”
Kakashi reached up and ruffled Naruto’s messy blond hair, earning a child-like pout. “I’ll walk you to Iruka’s.”
Naruto laughed as he hurried ahead of his teacher. “Gee, Kakashi, could you be more obvious?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Kakashi and Iruka-sensei sitting in a tree, G-R-O-P-I-N-G!” Naruto sing-song-ed before breaking into a run away from his teacher.
Kakashi’s eye widened before he pushed off the stairs and shot after the laughing teen.
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Iruka smiled as he tucked Naruto in with the triplets. Naruto had fallen asleep while reading them a book; Daisuke was curled against his left side, Ginji on his right, and Rin curled against his chest. The book was still open and face down on Rin’s back; Iruka picked up the book, closing it, and placed it on the nightstand before pulling up the tri-colored blanket to cover each of them. He checked to make sure the window was locked before slipping out of the room, leaving it open just a crack. He turned around and jumped, not expecting Kakashi to be standing there as he could have sworn he just bid the man good-night at his front door.
“You worry too much.” Kakashi mumbled into his book. He peered at the Chuunin over the tops of the pages for a moment before clapping the book shut and putting it away.
“He was kidnapped just down the hall while I slept, Kakashi.” Iruka hissed in a whisper. “Of course I’m worried.”
“Naruto’s an adult now, Iruka, he’s a trained shinobi, and he can take care of himself.”
Iruka grabbed a handful of the Jounin’s vest and dragged him down the hall and into the living room before turning on him. “He is not an adult! He’s a sixteen-year-old boy with adult problems and too many people have way too many expectations of him.”
“Including you.” Kakashi’s lazy-looking eye gazed seriously at the teacher. “You expect Naruto to stay an innocent kid forever.”
“I do not-“
“You do. Naruto is a parent and a widely experienced shinobi and you can’t get passed the image of a scared adolescent earning his headband at the knowledge of an entire village despising him.” He gripped the other man’s shoulders gently, forcing focus on himself rather than any distraction. “Iruka, I know just as well as any other adult who’s ever met Naruto that he brings out a protective instinct in us, but you have to know when to ignore it and let him do things the way he chooses, even if that means something horrible happening.”
“I can’t do that. Naruto doesn’t deserve all the things he’s been through, he’s a good kid.”
“I know, and all we can do is try to help him whenever he doesn’t outright tell us to back off. We can’t fix everything, and sometimes when something breaks right in front of you, you have to ignore it in favor of stopping something else from breaking at all. Do you understand?”
Iruka chuckled and pushed forward, leaning his head on the silver haired man’s shoulder in his exhaustion.
Kakashi’s eye widened in surprise for the second time that day and he held his hands out, not sure what to do with them.
“I’m not one of your students, Kakashi.” His arms came up and circled the man’s back, hugging him. “But I understand.”
Kakashi’s eyes softened as the arms wrapped around his back tightened and the Chuunin’s entire body shuddered against his; he returned the embrace by carefully making sure his hands stayed by the brown haired man’s shoulder blades. “It’s hard watching them grow up.”
“They grow up so fast.”
“Think how Jiraiya and I feel, we’re both his god-fathers.” Kakashi whispered into the Chuunin’s ear.
Iruka laughed and his hands clenched around fistfuls of the man’s Jounin vest.
The two quietly enjoyed the comforting embrace for several long quiet moments.
“What are you two doing?”
Iruka gave a startled squeak as he jumped away from the Jounin, looking over to see Naruto standing at the end of the hall. The blond was dressed in pale blue pajama bottoms and an old white t-shirt; his hair was mussed and flattened in some places from his brief bout of sleep, and he was squinting into the bright living room lighting at them.
“Iruka-sensei, I realize this is your house, but can you take those kinds of things somewhere more private? You never know when one of the triplets could get up to use the bathroom or something.”
The Chuunin sputtered, his entire face turning red as he waved an accusing arm in Kakashi’s general direction as if to place the blame on him. “I-I did not…that wasn’t…”
“It was a friendly hug, Naruto; Iruka-sensei and I were comforting each other over your stupidity.”
“K-Kakashi!” Iruka looked indignant at the insult in his ex-student’s stead.
Naruto merely grinned, looking mischievous. “Friendly hands don’t inch their way towards Iruka-sensei’s butt.”
Kakashi frowned. “I was not.”
Iruka, still bright red, dragged a hand down his face with a loud sigh. “Naruto, what are you doing up?”
“Morning sickness isn’t limited to morning hours.”
Iruka frowned, the parlor of his skin returning to something more normal. “Would you like something to settle your stomach?”
“You told Iruka?” Kakashi cocked his head at the blond, only slightly surprised.
“Yes, please; and yea, of course I told Iruka-sensei.” Naruto grumbled, following Iruka into the kitchen and collapsing into a kitchen chair.
Iruka rummaged through the cabinets as Kakashi joined them, sitting beside his student. “How are you taking all this, Naruto?”
The sound of Iruka’s rummaging slowed and he began peeking over his shoulder at them every couple of moments.
Naruto unconsciously rubbed his stomach as he slouched in the wooden chair. “How am I taking what, exactly?”
“Well, the pregnancy for one.”
“I feel bloated and nauseas.” The blond answered blandly, point blank.
Kakashi nearly smacked himself. “I meant emotionally.”
Naruto cocked his head and looked thoughtful, scrunching his nose. “I think I’m a little more prepared for this than I was the first time. To be brutally honest, I don’t like the idea of carrying an Akatsuki baby, and the fact that it’s a possibility that the life inside me might also be the cousin to my current kids is creepy on a few levels.” He gave an awkward chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. “But I’ll go through with this, even if I am playing right into their hands.”
Iruka set a plate of crackers and a glass of amber liquid on the table in front of the blond before reaching up and gently running his fingers through sunflower colored spikes, he frowned worriedly at the boy. “And what about Sasuke?”
Naruto rolled his eyes. “Way to add the drama, Iruka-sensei.”
“Naruto, I’m really worried about you.”
“We all are.” Kakashi added.
He shrugged. “Nothing’s different; we spent a few days together. It was like before he left.”
Kakashi noticed the blue eyes watering first. He stood up and hugged the sixteen-year-old boy’s head against his chest; the tears started silently, but when they turned into quiet hiccups Iruka knelt on the floor and hugged him as well.