Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Of Curry, Fevers, and Kits	By : redhaze Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1835 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
"Naruto..."

With a groan the blond rolled over in his bed, hiding his head under his pillow to muffle out the sound that was trying to draw him away from sacred sleep. Didn't they realize how hard it was for him to achieve this level of sleep? Especially lately! Between his changing body and the stress behind the reason of his changing body it was rare for the Naruto to be able to sleep like this. It probably wouldn't be long before Sakura barged into his room, opened his blinds to let the sun stream in and drag him to the bathroom and all but force him into the shower. Just a few more minutes of sleep before then, please!

"Naruto!"

"Nnh!" The voice was persistent and Naruto growled at it to go away, the sound muffled.

"Oi! Dobe! Wake up!"

Naruto jerked out of bed; or rather he thought he had jerked out of bed. In actuality he was being lifted off the bed by the shoulders, shaken just a line above gently. Bleary, blue eyes fluttered open, adjusting slowing in the dark. A familiar crop of hair, darker than the darkness of the room, was the first thing he was able to make out.

"Sasuke..?"

"It's about time you woke up," was the dry reply by the slowly forming outline.

He could only stare dumbly for a few seconds as Sasuke became more and more visible as his eyes adjusted "Geh!" Naruto suddenly jerked back when his mind made the connection that the sight of Sasuke before him meant that the Uchiha was in the room. He nearly fell off the bed in his mad scramble to get away. "What the hell? What are you doing here Sasuke-teme?" Naruto was now wide awake.

"We have a breakfast date," Sasuke replied smoothly, sitting himself down on the edge of Naruto's bed. "Or did you forget?"

"G-g-get the hell off my bed, Teme! It's still dark out! Are you crazy?" Naruto pulled his sheets up to his chest, mentally cringing when Sasuke just raised an eyebrow at him. What a stupid reaction! What was he, a half-naked girl caught in her indecency? What was the matter with him? Taking a deep breath he lowered the sheet back down. "And how did you get in my room?"

Sasuke smirked lightly, "It's not the first time I've gotten into your house without being let in, you realize that right?"

"This isn't my house, it's the Hokage's!" Naruto pointed out, trying his hardest not to remember what had happened the last time Sasuke had shown up at his house uninvited. He hoped he wasn't blushing as hotly as his cheeks actually felt.

"Un, and yet here I am, anyways."

Naruto growled, annoyed by his rival's cocky nature, "So how did you find me in my room?"

Sasuke chucked, thinking Naruto looked cute when he sulked like this, "Well… either I followed the trace of your chakra to this house and into this very room, or… I knew where you were staying and one the Hokage's attendants let me in, and even pointed out your room to me," Sasuke said, trying to contain his grin. Naruto was irresistible when he was flustered, and he was so easy to fluster it was irresistible.

Naruto sighed, rubbing his head tiredly, "Whatever, it's still fucking dark out, what time is it?"

"The sun will be rising soon. What's the matter Naruto? As a shinobi, waking up at the break of dawn shouldn't be any trouble for you. We used to get up before dawn often when we were younger."

"Yeah, well we're not on a mission right now," Not to mention that Granny had forbidden him from going an anymore missions for the duration of his pregnancy.

More and more this stupid problem the fox had dumped on his lap was affecting his life negatively. He couldn't even train anymore! The closest the Hokage was allowing him to actually training was swimming in a pool. And it wasn't even really swimming! It was like… slow taijutsu movements in the water. It was weird and it certainly didn't push his limits or make him stronger, and Naruto just hated it!

Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had more important things to think about right now, the most important was getting Sasuke to leave. "You can't stay here, teme. I'll meet you somewhere for breakfast in a couple of hours. Leave."

Sasuke frowned, "Eager to get rid of me, dobe?"

"Yes!" Naruto responded without a moment's hesitation.

Those obsidian eyes narrowed in anger, "Too bad, I'm not going anywhere without you."

"I'm not giving you a choice, asshole! Leave or I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Make me leave," Sasuke knew it was childish, but Naruto was being childish, too. He could sink down to the idiot's level.

Naruto looked more than ready to make Sasuke leave, but then he felt a lurch from his stomach. Pushing past the former avenger, Naruto made a mad dash to the bathroom, losing the last remainders of his dinner to morning sickness. He wiped his mouth and panted for breath, his shoulders shaking from the force of keeping the last dry heaves down. He hated this, too! Hated it more than almost everything else combined! How did girls put up with this? How could they stand it and still glow with happiness every day of their pregnancy? If this misadventure taught him anything at all it was to have a whole new respect for the fairer sex. He jumped when he suddenly felt a soothing hand rubbing his back, looking over his shoulder at Sasuke, his teammate kneeling behind him, an actual worried expression on his face, and a damp towel in hand.

Sasuke smiled just a little when Naruto leaned into the touch of the damp cloth over his lips and cheeks, but it quickly gave way to his worried frown once more. "Is it always this bad?"

The question surprised Naruto, or rather its asker's genuine concern did. He laughed a soft, a dry sound. "It's been worse than this before, but I think it's getting better. Sasuke… leave… please. When I'm ready I'll meet you somewhere. Anywhere you want."

Sasuke still shook his head, "I'm not going anywhere, especially not now." He only had a limited time with Naruto today, after all. The blond had his schedule packed.

He wanted to make a good impression before Sai came in with his oddly endearing social awkwardness, or Gaara came in with his… whatever it was that the Kazekage had that appealed to Naruto. His talk with Sakura had really gotten to him. There had been a time, even after he had left Konoha, when he was still assured with his place in Naruto's heart, even if the blond himself hadn't realized the true intentions behind his own actions. No matter how grim the road to achieve his revenge became, no matter how dark and twisted he had let himself become to seek his goals, Naruto hadn't given up on him. At least not right away… maybe not fully ever, he was never sure of that.

But he had been so sure of his place, of his hold over Naruto, that he didn't see the little footholds others had made in the cracks he had put in Naruto's heart. He had been blind as those damn vultures wormed their way in and claimed their own stake into the blonde's caring heart. Now he had to compete with them over something that should have been rightfully his all along. It was the price he had to pay for all the times he pushed Naruto away.

But he couldn't simply act like Naruto was already all his. The Kyuubi's vessel had a stubborn streak a mile long and if Sasuke let his pride get in the way he'd lose for sure. He had to accept that Naruto wasn't his yet, even if his entire being was screaming otherwise. He had to… swallow his pride, play this stupid courtship game. If he compared it to the dark and twisted road he had almost gotten lost in, in the past, this was almost child's play. He could bide his time… to a certain extent.

"I…" Naruto suddenly looked away, and Sasuke tensed. The blonde's expression was so… raw… so vulnerable. "Sasuke, please… I… I don't want you here right now."

The Uchiha felt a stab to his chest, "Why?"

Emotions warred over Naruto's face: sad, vulnerable, embarrassed, annoyed, then back to embarrassment, "It's just… it's embarrassing and I don't want you to see!"

"See what? What's going on Naruto?" Sasuke was genuinely curious now.

"I…" more embarrassment, humiliation, anger warring alongside pride, Sasuke understood all those emotions very well. He had experienced them all firsthand… Then Naruto's expression finally settled on one emotion, resignation, "Fine, you can stay… just… s-stay out of the way, okay?"

Naruto finally glanced at his clock and rolled out of bed with a heavy sigh, "I got to take a shower… Don't move, and don't you dare follow me, you perverted bastard!"

Sasuke felt a tick of a nerve at his temple, "Who's a pervert?"

"You are, teme!" Naruto shot back as he closed and locked the bathroom door behind him.

The sound of the shower running was the only sound in the room as the sun steadily rose higher to greet the day, slivers of light breaking through the slats of the blinds. Sasuke looked around the room. It was much bigger than Naruto's room had been in that old apartment, hell… almost the whole apartment could probably fit in this room. Tsunade held back no expense to ensure Naruto's comfort.

Sasuke could see Naruto all over the room. Framed photos of everyone dear to Naruto's heart were sprinkled about the room, the old photos of team 7 when they had still be genin sitting red on the bedside dresser, one of the first things Naruto was sure to see when he woke up each morning. Clothes were strewn about on the floor, not in a total disarry, but rather a few large clumps on different sides of the room, not really in the way of anything else. Scrolls, training guides, an unrolled sleeve of kunais. Sasuke snorted softly, half tossed under the desk was the same dog toy that he had caught Naruto using on himself that fateful day. So he kept it after all.

A faint hint of color dusted the Uchiha's lips as he remembered that day, more importantly, as his body remembered that day. He had to stop that and fast. The memory still made him ache. It still made his body burn. That day Naruto had far surpassed each and every single one of his fantasies and that one night had been enough to make him an addict. He craved Naruto again, he needed his fix, but after being given a taste he now had to jump through hoops for another hit. Sasuke shook his head, he was thinking like a junkie.

Sasuke fisted his hand through his hair, willing the heat that had taken over him to go back down. He had to bide his time now. The last time he tried to get another taste things had ended up horribly. Damn that Uzumaki... did he even realize the affect he had on others? Sasuke was brought out of his thoughts when the door suddenly opened.

"Naruto, I don't want to fight you again this time! Just wake up normally and get in the shower so we can get started sooner. Ah... Sasuke-kun?"

"Sakura?"

The two stared at each other for what seemed like a small eternity... in that time the muffle sound of running water stopped.

"What-" Sasuke started.

"Are you doing here?" Sakura finished. The pink-haired kunoichi sighed, running her hand through her hair, "Aa... the breakfast date with Naruto, right..."

"How do you know about that?" Really, just how much did Sakura really know? Was she watching him with Naruto, too?

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Baka, I'm not stalking or anything. Naruto confides in me a lot. I told you before, this whole thing really takes a lot out of Naruto and if I can be of help just by listening to him, then that's what I'll do."

"Hn," Sasuke wasn't sure how much he disliked that... quite a bit to be sure. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura blinked, "Oh... well... I'm surprised Naruto didn't tell you... Or at least didn't try to force you to leave."

"What is it?" Sasuke pressed. If Naruto didn't tell him, maybe Sakura still would.

"Well... this situation is unprecedented... so Naruto has to go through examinations ever day… to monitor internal as well as outer physical changes that-"

"Aah! Sakura-chan! What are you telling this bastard? Don't tell him anything!" Naruto said standing at the doorway to the bathroom, an almost comically large bathrobe covering his body, a towel in hand. He was darkly flushed, and Sasuke got the feeling it had little to do with the steam billowing out behind him.

"Ah... Naruto... I... I'm sorry!" Sakura quickly apologized, fearing the worst reaction already.

"Examinations?" Sasuke looked Naruto over carefully, "What sort of examinations."

Naruto turned cherry red, "Aaaaaah! Baka! Teme! Stupid, fucking bastard!" The blond rushed the Uchiha, yanking him up to his feet and shoving him towards the door, "Get out, get out, get out, get out, GET OUT!" Sakura barely managed to get out of the way before Sasuke was thrown out of the room, the door slamming soundly after him.

"Naruto-kun..."

"How could you tell him that, Sakura-chan?" Naruto glared at his pink-haired friend, betrayal in his tear bright eyes.

"Naruto-kun," Sakura bit her lip gently. She had to find the best way to get around this unscathed; Naruto's emotions were so off balance lately, "Gomen, I didn't mean to upset you by telling him... but... I... I think he would have found out eventually..."

"Like when I'd refused to leave your side," Sasuke agreed from the other side of the door.

"Shut up, Sasuke no baka!" Sakura banged on the door. She mentally swore. She was so glad she had gotten over her crush on Sasuke, because now she could see what an idiot he could be.

Naruto's shoulders shook was suppressed sobs, wiping away forming tears before they fell, "I didn't want them to know... i-it's weird... I... I'm becoming a freak."

"Oh Naruto..." the kunoichi swept her friend up in a warm hug, stroking the still damp strands of hair, "You're not a freak, Naruto, and they're not going to think that about you. But these are special circumstances and every precaution has to be taken to ensure your safety. If they think that's weird then they don't deserve you, and I will personally kick their asses." Sakura tried to comfort the blond in her arms and at the same time warn the brunette at her back on the other side of the door.

Sasuke frowned thoughtfully. Of course he wouldn't think Naruto was a freak, the idea of examinations made sense! Of course they'd want to examine the blond every step of the way to make sure both he and the baby were healthy and not in any danger...

"Maybe Sasuke-kun would like to better understand what you're going through... so he'll understand how you feel...?" Sakura tried to coax.

Sasuke blinked a bit, staring at the door as if he could see Sakura and Naruto perfectly through it. Was this... Was Sakura trying to give Sasuke the chance he needed to get closer to Naruto? Sasuke felt a swell of gratitude for his female teammate. Yesterday he was sure that she had given up on him, especially after that slap to the face, but maybe he had been wrong.

"I don't want him to see! It's embarrassing!" Naruto cried out, shaking his head against the crook of Sakura's shoulder.

"Naruto, sooner or later you won't be able to hide it anymore... its better that he understand now, right?"

Sasuke could perfectly imagine Naruto's lower lip quivering adorably as he thought it over. The answer seemed to take a small eternity in coming.

"H-he... he better not make fun of me!"

"Oh, I'm sure he won't."

They were replying to one another, but they were both talking to him now, "Baka, I swear I won't make fun of you." Sasuke paused, then swallowed just a little bit of his pride, speaking with the most soothing voice he could manage, "Please Naruto... I want you to feel that you can count on me to be there for everything."

Sakura mentally nodded in approval. That was a good line. Of course if the Uchiha didn't mean it she'd smash his head through the wall.

Naruto was silent for another small eternity; Sakura could feel his heart beat speed up where she held him close. He nodded slowly, drawing out of Sakura's arms. "O-okay..."

"Then it's settled!"

Sasuke wondered if the Hokage had always had this medical room in her house, the 1st Hokage's family home, or if it had been a room she had remodeled especially to examine Naruto every day. Either way it was probably pretty convenient, especially if they wanted to keep Naruto's condition under wraps. How long were they planning on keeping Naruto's pregnancy under wraps? And just what would happen when the truth came out? There wasn't much time to think about that now, but Sasuke swore he'd make sure to take care of Naruto no matter the circumstances.

The moment he had entered behind Sakura and Naruto he had been ushered to a side and told to keep out of the way and keep his mouth shut. A felt a tick of a nerve at his temple, but he kept his silence. The slug princess had clearly not yet forgiven him for his past actions. He watched silently as they started a standard physical examination. He was impressed when Naruto let a vial of blood be drawn out of him without even flinching at the sight of the needle. He must have been used to it by now.

The entire time Naruto kept his head down, pointedly not looking at Sasuke, though that did nothing to hide the dark flush on his face. The former avenger wondered why he was being avoided, how he should feel about it. But Naruto was clearly nervous at the moment to have him there, shy... It was really cute. Sasuke couldn't help but smirk a little as he watched the blond squirm. He also idly wondered why it was that Naruto was still in his bathrobe, but that question was answered soon enough.

"Alright, you know the drill Naruto. Strip off the robe and lay back."

"A-aaah! G-granny!" Naruto cheeks suddenly took on a bright red hue. Blue eyes glanced towards obsidian ones for a moment, and then quickly looked down and away.

Tsunade followed Naruto's gaze to the Uchiha, sighed, then made a sound of irritation, "You allowed him to come in here, we're not doing things differently just because he's here. Now strip." When Naruto still didn't move besides squirming she sighed heavily, "Leave your underwear on, now move!"

Naruto hesitated for a few moments longer then nodded with a soft sigh. He glanced at Sasuke once more, feeling his blush burn brighter when that damn bastard didn't even have the decency to look away! That teme didn't even look the least bit embarrassed or sorry that Naruto caught him staring! Trembling fingers undid the tie of his robe and let the fluffy cloth slip down his shoulders and off his arms, laying back and lifting his hips to completely toss it aside. He stared fixedly up at the ceiling, though he still flinched when he heard Sasuke's gasp. This was what he had really been afraid of!

The former avenger stared in shocked awe as he got a good look at Naruto's body for the first time since that fateful day. He took a single step closer, wanting to get a better view. Admittedly, Sasuke knew very little about what women went through when they were pregnant, but the changes weren't this fast or this drastic were they?

"Naruto..." Sasuke's voice was surprised, awed… worried?

"Nnh!" Naruto closed his eyes tightly, clapping his hands over them as if he could believe that if he didn't Sasuke than the Uchiha would no longer be there.

Sasuke didn't notice, or didn't really care. He was too busy taking in every inch of Naruto with his eyes. The boy's body was changing; Sakura had mentioned it, but seeing it was something entirely different. It hadn't been noticeable under the clothes Naruto usually wore, but it was only too obvious to tell now. Sasuke couldn't pinpoint it at first, he looked Naruto up and down several times trying to figure it out… but... it was... just Naruto's skin... it seemed different, smoother... fresher maybe? It seemed to glow and it looked like it'd be soft to the touch. Sasuke wanted to reach out and touch it.

Naruto was still fit, to be sure, but his body seemed softer around his middle, the muscles losing their definition there. There was even a forming pooch, and if Sasuke hadn't known any better he probably would have teased the blond to lay off the ramen for a while. But rather than detract from the blonde's once physical perfection it only seemed to add to it, that pooch was endearing. A part of Sasuke wanted to rub his face against that soft looking belly and use it as his own personal pillow. He wanted to nibble that soft flesh and mark it as his. It was a sudden and rather animalistic urge that took Sasuke completely by surprise.

But wait... wasn't that happening too soon? Hadn't it only been two weeks since all this started? Wasn't it supposed to take months for things like this to start to show? Maybe... but then Sasuke really didn't know about the finer details of pregnancy. It wasn't just the stomach and the skin, though. Something else was different… off… but for the life of him Sasuke couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was bad enough that Naruto's body was distracting enough on it's own without trying to figure out how it's changed.

"Naruto, how long are you going to do that?" Sakura tsked softly, shooting a glare at Sasuke.

"H-he... He can see!" Naruto whined even as he shook his head in denial.

"Of course he can see... The one who can't see right now is you."

"What does he look like, Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke blinked dumbly, was this really happening?

Sakura glared at him in warning again, but her voice was soft and soothing as she spoke, "He's a little surprised, Naruto... You made sure to hide everything before. But he doesn't look disgusted at all."

"R-really..?"

"Really, dobe..." Sasuke cut this ridiculous conversation to the quick, "Look at me."

Bright blue eyes peeked through long fingers, watery and near tears. Naruto slowly slid his hands away from eyes to get a full look at Sasuke, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, his cheeks flushed endearingly.

Sasuke looked back at him evenly as he closed the distance between them. He hesitated a moment, then placed his hand over one of the blonde's. "It's okay..."

Naruto jumped a little at the touch, staring down at the pale hand over his tanned one. He bit his lip gently, and it was then that he decided to give Sasuke a real chance. He sniffled and smiled softly, nodding, "U-un.." those few words were enough to comfort him for now. He turned his hand over and clasped onto Sasuke's, giving a light squeeze before looking away with a blush.

"Okay good... now shoo, Sasuke-kun. You're in the way." Sakura shooed the brunette away, ignoring the burning glare shot at her for her efforts.

The regular physical continued, and every single detail was written down onto a clipboard. Sasuke watched in quiet boredom, were any of these tests really supposed to determine Naruto's condition? The baby's condition? It all seemed so ridiculous!''

Finally at the end of the examination the Hokage started to rub and gently press against Naruto's stomach and hips, almost like she was giving it massage.

"Sakura, get the measuring tape," Tsunade ordered, "Naruto, how are you feeling today? Did you experience nausea this morning?"

Naruto sighed, a heavy, long-winded sound, "Un… but it wasn't as bad as yesterday, so maybe I'm getting better?"

"Each day is different," Tsunade said, not agreeing or disagreeing to keep from giving Naruto false hopes. "How about any pains? Do your hips still hurt?" the slug princess took the measuring tape from Sakura as she asked this, wrapping the tape around Naruto's hips, taking their measurement.

That's when it hit Sasuke like a ton of bricks. The other thing that looked different about Naruto, the one he couldn't pinpoint. It was his hips… the fact that he had an actual curve of hips now! It wasn't anything drastic, but once you noticed them it was obvious!

Naruto's cheeks were burning crimson, once again refusing to look at Sasuke, "T-they still ache a little… H-how much bigger do you think they'll get?" Freak… he was a freak!

"I can't say for sure, but it hasn't been a drastic change, Naruto, you don't have to worry. And your chest?"

Sasuke's eyes widened a little, a clear sign of immense shock from the Uchiha. Naruto's chest? Was the dobe going to develop breasts? He could almost see the steam rising off Naruto's face.

"Don't worry, Naruto… there hasn't been any change." Sakura tried to sooth.

Naruto whined softly, clapping a hand over his eyes again, "T-they feel a little weird, too though… S-sensitive…"

Sasuke swallowed thickly, wiping away a small trickle of blood as it seeped down his nose. He held his tongue. There were no words… only thoughts… so many thoughts that would probably get him beaten by a pink haired kunoichi.

"Where's Hinata-chan?" Naruto tried to change the subject.

Sasuke frowned. The Hyuuga girl that had pined for his Naruto for years? What did she have to do with any of this?

"Hyuuga Hinata won't be able to make it today, she received a mission last night, but I have a replacement for her ready." Tsunade said as she wrote down a few more notes on her clipboard.

"E-eh?" Naruto squeaked, "B-but… n-no! Granny! I don't want more people to know! What if they say something?"

"Nonsense," Tsunade waved off Naruto's worries, "We're not going to change your exanimation routine just because Hinata cannot be here. I have confidence in her replacement and you should as well." The blond woman opened the door to the examination room, calling out to someone, "You can come in now."

"Of course Hokage-sama, I came as soon as I got your message. What is this matter of utmost importance and strictest confidentiality?" Hyuuga Neji was all business as he strode into the examination room, stopping short when he saw the members of Team 7 waiting for him. "Ah…"

"N-neji?" Naruto screeched.

"Hokage-sama… are you sure?" Sakura moved protectively in front of Naruto. She was never really sure how Neji felt about Naruto. It was one thing when it was just people who cared about Naruto taking care of him, but could Neji be trusted with this?

Sasuke frowned sharply, the Hyuuga boy… he'd have to keep an eye on him now, too.

"Quiet, both of you. As I mentioned earlier Neji, this is a matter of extreme importance and strictest confidentiality. Word of what you see here must not go past these doors, do you understand?" Tsunade fixed a firm stare on the pale-eyed boy all the same

Neji was still confused about why he was here, but he nodded, "Of course. You can trust me, Hokage-sama."

"Good. This was an assignment given to your cousin before, but she had to leave on a mission first thing this morning, so I will need you to take her place until she returns. You must come back every morning and perform two simple tasks."

Neji frowned, Hinata hadn't told him about any of this, but that made sense if she had been sworn to secrecy as well. "What is it, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade ushered the Byakugan user up to the furiously blushing blond boy. "Every morning you are to come here at this time and using your Byakugan you are to examine Naruto's chakra paths. More importantly: The chakra paths around his abdomen. That is your first task."

Still confused, and now curious, Neji nodded and performed his first duty. "Byakugan," he muttered quietly and with his now increased vision he looked Naruto over. He frowned sharply, focusing his vision on Naruto's lower stomach. "There are strange chakra paths around Naruto's lower abdomen. The paths look more similar to something you'd find… in… a woman…" Did Naruto just flinch? "They weren't there before, that much I can remember, and the chakra flowing through them is an angry red color, definitely the Kyuubi's."

Tsunade nodded dismissively, she already knew all that, "Can you see beyond that? Behind the red chakra paths?"

Neji frowned, if she already knew about the strange chakra paths and the Kyuubi's energy why had she asked him here? Why did he have to come every day? He held his tongue with a soft sigh and concentrated his vision. His brows furrowed, eyes narrowing as he strained harder. With a heavy sigh he shook his head, "I cannot, Hokage-sama… forgive me."

Tsunade sighed, "It's alright, it was a futile request, but we cannot miss the chance that it could change at any time."

Neji looked at the oddly quiet Naruto, how the blond boy was fiercely avoiding his gaze, really the complete sight of him. All this spoke of clear oddness. "Hokage-sama, if I may ask: What is this all about? What is happening to Naruto?"

"That's not something that concerns you, Hyuuga," Sasuke answered, glaring at the older boy.

"I was not asking you, Uchiha, and really I don't see what this has to do with you either if the one I'm examining is Uzumaki."

"It's a really sensitive subject, Neji… it's really personal and," Sakura started, but Naruto spoke up, cutting her off.

"I'm pregnant."

The words reverberated in the sudden silence room, seeming to get louder in their ears.

"…What?" Neji's voice was a bare sound, completely incredulous. Shock gave way to disbelieve, then to anger at being made fun of. "Don't be ridiculous, how would that even be possible?"

"It's true, Neji, and that is why it is of the upmost importance that you hold your tongue on the matter," the Hokage's voice was soft and even, but her eyes promised unending pain if Neji broke their confidence.

Neji blinked wide eyes, looking from the Hokage, to Naruto, then even to Sasuke and back again. "Pregnant? But… how..? I mean… I just… I don't… how…?" the struggled to find the words.

"The Kyuubi, it is all it's doing," Tsunade explained in the simplest way possible.

"Pregnant…" Neji repeated, this time staring fully at Naruto.

All Naruto could do was blush and nod mutely.

"But then… the father…?" Neji's eyes swiveled to stare at the Uchiha this time, widening further.

Sasuke leaned back against the far wall, arms crossed over his chest. He simply smirked at Neji in answer, daring him to say something about it.

Naruto cringed and curled into himself, "nnh!"

"I see…" Neji sighed heavily, ignoring the small twist he felt in his own gut. He couldn't pinpoint the reason behind it, but he was pretty sure it wasn't disgust. "What is the other task I am to perform here every day?" clearly moving on from the subject would calm the situation down again. At least that's what the Hyuuga hoped.

"Using your Gentle Fouch technique I want you to help with the flow of Naruto's chakra, guide it rather than hinder it."

Sasuke frowned sharply. This was something he hadn't heard about before. What was wrong with Naruto's chakra?

" There's nothing we can do to block the Kyuubi's chakra," Tsunade went on, "lest we risk the child Naruto is carrying." She squeezed Naruto's shoulder gently when the boy cringed. "But the constant exposure to the Kyuubi's chakra, as well as the disruption to the rest of the flow of his chakra, is affecting Naruto negatively. There are points that are causing him great pain, and other points that have gone numb to the touch. It's unstable and unpredictable. We can only see it getting worse as time goes on, so we will need your help in aiding the natural flow of chakra evenly to the rest of Naruto's body."

Sasuke looked at Naruto in shock. He had no idea that this was causing Naruto any pain; the blond had certainly never mentioned it. But then… that was so like Naruto, wasn't it, to keep quiet about his pain so that others didn't worry. Baka…

Naruto, for his part, just looked embarrassed that all this was being brought up, like he was some kind of baby that couldn't handle some pain. The others must have thought he was a wimp now!

Neji looked similarly shocked and worried. With a pensive frown he nodded. "I'll do what I can Hokage-sama." Resummoning his Byakugan he studied Naruto's chakra paths. They did seem unsteady, over brimming with energy in some places where others looked dim with almost no energy at all. A soft glow of his own chakra enveloping his hand, Neji moved the gentle energy over Naruto's body, leading and helping the flow of the blonde's energy, smiling softly to himself when Naruto sighed with relief.

So he was in pain. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in thought. Had Naruto been in pain this morning and just kept his mouth shut? Just how much of what he went through did Naruto keep to himself? Was he even telling Sakura and the Hokage everything he could possibly be going through? Baka, why did he have to keep it all to himself? It was like he didn't want to bother others with his problems. Knowing the idiot, that was probably it.

The former avenger's gaze drifted from Naruto to Neji and his frown increased. What was Hyuuga so smug about? Sasuke wanted to punch the smirk off his face. And just now his hand had actually brushed over Naruto's skin… Naruto's thigh! There! It happened again; Neji just touched the softening belly that he hadn't even gotten to touch yet! That bastard was touching his Naruto! It was bad enough that he had to compete with the imitation and the raccoon freak, now he had to deal with Neji, too?

Neji could feel the other brunette's murderous glare at his back and it was all he could do to keep from laughing. Was it his fault if his hands 'accidentally' brushed over Naruto's surprisingly soft skin while he helped the blond? Sasuke certainly couldn't prove it was intentional. It wasn't fair, really… where had he been when all this happened? Where had his chance to be the father of Naruto's child gone? Maybe he didn't have the chance to be as close to Naruto as Uchiha was, but that didn't make his attraction to the blond any less real. Hell he was sure that to some degree or another everyone loved Naruto. The blond just had a way of touching and changing people's lives. Would he get his chance now, or was it too late for him to try? Neji sighed softly to himself. All he could do was bide his time. But at least now he had an excuse to see Naruto everyday… if there was a chance to be found he'd find it and take it.

After about twenty minutes the glow faded from Neji's hands, the long-haired boy pulling away to a respectful distance. "I've done what I can for now, but I agree with you, Hokage-sama. I can only see this getting worse as time goes on. At some point Naruto will need this sort of treatment two or three times a day, perhaps more in an extreme case." There. He had just opened up his chances of opportunities even more.

Sasuke was outraged. He could see Neji's plan for what it was, the shameless bastard! His lips parted to give his scathing retort, but the Hokage beat him to it.

"I was thinking the same thing, actually. I will let you know if and when that becomes necessary."

What? What? Was the bitch crazy? Did she realize she just allowed another suitor into this game for Naruto's heart? Was he the only one that could see the truth?

"Thank you for your help today, Neji," the slug princess went on, "You may go."

"Of course, it was my pleasure, Hokage-sama," Neji bowed his head respectfully and left, though not without giving Sasuke a smug smile over his shoulder before the door closed behind him.

Naruto sighed and sat up, completely oblivious to what had just really transpired. All he knew was that his body didn't ache him that much anymore. He rubbed at his arms, down to his legs, stretching contently now that he could.

"So is that it for now?" he asked hopefully.

Tsunade looked at Naruto critically, taken only a moment to glance at Sasuke, "Yes, I suppose that should be it for today." She knew more or less the busy day Naruto would have today. She made sure that Sakura reported back anything important that could affect Naruto physically as well as mentally and emotionally. She thought this whole multiple suitor thing was ridiculous, but all she could do was support Naruto from the background. "Just try not to push yourself too hard today."

Naruto smiled his trademark wide, genki smile, "Nah, I'll be fine, granny, don't worry about me!"

Tsunade sighed, just how much that boy wore masks for their sakes. "Alright, well go get dressed. Sasuke," she regarded the dark-eyed boy critically. "Why don't you come with me and wait for Naruto in the greeting room?"

It was asked like a question, but the Uchiha knew a demand when he heard one. He sighed, nodding once, "Hai." He supposed he could let Naruto have his modesty for now.

The word for the situation was awkward. Naruto and Sasuke had barely spoken a word to each other Sasuke's, and even now the awkward silence stretched between them as Naruto stared intently at a spot on the table as Sasuke cooked up some breakfast. Homemade breakfast for their date… it was thoughtful, Naruto supposed. Sasuke could have probably taken him to the most expensive restaurant in the village to try to impress him, but instead he had insisted that he wanted to cook for Naruto himself. And it did smell good. Despite his earlier queasiness Naruto was suddenly looking forward to a good, hearty meal.

"Ano…" Naruto started, let the word taper off. What was he going to say? What could he say? Sasuke was usually so quiet, if they weren't fighting what would they talk about? Naruto certainly didn't want to fight with the Uchiha at a time like this…

"Ano…" he started again, "When did you learn to cook like this?"

Sasuke glanced over from the stove, smirking a little, "It's something you have to learn when you live on your own as long as I have."

Naruto blushed. He had been on his own about as long as Sasuke had, probably longer, and he couldn't cook to save his life, "I-it smells good," he said lamely, still staring intently at the table top.

"Thanks," Sasuke said as he placed a large plate overflowing with eggs, ham, sausage, even some hash browns in front of Naruto. "Eat up," he said as he placed a similar plate across the table where he sat.

"U-un!" Naruto nodded, licking his lips, "I-itadakimatsu." Despite how awkward he felt here in Sasuke's house, Naruto was still a boy who enjoyed his food, and he let go of his nerves as he just let himself savor the delicious food.

"So what do you and Sai talk about on your dates?" Sasuke asked, effectively killing the blossoming mood.

"Ugh," Naruto said in disgust, glaring at his rival, "Why does that matter?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "Well you two always seem to have so much fun with whatever you say. I want you to have fun when you talk to me, too."

Naruto blushed crimson, "I-it's none of your business, teme! What are you, jealous?"

Sasuke mentally berated himself for bringing up such a stupid subject now, but outwardly he kept his cool. "Alright then, then why don't we talk about earlier today, about your examinations."

Naruto blushed crimson, "That's none of your fucking business, either!"

"The hell it isn't! Everything about you is my business, dobe!"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Naruto shook his head.

"Well maybe I do," Sasuke retorted.

"Why?" Naruto cried out in dismay.

"Because I'm fucking worried about you, moron!" Sasuke slammed his hand down on the table top in frustration.

"Ah…" Naruto could only stare at Sasuke for a moment, surprise clear in his eyes. "Y-you are?"

Sasuke sighed in irritation, willing his anger to go down, "Of course I am. Do you really think I'm that much of a heartless bastard?"

Naruto wanted to say yes, but given the circumstances he held his tongue. "S-sorry…"

Sasuke made a gruff sound, looking away, "Why didn't you tell me that this is causing you pain? Did you tell Sai about it?"

Sai again… the idiot Sasuke really was jealous. Naruto shook his head, "He doesn't know either."

"Why do you keep something like that to yourself?"

"I-it's no one's business but mine, that's why!" Naruto slammed his own hands on the table top now, pushing up to his feet.

"Just what is our business then, Naruto? What are we allowed to know about you?" Sasuke's voice was suddenly tired, resigned.

"Ah… I…" Naruto didn't know how to respond to that. He slowly sank back down to his seat, "I… I don't know… I…I just… don't want you to worry about it when there's nothing you can do about it."

Idiot… stupid, selfless idiot, but that was part of the reason Sasuke wanted him so much, "We're going to worry either way, baka. It's because… we care about you. I… care about you." Little by little he swallowed his pride.

Naruto was floored, "S-sasuke…" There were no words, all he could do was stare with big, blue eyes.

"It's true…" Sasuke went on quietly, getting to his feet and coming around the table, "I don't want you to hide from me, Naruto… everything you go through… I want to know… and if I really can't do anything, I still just want to be by your side to support you."

"A-ah… I… I…" Naruto's face was cherry red, staring up, lost in Sasuke's dark eyes. "I…"

"Let me stay by your side…" Sasuke slipped down to his knees so that he was looking up at Naruto, resting his hands on the blonde's lap.

"Sasuke…" Naruto breathed out, trembling a little as the familiar sensation of connection pushed at him.

Sasuke took that as all the permission he needed to lean up and kiss the stuttering blond. It was just a small, tentative kiss, not pushing it's limits, waiting for permission to continue. It was a rush of elation when he realized that Naruto was kissing him back. Pale, battle rough fingers lifted to caress the amazingly soft skin of Naruto's cheek, slid down to trace the line of his throat, drinking in the small shivering moan that slipped past the blonde's lips.

A ravaging hunger took over the Sharigan user then. One moment he was sweetly kissing Naruto, the next he yanked the blond down from his chair, slamming against his own body, only to pin him down to the floor. The tender touching of lips became a wild battle of wills and it thrilled Sasuke to have Naruto kissing him back still, fighting for dominance. This was what his body craved, what he needed as badly as he needed air to breathe. His hands touched, stroked, and groped desperately, trying to tug Naruto's clothes free, eager to feel more of that soft flesh under his hands. He grunted as he was suddenly felt a sharp sting at his mouth. He was pushed back hard, landing on his backside. He panted for breath, licking a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Sharp blue eyes glared at him, the red of his blood smearing against Naruto's lips as well.

"Wh-what do you think you're doing, teme? It's always this when it comes to you!"

Rage thrummed through Sasuke's body until it became a dull roar in his ears. His frustration peaked, and words were spilling from his lips before he had time to stop them, "What's with me? What's with you? You come onto me like a cat in heat and then you're suddenly as shy as a virgin! What happened to the Naruto that challenged me that day? Who demanded that I fuck him? Where did he go, huh? Because this is seriously starting to piss me off!"

Naruto's wholeface colored crimson, sputtering for a moment, beyond words. He looked away shamefully, "I… I don't even remember that day…" he admittedly quietly

"W-what…?" the rage drained out of Sasuke so quickly it left him cold.

"I… I don't remember it! I… sometimes I get an image memory… i-it's embarrassing, because I can't even see it as it being me that time!"

Awkward silence stretched out between them once more.

After a small eternity, Sasuke finally responded, "Soka… so that's how it is…" cockblocked. Completely and thoroughly cockblocked. There was nothing Sasuke could do about it now. He had these amazing memories, these burning urges, and yet… he couldn't act on them… because Naruto was mentally still a virgin.

"D-do you hate me…?" Naruto's voice was so timid… so scared that it shocked Sasuke even more than finding out Naruto had no memories of their afternoon together.

He stared at Naruto for a long moment, watched the blond squirm shyly, seeing the genuine worry about Sasuke's feelings toward him clear in those sky blue eyes. This thing really was making the blond overly emotional.

"I don't hate you, dobe… I'll just have start over and earn your trust this time."

A beautiful smile suddenly lit up Naruto's face and Sasuke felt a hint of a blush warm his cheeks. It increased when Naruto leaned over and kissed him first for a change. The touch was soft and sweet, and calmed the raging urges in Sasuke's body far more efficiently than the ravaging kiss they had shared before.

"Arigatou… teme…"

"Tch… dobe…"

It was a comfortable silence they finished their breakfast in. That was until the food fight broke out. It had started off innocently enough. Naruto had covertly thrown a piece of toast to lodge in Sasuke's hair. Honestly, a purely innocent action with no ulterior motives whatsoever! Sasuke had glared at him for all of half a second, then retaliated with a spoonful of porridge that splutted on Naruto's cheek. And that was the declaration, it was on now!

Naruto laughed to actually see the Uchiha relax and play with him. It ended with Naruto as the victor with a splat of strawberry jam to Sasuke's face, followed by another sweet kiss share the taste between them. Sasuke didn't even seem upset that he'd have a huge mess he'd now had to clean up. They finished up eating as if nothing had happened, and Naruto had even fed Sasuke a few pieces by hand. It was the picture perfect image of newlywed bliss. Sasuke hoped it was a good omen for his future.

Covered in eggs, syrup, jam, and bacon stains Naruto hummed happily as he bounced back into the Hokage's house, finger combing stings of hash out of his hair.

Sakura blinked a few times, then raised an eyebrow in amusement, "Have a good time?"

"It was alright," Naruto grinned impishly.

"That's good. Now why don't you hop in the shower and get redressed because you have lunch with Sai in about three hours."

-

I really thought I'd have to fight with myself to make this chapter more than 5 pages... HA! That darn Sasuke and his need to redeem himself... bastard!

And now Neji... for no adequately explained reason! It occurred to me after I finished writing that Sakura or Tsunade could have probably helped Naruto with his chakra flow problem, seeing as thir both medi-nins... but I decided not to change it! Why? Because fuck you! That's why!

Umm... I justed wanted to put this out in the air: I'm not exclusively a Sasu/Naru, Gaa/Naru, Sai/Naru fan... just because you think the story is going a certain way doesn't mean it's nice to roll your eyes at me and say "oh, why bother with everything else, it's obviously going to turn out like this!" I'm not accusing anyone in general, but it was just something that miffed me recently... Meh...

I haven't read any new Naruto manga chapters since the beginning of the year, I'm so far behind and I'm rusty on the characters, so sorry for any OOC-ness... I'll probably try to catch up soon, but as it is the story has been helplessly AU for a long time now. That's not gonna change, so just accept the story as it is, please? ^_^

I think that's it... umm... I'm going out of town next week, so there goes my roll on continuing my fics... I think I'm gonna try to work on What a Kaiba Wants next... or maybe House Breaking the Puppy... or even the second part of a smutlet in Mafia Dreams... haven't decided yet! But whatever it is, please look forward to it! And as always, reviews welcomed and craved! X3
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Of Curry, Fevers, and Kits