Chapter 6

A cry of pain tore from my mouth the moment I woke, and I tried to curl into a ball around the throbbing ache tearing at my stomach, but I couldn't. My eyes shot open, and an unfamiliar woman was staring down at me calmly. She had unbelievably long silver-white hair and bright red eyes set against alabaster skin.

My chest heaved as I gasped for breath and tore my eyes from hers to look down and see two strange-looking men holding my limbs down. One had wild reddish-brown hair and eyes identical to the king of Amegakure's, and the other had hair similar to the woman's, but not quite as long, and red eyes just a shade or two darker than hers.

Another cry left my lips, and my head fell heavily against whatever table or hard surface I lay on.

"Does it hurt, Sakura?" Her voice was quite husky for a woman's and held a condescending edge to it. I was too out of breath to respond. "What you feel now is nothing compared to my pain. You murdered my love, my Tenji."

I tried to speak, "I-I-Ino-"

"Your sister and Madara Uchiha are alive, I assure you. As if I would grant any of you the release of death."

My eyes shot open when she suddenly grabbed my jaw and forced her wrist against my lips, and I realized she was trying to make me drink her blood. I fought weakly, but some still managed to get into my mouth, and then she pulled away.

Slow and steady, the pain in my midsection lessened until it completely disappeared. My chest still heaved as my limbs shook, and I stared at her with half-lidded eyes. Just what type of power does this woman have that she can heal an undoubtedly fatal wound in a matter of seconds?

"How do you know my name?" I somehow managed to ask.

Her pale lips turned into a bitter smile, showing her sharp fangs, "I know every leaf's name on the tree of my lineage."

My brow furrowed, "Who are you?"

"My name is Kaguya Otsutsuki, but you may better understand if I identify myself as the Tanaka matriarch."

Blood-curdling terror shot through me, and my body refused to move as my mind reeled. Is she saying she's an original member of the Tanaka bloodline? That would make her probably thousands of years old. It would mean that there likely wasn't a single other being on the planet stronger than her.

My eyes searched hers in disbelief, and she stared at me in disgust. How has someone so powerful lived so close to Konoha without detection? If anyone knew she was alive, there'd be talk, but I haven't heard a thing. I've never even heard the name Otsutsuki before.

"Put her with the other one, my children."

I was forced upright onto my feet, and then we were moving. When I looked over at the two men pushing me forward, it was like I couldn't make out the features of their faces anymore. Actually, it was more like their faces were constantly changing in the dim lighting. A thick door opened, and I was thrown to the ground before it slammed shut behind me.

"Sakura!" Ino helped me to my feet, and I threw my arms around her in relief, happy to see the massive wound on her shoulder was completely healed, "Thank God!"

Her body shook as both of us cried momentarily, and then she spoke in a choked voice, "This is all my fault. I made you come along, and now look at us."

I pulled away and shook my head, "Worry about how you're gonna make it up to me after we get out of here, okay?"

She opened her mouth to respond, only to freeze with wide eyes as though I was speaking and saying something shocking. I leaned closer, giving her a cautious look, "Ino? Are you alright?"

For multiple minutes, she remained frozen, and I became more panicked by the second. Finally, she sucked in a gasp before rushing over to the small bathroom through the door across the room and throwing up in the toilet there.

I shakily approached her, "Tell me what's going on, Ino."

She suddenly sobbed loudly, covering her face with both hands. I stared down at her in disbelief. Never in my entire life have I seen her cry like that. She's never lost her composure to this degree, even when trying not to attack me in Oto.

I sank to kneel beside her, voice cracking as my eyes watered up with worry, "Ino, please! Tell me what's wrong!"

Her sobs echoed through the room as she gently moved her hands down to hold her stomach.

My eyes danced between her tear-soaked face and her hands before I started to cry, too, "No…."

A couple of days passed, and the only time we saw anyone was when one of those strange men from before would bring us food and water. I forced my sister to take a significant portion of it since she could barely keep anything down.

Pregnancy among vampires must differ from humans, but I know that keeping the mother well-fed and hydrated was always necessary regardless of race. They didn't bring her any blood, so I let her drink a little of mine each day.

I didn't need the ability to read minds like her to know how terrified she was. Not only has she never had a child before, but neither of us knows how it works for vampires. We don't know how far along she is or if pregnancy lasts nine months. Additionally, the Uchiha princes don't know that we've left yet, and Sai isn't even aware his wife is pregnant.

No one but the two of us knows because when she'd frozen up, she'd sensed the heartbeat within her. We all thought she'd caught whatever bug I had this entire time, but she was actually with child and experiencing morning sickness.

Ino said she couldn't hear either of the two men that Kaguya had called her children with her mind-reading ability, which only scared us further. The terrifying silver-haired woman said that Madara was alive, but we hadn't heard a thing about or from him at all.

On day four of our capture, the door opened to reveal Kaguya herself, and I raised slightly in front of my weakened sister, "Why are you keeping us here?"

The woman's glowing eyes locked onto mine, and spoke calmly, "Sit."

My body shot roughly down to the floor as I gasped. I sensed Ino moving behind me and raised a hand in her direction without turning to look, "D-Don't you dare!"

My apparent ancestor steadily approached to kneel before me, and my entire body trembled. It felt like my skin would freeze off when she raised her hands to cup my face. "Have you ever experienced the loss of someone beloved, my child?"

She didn't wait for my response and leaned forward to press her forehead against mine. My eyes widened. Somehow, I knew she was going through my memories, searching for something to use against me to enact revenge for the death of Tenji.

When she pulled away, her eyes narrowed, "There is something special about you, Sakura. I feel threatened." My eyes searched hers, and that's all I could do because her presence was too overbearing.

"I feel a part of myself, my soul, in you. Lord Death has finally begun to punish my evasion by sending my reincarnate." The son that looked similar to her came into the room, and she continued speaking as though he hadn't, "No matter. I will defeat your mind. Then I will defeat your body. Tenji will be avenged in full."

She removed a hand from my face and raised it as her son knelt so she could press it against his forehead. I watched in disbelief as a light glow erupted from her palm into his skin before she released both of us and rose to her feet.

Her bright eyes danced behind me, onto my sister, and I shakily forced myself to my feet with a threatening glare. She ignored me, "Your child's innocence will keep you safe for the next forty days. Then I will dispose of you."

My eyes narrowed, and I stepped into the woman's line of vision. Does that mean Ino will give birth in forty days or that she will kill Ino after letting the baby develop further, so it affects us all more?

Everything that happens in her presence feels like something out of a fantasy novel—none of what is happening feels real at all.

I watched as she left the room before turning my glare onto her son, only for it to falter when I realized his appearance had changed. No longer was a silent, tall, and intimidating man standing before me, but a child instead. I took a step back with wide eyes. He had messy black hair, lightly tanned skin, and big red eyes.

My voice shook as I asked the question I already knew the answer to, "Who are you?"

His voice was even more soft and cute than I expected, "Shinzo Uchiha."

"Sakura, is this what I think it is?" My sister grabbed my wrist from where she sat behind me, and I turned to glance at her with tears in my eyes, "Yeah, I think so."

Our captor said she was going to defeat me mentally. I expected something similar to how Orochimaru had tortured me, but this was somehow worse.

"Don't you recognize me, Mama?"

I yelled, terrified of how this type of thing could potentially affect me, "I know this is a trick. Go back to your original form!"

The small boy came closer, and I bristled, wanting to move away, but I couldn't bring myself to leave Ino unguarded.

He hugged my legs, and it was like I was being shown his life until now. I saw myself giving birth, watching him sleep, holding his hand as he took his first steps, and even hearing him say "Mama" for the first time.

A ragged gasp shook my chest, and I broke down in tears, "P-Please stop! You're not real!"

Ino gasped, "Madara…" I looked back at her, and she stared at the doorway wide-eyed.

The child giggled and nuzzled his face into my skirt, pulling my attention back to him. "Ino, can you please get him off? I can't…I can't do it." I know clearly that this was not my child and never would be. That didn't change the fact that something within me warmed at the sight of him. My entire being couldn't fathom laying a harmful finger on the small boy.

My sister weakly got to her feet and picked the boy up, making him cry as she carried him to the door. She shut the heavy door on him and hugged me as we wept.

The sound of his sobs ended the moment it latched, and for that, I was grateful. Kaguya wasn't kidding when she said she would affect my mental state. Ino could hear Madara when the door was open and said he was being treated to a similar illusion.

The type of powers these people had was unreal. I remember how shocked I was to learn that Ino could read minds, but that felt like a party trick compared to all this.

A couple more days passed, and I woke up to Ino shaking me frantically. I sat up, worried she'd been hurt, "What is-!" My words trailed off when I lay my eyes on her, only to be stunned into silence by the prominent bump under her shirt.

"It wasn't like this yesterday, Saku! Is this normal? Is there something wrong, do you think?"

My hands grasped onto hers, and I did my best to calm her, "I think Kaguya meant you'd give birth in forty days. That means everything's probably fine. The boys will definitely save us before then." She nodded, as desperate to believe me as I was.

Before we knew it, three more weeks passed. Something warm was against me as I slept, and I instinctively cuddled it closer. My eyes slowly opened, and I nearly screamed in surprise when Shinzo lay in my arms, his face buried against my chest as he slept.

Ino was asleep nearby, something we both realized she now needed to do because of all the energy her baby was sapping from her. Her stomach was noticeably bigger. Anyone who looked at her could tell she was pregnant and not just a little bloated or something along those lines.

My eyes dropped to the child in my arm's face, and tears rose when I couldn't bring myself to push him away. An overbearing, protective feeling had come over me, and it took me a few minutes to realize it was likely my motherly instincts.

My heart sank when his big red eyes fluttered open to meet mine, "Mama…."

I glanced at Ino to ensure she was still sleeping before whispering hesitantly, "Who's your papa, Shinzo? What's papa's name?"

It was obviously one of two men, and both would traumatize me in different ways.

"I'm not sure…."

My chin quivered as my chest shook with sobs as I nodded, "Yeah…That's what I thought you'd say." My arms tightened around him, and I buried my face in his soft hair as I cried.

His little arms tried reaching around my waist as he hugged me, "Don't cry, Mama. It's okay."

This child looks like he belongs to Sasuke.

My mind wandered to the Uchiha prince as I tried to keep my sniffles quiet. We thought he and his brother would come to our rescue immediately upon realizing we were gone, but it's been over a month, and nothing's changed.

I told Sasuke about Sonokuni before he left, so he had to know where to start looking. The massive wound on my stomach was still bleeding when I first awoke wherever we were, so it couldn't be far from the inn we were attacked in, or else I would've bled out. Something was telling me we were underground.

The door to the room suddenly opened, and my grip around Shinzo immediately tightened as a familiar face shoved Madara inside. I sat up, careful not to hurt the child in my arms, "H-Hidan!?"

Ino sat up slowly, taking in what was happening as the drowsy look faded from her face. The silver-haired man grinned, "Hey, Baby. Did you miss me?"

I looked over at Madara, who glared at the vampire with glowing eyes but not moving. Even I could face Hidan, to an extent, so there's no way he's the one overpowering the Uchiha elder.

"What's going on, Mama?" I looked down at the small boy in my arms before hugging him closer, ignoring his question.

"What are you doing here?"

"Surely you've pieced it together by now. You're not that stupid."

My brow furrowed in confusion, and he rolled his eyes, "Who told you to visit Sonukuni Village?"

Ino growled out in disbelief, "Konan…You guys are allies with these people, aren't you?"

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!"

Hidan nodded at the Uchiha, who was still glaring at him, "Your lover here said he'd behave if we brought him here, so keep him in check, will ya? He's been a real pain in the ass." The Ame vampire gave me one more smug grin before shutting the door.

"Mama?" My brow furrowed, and I lessened my hold on Shinzo so he could crawl off my lap.

Ino grabbed his arm and tugged him away from me. In a blink, I instinctively reached out to stop her, but Madara had a tight grip on her wrist.

She squeaked in shock before releasing the boy's arm, "What the hell, you guys? He's not real!"

I shoved Madara roughly, seething once I realized how tight his grip was, "Don't you touch her!"

He turned his head to lay his blazing eyes on me before letting her go and scooping Shinzo up into his arms before sitting back with the boy in his lap. Ino and I both looked between him and the illusioned child in disbelief.

"Oh, shit…" Ino summed it up perfectly.