Chapter 47

While bathing and trying to keep my crying silent, a knock came at the bathroom door. I wiped frantically at my eyes and cleared my throat before sinking lower into the water, "Who is it?"

Rather than verbally respond, Ino helped herself into the room, shutting the door softly behind her with an empathetic expression on her perfect face. Then, I was sobbing freely. She knew what Kakashi told me, and she knew better than anyone what my thoughts on children were.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't stress yourself out further, Saku," Ino gently cooed, quickly getting undressed to join me in the bath. (AN: This is normal in this AU if anyone's forgotten.)

She brushed the hair away from my face, smiling softly when I dropped my hands from where they'd covered my face, "You were there for me when I went through this, so now I'll be there for you."

I sniffled as she wiped at my tears with all the care of a mother, "I-I don't even know for sure yet!"

Blue eyes warmed, "Regardless of if you are or aren't, all of us will be here to support you."

"Didn't you hear Kakashi's thoughts? I'm going to die if I go through with it, Ino."

That's when her composure faltered, but she quickly disregarded the statement, "Of course, I'm worried about that, but I know you well. There's no chance of you, or Sasuke, letting that happen. You'll find a way. You always do."

She's a big fat liar. For my sake, I can tell she's putting up a brave front. Even if that's true, her determination to be a voice of comfort and reason meant the world to me. I did the same thing for her when we were prisoners of Kaguya, reassuring her every day that she and her baby would make it out of there alive despite not knowing how I'd make that happen.

"...If it's true, what am I going to do? Sasuke and I aren't married yet. The pregnancy will be looked at as an abomination."

Ino scoffed, turning me around and beginning to massage soap into my hair, "There's no way you actually believe that, right? Even Fugaku adores you, and he's not the easiest person to melt."

For some reason, I couldn't stop voicing my many concerns, but she offered sound responses to each one.

"Won't Sasuke be angry, though? When he finds out, do you think he'll try to make me, um, you know?"

"Last time I checked, conceiving a child takes two people, so you're not the only one at fault, not there's a fault to be had. As for an abortion, he says he's ready to hurt a child if it means protecting you, but I truly don't believe he'll be able to go through with it, whether it's yours or someone else's. He's too good a man."

She's right. I know she's right.

"But what if I become too weak to travel after we've left?"

"Then 'your boys' can take turns carrying you. What else are you worried about? Keep 'em coming."

I closed my eyes and remained quiet for a long time while she finished washing my hair. Eventually, I opened them and whispered, "Please don't tell him. I should be the one to do it."

Ino leaned to the side, and I looked over to see her glaring unseriously, "Don't insult me."

A smile tugged at my lips, the tears finally cutting off, but then I groaned, fully turning toward her, "How am I supposed to face anyone now?"

"Just tell them you're feeling off because of the illness. They won't know any better," she shrugged nonchalantly.

So, we finished bathing and soon got out. While drying, she gasped, "Oh, I forgot to ask! Any progress on the engagement front?"

I shook my head, "As if I've had time to even think about that today," I shook my head, being completely honest, "Unless he brings it up, I think I'll act like it never happened. There's too much else going on right now."

"Well, darn. I guess you're right," Ino paused before grinning brightly, "Sister to sister, I'll let you in on a little secret. All day, if he hasn't been worried about your health, he's been freaking out about how to apologize. It won't be long before he breaks."

Irritation boiled in my veins, and my sister immediately noticed, snickering.

"What did I tell you about spying on people's thoughts? At least keep it to yourself if you can't help it!"

Tying her bathrobe closed, Ino stuck her tongue out at me while opening the bathroom door, "Don't act like you'd do any different, you snob." Huffing angrily, I followed her out, falling lifelessly onto the bed as she casually waved over her shoulder and left the room, "Good night. I'll let you know if I hear any juicy gossip in your absence."

I rolled my eyes and moved to slide under the covers, turning to face Sasuke's side of the bed with a frown. It tingled on my fourth finger, where the engagement ring rested. Being angry about a too-casual proposal feels overdramatic now that the situation's become dire. As I fell asleep, I couldn't help but wonder if I should just apologize so we could move on from it.

My dreams were filled with gruesome scenes of babies and blood, all the while Ino's screams from the day she gave birth played on repeat. At some point, I woke to Sasuke's voice, opening my eyes in shock to see him cupping my cheek with a concerned frown. The moment our eyes met, all I could think about was that I may very well be pregnant by him.

More importantly, I realized that I wanted him to know.

The thing is, if I tell him now, he'll never let me leave the castle to travel. So, I'll keep my lips sealed until we're at least halfway to Iwagakure, so we won't have time to turn around.

Tears welled in my eyes in response to the disappointment and the yearning. His name left my mouth pathetically, and he smoothly accepted me when I moved forward to bury my face in his chest.

Strong arms pulled me close, long fingers running into my hair. The man didn't say a word and just let me cry, which was exactly what I needed. In his eyes, it probably seemed like I'd finally become overwhelmed from trying not to show how scared I was, which honestly was part of it, and how he'd hurt my feelings last night.

I cried for so long that I don't even remember falling asleep again.

The following day, it was already midday when I awoke. When I sat up and looked around, it took a while for the drowsy confusion to fade. Seeing as the sun had yet to set, I'd gone to bed fairly early last night, so I'd been out for eighteen hours, maybe more.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" I rubbed my eyes and turned to see Ino coming in through the door with a smile and a tall glass of what smelt like human blood. She cut me off before I could ask, "The men are preparing for travel, but Kakashi said having you feed more often may help slow the black stuff's progress."

The woman sat on the edge of the bed and handed over the glass, "So, here you are! Drink up!" When I gave her an irritated glare, her smile became overbearingly sweet, "I'm not leaving til it's gone, little sister, and neither are you."

I obeyed because she was already getting on my nerves, and the liquid was irresistible. As I drank, Ino filled me in on what was happening downstairs.

"So, as I understand it, the plan is for the group to split. Your half will go straight to Iwa, while the other half will go to Kakurega Village just in case Tsunade and Jiraiya's capture was a lie. After confirming that or having them join their group, they'll meet the rest of you in Iwa."

She told me that Kakashi, Sasuke, Madara, Izumi, and Itachi would be traveling with me, not to mention a few hundred Militia men who would tail us at a distance. Temari, Shikamaru, Obito, a newly-turned Rin, and Sai will be in the other group, with reinforcements from Sunagakure joining them once they enter the Land of Wind.

I almost smiled when I heard who would be going where. The queen must've had a word in it if Izumi and Itachi's togetherness and Temari and Shikamaru's togetherness were anything to go by.

"By the way…." Ino suddenly spoke in a serious whisper. I absently handed the now-empty glass back to her with a curious look. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and then sighed, "There's no way to tactfully ask this, so I'll just spit it out. When you guys were doing your thing at that hotel, you didn't let Madara…you know, did you?"

My face immediately became a hundred degrees hotter, and I shook my head, waving my hands frantically, "O-Of course not! We were very careful!"

She let out a relieved laugh, "Oh, good, because it'd be a huge mess if that weren't the case."

I fanned my face with my hand.

What she really wanted to ask is if I'm one hundred percent sure that, if I'm pregnant, I'm sure Sasuke's the father. I hadn't lied when I responded, either. It was an unspoken rule between the three of us. Though it's incredibly rare to conceive, we didn't want to leave things to chance. It was a better-safe-than-sorry type of situation.

None of us actually thought I'd end up getting pregnant, though. The blush on my face refused to fade as I freshened up and dressed. That wild week in the hotel was the most likely time of conception if the idea of probability applies to the situation. If that's the case, I'd be around two or three weeks along. For a human, that doesn't seem like much, but for my kind, that's roughly a fifth of the gestational period.

If what I witnessed with Ino's pregnancy is able to be carried over, if I'm pregnant, I'll begin showing within the next two weeks. Sometime in the next fourteen days, I'll know for sure.

We left the castle in a large, dark van with tinted windows at sunset. The five of us, Sasuke, Madara, Izumi, Itachi, and me, easily fit. There was even a third row of seating that wasn't necessary. That said, I used it as a makeshift bed and kept my back turned to the rest of the vehicle's inhabitants so they wouldn't be able to see my face.

We've been traveling for around four hours, I think. Around an hour ago, I was on the brink of falling asleep when a sudden wave of nausea washed over me. Now, I'm lying here trying to figure out if it's my anxiety making me imagine the queasiness or if it's real. Every time the vehicle hits the slightest bump, my stomach rolls. Suddenly, we hit another one, and I nearly gagged.

To protect my dignity, I sat up, "Can we please stop soon?"

Madara glanced at me in the rearview mirror and nodded. They probably think I just need to relieve my bladder, and that's fine. In fact, I prefer it that way.

Hoping no one noticed, I sat with my head between my knees, breathing slowly through my mouth as I fought with all my might not to be sick. Finally, maybe ten minutes later, we stopped, and I appeared as calm and collected as possible while exiting the van and entering the inn.

Izumi giggled, "I guess she did drink a bunch right before we left. Poor girl."

I barely made it to the restroom in time to empty my stomach. The nausea disappeared, at least for now, and I flushed. Then, I stood to dust off my clothes before rinsing my mouth in the sink.

When I looked into the mirror, my face was pale and sweaty, and tears filled my eyes to the brim. My fingers trembled as I washed my hands and face, hoping to remove any proof that I'd been crying. The moment I pulled away to dry my skin with a towel, though, another wave of nausea hit me, and I was on my knees once more.

This has to be my anxiety making me feel sick, right? A couple times when I was younger, this sort of thing happened. Mom used to call me a hypochondriac. That's what I tried to tell myself, but I burst into tears as I flushed before rinsing my mouth again.

A knock came at the door, Izumi's chipper tone meeting my ears as I stood there slouched over the sink, trying not to sob in panic, "Sakura, are you alright? Is your stomach upset? Do you need lady products? I can go get something if you need it."

My mind reeled to devise a plan, and I quickly decided to play it off as calmly as possible. Wiping at my tears, I opened the door just enough to meet her gaze.

Her eyes widened, "Oh no! What's wrong?"

I shook my head, "I'm alright, just a little car sick, I think. Either that or it's another symptom of whatever this is," I gestured to the discolored skin of my arms, "There's no need to worry."

She pouted, "Aw, I'm sorry. Should I ask the receptionist if they have anything for nausea?"

Again, I shook my head, gingery coming out of the bathroom while fixing my appearance, "Don't bother. There's nothing left in my stomach to be rid of. I should be fine now. Sorry for the trouble."

"...Hey! Go back in there and wait." Confused, I listened.

A minute or two later, offering a new toothbrush and toothpaste. She smiled sweetly, "I still remember what it's like to get sick, and I hated how the taste lingers. At least let me help with that."

Tears watered up as I accepted the items, "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Five minutes later, the two of us rejoined the guys.

It was embarrassing, but I'd rather they know I felt sick than assume something else, so I mumbled with a red face as I climbed back into the backseat, "I was a little nauseous, is all. Let's get back on the road."

Madara asked from the driver's seat once the vehicle was in motion again, "Kakashi, did Tsunade experience that symptom, too?"

I squeezed my eyes closed, curling further into a ball because I knew how the vampire in question would respond.

"Yes. I expect it to continue, as well."

Kakashi undoubtedly sees this as confirmation that I'm pregnant, but I'm still unconvinced. Until my body starts changing, I'll continue believing that I'm either overly anxious or it's all symptoms of whatever's happening with me.

Thankfully, I fell asleep soon after.

The next day, we traveled nonstop until sunset, then it was unanimously decided we should stop for the night so everyone could feed, stretch their legs, and/or rest. The fluctuating nausea, not to mention the random bouts of pain and weakness, were taking a toll on my body. I felt as though I'd been beaten.

Madara, Sasuke, and I shared a room; the others shared another.

Once inside, the older Uchiha man nodded toward the bed with a frown, "You should try to rest. I'll bring blood and wake you when I return." He shared a knowing look with Sasuke before stepping out.

Feeling as lifeless as I probably looked, I laid down on the bed, my hair falling messily on the pillows. Even moving to get under the covers seemed too hard, so I didn't bother. When I made that deal with Kakashi about ensuring I get to come along to Iwa, I never expected my body to be in this state. I fell in and out of consciousness for a while before I woke to Sasuke moving me so he could cover me with the blankets.

My eyes locked onto his as he reached across me, and he froze, a look of bewilderment on his handsome face. For some ungodly reason, I wanted him badly to the point that my eyes were glowing. As I pulled him down to kiss me, inwardly thanking Izumi again for giving me that toothbrush and toothpaste, he hesitated to lay a hand on me.

When I noticed, I pulled back, "What's wrong? You don't want to?"

His eyes, too, had come to turn red. Jaw flexing, he looked over my tousled appearance, "Of course I do. I'm just confused because you're still angry with me."

Realizing I wasn't forcing myself on him, I unbuttoned his shirt before unbuckling and unzipping his pants, "Can we pretend that's not the case for a bit?"

He glared but nodded, helping me out of my clothes, too. It happened like a whirlwind, and it was even better than usual. I wondered if it was because we hadn't done it in a few days.

Right as we neared the end, I was coming down from my climax, and he was approaching his, I unconsciously panicked, pressing against his shoulders, "P-Pull out!" He gave me a look of complete and utter confusion but listened anyway. Then he rolled off me to lay at my side as we both panted for breath.

Tension hung in the air now that the heated mood had dissipated. Sasuke wanted to ask why I said that, but he didn't speak. I could've slapped myself for freaking out like that. We haven't bothered with that kind of thing in well over a year, so he's definitely lost. I guess my thought was that if I'm not pregnant, I don't want to risk it happening now that I know how dangerous it'd be.

Feeling overwhelmed for the millionth time this week, I silently got up so I could take a quick bath before I went to bed. While crossing the room, Madara entered, lifting an eyebrow at my inappropriate appearance before frowning at Sasuke, who'd yet to move from the bed, "I hardly think she's in the condition to entertain, Nephew."

I turned away, continuing into the bathroom, mumbling, "I made him do it. Don't get mad."

The reality of the situation had set in, and my mood fell through the floor. If Sasuke wasn't confused before, he definitely is now. What's wrong with me? He was right to hesitate because I've been too upset to even meet his eye, much less sleep with him.

The bath filled with bubbles and water, and then I climbed in. The steaming water did nothing to relieve the icy sensation steadily crawling further up my arms each day. It was almost to my shoulders already.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Madara handed me a glass of blood with a sheepish grin. He crouched to meet my eye level, "You know Sasuke's worried if he asked me to come keep an eye on you instead of doing it himself."

I shrugged, averting my gaze to the sudsy water while sipping the delicious substance.

The Uchiha man undressed and climbed into the bath behind me. While absently gathering my hair and moving it to fall over just one of my shoulders, he added, "He left to feed."

Hearing that Sasuke wasn't in the room broke the seal on my composure, and I sniffled, "I just…. I-I don't feel well, Madara."

After swallowing the last of the blood, having drank it more quickly than usual because I don't care if he thinks I'm ladylike or not, the man gently slid the glass from my hands and reached to sit it on the ground outside the tub, "I know you don't, Goddess. Just relax for now."

Feeling like a complete baby for whining about feeling sick, I rested against his chest and closed my eyes.

His arms wrapped loosely around my middle, his thumb absently brushing back and forth against my hipbone. It became quiet for many minutes before he kissed my head and softly said, "I'm worried, too. You'll tell one of us if things worsen, won't you?"

Like always, a painful flash of fire ran through my body at the least opportune time. I bit down on a gasp, sitting up straighter. Madara sat up, too, seeming more attentive as I trembled before the pain disappeared, leaving me breathless and tired.

Gasping, I breathed out, "I-It's like fire…."

"...Sakura…." The man's voice was unlike I'd ever heard it, almost pitiful.

I closed my eyes because I knew what he wanted to say.

He's worried I'll die before we make it to Iwa, much less before we locate and rescue Tsunade. Sasuke's been holding himself back, too, but I can see it clearly on his face. That's why I've been trying so hard to keep it together. If they truly knew how terrified I am, my death would feel inevitable, and I can't let that happen.

So, gritting my teeth, I relaxed against him again and spoke as soothingly as possible, "I'm alright. This is nothing."

We both knew it was a lie, but neither of us said anything.