THREE MONTHS LATER…

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.

.

Sasuke returned home from his solo mission shortly before noon, and was met at the gates by his best friend and former sensei.

"Oiiiiii! Did you break both legs or something?! Hurry the fuck up, I need to eat!"

"Yo."

Sasuke gave a curt nod in response to Kakashi, but scowled at Naruto.

"Shut up Dobe, I'm three hours early. Where's Sakura."

"Ano… at the hospital."

Sasuke shot a cutting glare at both men. She was usually off on Mondays. "You were supposed to make sure she's not working to death."

Kakashi just shrugged.

"We tried, Teme… we tried! Right, Kaka-sensei? We just came from her office, but she was with Ino and her Tou-chan and she kicked us out! She said if I bothered her during one of her appointments again, she'd make sure I'd have to take shits through my ear. What does that even mean? Can she really do that?"

Sasuke willed himself not to punch his useless teammate in the face. He was gone for three days while Naruto was in the village, and the moron had ONE job.

Kakashi lowered his book, presumably to throw Naruto a bone.

"Sakura solicited the Yamanaka's expertise to help craft a baseline mental health treatment plan for her children's trust. Inoichi-san's availability is limited… and you know how she is."

Sasuke heaved a deep sigh. Of course he knew. His wife was a meticulous perfectionist, and wouldn't be satisfied with something until she was certain she'd exhausted every resource and addressed every contingency.

But he supposed things could be worse. At least she was working on something administrative rather than a risky, chakra draining surgical procedure.

After being dragged to Ichiraku for lunch, and being reminded for the hundredth time that he and Sakura were hosting their team dinner that weekend (and "could Sakura-chan please make his favorite chashyu ramen dattebayo?"), he finally headed towards his new apartment near the hospital.

Sasuke briefly thought about dropping by the compound to let his Kaa-san know he'd returned… but quickly remembered that his parents were out of the village.

Apparently, his father thought his mother could use a break after planning and overseeing two main house weddings and helping coordinate a state funeral that all took place in the frenetic span of nine weeks.

To that end, Fugaku whisked his wife away to Yugakure so they could spend some private time together. The Chief also made arrangements to have one of his senior officers take temporary charge of the police force during his unprecedented two week absence.

His father referred to it as a "health retreat", but apparently – it was more like some weird sex vacation.

Sasuke recalled a disgusting bit of information that stupid Shisui volunteered shortly before his parents left.

"Good thing I told Uncle about that new five star love hotel that just opened in Yugakure! Don't worry, chibi grouch. I already warned him that rotating beds and toys cost extra. Nobody likes hidden fees, amirite?"

Sasuke gagged at the thought and swiftly focused on neutralizing the wards and traps at his apartment door instead. Once inside, he took off his nin-sandals and neatly placed them on the shoe rack at the genkan.

After assessing the boxes that were still unopened in the living room, he headed to the bathroom to take a shower. Once he finished washing up and changed into a clean set of house clothes, he reached into the drawer of his nightstand to retrieve his wedding ring.

Given that he was now published in the Bingo Book, Sasuke couldn't risk wearing his ring on missions and giving his enemies the chance to learn about his new wife and family. So, he always made sure to take his wedding band off whenever he left the village, but took care to wear his ring at all times when he was at home.

After throwing his dirty mission gear along with the rest of his and Sakura's soiled laundry into the washing machine, he rolled up his sleeves, created three shadow clones, and began unpacking the boxes in their living room.

As he worked, Sasuke still couldn't believe that he was married... to Haruno Sakura.

Admittedly, the last three months were batshit crazy. But given exactly where he was now, he didn't think he'd change anything about how things went down.

He thought back to the night he and Itachi shared after-dinner tea at his new marital home.

He really didn't mean to blurt out the news of Sakura's pregnancy like that, but he was so overwhelmed with everything he was feeling at the time…

Sasuke realized that maybe he should have come up with a plan of sorts before seeking his Nii-san's counsel. But he and Sakura only just found out about her condition that morning, and under the circumstances – time was of the essence.

In retrospect, he supposed there was something unusual about his fiancée in the weeks leading up to their discovery.

Following Itachi and Izumi's wedding, he noticed that Sakura picked up the unusual habit of adding tōgarashi to everything, even though she typically hated spicy food.

And beyond that, to put it plainly –

She became insatiable in the bedroom.

If she wasn't waking him up in the mornings with her mouth (which inevitably led to other things), she was ambushing him in the shower, in her office when he would drop off her lunch, in the living room while he was writing mission reports…

And keeping him up at all hours of the night.

Sakura had never been shy about initiating sex since the beginning of their physical relationship, but he should have known this was something else entirely (not that he was complaining).

He had no idea pregnancy hormones could make a woman's libido go apeshit. He just thanked his lucky stars and chalked it up to them not having been intimate in a while.

After all, at the time of his brother's wedding – the last time they'd had sex was the night before he left for his recon mission near Kusa.

And neither party had any reason to believe this was even possible, given how religiously Sakura took her daily contraceptive pills.

He recalled her terrified face when she beckoned him into the bathroom to show him her positive home pregnancy test.

But for whatever reason, Sasuke didn't feel the same sense of panic. He held her close and assured her that everything was going to be just fine.

And he fully meant it.

Because for once, Sasuke felt like he was seeing clearly. He no longer agonized over gaining his father's approval, meeting the clan's astronomical expectations, advancing his shinobi rank, etc.

At that moment, all that mattered to him was securely in his arms. Sakura was the love of his life, and he was going to be there for her and their baby every step of the way.

When he told his Nii-san the news, it was the only time in Sasuke's life that he'd ever known Itachi to ask anyone to repeat something.

"Pardon?"

"Sakura's pregnant."

"… I see. And how do you both feel?"

"Happy."

"Then Izumi and I are happy for you."

"What about the elders."

"What about them?"

"They'll start shit."

"How is that relevant?"

"Isn't it?"

"Why would it be?"

Sasuke scowled in exasperation. What kind of answer was that?

"For a shinobi born with a fire affinity, you don't seem to know much about our elemental nature, otouto. Fire can only grow if you fan its flames. Deprive it of oxygen, and it will die."

Sasuke couldn't help smirking at his brother's insinuation. Only Itachi could come up with such a fitting analogy.

"What about Kaa-san?"

"In what universe do you think our mother would be anything less than ecstatic at the prospect of a grandchild?"

"And what about Otou-san?"

"I repeat – in what universe do you think our mother would be anything less than ecstatic at the prospect of a grandchild?"

And of course, his Nii-san was right.

While his mother was clearly touched and very moved when she learned about Sakura's children's trust initiative…

All of that paled in comparison to their baby news.

The thing is, Sasuke (along with rest of the village) was well aware that Uchiha Mikoto was baby crazy. She'd been goo goo for grandchildren since Itachi turned eighteen.

Still, he never thought that his own mother — the former matriarch of their clan, a paradigm of noble breeding, the epitome of grace and gentility, and the resolute moral compass of their family…

… wouldn't bat an eyelash knowing that her son had fathered a child out of wedlock.

"Yeah, well, you didn't know she was into role-play, either."

After cursing Shisui straight to a hell for that sordid and unnecessary reminder, Sasuke thought back to everything that happened the moment they shared the news with his parents.

His Kaa-san immediately gripped his father's arm like a vice as her dark eyes brimmed with tears. Mikoto lasted all of maybe ten seconds before she leapt out of her seat to gently cradle Sakura's shoulders.

His mother lovingly smoothed down her pink hair and asked about Sakura's due date, how she was feeling, if there was anything she was craving… before brightly suggesting –

"Perhaps it would behoove us to move up the wedding… by a lot?"

While Mikoto started talking excitedly about baby shower ideas, color schemes, nursery themes, and a whole mess of other things Sasuke never thought to consider, his father discreetly summoned him to his study – where he fully expected to land the reprimand of a lifetime.

But his Otou-san caught him off guard when he placed a firm hand on his shoulder and proceeded to say the longest string of words he'd ever heard his father speak to him, ever.

"The entirety of the main house jewelry suite was passed on to Izumi on the day of her wedding. Everything else in your mother's private collection are personal gifts, from me. I trust you understand why I wouldn't want her to part with any of it in her lifetime."

Sasuke nodded, not sure where his father was going with all of this.

"However, this is my wedding band."

His father retrieved a padded silk pouch from a small tansu that was stored in one of his study cabinets. Sasuke was stunned; he wasn't aware that his father even had a wedding ring.

"I have not worn this since Itachi's birth. I believed it was too dangerous to give my enemies the possibility of knowing that I had a wife and child at home.

While the ring lacks a stone, it is forged from the same priceless ore as your Kusanagi… so it has the rare ability to hold and channel chakra.

We will take this to our clan jeweler and have it resized for your future wife. Once it is melted down, we will have the chance to infuse our chakra into the liquid metal before it is recast."

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization at his Otou-san's words.

"The chakra this ring will store pales in comparison to the reserves Haruno-san holds in her Byakugō-no-In. But, it is my hope that it will be enough to keep the mother of my grandchild from having to release the Sōzō Saizei ever again, if she can help it."

Sasuke was speechless as he left the main house that night.

Of course, he didn't remain dazed for long, because Sakura jumped him as soon as they returned to her apartment, and well… you know.

The days following their disclosure to his parents came with a hurricane of drama.

For starters, they had to deal with Yamanaka... which was a shit show in and of itself.

Then there was their idiot best friend and teammate screeching at how he'd been betrayed for not being told sooner, and demanding that he be named the baby's godfather.

Then there was their old pervert sensei offering up all kinds of unsolicited and unwanted "tips" on how to stay "intimate" further along in a pregnancy (and honestly like, how did he even know?)

Then there was all that bitching from the elders, who were outraged that they'd conceived before their wedding, and demanded that Sakura stop working immediately and move into the compound.

But none of that really fazed Sasuke. He just kept his Nii-san's words in mind and refused to feed any oxygen to their crotchety bullshit.

Ultimately – Sasuke and Sakura were married within a month of sharing their baby news to their friends and family, and the young couple could not have been happier.

Given Sakura's duties as Chief Surgeon, and her new responsibilities as the Executor of the children's trust – Sasuke knew they needed to remain close to the hospital and the Tower.

The location of Sakura's apartment when they were dating was okay, but it wasn't ideal… and it was much too small now that they were expecting a new addition to their young family.

Which is why Sasuke went ahead and purchased a much larger two bedroom apartment for them in an even better location.

They'd moved in two weeks ago, but still had several boxes that needed to get unpacked and organized.

Once Sasuke cleared out all of the boxes, he started washing rice for dinner when he sensed his wife approaching the door.

She was home early.

"Tadaima, Sasuke-kun."

He stopped rinsing the rice and wiped his hands before heading to the living room.

"Okaeri."

He was met with Sakura's bright smile as she reached up to place both of her arms around his neck. Even though his wife was still early in her second trimester, she was a petite person by nature – so the small bump on her belly was distinctly noticeable, and he loved feeling it whenever she gave him a hug.

He nuzzled the top of her head, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair. "You're early."

"So are you. I sensed you a few hours ago and knew you were back, so I rushed home after finishing with Inoichi-san. Are you complaining?"

"No, but dinner isn't ready yet."

Sakura snorted and arched an elegant pink brow. "So? You thought I cut my day short and rushed home for dinner?"

As Sasuke settled into the crook of his wife's neck, he took careful note of all the recent changes to her body.

While nothing was better than making love to Sakura, he found himself appreciating these moments in the afterglow just as much, especially now that her pregnancy was further along.

He gently cupped her fuller breasts and traced the bottom swell of her mounds, fascinated by how much bigger they'd become in such a short period of time. It was insanely hot, and he'd been enjoying them thoroughly – but he was also genuinely amazed by her body from a biological perspective.

As cliché as it sounded, growing a new life really was miraculous.

Everything about her had become softer and more radiant. Her hair was thicker and glossier, and her skin seemed to glow at all hours of the day.

His large hands slowly trailed down from her breasts to rub lazy circles around her belly.

Sakura exhaled a soft sigh as she lightly scratched her husband's scalp.

"What do you think we'll have?"

"… A human."

She gripped his hair a little tighter. "Don't be a smartass, Sasuke-kun. You know what I mean."

"I don't know."

"Well, do you have a preference?"

Sasuke only thought about it for a split second, because that's all the time he needed. "No. Just want the baby to be healthy."

His wife hummed in satisfaction, clearly pleased with his answer.

"Have you thought of any names?"

"Not really… except – "

"Except what?"

"We're not calling it Naruto."

Sakura laughed out loud, and Sasuke could feel it vibrate in her throat.

"Have you told him that?"

"Yes. A thousand times already."

"Well, I agree. I was thinking… maybe something that starts with 'Sa', like our names."

Sasuke nodded against her chest. He was on board with that.

As sunset saturated their bedroom in warm shades of copper, Sasuke took a moment to look around and take in the space.

The first thing he noticed was the corkboard over their shared desk littered with photographs. His wife was such a sentimental creature, and over the years she'd saved everything – photos from their Academy graduation, to their genin days… all the way to the present.

He eyes wandered over to their bookshelf overflowing with her medical tomes, endless scrolls, and his treatises on chakra nature manipulation.

He also noticed the whetstone they used to sharpen their kunai and shuriken sitting on top of their dresser, next to Sakura's favorite jasmine scented candle and a few of her perfume bottles.

Then, his gaze finally settled on the only piece of artwork in their room: a large canvas painting that was bequeathed to his wife by Madara at his passing.

When Sakura was informed that something tangible had been set aside for her from the former clan head's estate, she was shell shocked and had no idea what it could be.

But strangely, the moment she removed the protective paper outside the canvas and began to weep – Sasuke knew exactly what Madara painted for her before she even turned it around to show him.

He couldn't articulate how he knew… But somehow, he just did.

As he took in all of the little odds and ends in their bedroom that made up the life he and Sakura shared… and the home they were slowly, but surely, building together – Sasuke took another long look at the vibrant painting of the sakura tree with its branches covered in clouds of cherry blossoms bursting in full bloom…

And when he felt the faint, but steady flow of new chakra pulsing up towards his hand as he gently rubbed his wife's belly, he finally understood why there was only one painting that graced the walls of Madara's private sanctuary.

"Sakura."

"Yes, Anata?"

His heart overflowing with gratitude, Sasuke suddenly propped himself up on his elbow and leaned his forehead against her own.

"Thank you… for everything."

A/N: Hello everyone! First and foremost, thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me a comment. I don't write for myself - I write for YOU, and your feedback is what motivated me to try and get out this update as soon as I could.

I really hoped this would be the finale, but I just couldn't fit everything I wanted to include in a way that made sense in a single installment.

So, I guess there will be an Epilogue to explain everything I wanted to explain about Madara, Haru, etc.

It's been wonderful to hear from you all - my beloved and cherised regular reviewers, Guests, and new readers alike! I've had a few names I don't recognize message me via PM with their thoughts as well, which I also appreciate.

Just wanted to put out this friendly reminder that EVERY update is difficult to plan, outline, draft, edit and post - so if you enjoy a chapter, please be sure to let me know through your reviews!

Clicking a favorite or follow button is no substitute for your written feedback, so please don't wait until the story is over.

After all, it's not fair to expect the same conscientious readers to keep a story going. So, please don't hesitate and let me know your thoughts in the comment box or come by my tumblr and say hello!

Thank you so much for your readership, and I hope to hear from more of you on this latest Ch 8!

xoxo, Birk