There will be sensitive themes in this chapter!

Sakura closed the door to her office, her fingers trembling on the frame.

Oh Kami.

No.

No.

The surgery had gone relatively well, as well as one would assume when you're going in relatively blind.

It was afterwards.

His vitals had remained stable, well into the night.

Then, the fever hit him.

An infection. The thing she was most afraid of.

Sakura felt the sob well up in her throat and she clutched her stomach, bending at the knees, taking gasping breaths.

There was a very slim chance the child would make it through the next couple of days, and having to tell that to the parents was too much to handle.

Sakura would never forget the wail that hit her ears when the news touched the mothers ears.

Sakura felt nauseous suddenly, bolting from her position at the door to reach the garbage can by her desk, hunching over and emitting her lunch into the basket.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she clutched her belly, suddenly feeling a wrenching pain spread over her pelvis.

"Oh!" Sakura moaned, wiping her trembling mouth.

The pain ripped through her again and she felt the spasm in her nether regions.

Oh God.

Was she miscarrying?

Kami no.

Please no.

Turning, Sakura tried to walk to the door, but couldn't see in a straight line, the room swaying like she was on a boat.

"Help." She rasped, falling to her knees, the pain in her stomach immeasurable now, gripping her forcefully.

Suddenly there was knock on her door, and Sakura felt the cold air fall over her sweaty pink tresses, the voice in the room muffled, yet desperate.

The blackness was taking her, surrounding her, giving her no chance in staying awake.

Looking above her, she noticed silver, something silver in her vision.

"Sak...fuck! She's blee...nurse!"

Then, she was weightless, feeling fingers pick her up off the floor, the world sliding into the abyss.

Naruto was riffling through papers, when his door swung open.

Snapping his head up, he opened his mouth to scold the intruder.

Kakashi. And he was pale as a ghost.

"You need to come with me, Naruto."

The blonde stood up quickly, feeling the questions bubble up in his throat, but held them back, flinging off his coat, following Kakashi out of his office.

"What is going on? Is it Bolt? Himawari?"

Kakashi shook his head numbly.

"Sakura." He whispered.

Naruto felt an icy pick wrench its way from his heart to his stomach.

"What happened to Sakura?" He asked shakily, feeling bile rise up his throat.

No answer.

Making a sound as if in pain, Naruto reached out and grabbed the older male, slamming him against the wall.

"What is it? What happened to her?!"

Kakashi took a deep breath, trying to gain his own bearings.

"She was bleeding heavily when I got to her office, between...Naruto."

The blonde felt the sickness wash over him.

"No."

"They haven't told me anything. But...there was blood, Naruto. I'm no doctor, but, even I know that is not a good sign."

The blonde let his ex-sensei's vest go, and backed up, feeling frozen, numb.

Kami.

No.

No.

"Naruto. We have to go. Come on, she needs you." Kakashi whispered to him, grabbing his elbow and steering him down the hall.

When Naruto arrived at the door, there was a doctor that he didn't recognize and a nurse, they were talking to each other, both looked worn out.

Naruto opened his mouth, feeling his tongue turn dryer than ever, the works sticking in his throat, bile rushing up once more, choking him.

Kakashi saw the look of panic fall over his ex-students face.

The nurse and doctor turned fully, noticing the two of them.

"L-Lord sixth, L-Lord seventh!" They both stammered out, bowing low.

Kakashi waved them off, giving a timid smile, uncomfortable.

"No need for that. Please, we'd like to see Sakura. How is she?"

The nurse looked over to the sighing doctor, who beckoned them into a smaller alcove, making sure they were alone.

Naruto couldn't speak, he kept trying, but the words wouldn't come, and he felt like if he opened his mouth again, he'd be sick all over the males in front of him.

"Doctor Haruno...she did...she did indeed have a miscarriage."

Muffle.

Muffle.

Those were the only words Naruto heard though, and he leaned against the wall, closing his eyes, taking steady breaths, feeling two sets of eyes on him.

Clearing his throat, rubbing his forehead tiredly the doctor turned to face him fully, a saddened expression etched across his features.

"The father, I'd presume?"

Kakashi shuffled his feet, feeling a little uneasy.

Naruto though, stood up to his full six feet height, and nodded, his heart aching, wanting to see Sakura. Wanting to hold her more than anything.

Upon entering the room, he saw her sitting up, green eyes staring at her fingers, clenched in front of her belly. Naruto felt the tears build up, his grief coming forward, hitting him squarely in the gut, making him falter a bit.

Kakashi himself stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do. Not knowing what to say, knowing this was really none of his concern. But. He needed to see if Sakura was alright, for himself. When he had found her, blood was pumping out between her legs, and the sight alone made his blood freeze up, pumping ice through his skin. It was a miracle in itself he got her help in time.

Not in time...

Sakura heard the door open, her fingers numb, eyes dry, almost lifeless. She wanted to yell at the intruder to go away. To get the hell out of there, to leave her in peace.

They didn't leave, and she didn't move. She had heard what the doctors had to say. The baby was in too much duress. Her stressors had taken their tole...and her child.

Nothing.

There was nothing else she wanted to hear. Just...nothing.

"Leave." She croaked out, not bothering to look at the person, or persons in the room with her.

"Sakura." A deep, gravelly voice reached out to her.

The voice of said person made the stabbing pricks in her heart accelerate in bleeding her out on the bed. His voice had wound a coil that constricted her voice, her breathing, but let loose a knot of tears that filled and overflowed down her pale cheeks. Turning, Sakura looked at the blonde man, who looked pale as the snow himself. His blue eyes were staring intently at her, sorrow placed rough in his eyes, taking away the light that usually shined from the twin pools of blue.

Not able to say anything else, Sakura felt her hand gliding up her throat, clutching it as if the air in her esophagus wasn't pumping fast enough, or strong enough to keep her from completely suffocating. Naruto was at her side in an instant. Wrapping his arms around her body, he closed his eyes, a heavy sob ripping from her throat, hands hanging loosely at her side. She wasn't able to stop, the tears flowed and flowed, and her hand left the bedside to fist in the front of her hospital gown, where her child used to be.

Kakashi watched the scene in front of him, and felt his own eyes burn, the sound of Sakura's wrenching sobs stabbing through his heart. Naruto himself was trying, trying to keep himself together. Failing, but he was trying.

Kakashi looked at his students, wrapped around each other, heartache staunching them, submerging them into a fitted knuckle of anguish. He hated it so much for them. The two of them deserved so much better.

Damnit.

Closing his eyes, he walked back until his back hit the door, and made a small exit, knowing that the two of them needed their alone time. He needed to get rid of the swirling tears that lay inside his own eyes.

Sakura was laying back now, an hour of non stop hysteria catching up to her, green eyes looking out the window into the brightness of the day.

She wanted it cloudy.

She wanted to close her eyes, and block out the happy rays of the sun.

Naruto was sitting beside her, hands wrapped tightly around hers, saying nothing, probably not knowing what to say.

The silence was enough. It said enough. It proved enough. It was...enough.

Sometimes silence said the most.

But, silence was not always welcomed in situations such as these.

And finally...Naruto broke it, clearing his throat. "Sakura. What can I do for you? Anything. Is there anything I can do?"

No. There was nothing he could do. Sakura shook her head, eyes still trained on outside, throat burning a fire in her body.

Naruto shut his eyes, fingers shaking. He wanted to climb in bed with her and wrap his arms around her still form. Kami, he just wanted to comfort her. Sakura was thinking though, as he asked her the question. "Do you think it would have been a boy or a girl, Naruto?" She croaked out, feeling him tense beside the bed.

The blonde Hokage was lost for words, not wanting to bring pain to the woman he loved. "Sakura. I-I don't know."

The pinkette just continued to stare out the window, lips stiff, eyes drying. "I think it would have been a boy. I was starting to carry low, my hips were starting to hurt me. With Sarada, it was never like that. I carried high with her."

Naruto felt a burn spread throughout his heart as he watched Sakura's eyes shimmer. "Love. You don't have to talk about it." He said to her, rubbing a finger over her knuckles.

Sakura flared her nostrils, chest heaving upwards as her hands started to shake beside her hips. "You should hate me, Naruto." She whimpered. The blonde was hit in the gut with the sadness that permeated off of the woman in front of him.

"Sakura. I could never hate you. What happened was...Kami...was...an accident."

The words themselves burned his tongue and he had to choke back a sob.

Silence.

"I was overstressed. The clinical trial. Which I...which I ruined. The boy himself is circling the drain as we speak. I was overly worried about my work. And about Hinata, Sarada and Sasuke. And ruining your reputation."

Naruto felt like he was listening her confess to a crime she thought she had committed, and it made him feel slightly ill. She honestly thought it was her fault.

Standing, Naruto stood beside her head now, watching as small tears trickled out of her irises once more.

"Sakura. It was not your fault. Nor was it mine. These things happen. And they're awful, and they're terrible, but, I'm here. I'm here with you to take the brunt of it. And I'm remaining here, Sakura Haruno." T

he pinkette felt her shoulders shake, her head moving to look fully at him now, watching as he cried, reaching for her hand, his fingers trembling.

Sakura sobbed, pulling at him, beckoning him towards her, to lay beside her, to wrap his comforting presence around her.

Naruto slid in, pushing her head into his shoulder, feeling her shake and shake and shake. He was shaking as well, taking her grief and his, knowing he could. Knowing he was strong enough to do so.

Sakura was released from the hospital three days later, the doctor demanding she remain on bed rest for the next week, and if she had any remaining bleeding, or any clots that came out, to come back.

Naruto was holding her hand, helping her into the house. "Easy Sakura, easy." He mumbled to her, stroking his finger across the top of her hand.

Sakura was sweating, the pain pills the doctor had her on making the room swim around her.

She hated feeling like she was drugged up.

Five minutes later, Naruto had laid her down, pushing her sweaty bangs from her eyes.

"Water." She croaked out, the pills making her dehydrated.

Naruto nodded, covering her up, blue eyes drinking in her dazed expression. She was going to be out in about ten minutes, the medicine the doctor gave her helped to reduce cramping that was taking its tole on her in the hospital.

Getting the water, he came back in and saw her groggily open her eyes to lean forward and take some of the sustenance that her parched throat desperately needed.

Naruto sat beside her, stroking her pink locks, his rough fingers making her feeling almost peaceful.

Almost.

"Sarada." She suddenly murmured.

Naruto nodded, knowing that the Uchiha would be home in two days time. How would this be explained? Sakura couldn't do it right now. She didn't need to do it right now. But, Sarada would have answers, and she deserved them.

"Do you want me to tell her, Sakura?" He whispered, continuing to stroke her hair, her eyes shut.

Silence.

"I want...my baby." Sakura mumbled, and Naruto felt his heart almost snap with the turmoil he felt crash into him.

Sakura was half asleep when she said it, but he knew that is how she truly felt. The hurt she carried with her, the...stifling knowledge that her almost three month pregnancy would produce nothing but depression and horrid dreams.

Standing up, Naruto left the room, feeling bile rise up in his throat.

Whelp.

Naruto shut his eyes to the sound of the voice, not wanting to hear him.

He wanted...Kami, he wanted so much.

Silence.

Whelp. Do not ignore me.

Naruto closed his eyes, feeling himself drift down, into the pit where the nine tails resided.

Kurama looked at him, his host quiet, eyes devoid of any emotion, besides pain.

I don't smell the pup anymore.

Naruto felt his heart clench. Kurama sighed, looking the man over, sensing his sadness, sensing rage boiling just below the surface.

Do not blame yourself whelp, now, go care of your mate.

Naruto opened his eyes, feeling the room move around him, legs backing him up into a chair.

Pushing his head into his hands, he let it all go.

Everything. The pain, and the anger towards... All the things that he couldn't change, all the burdens he had to carry for his loved ones who needed strength, and all the people, his child that he couldn't save.

I hope you enjoyed!