A/N: Wow, last chapter was controversial, wasn't it? I'm sorry if I'm frustrating the hell out of you guys, and this chapter, I believe, will keep doing so. Haru is here to shake things up a little bit, so yeah, I should probably warn you in advance that there will be a lot of drama throughout this fic. But don't worry, the ending, as I have already told some of you, will be suitable, so I hope you guys stick around to see it.

Fell free to PM me if you have any questions or anything at all you wish to talk to me about, plot related or not, okay?

Betaed by the lovely Lohrendrell.

Chapter Eight: Choices – Part II

"No!" Naruto growled angrily, slamming his right fist on the table and effectively causing Sakura to flinch. From across the table, Sasuke crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at him. "No fucking way! We're not staying here so she can turn you into a political slave for her!"

The group of five was sitting around the table in Ryuunosuke's meditation room. Haru and the teenager were taking care of the dishes in the kitchen, but since the house was so small and the walls so obviously thin, Sakura was sure they could hear Naruto's loud voice, even if the door was closed. Not that it mattered much, but her teammate's fury tore at her very soul.

Naruto had been expecting the political side of the bargain, but bringing another baby into play was the last straw for him.

"And she wants your baby?" Naruto growled, gesturing towards Sasuke in a way that showed how much the mere though angered him. "What the damned hell? She's the one who planned all this, how dare she ask so much of you?!"

Looking hesitantly at the man sitting next to her, Sakura watched with her hands clenched over her thighs as Sasuke took a sharp, steadying breath through his nose. "You speak as if we have any other choice," he snapped.

"She's totally pulling your leg!" Naruto countered. "How can you be sure that what she said is even real?"

"I can't," Sasuke hissed, rolling his eyes. "But it's not like I can wait and see, can I? I'm not going to put my child's life in danger."

"I'm not telling you to," Naruto said, frowning heavily. "But it's too much. She wants you to get involved in the affairs of her village and then she wants you to give her a baby. I don't think that's fair, Sasuke! That's too much!"

"It's not like I can simply go back to Konoha, anyway!" Sasuke retorted. "Again, Naruto, what fucking choice do I have? You got a better idea?!"

Naruto pouted, also crossing his arms over his chest. Sakura could tell he was seething, and she didn't blame him. Haru's price was rather high, maybe higher than even both her teammates had previously thought. After all, Sasuke was going this far to keep their baby, who knew how things would be once another child of his was born – even if not desired.

Exchanging a quick look with Neji, she could tell that he was thinking the exact same thing by the stoic, yet helpless look on his face.

"Now, Naruto, you already knew how this would go," Kakashi said reasonably, keeping a calm voice. "All you have to do now is just… accept it and try to find a way to cope with it."

"It's. Not. Fair!" Naruto said, emphasizing each word through clenched teeth. "It's not! We can't just accept this without a fight!"

"I don't like it any more than you do!" Sasuke said, clearly trying to control his own growing annoyance but failing. "It is what it is and you should just accept it!"

It was rare that Naruto looked to thoroughly livid, and seeing it made Sakura's breath catch in her throat. She knew that things wouldn't go well from here on, and neither of her teammates were exactly thinking with a clear head anymore to keep the conversation going without harm. "Naruto…" she called out weakly, but the blond wasn't listening at all.

"Accept?!" he spat, disbelievingly. "Ever since this whole mess started you've been deciding everything on your own without giving a shit about what I think! You didn't even ask my opinion about the kid! How am I supposed to just accept things if I didn't even had a part in them?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop drastically at that, and everyone felt it. Sakura swallowed hard, knowing that Naruto had probably gone too far with that one, but at the same time, knowing he was sort of right.

"Oh, my," Kakashi mumbled, with a tired sigh.

Hesitantly, she glanced at Sasuke, whose chin had fallen, his face having paled considerably as he stared at his lover.

"Well," he said, his tone low and calm, but horrendously cold. "Excuse me for assuming you would want it."

"Damn it, Sasuke, of course I want it, that's not what I meant!" Naruto defended, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Then what did you mean?" Sasuke retorted, his voice becoming louder again. "This is all your fault to begin with!"

"What?! How is this my fault?"

"If you didn't tear all the fucking condoms all the time, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Oh, I'm sorry for being awesome in bed and not being considerate enough to think that my male lover might get pregnant!" Naruto said, with cool sarcasm. "Besides, you were the one who stopped wearing condoms first! What, so it was okay for you to fuck me without them but I had to wear them?!"

"This is way too much unnecessary information," Neji said, rubbing his temples.

"Condoms aren't exactly used just to prevent pregnancy," Sakura intervened, frowning a bit at realizing how reckless those two actually were. "And especially with anal sex, you could catch all sorts of infections and…"

"Thank you, Sakura, for the useful but not welcomed input," Sasuke cut, throwing her a look that made her snap her mouth shut. "That's not the point right now."

"The point is that you're saying that it's all my fault when you know it's both our faults!" Naruto replied, now looking hurt. "It happened and it's both our responsibility! We should deal with this together, not you deciding everything on your own! We should at least try and negotiate with her!"

"I already did that!" Sasuke yelled, more than exasperated at this point. His back straightened suddenly and Sakura was sure that, in a different occasion, even his sharingan might've been activated. When he proceeded, his tone had a dry finality to it that made her cringe. "Fuck Naruto, you're exhausting me! This isn't about us, or about how you think things should go. I already did what had to be done, and this is how it's going to be, whether you're okay with it or not! I'm done talking about this with you!"

The way Naruto eyed Sasuke, as if he'd been violently slapped across the face, made Sakura want to cry. Gods, how could they be such assholes, the both of them? However, even if she wanted to intervene and give them a piece of her mind, she knew they'd never listen since they seemed to think she could never understand what this situation meant to them both. And maybe it was true, so all she could do was wait for them to solve things on their own - even if it was aggravating to watch.

The silence that settled as the two simply stared at each other was cutting and cold as ice, with Naruto looking torn and Sasuke looking defying. Eventually, the blond bit his lip and turned his face to the side with an upset, desolate expression. "Whatever," he said, before slowly getting up. "I don't care, just do what you want."

"Where are you going?" Neji asked, but he didn't reply, instead making his way to the door and getting out of the room, slamming it back shut with more force than necessary.

No one spoke for a while, three sets of eyes falling on Sasuke now, whose shoulders slumped down. He released a surprisingly shaky breath and closed his eyes before burying them in one hand.

"That fucking idiot," he whispered, and his voice sounded so devastated that Sakura had to swallow hard to keep her tears from falling. "He doesn't get it, he just… damn it."

"He does get it," she said, daring to put a reassuring hand over his shoulder for comfort. "Just give him time to assimilate everything."

"You don't look so good," Kakashi, who was on Sasuke's other side, pointed out casually. "You need the bucket?"

"No," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head from side to side. Then, he tensed, raised his head up and looked anxiously at their teacher, his features gaining a suddenly grey tone as he said, "Yes."

"I thought so," Kakashi said, sounding solemnly proud of himself and pushing the convenient bucket that was behind him towards Sasuke, who only had time to lean to the side before he was emptying his stomach.

"Kakashi-sensei, you can't remind a pregnant person they need to throw up!" Sakura reprimanded. "If you talk about it of course his body will react to it!"

"Oh?" Kakashi said, with a shrug. "My bad, then."

He didn't sound sorry, though. Neji rolled his eyes and Sakura all but pat Sasuke's back awkwardly, feeling absolutely sorry for him as he gagged violently, disposing of what was surely his entire lunch.

After a couple of minutes, Sasuke spat a few times and straightened up again, his body shaking a bit from the effort. He looked even greyer than before and seemed to be sweating. Neji fished a handkerchief from one of his pockets and leaned across the table to give it to Sasuke, who merely nodded and cleaned his mouth with it.

"Thanks a lot, Kakashi," he said venomously. Then, he hiccupped once, and for a moment, Sakura was worried he was going to throw up again, but he just swallowed hard. Seriously, Haru and she definitely had to do something about the container.

"You know, Sasuke, you better start getting your shit together and realize how your life is really going to be from now on," Kakashi said, in a deceivingly gentle tone, tapping his fingers on the surface of the table, his one visible eye looking at his student attentively.

"I already know," Sasuke said, stubbornly wiping his forehead with his wrist. "It's that idiot who needs to realize things, not me."

"Or maybe that idiot already knows things better than you do?" Kakashi pressed on. "Or have you stopped to think for a moment that he can't stay here with you?" Sasuke froze, his eyes becoming huge. "Or do you think that the two of you being away from Konoha will be that simple? Well, it is if you both want to be seen as missing Shinobi."

Sasuke looked down at his lap, seeming lost for words. Sakura pressed her lips together and looked at both Neji and Kakashi.

Of course she had thought about that, but it seemed surprising to her that Sasuke hadn't considered things from that point of view when it was so obvious.

Or had Sasuke really thought that they could be together away from the village without consequences for the both of them?

"Sasuke-kun, you should just rest for a while," she said gently, not liking the lost look that haunted his handsome features. "You should just focus on your health and on your baby's health. Everything else should be secondary to you right now. It'll all be fine, don't worry. Okay?"

Well, at least she hoped so.

oOo

After making sure Sasuke was asleep and safely guarded by Neji, Sakura left with Haru to discuss the seal and how they would relocate it. It took about half an hour of thorough searching in unknown surroundings for Kakashi to find his loudest student sitting in a large rock by the stormy sea, close to the spot where the boat they had taken had dropped them off just a few hours previously. The clouds were gathering, darkening the sky, and an uncomfortable humidity had settled, ready to chill a man to the bone.

With cautious steps, Kakashi approached the young man until he was standing beside him. He noticed Naruto was sitting Indian-style, elbows resting over his knees and his bright blue eyes looking intensely at the sea, displaying too many emotions that Kakashi had no clue how to even begin placating.

Releasing a small sigh, he shoved his hands inside his pockets and turned his attention to the sea, even though its turbulence was anything but soothing. The wind was strong and cutting, but Naruto didn't seem to be affected by it.

"Haru and Sakura are going to let him rest for a bit before trying to move the recipient to its proper position," Kakashi commented casually. "They are discussing how to go about the procedure. I left Neji to take of him."

When no response was heard from the blond, Kakashi chanced a glance at him, only to find him biting on his lower lip hard. It was clear that he was distressed, and the elder Jounin couldn't blame him. Naruto wasn't stupid; he knew things were proving to be a lot more complicated than he had anticipated. Naruto was an idealistic fool – giving up on his dreams, on what he wanted, wasn't something he knew how to do – and not having things go his way was something that didn't sit well with him. He willed himself to achieve his goals and refused to sit still until he got it.

But this, Kakashi knew, was out of his hands, and not knowing how to do something about it was clearly tearing him apart.

"I know you are upset," Kakashi muttered, keeping his voice soft but leaving out the condescending, pitying tone. "But you can't be angry at Sasuke. It's not his fault, and you guys made the choice of going through with this."

"I'm not angry at him," Naruto spat, clenching his fists but still not looking at him. "I'm angry at her. She started this. She made it so this happened, and yet, she's manipulating him."

"You should've expected something like this," Kakashi said, reasonably.

"I did," Naruto snapped, through clenched teeth, frowning dangerously. "I just didn't think things would have to be this way. I didn't think she'd want this much from him. And I didn't expect him to give in so easily. I don't understand what he's thinking at all, that fucking bastard."

He shook his head from side to side, looking pained and guilty at his own words. Closing his eyes, he took several steadying breaths. For a few seconds, Kakashi simply observed him in silence, giving him only enough time to let the weight of his frustration dissipate enough for his mind to clear.

Knowing there was no advice good enough for such a situation broke Kakashi's heart. He, too, had his own hopes and dreams for team 7 – for his precious students – but, unfortunately, this was something that went beyond anything he could possibly say or do. It was all up to Sasuke and Naruto and how they decided to live their lives from now on. It would either make them or break them, of that Kakashi was sure, and the thought failed in being reassuring.

"I think that, in a way, Sasuke respects her," the grey-haired man said, after a while. "He may not be pleased by it, but being who he is, he understands her need to do everything in her power to get what she wants. Not only that, but you have to understand, Naruto, that she has given the both of you the chance to have a real family together." When Naruto opened his eyes and turned his face to him, looking more than resentful, Kakashi heaved a long sigh and tried to choose his words more carefully. "I'm not defending her. I'm just trying to make you understand his point of view and the reason why, probably, he doesn't resent her as much as you think he should."

Naruto merely made a pouting face, his golden locks swishing wildly in the strong wind. Since he wasn't snapping at him, Kakashi thought it was safe to keep going.

"You have to remember that you chose this," he proceeded, moving closer to the blond. "It's not you guys' fault that this happened, but it has. Sasuke made his decision, and… for as much as it pains me to admit, he is stubborn when he puts his mind into something, so you either back him up or get out of his way." Naruto flinched, so Kakashi put one hand on his head, trying to offer some kind of comfort. "Nobody said it was going to be easy. But no matter what, think about how much Sasuke is giving up for that child and why. Think about how much you mean to him if he's willing to go this far. More importantly, know that, from now on, this child is the most important thing in your lives and it comes first no matter what. It's not about the two of you anymore."

Naruto released a shaky breath, his big eyes looking sad but resolute as they stared into Kakashi's visible one. "I know that," he said, his voice strangely firm in spite of his obvious shaken state. "I understand my duty, Kakashi-sensei. I just don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose them, and yet, if I want a family with him, I have to suck it up and take it. And it's fucked up and unfair."

Kakashi nodded. There was no arguing with that. But… Naruto was also missing a very important point.

"Naruto… you know you can't stay here with him." As he had expected, Naruto only bit his lower lip again, and Kakashi had to swallow hard to find the will to keep talking. "Sasuke has an alibi. The elders were aware of Haru's proposal all those months ago, so he can say he's been absent because he's considering accepting it and needs time with Haru in her village. You are simply his teammate, his relationship with you doesn't matter to the elders at all.

"They have been waiting for Sasuke to want to reproduce and create political ties with other villages. You were just a rock, blocking his way. Your absence from the village will only raise suspicion and has no justification. You can't afford them thinking that you're ditching your duties as a Shinobi of Konoha." He sighed. "While Sasuke's liaison with Haru would be beneficial, you have nothing to justify your absence. I'm sure you understand what I'm telling you, Naruto."

Naruto's lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just pressed them together and looked back at the sea.

As the minutes ticked by and the blond didn't say another word, Kakashi decided it was time to leave. He spun on his heels and left Naruto to his own thoughts – he certainly needed it.

It wasn't as if he was happy about throwing the bad news to both him and Sasuke, but it was better to face the harsh reality now rather than be deluded.

oOo

It was already late in the evening when Naruto made his way to Ryuunosuke's house. Sakura and Haru were nowhere to be seen, but Neji, Kakashi and the young blond were currently sitting at the kitchen table, playing cards, it seemed. The three looked at him when he came in, but no-one dared to comment on his absence.

"You didn't come for dinner, so I left you a plate with food on the counter," Ryuunosuke said, simply.

"We've got sake," Neji added, lifting a small porcelain bottle in front of him as if it would cheer Naruto up.

Naruto nodded hesitantly, feeling strangely guilty that everyone seemed to be so accepting of his childish tantrum. But he had needed it, and he had needed alone time to clear his head and interiorize things. "Okay. Thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck embarrassingly. "I just… is Sasuke up already?"

"Yes. Haru and Sakura took care of the container, and after that, he had dinner with us and left for your room," Kakashi informed as he arranged the cards in his hand, not looking up. "I talked to him about the issue I discussed with you, so I'm sure he's waiting for you so you can talk like the grown men you are."

Naruto nodded tensely. "Sakura-chan left already?" he inquired.

"She was feeling rather tired," Neji replied. "She said she would be back first thing in the morning."

"Okay." Naruto looked at the group, still feeling rather embarrassed. While Neji was the only one who was openly looking at him, waiting for whatever it was that he had to say, the other two continued playing in a relaxed demeanor, unperturbed.

"I'm really sorry for acting like an ass," he ended up saying, finally making Kakashi and Ryuunosuke look up. "There's no excuse for me being childish in such a situation, so… I'm sorry. And thank you for being patient."

"No harm done," Ryuunosuke said, raising one hand up in dismissal, and Naruto all but glared at him.

"I wasn't talking to you," he grunted, making a face at him that the boy ignored.

"Well, no-one expects you to be a rational adult," Kakashi said smoothly, lowering his cards. "But we do need to cut down on the drama from now on if we want to get things done."

"Also, you need to apologize to Sasuke, not to us," Neji muttered, refilling his small cup with more sake. "Isn't it what the two of you say, that this is your own business, anyway?" In spite of his words, Neji smiled a bit at him. "Go talk to him and then come back for dinner. You must be starving."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Naruto allowed himself to smile back at his friend. He really was lucky, he thought – he had good friends who he truly could depend on and count on to lead his way. Indeed, even if he felt possessive over Sasuke, there was no way he knew how to even begin aiding his lover if Neji and Sakura hadn't been there. And if it weren't for Kakashi's constant calm, rational input, Naruto wasn't sure if he would've been able to put his mind in the right track.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Without another word, he made his way to the room he was sharing with Sasuke, feeling both resolute and a little scared.

Over and over again he tried to remind himself that, at the end of the day, that baby was now a priority and that his and Sasuke's goal was, first and foremost, to think about its well being no matter what. It was all about their child, not about Haru or about them.

People kept talking about their feelings for each other and still, for some reason, it seemed to Naruto like Sasuke's feelings for him offered little reassurance in their situation – a situation that went beyond their feelings or their bond.

This had nothing to do with how they felt for each other. For the first time in their relationship, they would have to put their feelings aside and focus on one single goal.

He knew their bond was strong. He knew that, even if he didn't say it all that often, Sasuke cared deeply about him. As for Naruto himself… he couldn't imagine his life without Sasuke in it, and now, if Haru kept her word, they'd have a baby – someone that would forever connect them to each other.

However… they were being forced apart, and even though a rational part of Naruto's brain could understand the logic, his heart was having a hard time accepting it.

The room they shared was plain and small, and Sasuke had already stretched out the futon on the floor and pushed it against the wall, just underneath the window, so when Naruto got inside, he found him sitting in the center of it, legs crossed Indian-style and a scroll opened over his lap. He looked up when Naruto slid the door closed.

Slowly, the blond made his way to the futon, Sasuke's dark eyes following his every movement and provoking a familiar sense of thrill within him. Cautiously, he sat down in front of his lover in a similar position.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, genuinely concerned, even if Sasuke's skin had regained a bit of color.

"A lot better than I felt this morning," Sasuke replied casually. "I was sleeping throughout the process, but Sakura and Haru have fixed the container using chakra pressure, or so they said." He frowned a bit. "It seems that they couldn't move it too much without damaging anything. It's a bit lower than it was before, so thankfully it's not as close to the stomach anymore. "

"I'm glad," Naruto said, smiling, relieved that Sasuke seemed to be in talkative mood. "What's that?" he inquired, pointing at the scroll on the other's lap. It had many things written down on it in black ink, lots of drawings and symbols Naruto knew nothing about.

"Haru lent it to me," Sasuke answered, looking down at it. "It's information on the seal she put on me. It looks to be as tricky and fucked up as we all thought it was. She really is the only one who can interact directly with it without damaging it."

"She could've just made it all up to seem that way," Naruto suggested, one last, small flame of hope burning inside him. "She could've faked the information there."

Sasuke merely sighed. "It's obvious the scroll is old, and it shows how the seal was created and its development up until it reached this current state of completion, allowing for it to go from a chakra container to a fake reproductive system. It works for both men and women who have enough chakra control to support it." He closed his eyes, looking desolated as if even he had somewhat wished the scroll could've proven Haru wrong. "It's all too scientifically accurate to be simply made up. I don't even know anything about science or medical stuff, but this is pretty clear."

Naruto swallowed hard, nodding his understanding even though the other couldn't see it. It wasn't like he knew anything about medical terms either, but Sasuke was smarter and could probably understand a lot more than he did, so Naruto didn't dare doubt his lover's ability to interpret the contents of the scroll.

Carefully, he picked up the scroll and removed it from Sasuke's lap, putting it aside. Then, he moved closer to him and grabbed both his hands, ignoring how his were shaking slightly.

Sasuke didn't open his eyes, his back still proudly stiff and straight, but his fingers clasped Naruto's strongly, almost as if he was afraid to let go.

For a while, Naruto watched the display of emotions on his lover's face as the Uchiha fought to gain control of them. It made him want to scream, or cry, or just hold him and tell him it was alright to break because they both needed it. It would be alright because, in the end, they'd fix each other like they always did.

But Sasuke needed strength; not only his own – the one he had been clinging to ever since that whole mess started – but Naruto's, too, because if one of them faltered, the other would have nothing to hold on to.

After what felt like hours, Sasuke took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking at him with that cold, apparently unshakable determination that was so his – a determination that had the power to scare Naruto in ways it hadn't before.

"I'm sorry," Naruto muttered. "You know I want the baby as much as you do. I didn't mean to sound resentful, I was just upset that you were pushing me aside."

"I know."

"I just… I'm so angry, Sasuke."

"You said that you'd support my decisions," Sasuke whispered – words Naruto had heard before more than once, but that still caused an unpleasant feeling in his stomach. Kami, he certainly was regretting his promise now. "I have no choice, Naruto. You know I can't go back to Konoha right now. Maybe it'll take years before I can."

"I know," Naruto mumbled, swallowing hard as anxiousness took over him for the umpteenth time that day. "It doesn't make it any easier to accept."

"You can't stay here," Sasuke said, unforgivingly, and when Naruto opened his mouth to protest – more than ready to defend his feelings, his own determination to staying beside his family and even more ready to swear that he didn't care about anything else – Sasuke shook his head from side to side sternly and threw him a look that silenced him. "Don't. I know what you're going to say, Naruto, but I need you to calm down and listen to what I have to say."

A shiver ran down the blonde's spine, yet he bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from saying he didn't want to hear anything. His logical self knew he was being overly emotional and that that particular aspect was clouding his judgment. He knew that what Kakashi had said made sense, but that didn't stop him from not wanting to leave Sasuke and from wishing he could just go against Haru with everything he had.

"Take a few deep, slow breaths," Sasuke instructed firmly, thumbs of both hands caressing the backs of Naruto's encouragingly when he did just that, breathing in and out a few times and willing his muscles to relax and his anger and frustration to subside, even if just a tiny bit. He glared at Sasuke when he gave him an approving nod. "Good. Now, I'm going to need you to let me talk without interrupting me and listen. Can you do that?"

"I'm not a child, Sasuke," Naruto retorted.

"You sound and act like one sometimes," the other said, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"You're asking me to listen to something I already know I won't like listening to, so yeah, sorry if I'm feeling upset in advance," he mumbled, almost sarcastically. Sasuke looked displeased, so Naruto ended up sighing in defeat. "Whatever. I'm listening."

"Kakashi is right," Sasuke started, his voice lowering but his eyes fixed on Naruto's. "You have to go back to Konoha without me. I wish I could go back, even if for a few days, but... I have to admit that thinking about having to travel that far again two more times actually scares me. I can't do it anymore."

It was obvious Sasuke had a hard time admitting it, because he frowned and pressed his lips together, clearly digesting what he had just said. Naruto understood it – he had seen first-hand how hard the journey had been on him.

"Anyway…" Sasuke proceeded. "Konoha is our home, and you have to make sure that it stays that way. I understand that you'd give up everything to be with us, but… I have already chosen to give up on a lot of things to keep this baby, and I don't want you to do the same." Naruto was going to protest, but then thought better of it and closed his mouth. Sasuke tightened his grip on his hands. "I need you to fulfill your dream, Naruto. I need you to become Hokage and be who you want to be. You have to protect our home. You have to build the world you always wanted to live in – the world you want your child to live in. Seeing you become Hokage… that's my dream, too, so you have to protect it no matter what. "

The admission made Naruto's heart flutter and he felt his eyes becoming huge as Sasuke smiled again, just a bit, but this time, it was genuine. "I know that us living away from Konoha with our kid sounds really romantic and all that. Frankly, I'm sure it wouldn't be all that bad." Sasuke licked his lower lip, and Naruto simply stared at him, unable to stop the anguish from tearing at his heart. "But it's not how things should be. Being away from everything you love would destroy you, and consequentially, that would destroy all of us. I don't have many bonds that are precious enough to me for it to be such a big deal, so it's not like me not going back for a while will be all that hard on me. But I know you do and…"

"You think those bonds mean more to me than you and the baby?" Naruto intervened with impatience, unable to stop himself. "If I had to choose, I would always, always choose you!"

"But you don't have to choose," Sasuke said firmly. "I don't want you to."

"You can't tell me what to do," Naruto said with determination. "You can't tell me how I feel and you can't predict the future. I want to be with you, Sasuke! I don't care if I never set foot on Konoha again if that means I get to be with my family!"

"That's a fucking lie, and you know it!" Sasuke let go of his hands, and Naruto didn't have the courage to grab for them again. "I know you'd do that, but you can't. All I'm saying is that you have to go home and make sure there's a place for me and the baby when we return."

Sasuke sighed tiredly. "Hopefully it's human so we can go back in a year or two and make some sort of story to explain its existence. But if it isn't… Naruto, it might be a while before we can. The council would have to be dead by then, because these elders are fucking bastards, and I'm not risking them wanting to turn my child into a guinea pig."

Unfortunately for him, there was no way Naruto could contradict Sasuke's reasoning. He knew how the council was, and there was no denying the kind of commotion it would cause if word ever spread about an Uchiha baby carrying a demon's chakra. It angered him that it seemed like them being apart was the only solution for now, and yet, he knew it was the right thing to do if he wanted to make sure the three of them would ever manage to be together in the place they called home. It also angered him that these things, this conversation, was just mere speculation when, in the end, they would just have to act depending on how things went. It was all about 'what ifs' and 'if this happens', but there was no way they could ever know for sure until the baby was actually out, and even then, they had to think about keeping it safe before anything else.

It was nothing more than speculations.

Still, Sasuke's talk about how Naruto should carry his dream for him… somehow, it had moved him. Sasuke was telling him that, for that child, he was giving up on his previous dreams, but that he now had other dreams that were no longer his alone and that Naruto himself should help him fulfill them. It was probably the biggest burden Sasuke had ever put on his shoulders, and also, the deepest, most meaningful thing he had ever said to him.

Seeing you become Hokage… that's my dream, too, so you have to protect it no matter what.

It moved Naruto in ways that made him feel dizzy with all sorts of emotions, yet, he was furious at himself for being so weak against Sasuke's perceptive logic.

He did love Konoha, and in his ideal world, he would never have to give up on it for Sasuke's and the baby's sake, just like he'd never have to leave his family for the love of his home.

But he needed Sasuke to understand his priorities, no matter which feelings he had. If he could – and he would do everything in his power to achieve it - he wouldn't give anything up, but if he absolutely had to, his family with Sasuke would always come first.

Because he had chosen Sasuke, and Sasuke had chosen him. Because their bond couldn't simply be disregarded and underrated. They meant the world to each other, and no matter how much damage that bond might cause, that would never change.

"Alright," Naruto conceded. "I'll go back to Konoha and I'll do as you say. For you. But I'll come visit you as many times as I can." Sasuke nodded his head once, in solemn understanding. "But, Sasuke… if the baby isn't human, I'm leaving Konoha to pick you up and we're out of here. We'll start a life somewhere else, the three of us. Okay?"

Sasuke was very serious, looking at him intently. There was a strange intensity there that Naruto couldn't really understand, but didn't feel like delving too much into it when his own head was already a mess.

"Fine," his lover acquiesced, his tone surprisingly gentle. Then, he reached out a hand to brush the tips of his fingers over Naruto's cheek, the touch light, careful as they traced what Naruto knew to be his whisker marks.

Neither broke the eye contact, and Naruto let him do as he pleased for a while, somehow feeling rather comforted by the simple, yet caring gesture. After all, during all those days of travel, he had been the one to comfort Sasuke and indulge his every need and whim. He hadn't realized just how much he needed that bit of reciprocated affection until this very moment.

"What?" he asked, noticing the way those dark, bottomless eyes softened just a bit.

"Nothing," Sasuke whispered, the tips of his fingers brushing over his bottom lip. "Lie with me?"

Naruto grabbed for Sasuke's wrist and pressed his lips to the elegant fingers. "Okay."

The two lay down on the futon side by side, both on their backs, their sides touching. The blond wasn't shy about grabbing for Sasuke's hand and intertwining their fingers together. It was nice when Sasuke was like this – calm and receptive to Naruto's feelings.

"Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?" Naruto asked eventually, turning his face to the side so he could look at his boyfriend.

"I'm more worried about whether it'll be human or not," Sasuke said with a tiny smile, still looking up at the ceiling. "It's weird. People idealize so many things about their kids, but now that this has happened, I'm just wishing for it to be normal and healthy."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered, eyeing Sasuke's profile attentively. "I hope it looks like you, though. But it could take after me in terms of personality. I don't think I can handle two bastardly personalities at the same time."

Sasuke turned his head to him and his smile twisted into a smirk. "What, the great Uzumaki Naruto telling me he can't deal with something? I'm shocked."

"Shut up," Naruto mumbled, elbowing his arm slightly. "Of course I'll handle it somehow. I'll just throw a Rasengan on both your asses when I'm pissed off and everything will be just fine."

"You can't Rasengan my child, I'll Chidori your sorry ass," Sasuke countered.

"Meaning, whatever house we live in won't last a day," Naruto joked, to which Sasuke released a small laugh. Smiling, Naruto watched the other's face almost mesmerized because, really, Sasuke looked so different – so alive – when he laughed. It was a shame not many people were able to truly witness it. At the same time, Naruto took pride in knowing that that sort of gentle, free expression was reserved to him.

This Sasuke - his Sasuke – was unbearably handsome, and sometimes, Naruto didn't really know how to deal with it – how to deal with all the things he felt when it came to them.

He watched Sasuke wipe at his eyes briefly before asking, "Are you happy?"

Sasuke's eyebrows quirked upwards. "Am I happy?" he repeated slowly, as if not truly understanding the question.

"Yeah, like… you used to be in so much pain in the past," Naruto explained, squeezing Sasuke's hand in his. "I mean, when you wanted revenge everything was so black and white for you. And then, you finally got it and still, you looked like you were still missing a part of yourself. But you've been changing so much during these last few years and I… I wonder if now you're happy? Or at least a little bit?" He shrugged, unsure of how to express himself.

Sasuke seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "I guess… I can say I'm happy. Not exactly as happy as I was two week ago, though, but… it's a different sort of happiness now." He sighed. "It's more preoccupied now rather than the previous carefree happiness of back then, when all I had to think about was my career in Anbu and my so apparently bright future with you. Now, I'm a bit bitter, too. But that's what that thing called 'hope' is for, right? As long as you have it, it's fine. I hope for us, and for our baby. Somehow, it'll be fine."

Naruto understood those words all too well, and it made him crave for that life they used to have even more so they could achieve it once more, but now with a new member to keep them company.

Sasuke was everything to him, and it was all so overwhelming that he didn't even know how to truly say what he felt.

"I didn't feel happy at all before joining team seven. I was miserable, even though I tried to show a happy, relaxed attitude," he admitted, something he had never truly said out loud to anyone before. "Because that mask gave me strength to fight and be who I wanted to be. I wanted to be who I pretended I was. But then I joined our team and I finally felt like I belonged somewhere, even if we're all kind of dysfunctional people with a rather weird, dysfunctional friendship. We were family from the very beginning, and that meant so much to me. Also, I got to work beside you, whom I had been wanting to reach for so long. I am happy when I'm with my friends, and I am happy when I'm with you, even if we fight and bicker and don't always manage to get things across."

He frowned softly, his voice becoming lower while Sasuke listened attentively. "That's why I need you to understand what a vital part of me you are, Sasuke. I always tried to reach you, surpass you. I always tried to make you look at me, acknowledge me… I still want to beat you, and I still need you to see me move forward because that gives me so much strength. Without that, I…"

He was interrupted by a pair of careful lips covering his in a chaste kiss. Considering the awkward angle of their necks, it was rather uncomfortable, so Sasuke pulled away, eyes scanning his features but not really saying anything.

A moment of heavy silence passed between them and Naruto's breath got caught in his lungs when Sasuke released his hand. Then, like a feline in hunting mode, Sasuke turned to his side so he was supporting his weight on one elbow, one hand over Naruto's chest, and leaned down to kiss him again. It was a slow kiss at first, just a brush of lips that made Naruto's heart flutter as if millions of butterflies were flapping their wings inside his chest.

Wrapping a hand around the back of Sasuke's head, he opened his mouth further in an invitation that Sasuke was quick to recognize, tongue skillfully penetrating the moist cavern in a gentle exploration that Naruto reciprocated eagerly.

Next thing he knew, Sasuke's hand was teasingly travelling lower, nails gently scratching along Naruto's abs, but he didn't really take his time in invading Naruto's sweat pants.

The blond inhaled sharply as his half-hard cock was pulled out, Sasuke's warm touch sending sparks of arousal through his body, and when that far too knowing hand began pumping him fast, Naruto couldn't help but release a loud moan against the other's mouth, his body reacting quickly to the stimulation.

Sasuke breathed something against him, but Naruto couldn't make out the words, simply spreading his legs a bit and thrusting his hips upwards against Sasuke's hand, kissing him more ferociously so that their tongues slid across each other. He wanted nothing more than to taste Sasuke, feel him, and touch him. He wanted to give himself completely and not think about anything else.

Feeling Naruto's breath becoming more elaborate, Sasuke squeezed his cock a bit harder and speed up his movements.

"Ngh…" was all Naruto could muster, forgetting how to even kiss his lover properly, but enraptured by the feeling of being jerked off as Sasuke's expert tongue traced his lips languidly and teeth scraped along the seam of them seductively, then sucking on his tongue lewdly in the same way, he knew, he would sometimes use to suck his cock.

It was a mess of sensation and saliva. Everything felt too good, and it seemed like too long had passed since Sasuke had paid this kind of attention to him that being showered like this so suddenly felt too much and Naruto was quick to cum, grunting a poor version of his lover's name in his mouth as he felt his seed leaving him and dirtying both Sasuke's hand and his t-shirt.

Sasuke pulled away from the kiss to look down at him, and through his spotted vision, Naruto saw his lips red and a bit swollen, but he wasn't smiling, simply looking at him with nothing but lust, longing and an indefinable expression that wasn't as positive as the other two. Naruto didn't want to see that – in fact, he just wanted Sasuke to feel the same bliss and completion he was feeling right now and for him to also leave everything else behind and just focus on them.

Because it might take a while before they could prioritize just each other.

Naruto swallowed hard and tucked a strand of Sasuke's hair behind his ear, feeling the piercing there that, to him, felt like a physical proof of their bond.

"Fuck me," he whispered urgently, content with the way Sasuke's eyes seemed to burn then. Neither needed to say anything else, because Sasuke was already changing positions so he was sitting on his heels, sliding his own t-shirt over his head (taking the chance to wipe his hand clean) as Naruto immediately discarded his pants and underwear and also divested of his own t-shirt. Fully naked, he laid down again and watched with eagernss as Sasuke had to take a few seconds to reach for one of their bags – that were close by, next to the futon – to search for one of the two tubes of lube they had brought.

Once he got it, he moved to kneel between Naruto's legs, a frown marring his forehead, caused by impatience. With his lower lip stuck between his teeth, he watched Sasuke lower his pants enough to free his very obvious erection. The seal was pitch black in his abdomen, contrasting heavily with his pale skin tone. It was distractingly beautiful, even more so when Naruto thought that behind it, inside Sasuke, a living being lay.

Even though he had just cum, Naruto couldn't help the spark of arousal from flowing through him as Sasuke popped the cap of the bottle of lube opened and put some on his hand. Then, he used it to coat his cock thoroughly, closing his eyes briefly as he palmed himself. No matter how many times they had already fucked, Naruto doubted there would ever be a day when he would stop being horny for that creature.

When Naruto spread his thighs wider, Sasuke used the remaining lube in his fingers to spread the slick substance it over his entrance, not being shy in pressing one finger all the way inside and finding little resistance. Naruto didn't really feel like he needed prepping, he just wanted his lover inside as soon as possible, so he grabbed for Sasuke's shoulders and pulled him down on top of him so their bodies were fully glued together. The contact of Sasuke's seal with Naruto's own belly was far too warm and the strong absorption of his chakra was instant and welcomed and thrilled him to the point of hysteria.

He captured Sasuke's lips and wound his legs around his waist, luring him close. His lover was obedient to his own lust and Naruto's hunger, removing his finger and using that hand to position his cock over Naruto's entrance and wasting no time in pressing inside in one swift, languid motion. The intrusion stung a bit but was received with a sigh of relief.

Naruto leaned his head back, barely able to focus his vision from all the sensations he was experiencing, Sasuke took the chance to mouth his neck while he began moving inside him at a slow but intense pace that consisted of pulling out almost completely and then pushing back in, until he was buried to the hilt.

Somehow, the blond had expected Sasuke to seek his own release as fast as possible now that the container wasn't such a hassle anymore, and yet, he was doing exactly what Naruto wanted – slow paced fucking that forced them both to be aware of each other and experience fully every single second of it; every thrust, every kiss, every sound, every pant…

He wanted everything Sasuke could possibly want to give to him, for as long as it could possibly last.

How Sasuke could have possibly guessed it Naruto had no idea, and yet, there he was on his back, feeling him inside to such a detailed extent that he couldn't think about a single thing but that heavenly friction, Sasuke's overpowering presence, and the way he could feel hands on his air, then on his sides, on his legs; then a mouth on his, then a tongue on one nipple, then teeth on his neck…

He would cum again – Sasuke wouldn't have it any other way, no matter how long he took or how much he'd hold himself back.

And in moments like these, he understood why, even though the Uchiha was such a fucking bastard sometimes, he was also his entire universe. Because Sasuke cared. Because Sasuke knew him and would always forgive him in anything. Sasuke would always be his.

If he ever doubted anything, this was how he knew that the other was just as helplessly enraptured as he was.

And he knew they were hopelessly lost in everything that was them, with no chances of ever reversing it.

TBC…

OMG, how about that last manga chapter, huh? Personally, I'm very pleased, albeit emotional because of those two dorks. But I sincerely loved it and can't wait to read more.

Anyway, thank you for reading!

See ya next time!

Review?