Chapter 5: Facing Uncertainty Together: Making Plans

After a few moments the four ninja's in training pulled apart and once again sat down. Naruto looked around at her friends and couldn't help but smile. Never had she thought she would find her self in such unbelievable situation as this in her life. She was well aware that she didn't live a normal life given how she had grown up.

The first couple of years of her life she had actually been raised in an orphanage where the caretakers treated her like trash. When she only four she had gone to the Hokage and asked if she could live on her own. Having seen first hand that Naruto was not treated well at the orphanage the Hokage had granted her access to her personal fund so she take care of herself. The village had created the personal funds as a means to help the orphan children where a percentage of the village taxes went into special bank accounts set aside for each child that would build up until the child reached the age of eighteen. Once the children turned four they were give a small allowance ever month to use as they pleased from their accounts. When the child left the orphanage either to live on their own or by adopt they or the new guardians were give greater access to the account for living express, schooling and health care. Once the child reached the age eighteen what ever was left was put in to a regular account that they would full control of.

Even with the access Naruto who had already figured out that she wasn't like by the villagers had quickly hunted down a cheap apartment in the red light district. She had end up living in a run down apartment ran by old man that ten years past the age of retirement, but was to stubborn to do so. Luckily for her he was so blind he didn't realized that it Naruto moving in to the apartment and for several years lived there without anyone really knowing. True the roof leaked and hot water was lukewarm on the best of days and the walls were so thin that she heard everything going on in the rooms next to her were to different prostitutes lived, but she didn't have worry about being attacked by the caretakers or the older orphans. Even though she was over charged for food she was still able to eat while at the orphanage she was regularly starved and would have her allowance regularly stolen by the older kids so she couldn't get anything on her own. In the end it was better to live on her own then stay in place where at least once she had heard a caretaker whisper to another on why Naruto didn't just die already and save every body the trouble of having to deal with her.

When she had first started school she was excited. Before she had only ever had one real friend and they had grown apart after her friend's father was killed and he seemed to change completely overnight. But it seemed that as soon she made friends she would lose them just as quickly once their parents learned about her. Soon the only times people paid any attention to Naruto was when they wanted make fun of her or when she pulled pranks. It only changed after she was almost killed by couple enemy ninjas and was saved by Iruka and learned that it was because Shikamaru had told him where Naruto was.

After that she ended up hanging out with Shikamaru and Choji since the two of them were a package deal when it came to their friendship. Soon after she ended up saving Akamaru from the river and one of her bullies Kiba ended up becoming her friend as well. While in those first few months together they all became close it was the attack at her first apartment that lead to their friendship becoming so strong. Before the attack they had only really witnessed people kicking her out of stores, calling her cruel names and sometimes throwing rocks at her when people weren't just simple ignoring her existence all together. Once the attack had happened Naruto had feared that her friends or their parents wouldn't want her in their lives anymore. Instead the boys grew so overly protective of her that she ended up snapping at them for letting the people who hurt her win by making her look like some scared little girl. The experience had taught her to be more careful though leading to her constantly moving and hiding away her most precious treasures so they wouldn't get ruined like before. Actions that came in handy as soon after the only Anbu guards that had ever really cared about her died over the next year.

Despite all that Naruto had managed to survive and though saying it would be difficult was a huge understatement Naruto wasn't about to let anything stop her from having and raising her baby. But Naruto knew that she wouldn't be alone in this, as her friends had just shown her. That was enough to give her hope for the future no matter how uncertain it was.

"Okay so seriously what are we going to do," Kiba exclaimed, "I'm not an expert on babies or anything, but I have seen some of the girls in my clan when they are pregnant and they have a tone of symptoms and they get huge. How the heck are we going to hide the fact that Naruto is pregnant when she going swell up like a balloon in the next couple of months.

"Kiba right I mean Naruto's already had morning sickness and fatigue. Right know it just looks like she is sick, but it not like she can pretend to be sick for nine months," Choji stated.

"Well I actually already have ruff plan for some of that," Shikamaru admitted.

"Really?" Naruto asked in shock, "How is that possible?"

"Well the fact that you told me you were raped and pregnant made it a little bit difficult for me to sleep last night for one thing," Shikamaru explained with a look of exasperation, "And its just a small plan to help with Naruto's early symptoms."

"What you got Shika?"

"Well Naruto already plans to pass the baby off as Hina's so she has to make sure that during first couple of months that she can pass off the symptoms as Hina's while hiding them at school. The fatigue is easy since you have been working harder in school and just pass it off as you training more and studying late at night. The morning sickness is a little bit more difficult. I remember that when my cousin Ensui's wife was pregnant she would eat ginger or ginger root to help with her nausea so we could try that and see if it helps. But we have the weekend to figure that before we go back to school. Mood swings aren't too much of problem since your usually very emotional anyway. If you end up with the craving we will have deal with that when it happen since we don't know just what you would want until it happens.

"Okay sounds a little to easy there Shikamaru?" Kiba commented Akamaru barking in agreement.

"It not going to be easy. But this unknown territory for me so its best I can do with what I know right know," Shikamaru admitted, "I like said we have the weekend to go over and make the plan better. Naruto you think you could get a couple of baby books. Try to find one on teenage pregnancies if you can since that would be a little closer to your situation.

"Okay Shika, but what about taijutsu class?" Naruto asked worriedly, "If someone hits me in the stomach during class it will hurt the baby."

The group went silent at that state. After a few moments silence Kiba suddenly jumped and shouted, "I got it! We can use the seal my sister uses on our dogs."

"What are you talking about Kiba?" Naruto questioned with a nervous look.

"Okay look my sister is the one who looks after the dogs of my clan. A few months ago when I was helping her out around the vet office she had me detract a first time mother when she placed a piece of paper with this weird seal on her stomach. The seal like imprinted onto the dog's stomach leaving the paper blank after she pulled it way. She told me that our great-great grandfather was an expert with seal and created this seal to help protect the female dogs when they were pregnant. The seal basically creates a barrier around the womb giving the pup extra protection."

"Why would he create something like that?" Choji asked.

"During the Clan Wars enemy ninjas started attacking the pregnant females either kill them or cause them miscarry their pups so as take out the next generation of ninken since our fighting style is based on having them as our partner. My grandfather designed it so only a member of Inuzuka clan could activate and deactivate the seal with their chakra. Chakra basically raps around the dogs' womb creating a barrier around the womb that can shield the pups from physical attacks."

"Okay that would be pretty useful except you just said he made it for dogs," Choji pointed out.

"That's how it started out, but as the wars got worse one clan upped their game. An assassin was sent in to attack and kill my grandfather and grandmother. Problem was my grandfather had to leave suddenly because of another attack at the border of compound. He left without waking my grandmother because she was eight months pregnant with my great-grandma and was having a hard time getting sleep so he wanted her to get as much as she could. He left with his main partner and the assassin happened to attack right after. Lucky my grandfather had left his two other dogs behind to protect her."

"Wait how did the assassin get so close? I mean thanks to your clan's enhanced senses your family it should nearly impossible to get so close?" Naruto questioned.

"This clan was like our clans biggest rivals because they used ninneko. They could use this cat's foot jutsu to sneak around without making a single sound and had this special powder that could make their ninja's scentless. Anyway the incident scared my grandfather so bad the decided to try and remake the seal to protect unborn child as well and pups. It took few years, but by the time his second child was on the way and he had finished it. It ended saving the child's life because in the early stages of the pregnancy there was another attack and the assassin got a lucky throw and his kunai hit my grandmother in the stomach. It pierced her stomach, but didn't get passed the barrier.

"Wow that's actually pretty impressive, but don't barrier seals need a constant flow of chakra to stay up," Shikamaru inquired.

"That's what made the seal so great. Once it was activated it would leach a small amount of the mother's charka keeping the barrier up. My sister even said that the stronger the mother's chakra was the better the barrier was. Believe it or not this seal helped my clan become a part of the village. It was one of the things that my clan offered as a contribution to the village when they going. During the wars it was used to protect a lot powerful ninjas' families from being attack to take out the future generation."

"Oh my god Kiba that's perfect," Naruto shouted as she jumped up from the couch and hugged the boy, "If you can get that seal and we put it on my stomach I won't have to worry about the baby getting hurt and still go to school!"

"Yeah, but there's a problem?" Shikamaru stated, "Something of that kind of value would be kept under close guard at your clan's estate or be locked away the Scroll of Seals."

"Damn it Shikamaru's right," Kiba exclaimed, "There's no way we could get a hold of the seal at estate. My mom would be keeping something like that guarded with every fang and kunai she could spare."

"Then why don't we just get the one in Scroll of Seals," Naruto stated with shrug.

"Seriously Naruto the scroll is kept in the Hokage's office under the guard of the Anbu. Plus we have no clue where its hidden," Choji pointed out.

"Actually I know where he keep it," Naruto explained.

"WHAT!"

"A while back I was setting up a prank in his office with bunch of exploding paint tags and I accidently knocked over a couple scrolls. When I was putting them back so I wouldn't get found out I notice this really big scroll that was hidden behind them. I was curious so I took a look and it turned out to be the Scroll of Seals. I heard someone coming so I quickly up and got out there. He ended up finding all them before they went off except for the one I hide in his 'secret' sake drawer. He had green paint stuck in his beard for week," Naruto said with wicked smile.

"But I thought the Hokage's office was heavily guarded at all of the day and night," said Shikamaru.

"Normally yes, but remember whenever we have ambassadors the village is put on high alert and the Hokage has extra guards that never leave his side for his protection. I pulled that prank while he was just finished the trade negotiations with the ambassador from the Village Hidden in the Sand. During the meeting the left inside of his office unguarded and I snuck in when his secretary was in the bathroom."

"So it could be months before the next ambassador comes to the village," Kiba complained as Akamaru growled in agreement.

"Actually a different guy is going to be visiting in about a month from the Sand since they apparently weren't happy with how the last meeting turned out for them," Naruto explained.

"Yeah, but even if you can get to the scroll then you'd still have to wait month," Choji murmured in worry.

"Choji's right Naruto what will you do until then?" Shikamaru exclaimed.

"I'll just have to be careful. I'm pretty good in taijutsu class and it still early so as long as I don't get hit to hard in stomach the baby won't get hurt. It's the best we can do until then, because I can't just act like I'm sick for the next month.

The boys were silent a few moments and the, Shikamaru signed and said, "I don't want admit it, but it probably is the best we can do until then."

Choji then looked at the clock on the kitchen wall and said "Guys it's getting late and I promised my mom I'd be home for dinner.

"Yeah I need get home too. My mom probably still worried about how sick I was yesterday," Shikamaru admitted.

"What?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock.

"I had small breakdown after I left yesterday it not important."

"Come on Akamaru," Kiba said, "We better get home."

The small dog gave small bark in agreement before heading to them door. Each of the boys hugged Naruto and said, "Good night." Naruto sat in the living room silently for a few moments when she felt a tug on her sleeve. Naruto looked down and smiling softly at Akane as she playfully bit and pulled at Naruto's sleeve. Naruto picked the little kit and headed to her bedroom. Even though it was still light out she felt exhausted as she changed into her pajamas. Having to reveal the truth to Kiba and Choji and begin planning just how they were going keep her secret just seemed leave her drained. Still as Naruto lay down in her bed with Akane snuggled up close her hand slid to her stomach with shaky smile on her face. She was facing an uncertain future, but she wasn't facing it a lone that gave her hope for her and child's future together.

Finally got through the writes block on this one hope you enjoyed the chapter.