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The soft rustling of leaves in the wind was the only sound that accompanied the two of them as they walked. Sakura Haruno kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead, but every step felt heavier than the last. The once-sweet breeze now felt sharp, biting, a reminder of the tension that simmered between her and Sasuke.
The distance between them had grown over the past few weeks. A distance that started with small, unspoken frustrations, but had quickly snowballed into something much bigger. They had been traveling for what felt like an eternity, and the only thing more exhausting than the journey itself was the silent fight that lingered between them. A fight neither had addressed, but both knew was there.
Sasuke walked beside her, his usual unreadable expression making it difficult for her to decipher what was going through his mind. He hadn’t spoken much, and his presence was as cold and distant as the wind. He wasn’t exactly angry—at least, not in the way he usually got when something truly upset him—but the quiet seemed louder than any argument they could have had.
Sakura sighed, her mind elsewhere. Her body, too, had been feeling strange lately. The nausea that came and went, the fatigue, the dizziness that would sometimes strike her out of nowhere—there was no denying it any longer. She had been feeling this way for over a week, and each day it became harder to ignore.
Sakura’s heart clenched at the thought. She didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to acknowledge it. Not yet, anyway. She had been hoping it was just stress, the weight of their journey taking a toll on her. But deep down, she knew. She had been suspecting it for days now, but it was only after a brief moment of silence this morning that it finally hit her like a ton of bricks.
She was pregnant.
The realization made her stomach twist in a mix of emotions—fear, excitement, confusion. She hadn’t even told Sasuke yet. How could she? They had been barely speaking to each other, let alone discussing something so monumental. She didn’t know how he would react, or if he would even care.
---
Later that night, as the stars twinkled above them, the tension between them was palpable. They had set up camp just outside a small village, and while Sasuke meditated silently at the edge of the clearing, Sakura stood by the campfire, poking at the embers with a stick. The warmth from the fire didn’t help the chill in her bones.
Her thoughts kept spiraling back to the same place—the unborn child growing inside of her. It wasn’t just a question of how Sasuke would react. It was more complicated than that. Could they handle this? Could they be parents?
Sasuke, still lost in his own thoughts, glanced up at her from across the fire. His eyes, dark and distant, flickered with something—something she couldn’t quite place.
"Sakura," he said, his voice cutting through the still night air. She turned, startled by his sudden words. "You’ve been distant today."
She looked at him, her heart beating a little faster. "I’m not distant," she replied, her tone too defensive even to her own ears. She quickly turned back to the fire, trying to focus on anything but the unease in her chest.
Sasuke’s gaze never wavered. "Something’s wrong," he continued, his voice softer now, but still firm. "You’ve been… different."
Sakura’s throat tightened. Was he talking about her mood, or was he sensing something else? She wasn’t ready to have this conversation, not like this, not when everything felt so fragile between them.
She forced a smile, trying to brush him off. "I’m just tired. We’ve been traveling for days, Sasuke. I’m fine."
Sasuke’s silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he stood up and approached her, his footsteps soft on the ground. He reached her side, his presence towering over her.
"I’m not blind, Sakura," he said, his voice low, but with an edge to it. "I can tell when something’s wrong."
She couldn’t meet his gaze. Her hands were trembling slightly, and she hated it. She hated that he could see through her so easily, and hated even more that she couldn’t tell him the truth.
"You’re hiding something," he added, his voice softer now, almost gentle, like he was trying to coax it out of her. "And I want to know what it is."
Sakura bit her lip, her mind racing. Her eyes flicked nervously to the ground, then to Sasuke. She wanted to tell him everything, but the fear of his reaction held her back. The uncertainty of the situation—of them—loomed over her. They hadn’t been in a good place for a while now, and what if this news only made things worse?
She stood up abruptly, brushing past him. "I need some air," she muttered, heading into the dark woods before Sasuke could stop her. She didn’t even know where she was going, only that she needed to get away for a while, to think.
But Sasuke didn’t let her go far. She barely made it to the edge of the trees when she heard his voice calling her name.
"Sakura."
She froze, her heart pounding as his voice reached her ears. Sasuke was standing just a few feet behind her, watching her carefully, as if he knew the turmoil inside her.
"I’m not letting you run away from this, not anymore," he said, his voice firm, but there was an undertone of concern she hadn’t expected.
Sakura’s chest tightened. She wanted to scream at him, tell him that she couldn’t handle it, that she wasn’t ready to face whatever this was. But all she did was take a shaky breath, her mind spinning in every direction.
She turned around to face him, her back pressed against the rough bark of a tree. The distance between them now felt vast, though only a few feet separated them. Her eyes locked with his, and for a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she whispered, "I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do anymore, Sasuke." Her voice cracked as she fought to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to pour over her. "I don’t know if I’m ready for this."
Sasuke’s eyes softened. He stepped closer, reaching out to gently grasp her shoulder. "We don’t have to have all the answers right now," he said quietly. "But we’ll figure it out. Together."
Sakura closed her eyes at his words, feeling the knot in her chest loosen slightly. There was something about his presence, something about his steadiness, that made her believe she didn’t have to carry this burden alone.
But before she could respond, her hand flew to her mouth as a wave of nausea hit her unexpectedly. She staggered, her knees going weak, but Sasuke caught her immediately, pulling her into his arms.
"Sakura?" His voice was low with concern, his grip tightening around her waist. "What’s going on?"
She swallowed, trying to calm the sudden panic rising within her. She hadn’t expected the wave to hit her here, of all places. But she could feel it—her body was telling her something, and it was something she couldn’t ignore any longer.
"I’m fine," she managed to say, but even as she spoke, she knew she wasn’t.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his suspicion growing. "You’re not fine," he said, his tone sharp now. "What’s really going on?"
Sakura hesitated for a long moment, torn between revealing the truth and keeping it to herself for a little longer. But as she looked up into Sasuke’s face, she saw the genuine concern there—something that hadn’t been present in so long.
With a heavy heart, she whispered, "I’m pregnant, Sasuke."
---
The words hung between them like a fragile thread, and for a moment, Sasuke didn’t speak. He stared at her, his face unreadable, before his hand reached out to gently touch her cheek. His thumb brushed against her skin, as if making sure she was really there, and his voice came out low, almost to himself.
"Pregnant?" he repeated, his mind struggling to process the news.
Sakura nodded, her eyes brimming with emotion. "I’ve been suspecting it for days, but I needed to be sure. I didn’t know how to tell you. I wasn’t sure how you’d react."
Sasuke stood there, frozen for a moment longer, before he closed the distance between them. His hand rested on her stomach, the place where their child would grow.
"I don’t know what this means, but we’ll figure it out," he said, his voice quiet but steady. "You’re not alone in this, Sakura. Not anymore."
Tears welled up in Sakura’s eyes, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to hope. They didn’t have all the answers, but maybe, just maybe, they could find a way forward—together.