Simple Manipulation

.:Twenty-two:.

...She just wants to...fall in love again...

You felt a strong tug on the rope then your head broke the surface of the water. You gasped for air and coughed hard. "Get me out of here! Please! Please..." You started to cry. "Please get me out of here."

"Give me a minute." Sasuke muttered as he hoisted you high enough to grab you.

"Itachi, he--he...he killed Ko." You clung to him as soon as he had your hands free.

"I know."

You stopped and looked at him. "You know?"

He wrapped his cloak around you. "I retraced our steps and found a folder filled with evidence that Itachi..." He took a deep breath. "She left a note saying that if I found it, it meant that she was no longer able to tell me herself...She knew he would kill her."

"Why didn't she say something? You could have--"

"I don't think she believed I would have believed her. I think she knew it would have to end like this...She was pregnant." He knelt down and start to work on the rope that bound your ankles. You didn't know what to say. "You don't have to say anything. We didn't get a chance to acknowledge the pregnancy."

"I'm sorry for the loss of your family...both families." You whispered.

"Me too." He looked up at you.

"He put her and my aunt in the lake. Right where you pulled me out. I-I don't want to see my aunt again but Ko's...in fairly good condition. She deserves a proper burial." You wiped your eyes. You desperately needed a shower and a toothbrush.

"We'll take her with us back to Konoha."

"What?"

"Someone needs to tell them the truth...all of it. You can't be labled by that village as someone you're not." He stared into the water, looking at the top of Kohana's head. "She worked hard to get that information. I won't it go to waste." He knelt down at the edge of the water and reached in. With your help, he wrapped her body in his cloak, covering her face. Words failed you when tears fell from his eyes and he turned away from you, his shoulders shook as he cried silently. Since you wanted to preserve the condition of Kohana's body for autopsy and funeral, Sasuke decided that leaving right then would be best.

You both made it to the outskirts of Konoha early the next morning, close to two a.m. "How about we stop here and make camp for the night? It'll give us time to rest before we go in. It'll take a lot of fast thinking and talking to keep us from being killed on sight. Especially carrying...Ko."

You nodded. Since you didn't have anything, you had to lie down next to Sasuke who propped himself up against a tree with Kohana's body on the other side of him. Because you were so exhausted, sleep immediately claimed you. There were no dreams, no messages. Just...peace.

At first light of dawn, you stirred and woke up. Sasuke stood in front of you, hands in his pockets, looking up at the village's wall that loomed in the distance. "Sasuke?"

"No matter what they do to me or say about me, stick with the absolute truth as you know it. Don't lie about anything for any reason."

"Okay." You got up, stopped, then doubled over as you vomited.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke rushed over then rubbed your back.

"I've been feeling shitty these past few days." You stood upright. "Nausea. Light-headed. I can't wait for this to be over so I can rest and finally try to relax."

Sasuke pressed his lips into a thin, worried line but said nothing else about it. He picked up Kohana's body bridal style. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." You smiled weakly.

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Despite Kohana's journal and research, ANBU still insisted on administering lie detection testing on both of you. Your test was admittedly quick and painless, only involving you drinking a truth serum. Afterwards, Tsunade asked you to sit in her office and tell her (over a cup of tea) what happened. You threw up the tea and she held her hand over your abdomen to check for any internal injuries.

"(Y/n)?"

"Yes?" You looked up at her aftter wiping your mouth and drinking the water she had offered.

"When was the last time you and Itachi were intimate?"

You thought hard. "At least four days ago...why?"

She hesitated. "You're pregnant."

You choked. "I-impossible!"

"It's hard to mistake the pulse of life I'm feeling for anything but a fetus."

"B-but..."

"(Y/n)'s pregnant?"

You turned to see Sasuke standing in the doorway.

Tsunade nodded. He took in a deep breath and puffed out his chest. "Hokage-sama, I request the deed to my parent's house...so that I can help her raise my niece or nephew. If the child develops Sharingan, I want to be the one to train him or her to use it properly. I want to have a hand in rebuilding our clan...starting with the child she's carrying."

"How do you know she even wants to keep the child?"

Sasuke looked at you, eyes pleading. "(Y/n)."

"Sasuke, she may not want to have a murderer's child."

"Itachi may have been a murderer...but that doesn't mean his child will be one." You nodded to Sasuke.

"Fine by me." She smiled.

~---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~

You walked down the hall, coming to a stop in the doorway of Itachi's old room.

"You don't have to take that room. I cleaned out my parents' room so you could have it. It has the biggest closet."

"Where will we set up the nursery?"

He paused. "I was going to ask you about that. We could put the crib in your bedroom."

"And what will this room be used as?"

"Storage."

You looked at the window you had climbed through many times. "I want this room. You should take your parents' room."

He nodded and leaned against the door frame. "Only four more months until the baby gets here."

You nodded with a smile. Your smile fell. "It felt like Kohana was there when I was in that lake, giving me air. Like she was my guardian angel."

Sasuke picked up your smile. "I'm willing to bet she was there. Angels tend to look out for one another."

...She's broken like an angel...