Chapter 10: Expecting, Part 2.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

I fixed the chapter numeration in patreeeon. So, now the number of the chapter here matches with the one in patreeeon.

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 10 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-3 chapters a day in patreeeeon.

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Enjoy you sexy bastards.

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I sighed. I suppose there's no point in trying to find the logic in something that hasn't even happened yet. Maybe after Naruto is born, they use a jutsu to make everyone dumber, and everything just makes sense. I don't know, something like Kinjutsu: Extra Chromosome, or something like that.

That would explain a lot of the things I did remember.

As I continued to humor my silly theories, I felt two familiar chakras approach, followed by the sound of footsteps. Turning around, I watched as Itachi and his father, Fugaku, appeared in the garden.

"Itachi! Fugaku!" Mikoto called out, her smile widening even more. "Join us, we were just talking about you."

Itachi walked over to me, a small smile on his face. "Takeshi, it's good to see you," he said, giving me a nod of greeting.

"It's good to see you too, Itachi," I replied, returning the nod.

Fugaku greeted the ladies with a respectful bow. "Mikoto, Mai, Kushina, it's a pleasure to see you all."

"It's good to see you too, Fugaku," Mai replied with a warm smile. "How have you been?"

"Busy," Fugaku replied, his expression as always serious. "But such is duty."

He then turned his attention to Itachi and me. "Boys, it's time for your training. Let's head to the training grounds."

Itachi and I exchanged a quick glance before standing up. "Yes, Father," Itachi replied, his tone respectful.

"Of course, Lord Fugaku," I added, following Itachi's lead.

Just as we prepared to bow our farewell to the women, a sudden sharp gasp echoed through the garden. Startled, I spun around to see Mikoto clutching the edge of the table, her knuckles pale. Her face had gone white, eyes wide with surprise and something else—anticipation.

"Mikoto?" Kushina's voice held a note of alarm as she too turned towards her friend.

"I...I think...It's time," Mikoto managed to stutter out, her other hand pressing against her swollen belly.

A silence fell upon us all as we processed her words, leaving a single thought in my mind: Sasuke was on his way.

Fugaku was the first to break the silence. "Stay calm, Mikoto," he ordered, albeit his voice held an undertone of worry that I wasn't accustomed to hearing. "We'll get you to the hospital right away."

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The hospital waiting room was eerily quiet, save for the occasional murmur of voices from down the hall. Itachi and I sat in tense silence, the air thick with anticipation. Fugaku paced back and forth, his agitation evident. It was a strange sight, seeing the typically stern and unflappable head of the Uchiha clan struggling to maintain his composure.

I was starting to believe his only emotion was stoicism. Yet at that moment, he was as human as anyone I have ever seen—waiting, worrying, and hoping.

"Itachi, Takeshi, stay calm," Fugaku said, though it sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself. "Everything will be fine."

"Yes, Father," Itachi replied, his voice steady but his eyes betraying his concern. He glanced at me, and I could see the same worry mirrored in his gaze.

In part, I understood why they were worried, but honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal when it came to the reality of things. Shinobi women are vastly more resilient than civilians, making their mortality rate at birth almost zero. In the rare occasions they do die giving birth, it's usually because they were super sick or something along those lines.

In the particular case of Lady Mikoto, she was the epitome of pregnancy health. She followed a strict diet with everything being doctor-approved, she took her vitamins, and never exerted herself, making her pregnancy a no-risk one.

So, I wasn't worried. Not only did I know her pregnancy had been the perfect example of a responsible one, but in the unlikely case something else could have affected her, I would've known by now already, seeing that I could feel her chakra—it was completely fine.

That being said, I wasn't going to be the one to tell them that. I didn't want Fugaku hurling out of the hospital through one of its many windows.

Taking a deep breath, I leaned back in my chair, trying to distract myself by observing the room around us. The walls were painted a soothing shade of blue, and there were a few potted plants strategically placed to add a touch of life to the sterile environment. The nursery seemed to be a few rooms down the waiting room, based on the tiny chakra signatures I could feel in there.

Baby chakra was… different, like a drop of water trickling onto itself, becoming bigger and bigger drop by drop.

"How long do you think it will take?" I asked quietly, not really expecting an answer.

"It depends," Itachi said, his tone calm. "Childbirth can be unpredictable."

That statement mostly applies to civilians, but I won't undermine his worry, at least not now.

Fugaku's pacing slowed for a moment, and he glanced over at us. "Your mother is strong," he said, his voice filled with a mix of pride and worry. "She'll get through this."

It was rather strange to see him so vulnerable. I didn't know what to make of it. In this moment, he wasn't the head of the police, or the head of the Uchiha for that matter; he was just a husband and father, worried about his wife and unborn child.

The sound of footsteps approaching snapped me out of my reverie. A nurse appeared in the doorway, her expression calm and professional. "Fugaku-sama, Itachi-kun, Takeshi-kun," she said, bowing slightly. "Mikoto-sama is doing well. The doctors are with her now, and everything is progressing as it should."

Fugaku let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Thank you," he said, his voice filled with relief.

"Can we see her?" Itachi asked, his eyes filled with hope.

"Not yet," the nurse replied gently. "But I'll keep you updated. Please, try to relax."

Childbirth usually takes hours, between ten to twenty-four for a birth without many complications. That statistic, however, applies only to civilian women. As for shinobi, there still wasn't a statistic for them, or maybe there was, and it was confidential? I wasn't sure. That being said, I had a feeling that we would be here for hours before the baby finally came. Shinobi or not, I doubted their birthing times would be that much faster.

So the only thing we could do, was wait.