Chapter Text
Fate had to be a woman; Naruto was pretty sure of that now. Only a woman could have conjured something like this up. She had a sick sense of humor, only Naruto wasn’t laughing.
No, there was nothing funny about this. This was a can of worms waiting to be opened, bring with it a trouble and pain that he had yet to know existed. The whole thing smelled of death, unfortunately not his own. He had wished for death many times in the past month, hoping to ease the pain away. The deep-rooted ache that never seemed to quite fade away.
Death though was no longer an option. Fate had given him a much grimmer agony.
Naruto’s hands came to rest on his clothed stomach and the small life that was now growing with in. It was a miracle, yet the cruelty behind this act of god was laughable. A demon’s child would have no life. No, it would have a life, that of a demon’s.
Flashes of days long since pasted went through Naruto’s mind as he thought of the cruelty this child would have to bear. Fortunately, the child might not have to worry of such things, surely the council would not even let the retched beast be born in the first place.
The baby’s life was only possible by the help of the bijuu that housed itself with in the blond. Naruto knew that the baby would be seen as a threat and thus eradicated. A sad notion yes, but somehow Naruto found it more humane then to let the child live a life of hatred.
But then what would they think if they only knew the identity of the other father. Onyx eyes came to mind causing an ache in his heart.
Surely the council would let the child live if they knew it was the Uchiha heir. Oh, but how to prove it to them, it could all be a trick. The lot of them were nothing but superstitious fools. They were to blind to see the truth, they would not take the word of a demon like himself. Beside why would an Uchiha pick a beast to share his bed with.
Naruto had often wondered that himself. Why had Sasuke chosen him? Deep down he knew the truth. He was the only one that would give Sasuke what he needed; a chance to prove that he was alive. The Uchiha knew that Naruto would keep his mouth shut and not expect loving words or devotion from him. To Sasuke, Naruto was nothing but an instrument to be used as he saw fit. Naruto knew he should be saddened by this realization, but somehow, he always knew that Sasuke never loved him. He was ok with that.
It would have explained how he had been able to leave Naruto so easily. To just up and walk away, choosing power over him. Momentarily he wondered if it would have been any different if Sasuke had known he was caring his child.
If anything, the child would have been dead by now. He doubted that Sasuke wanted anything tying him to the blond. Naruto though found comfort in knowing that he had a part of Sasuke within him. A part that would love him, and that part was the selfish part. That part wanted the baby to live, even if it was to face an ugly world.
Naruto did not know what was stronger, but he feared that his selfishness would win in the end. The question was, could he condemn another to live a life like he had.
The door to his left clicked, the knob turning as it was opened.
Tsunade walked in, looking worn and old. Her genjutsu was flawless as always, yet her eyes gave away the lie. Her age and wisdom were reflected in them, along with the stress that seemed to accumulate since Naruto came to her a week ago.
“Well, your blood work came back, and it seems you and the baby are doing fine. Everything is how it should be.” Words that were supposed to be said with happy smiles and joyous words, was spoken in grim truth. Deep down they both hoped for a reason to abort the child, to spare them the sickening knowledge that they would be the ones to blame for the child’s suffering.
Naruto looked up from his clenched hands, a painfully fake smile plastered on a deathly pale face.
“I’m glad to hear that.” The words were hollow, but there was a relief in them that did not go unnoticed by Tsunade. She knew that Naruto did not want his child killed, even if it meant sparing it from a life in hell.
In her many nights of staying up late, thinking over the situation she had come to upon an idea. One that might save the child and themselves from the guilt. It would be hard for Naruto, but she knew that he would do it for the sake of his child.
“Naruto.” He looked at her with that smile still on his face, a smiling face with dead eyes. “Would you do anything to save your child?”
Silence hung thickly in the air, making the tension in the room double. Naruto stared straight ahead as if he had not heard her. Tsunade almost thought that the words had gone unheard until, he turn determined blue eyes towards her. His eyes shown a light she had not seen in such a long time. It made her heart clench at the thought of how much the blond boy had changed.
“I would do anything...” Would he really do anything? Would he even give up his life for a life he did not yet know? Yes, because this was a part of Sasuke too. In the time that he sat here, Naruto had come to that conclusion. He would be selfish and keep the child alive for it was the only part of Sasuke he had left, and he would not let it go so easily.
“Then I might have an idea.” Tsunade sat in her desk across from the pregnant man. “You would have to live in hiding though until the baby was born. There is a room here in the tower that could house you. No one would be able to know about this, or your condition.” She explained keeping eye contact with Naruto, making sure he understood what she was implying. He needed to be fully aware of what she was saying. This was not a decision she wanted him to make lightly. “We will inform your friends that you are going on a mission that might take you a few months to complete. They won’t be the wiser.”
She paused for a moment pulling out a flask of sake and a small cup before pouring herself a shot of the alcoholic beverage. She needed something to calm her jittery nerves.
“When the baby is born, I will take it away. He or she will live in the orphanage till they become of age to join the academy. You will not be allowed to raise them or have any close relationship with them. No one can suspect anything; I do not need to remind you what the council will do if they find out and let’s not mention the danger the child could be in if it was let out that they were an Uchiha. Are you willing to give up your child and have no importance in their life? Can you cast them aside and let fate take them where it wishes? I am serious Naruto; you cannot be a part of their life. If anything, you will just be Uzumaki Naruto to them. Nothing more and nothing less. Can you really do that?”
Naruto was silent, could he really do that? Hanging his head, he sighed. He had to do it; he would cast aside his child. It was for their own good. He could do it. Naruto had to do it. If he knew that a part of Sasuke was still close, as long as it lived, he knew that he could do it.
Looking up once again Naruto smiled, a true smile. “Yeah, I can do that. For the sake of my child, I can do it.”
Tsunade nodded, standing up from her desk. “Well then, I will get everything prepared. Be here tomorrow morning and bring some of your stuff. You are going to be in confinement for quite a while.”
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Naruto walked away from the tower a million thoughts and questions running through his head. Could he really ignore his child as he grew up? He would have to. Would it stay a secret? He would have to be sure that it did. What about the sharingan? Wouldn’t people realize the child’s lineage when they developed doujutsu? Would they even inherit it? This Naruto didn’t know, but he figured that things would be solved when the time came. Until then he would trust in Tsunade to make the right choices.
As he walked off his mind wandered to a future that would never be. A future with Sasuke at his side smiling warmly at their child as he played. If only the future looked that bright. No, his future held no happy family, only loneliness.