ENDLESS CYCLE

Chapter 8 : Make up Story

Seven months had passed, and Naruto found himself in a different level of pain. He was in labor. Sasuke sat on a chair near Naruto, holding his hand, feeling as though he was trapped in a genjutsu where Naruto was dying. His hands were cold, and the only reason he remained calm was because he had found Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice. She happened to be in the vicinity, trying to find the drunk and gambling Tsunade, while Sasuke had been desperately searching for a medic ninja in the area.

"What happened?" Shizune asked, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her.

Sasuke, his voice strained with worry, replied, "He's pregnant, and the baby needs to be delivered before drowning in Ruto's body. Please help us."

Shizune deliberately disregarded this man's use of "he" instead of "she." She had seen many strange things in her travels with Tsunade, and now was not the time for questions.

"Okay. Please spread her legs for me to—" Shizune began, but Naruto interrupted her with a pained cry.

"I don't have a f****** vagi**! Cut my bel— Arghh!!!" Naruto screamed, his face contorted in agony.

"What?! How??" Shizune exclaimed, shocked by this revelation.

Sasuke, his Sharingan active with stress, growled, "I'll explain everything later. Do what he says!"

Shizune, pushing her confusion aside, quickly retrieved a storage scroll from her pocket. She pulsed chakra into it, summoning the tools needed for a C-section. With swift, precise movements, she cut into Naruto's lower abdomen.

Moments later, Sasuke found himself pacing anxiously outside Naruto's room. He had been instructed to leave mid-delivery due to his noisy inputs like, "The hell, Ruto is in pain! Do it properly!" or "Are you doing it correctly? Why is Ruto's face like that??"

After what seemed like an eternity, the noise inside the room died down, and Shizune emerged, her face tired but relieved.

"How is h—" Sasuke began, but Shizune cut him off.

"He is fine," she said, her tone tinged with annoyance at Sasuke's earlier behavior. "Like I said, HE is okay, and I delivered a healthy baby boy. The procedure went well, and I've already healed his wound, but I can't heal internal trauma. He needs to rest for his body to heal naturally." She fixed Sasuke with a stern look. "You and I need to talk. I need an explanation."

Sasuke was prepared for this moment. He and Naruto had devised an excuse in case the medic ninja asked questions, but with a slight alteration.

"Ruto is my husband," Sasuke began, his voice steady despite the lie. "He's an Uzumaki. His father survived the Uzumaki siege. His mother was a Namikaze. His parents died protecting him during his childhood." Sasuke paused, adding a touch of sorrow to his voice. "He was already pregnant when his ex-boyfriend died trying to fight Iwa ninjas who wanted Ruto assassinated because he looked like someone they despised."

Shizune listened intently, her medical training allowing her to detect no signs of deception in Sasuke's voice or body language. As the blond boy slept peacefully, realization hit her. Ruto resembled the late Yondaime. This might be the reason why Iwa kept hunting him. But since the Yondaime had died seven months ago, hopefully, Ruto could now live peacefully.

With a nod, Shizune left Sasuke alone with "Ruto" while she resumed her search for her delinquent master.

Sasuke gently took the baby from Naruto's arms, allowing the blond to sleep more comfortably. Upon closer inspection, the baby looked like Naruto, except for the brown hair. Neither of them had whisker marks. The baby's dull blue eyes stared into Sasuke's dark orbs, and Sasuke couldn't help but soften his gaze as the infant smiled at him.