Ripples

Chapter 6

                       Machinations

Sakura was going through the beginning steps of her kata when she felt a dull, familiar ache begin to radiate from her abdomen.

The medic froze. 'Crap!'

She was starting her period.

Sakura wasted no time – she mentally flicked through the catalogue of jutsus in her memory, locating the one all kunoichis were taught, the one that could halt menstruation. It was designed to be performed on missions when a period, and all it entailed, would be inconvenient, and Sakura felt this more than qualified. Sure, the actual bleeding could probably be dealt with (and the mental image of Sasuke's face when she asked him for the necessary supplies was almost enough to tempt her into going through with it) but she didn't want even a hint of cramps to interfere with her escape.

Of course, an escape plan was yet to come to her, but she wanted to be ready when it did.

She performed the jutsu, glad it required only a minimum amount of chakra – no more than her transformation, really – and so wouldn't leave her with any ill-effects.

Of course, it might be a bit suspicious that she wasn't having her period (because in all honesty, she wouldn't put it past to Orochimaru to have someone monitoring what went into and out of Sasuke's room), but she suspected the sannin would be more pleased than suspicious. After all, he wanted her pregnant, didn't he?

Sakura was unable to hold in a slight grimace. The idea that Orochimaru and Kabuto were waiting for her to become pregnant by Sasuke was disturbing on so many levels she barely knew where to begin.

In the meantime, she'd keep spitting out Kabuto's mixture. She knew that, since she wasn't having sex, it probably wouldn't hurt her to drink the fertility potion, but she didn't trust anything Kabuto made. Drinking something Kabuto had brewed felt akin to shoving her hand down a tiger's mouth and then slapping it on the nose.

There were bad ideas, and then there were Bad Ideas. Willingly swallowing a potion Kabuto had prepared felt like the latter.

"It's me!" came the sudden bark from the other side of the door, and Sakura went to open it, rolling her eyes at Sasuke's brusqueness.

"Did anyone try to get in?" was the first thing out of his mouth when he entered.

"What, no 'hi, how was your day'?" Sakura huffed. "Honestly, Sasuke! You're so focused on your own goals – I don't feel I'm getting what I need out of this relationship."

Her serious, affronted face lasted until the end of sentence, and then Sakura dissolved into giggles.

Sasuke somehow managed to look long-suffering, exasperated and deeply unimpressed all at once.

'Quite a feat for someone whose face seems to be locked on the 'default' setting,' Sakura mused, before speaking again. "Oh, come on, Sasuke, lighten up and have pity on the poor shut-in – I need to get my amusement somewhere!"

"Did anyone try to get in?" he repeated.

"Kabuto...I think," Sakura admitted. "A while after you left, the doorknob jiggled a bit – like someone tried to open it. I asked who was there, but there was nothing, so I put my eye against the keyhole and saw Kabuto walking away. And he said something – it was kinda hard to catch, but it sounded like 'interesting'."