Empty Eyes: The Sequel

Chapter 50

I stared at the ring on my fourth finger, absently brushing my pinky against it.

It's been five weeks since Tsunade delivered me to Yahiko and Konan. At first, I was terrified it'd all been a ruse and that I'd be murdered immediately, but that didn't happen. In fact, other than the occasional visit from Kisame, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and I are left alone in a large bedroom with multiple beds and bars on the windows.

With the blonde woman's healing and the large amount of blood I was being fed, the black webbing on my arms receded to just my hands, and the dizzy, painful spells almost completely stopped. I stubbornly don't want to admit it, but she'd been correct that surrendering was my only hope.

As it turns out, Orochimaru is not alive. Well, if he is, he's not in the company of the Amegakure vampires. The surviving royals from Ame happened upon one of his old hideouts and unearthed mountains of medical research papers. It was with those that Zetsu learned how to clone himself and alter his appearance, plus a massive quantity of my blood that they'd collected while I was their prisoner.

When I arrived at this unsuspecting house they'd purchased and made appear completely normal, Yahiko clarified that they intend to steal my children as soon as they're born and raise them as his and Konan's own. They'll tell them they're all siblings since they'll only be a few weeks younger.

If I survive the birth, by some miracle, the Amegakure royals intend to keep me as a glorified blood bag in hopes my blood will offer more gifts, like it had to Zetsu. They said they'd simply drain and dispose of my body if I die.

We'd made a mistake in assuming they had a big, intricate plan when, in fact, it was simple. Blackmail, kidnapping, and hostages are all things that we're used to already.

Sure, my health hasn't declined as quickly while my stomach continues to grow, but that doesn't mean everything is okay. This ring, its stone, plagues my mind every moment I'm not panicking about the swiftly approaching due date.

Sasuke's life is on the line just as much as mine; at least, that's what's supposed to happen since he gifted me with this ring. When I agreed to let Sasuke stay behind, the myth wasn't in my mind. All I can do is prepare to fight for my life and pray Madara can find a way to prevent it from happening.

I miss the prince more than ever before, even when I was Kaguya's prisoner. I'm terrified. Each morning, I wake up to find my stomach slightly more swollen and my energy level lower. If ever I needed him by my side for support, it's now. There's no one else that can take his place, either. Even Ino wouldn't be able to soothe my panic like Sasuke.

Now, I understand why she acted the way she did when pregnant. There's something so intimate and personal about the knowledge that these babies are ours, his and mine. We created life. It's like they're aware their father isn't with us and are just as upset as me.

"We have a problem," Tsunade whispered in hopes of not being heard by any of our captors outside the room.

I raised my upper body with my elbows on the bed and looked down to where the medic was checking to ensure things were normal.

She does these check-ups every four or five days, and it never becomes less uncomfortable, no matter how many times it happens. Jiraiya sat in a chair bedside near my head, his eyes averted, though he couldn't see anything from where he sat.

With my pulse rising steadily, I furrowed my brow, hissing, "What do you mean?"

Her topaz-colored eyes danced over to her lover and then back to me. She hesitantly expressed, "There's only one heartbeat, and the baby is much further along than expected. Have you been feeling more fatigued in the past week?"