A/N: As of 5/7/2022, this chapter went through some changes. This time was mostly updates to the dialogue, but I also added a few extra scenes, ones that make my heart feel like it's about to explode from my chest. I'll let you guess which ones ;___; Thanks for sticking with me all this time!
Also, this chapter's picture is fanart drawn as a gift for Valentine's Day by my good friend Milo-chan on Ao3 ^^
~~~
"Obito, you and (y/n) are expecting a baby."
Wide-eyed, Obito blinked twice at the news. His mouth hung slightly agape and his body stilled in fright while the rosy tinge of his blush stung at his cheeks.
"A... ba... uh... but... we...?"
Your own cheeks glowed a vibrant rosy color, the redness deepening after each passing second of Obito's unintelligible speech.
"She, there's, I'm... d-dad...?" he babbled in your direction before yanking his head away sharply in sheepish apprehension upon sharing eye contact with you, to which your head lowered back to where your gaze landed on your lap, catching Rin's attention.
"(y/n)," her soft voice beckoned. "If you're worried, it's not that uncommon for a couple to start a family without making it official. Do you know what I mean?"
You nodded your head, your chin slightly tucked at a downward angle.
Your low effort response prompted Obito to snap out of his stupefied daze as he and Rin regarded you with concern in their expressions. Silence clouded the room, allowing you to reflect on the negativity in your demeanor.
"I-I'm so sorry... I don't mean to... I... y-yeah... I understand, Rin. I've just been feeling... horrible lately."
It greatly pained you to witness the worrisome expression on Obito's face; you somehow managed to choke out what you had gone through that day on the way to the hospital – your grave mistake with the Kazekage, Orochimaru, and Tobi. You were physically and emotionally unable to bring yourself to mention him by name to Obito, but seeing you so beaten down and shattered, you knew that Obito was in just as much pain as you were.
"I will advise you as honestly as possible," Rin said, her professional attitude back full force. "Try to put a cap on your stress levels. It's normal to experience mood swings during pregnancy, but by the looks of it, the amount of stress you're currently undergoing can have serious consequences for your little one."
She then averted her attention back to the papers in her arms, her expression turning solemn. "Which also brings up the concern I have about the toxins you inhaled recently. I would like for you to return weekly so we can keep an eye on your child's development; we don't know what sort of harm that toxin can do to a developing child. In the meantime, I suggest finding methods to reduce your current stress levels. Whatever that may be, I'm here to support you both," she offered with a gentle closed-eye smile.
~~~
The trek back home was a torturous one. The unrelenting chirping of numerous crickets in the distance were the only melody to accompany you. Obito insisted on carrying you bridal-style back home, as you still had minimal energy to do so yourself, but other than that, neither one of you spoke to each other. The news was still in the process of consolidating in your minds, but Obito's especially. This truly was not what he was expecting to return home to.
You found the courage to peer up at Obito, to find his expression fatigued yet blank. He sensed you watching him but chose to observe the path straight ahead.
"...Are you upset?"
Obito peered down at you for the first time since you two stepped foot outside before his gaze returned to the road, his gentle pace softly swayed you up and down with each step forward.
"...I wish you would start thinking things through before you run off somewhere. We've been dealing with this since we were kids. Even when you say you're from 'another world' and somehow know what will happen, that doesn't mean you're invincible." He then scanned your face once more to survey your reaction, his stress-rimmed eyes squinting slightly. "Unless you're hiding something else from me."
"No, I'm not. And... I-I don't mean that, Obito. You know what I'm talking about."
Obito understood what you were truly referring to, but fear and apprehension forced his mouth shut. He didn't know what to think. On the outside, he was calm, unresponsive, but you knew that he was hysteric on the inside – overwrought with what it meant to be a parent. Late nights staying awake soothing the distressed crying, having to watch out for them every minute of every day, but what Obito feared most was being responsible for being his child's role model.
Being a parent meant teaching his kids everything – how to dress, how to act, perhaps in this case it meant teaching them how to be a formidable shinobi as well. Obito's mind leaped with both fear and exhilaration at the idea. To pass down one's knowledge to their successor to become an even stronger generation than the one before them – that doesn't sound so bad, Obito pondered. It meant that he would be their personal sensei – an idea that pulled an anxiety-ridden chuckle out of him.
Then again, did he truly want his kid to become a ninja in the first place? Being a protector of the village was incredibly dangerous. He didn't know if he could knowingly put his kid in danger like that.
But with Uchiha in their blood, that would put their skills at an advantage, right? But will they even have their Sharingan? Heh... maybe I'm looking too far ahead here.
Either way, he accepted the responsibility of a child even when he was so close to his ultimate goal of becoming Hokage. Such a steep change of plans would surely alter the chance of him receiving the ultimate responsibility of watching over the village. You knew this.
"I'm sorry..." you muttered under your breath. You weren't sure if you were sorrier about running off against his wishes, or for the unexpected addition that will soon be occupying Obito's home.
He watched your reaction as your exhausted eyes fastened their sight to the ground with a grave expression, full to the brim with accountability. Traces of soot still masked bits of your face, which told him of the struggle to escape the labyrinth, and your desperate attempts to take Tobi with you. It took every ounce of your willpower not to break down in sobs upon retelling the events, but that didn't stop a steady flow of tears from rolling down your cheeks and mixing with the ashy residue as it blended within your teardrops before dripping to the pavement below, marking the spots a faint grey wherever they landed.
"...No," he replied softly. "I'm the one who should be sorry."
Tired eyes lifted to search Obito's after his surprise response. You knew that on the very rare times Obito apologized, he meant it.
"I know you're a capable shinobi, even if you don't always think so. I should spend less time worrying about you and have more faith in you. You've protected me more times than I can count. It's only fair. But Rin is probably right. We should try to take it easy from here on out, for the sake of-" he finished while attempting to scan his eyes over your stomach but quickly darted them away while blushing. He wasn't quite ready to openly acknowledge it yet.
Still, you wondered about Obito. Throughout your entire shinobi career, your focus was entirely on his wellbeing, and eventually your protectiveness began to extend to others, so much so that you readily disregard your own safety – perhaps too much.
For most of my life, I've been trying so hard to protect Obito and the village...
You peeked up silently at Obito, noting the various scratch marks, dried blood, and bags under his eyes while he continued to look out stoically but wearily into the distance as he gripped you tight against him.
...but I'm hurting him so much in the process by putting myself in danger every time.
You sighed, realizing your Hidden Leaf headband was no longer in your possession. You shook your head to jostle the thoughts away, and you two remained in solemn silence as he carried you the rest of the way home.
~~~
Gently as he could, Obito set you down on the chair at the kitchen table and subconsciously brushed against something else laying on the counter before digging into the cabinets above his head.
"I'm... guessing you haven't eaten..." which was Obito's own way of asking you, even if you weren't truly hungry, to please eat for him – and for the baby. You understood this, but you also hoped that he would eventually get comfortable enough to state it explicitly.
You smiled wistfully, a hand rising to your flat abdomen.
In that moment, in the corner of his eye, Obito spotted a precarious glimmer on the counter – the ring he'd been holding off proposing to you with. His ashy eyes widened in panic over the possibility of you spotting the object and he quickly turned over to press his back against the counter with both hands grasping the edge in a tight death grip in a desperate attempt to shield the ring from your scrutiny.
You watched with jaded eyes as Obito smiled at you with his obvious 'I'm-totally-not-hiding-something-from-you-or-anything-like-that' toothy grin, but to his simultaneous relief and concern, you were too emotionally worn to question him about it like you usually did. Instead, you yawned uncontrollably, to which he took that fleeting moment to shove the ring behind a jar while trying to hand you a snack to nibble on.
He then held you close to him, and with his hand subliminally gliding down toward your stomach, it jerked away with his fingers curling out of fear, as if your stomach was fragile and made of glass that was forbidden from touch, before his palm slowly and reluctantly made gentle contact with it once more and remained there. It wasn't until that very moment did it finally hit Obito.
I'm... going to be a dad.
~~~
Three months passed by at an agonizing pace, and your emotional and physical state had not improved. The weight of guilt over Tobi and Orochimaru still dominated your life.
"Why did you leave me there? Why did you let me die, (y/n)?" Tobi's haunting voice chanted to you, over and over.
"No. I didn't mean to-! I tried to save you, but I couldn't! I told you to run, but you-"
"You couldn't save me," the ominous voice of the little Uchiha boy bellowed as you dropped to your knees, your faces level with each other.
"Tobi," you pleaded between choking back tears. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. I thought I knew what to do. I knew for years, but everything is so different from what I've known. Please understand-"
"You did even capture Orochimaru. This will happen again," he said. Severe burns coated his body, his one blood-red eye leering at you.
"No, I-"
"You let me die."
"I'd never-!"
"This is because of you!"
"NO!"
"(y/n)? (y/n), wake up."
Breathes passed by you through sweat-inducing gasps as your upper half leaped up from your spot in bed. Your eyes desperately scanned the pitch-blackness of the room for the boy you were just begging forgiveness to, only to be met with a different Uchiha. One who conversely displayed concern and compassion for you as one hand instinctively gripped your trembling stomach that had just started to bulge without batting an eye, while the other cupped your sweaty cheek lovingly and assuredly.
Obito cooed and shushed you gently while brushing the hair out of your face. He didn't need to ask what was wrong anymore. "It's okay. Lay here with me. I'm happy to hold you while you sleep."
While calming down, your panicked gaze connected with Obito before averting them away, nodding clumsily. This was nothing but the average night for you. Another night where you would beg for forgiveness and get the same reply, every time.
"Y-yeah. I'd like that. Sorry. I-I'm-"
A warm smile graced his lips while his soft voice let you know he wasn't upset with your action and instead was still there with you. His hand moved slightly lower to gently squeeze your stomach which seemed to be trying its best to escape from the confines of your shirt. The two of you exchanged quiet looks for a moment before giving you a reassuring smile, the kind that came off like a warm fire.
With your chest more at ease, you placed your head down into the pillow, lying on your back. He placed his leg over yours in an attempt to hold you in any way he could. You could feel his grip tighten on your stomach as the room turned a deep shade of blue, the clouds enveloping the luminous glow of the moon.
His body began to grow warmer as he gently rubbed your shoulder, holding you on his side. Obito's hand stroked at your hair and caressed your face. His other hand slowly descended down to your thighs and back up your stomach; his other hand was still caressing your head. The scent of sandalwood wafted in the air as he held you close.
You sat up a little more so he wouldn't think you were shying away from him. You could tell just by the soft warmth of his hands and the tenderness in his touch that he was completely willing to stay by your side for as long as you needed.
"Thank you, Obito. I love you," you whispered softly against his ear.
"I love you too, so much," he replied back just as softly, planting a looming kiss to your temple. "Everything will be okay. I won't let anything happen to you."
With your breath regulating, you stared at the ceiling, trying to find your bearings after you'd been woken up to the very sudden realization that you would be having Obito's child. One with the possibility that you will also fail to protect.
As the morning sun crept through your window a few hours later, your body was still sore and aching from the exertion of a night spent in the throes of restless sleep. You were still in a heap on the bed. Tears rolled down your cheeks, but no sound escaped your lips. Never before had it become so difficult to get out of bed every morning.
~~~
"It's time to go," Obito stated calmly, scooping up various medical documents Rin had him fill out to be discussed next visit.
"No," you answered numbly while lazing and coiling between the sheets in bed.
"Come on, it's just a routine visit at the hospital. We need to check that everything's fine," he replied a bit more firmly as he secured a tight grip around your arm that was hanging off the side of the bed.
"I don't feel like it."
"This is the third time that you didn't 'feel like it,' and for the third time, I'm telling you that I don't care. Let's go already, we're... running late again." His last words strained upon the effort of pulling you out of bed. The forceful action urged you to your feet, the added weight of your rounded stomach threw you off balance but he helped to steady you. With your head low, your feet began to drag and shuffle forward at a snail's pace, prompting a begrudged sigh from Obito.
"You're going to make me carry you all the way there again, aren't you?"
"Sounds about right."
With his eyes closed, Obito's head lowered as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger and mumbled, "I bet not even the Hokage has a tougher job than I do right now."
"Probably."
~~~
With the baby along the way, Obito's overprotectiveness toward you amplified tenfold. If you wanted to go somewhere, he'd be there to join you to make sure you didn't run into trouble. You needed to take a trip down the road to pick up something for dinner? "Let me do it, honey," he would say. Every time. You were touched that Obito was so eager to help you in any way he could, and that he was coming around to becoming a father, but his overbearing nature was beginning to get on your nerves.
Sounds of a paper being crumpled filled the air before your hand angrily slapped down a ruined document onto the counter before sighing heavily with your face buried into your palms. Along its rough surface read the words written in bold red letters, 'CRITICAL,' and 'HIGH RISK.' After inhaling mysterious chemicals during your encounter with Orochimaru, the wellbeing of your child had been a deep concern for the two of you.
I truly can't escape what I did, can I?
Such a terrifying stressor only enhanced your inner turmoil since then, and it frequently manifested in unhealthy ways and would be directed outward toward the wrong people. The overwhelming stress coupled with your mounting depression continued to build and build, until finally, you couldn't take it anymore.
"I don't need you to come."
Obito paused at the door before turning to you. "What are you talking about? I always go with you."
"But aren't you getting tired of it? You can leave it to me, I can handle this myself."
"I'd rather go with you."
You clenched your teeth in irritation at Obito. You'd just about had it.
"And I'd rather you stay here for once!"
"Wha? What's gotten into you, (y/n)?"
"Can I just do anything on my own?" Aggression riddled your every step as you charged closer to Obito, who was standing upright facing you.
"You treat me like I can't do anything right!"
"(y/n), stop. You know that's not it. I'm coming with you," he insisted with a particular seriousness in his voice.
"No. You're not," you responded through gritted teeth.
Obito glared silently for a moment; in his mind, a thousand thoughts were racing, none of which presented themselves through words, but rather through his tense body language.
"What's with you, Obito? Why can't you just trust me?!"
Obito's expression then morphed from neutral to serious agitation as he shook his head swiftly and snapped, "Becau-" but paused abruptly. Giving a reason would be admitting to it, admitting that he doesn't trust you being on your own.
"Go on. Finish what you were about to say."
At that, you two were mere inches apart. The air around you was still for a moment, with Obito's dark eyes glaring directly below to you with increasing anger and frustration visible within them. After everything he'd done for you these past few months to make you comfortable and feel better, and you were upset with him? Both of you took turns listening to each other's heavy breathing generated by the increased adrenaline coursing through your bodies as the thick tension continued to intensify.
"Admit it, even after all this time you still think I'm too weak to be on my own, baby or not!"
With his face contorting further into displeasure, Obito finally broke off the aggressive eye contact and twisted his body away from you. He needed to cool off, but you refused to back down.
"Listen, we may be having a kid, but I'm not some big baby, you know!"
"And I'm not just your punching bag, (y/n)!" Obito finally snapped back as his body instantly jerked back to confront you; his eyes instinctively activated his Sharingan in his sudden outburst he tried so hard to repress, which was plenty enough to shock you into a submissive state.
"You keep saying that you don't need me to protect you, but it's you who insists on always getting into trouble! Remember the last time you went on your own? Now because you had to find some Orochimaru guy, you put yourself and our kid in danger! Now we need to keep checking our child's health with those snobby nurses every week! You make it seem like I want to follow you around everywhere, but I'M ONLY TRYING TO KEEP YOU AND OUR BABY SAFE SINCE YOU DON'T WANT TO!"
Obito's booming voice echoed throughout the oriental house before its walls were hushed once more. It took a while, but you had finally pushed him too far.
"O-Obito... I..." you muttered as he began to trudge past you, ignoring your now meek demeanor.
What have I done?
"W-wait... Obito, p-please-"
The pleading tone in your voice slowed his vigorous steps to a halt.
"D-don't... please... don't go..." Tears threatened to spill from your eyes, which were enough for Obito to glance over his shoulder in your direction, looking unamused, but still clearly 100% concerned and loyal to you. It took another moment before he rotated around to face you once more, but calmly this time. It was then his Sharingan picked up traces of varying chakra signatures. Within you coursed the familiarity of your lush green chakra, but even deeper held something else.
Glazing his crimson eyes over your protruding stomach, Obito cautiously inspected the faint chakra inside you. It felt foreign – yet familiar, as if it were a blend of his and your chakra to create a new, unique signature. It was so weak and muffled, but there it was – cyan chakra, the perfect mix of yours and Obito's chakra: mostly light blue with streaks of green within them. It was so beautiful. Obito's heart fluttered, astounded that he didn't spot it earlier. In the middle of the pulsing field of cyan chakra was a tiny heartbeat; he was taken aback that something so tiny and fragile could be of his own flesh and blood.
He'd never seen anything more perfect in his life.
It acted as an instant stress reliever; taking a deep breath and retracting his Sharingan, Obito sauntered over to you and pulled you into a tight but gentle embrace before exhaling one large breath he'd been holding in. Immediately, he felt at home again, with his family.
I... I can't keep treating him like this... but I don't know what I can do about it. I feel so miserable... so... lost...
That's when a picture in the corner of the room caught your eye – Obito's old team photo of him, Kakashi, Rin, and...
Of course!
"Please," you requested softly. "Put me down... just for a minute."
Puzzled,Obito blinked at you as he pulled away. "(y/n)?"
"Please... I need to see someone."
"(y/n), no, I feel like I only now just got you back. I'm not letting you go again. Especially now that you're-"
Your tired and stern look cut Obito off as he remembered what he apologized to you for only a few months back. He needed to have more faith in you. He wanted to show you that he believed you could do things on your own.
Reluctantly, he eased you down, and your weak and wobbly legs proceeded to guide you to your destination, but not before turning back to face your covertly distraught boyfriend, evidenced by the concerned crease in his eyebrows.
"I'll meet you back here soon. I promise."
Obito simply nodded, his dark eyes downcasted.
"And Obito."
The sound of his name falling for your lips caught his full attention as he gazed back up at you.
"Don't forget... that I love you."
He watched a minuscule grin slip past your lips for the first time that night, and he couldn't help but mirror your tiny smirk with his own, as he asked softly, "So much?"
Your light smirk switched to a healthy smile as you replied with gentle eyes, just as softly, "So much."
~~~
The amount of force required to knock on a simple door proved to be a difficult task for you in your current state. You were surprised that Rin and the other nurses let you go so readily in spite of your deteriorating physical and mental health over the past few months. You speculated that it was probably due to your sudden unwarranted outburst to one nurse during a routine checkup. Perhaps you would consider writing an apology letter to her if you ever got around to it.
The door swayed open a moment later and distinct blue eyes linked with yours in an instant.
"(y/n)," Minato greeted in mild surprise. Judging by the noise and child-like laughter emanating from inside, and the little paper cone strapped to the top of his spiky-blond hair, it was clear you were interrupting a birthday party. "I thought you were seeing Rin today. Naruto's party has already started, but the invitation's always open to join us." He then offered you a close-eyed delighted grin.
"M-Minato sensei," you bowed with exhaustion. "Please forgive me, but it's important. I... I need your help."
Without any more prompting, Minato stepped backward into his home, gesturing you inside. Upon entering, kids ranging in ages eight through twelve immediately swarmed you and a dozen pairs of eyes settled on your weak stature.
"Whoa, look at her."
"She looks dead."
"It can't be that hard being a high level ninja!"
Between the chattering, a pair of hands split the crowd, and Naruto, now a year older, came cruising out.
"Whoa, you guys aren't kidding," Naruto said, scanning your face. "(y/n)-sensei doesn't usually look like that though, she's usually pretty awesome."
(y-y/n)-sensei...?!
"Enough, Naruto," Minato commanded. Despite the noticeably reduced tone, and even though the Hokage himself is raising him, Naruto still had trouble holding his tongue, you observed with the slightest bit of amusement. Even though his voice wasn't as resounding or obnoxious as it was in the original show, Naruto still held that uncanny ability to say whatever was on his mind, no matter who he was raised by.
Some things never change.
Kushina managed to distract the crowd by bringing out a traditional confetti party ball, allowing time for you and Minato to secure a private area in his personal study room.
"It's been a while... since we met outside of our duties huh," you remarked, trying extra hard to sound casual, which only made your internal pain even more salient to the brilliant Minato.
He didn't even need to state anything. You both knew that he could see right through you.
"Minato-sensei, for the past few months, there's something that I've... been hiding from you, even though you're the one I've shared my secrets with. I need to talk to you... regarding Orochimaru, and what's going on with me and Obito, and... I wanted to discuss with you... about my status as a shinobi..."
~~~
"I see... you managed to detect Orochimaru, and you say he's still conducting live experiments," he affirmed, and you nodded slowly in guilt. "And he was sent away by a boy named Tobi... he must have underestimated the hidden power inside of Tobi and in doing so let his guard down enough to conduct an emergency escape."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this sooner, sensei. I was so scared of the consequences of leaving the village unauthorized and I... I'm so... ashamed of..."
Minato shook his head in mild disagreement. "Don't concern yourself with that. I've already pardoned you. You've clearly gone through enough. Thank you for your report, (y/n). I'll see that my first order in the morning will be to conduct an extensive investigation on Orochimaru's whereabouts, to prevent disasters like what happened to Tobi from happening again."
"The disaster that happened... because of me," you murmured, eyes heavy with guilt. "I left everyone in the village behind to find Kabuto and save Tobi... but... I couldn't even save him... I couldn't protect him... I... I failed..."
Minato observed you quietly while in deep thought. He hadn't seen you this lost since your first personal talk with him over ten years ago.
"(y/n), allow me to tell you something I've learned during my time as Hokage. With this position comes leadership, and with leadership comes a strong bond between you and your allies."
At that, Minato raised his head slightly and grinned as he recalled times with his old teammates and friends while growing up. After another moment passed, his light expression shifted to sullen and morose before trailing his attention back to you. "With that said, in dire times, such as in times of war, you have no choice but to watch your comrades fall. (y/n), your sense of duty is admirable, but one thing you and Obito must recognize as shinobi, is that no matter how hard one tries, even with all the knowledge in the world..."
Your curious but misty eyes raised to meet with Minato's as he lowered himself respectfully to speak to you on an equal level.
"You can't save everyone."
Emotionally drained, you nodded quietly, soaking in Minato's words like a sponge.
Observing your reaction, Minato's own expression softened while a firm hand made familiar contact with your shoulder.
~~~
~~~
"I'm not telling you this to make you feel worse about what happened, (y/n). In fact, it's the opposite. I'm telling you so I can help you accept it. I know you may be hesitant, and I know it's painful, but it's not healthy to dwell in the past for an extended period of time. By clinging to what was, or what could have been, you're stopping yourself from tapping your energy fully into what should be. Since you've paved this future, you must adapt to it, embrace it, and most importantly, believe in it. Once you do, only then are you able to move on and work toward the future you and Obito deserve."
His sharp eyes then travelled to your swollen stomach, a brief look of nostalgia overtaking his features. "You have your own child to worry about now, and have faith in me when I say that as a parent, you will want to spend every waking second to ensure the safety of your own flesh and blood. It's only natural. Mulling over what could have been will sap the precious energy that should be spent caring for your child while they're still developing inside of you. Be sure to focus on them as well during your own recovery. They need you more than anything else."
Minato's right. I've been so caught up in the past that I've been neglecting my own child's future. No wonder Obito's been trying so hard to provide for us. All those times where he's insisted that I eat when I didn't want to, or drag me to those appointments... he's been supplying the care for our baby to make sure they're getting what they need while I've been a depressed mess and refused to help this whole time. I need to try harder... for the both of them.
You squeezed your eyes shut, lowered your head and nodded gradually as tears spilled out harder upon trying to accept Minato's tough advice. But something about the sensation of your weeps felt different than those previous other times. It felt as though all the stress and pain were exiting directly from your eyes in the form of tears cascading down your cheeks. Minato watched how your face described your inner turmoil, and how it then expressed relief more than any other emotion. Each passing moment from that point on drained you of your guilt and torment and was replaced with a sense of freedom and elation. Your sobs were a bittersweet melody concocted by a beautiful blend of conflicting emotions that needed to be harnessed then released. This was it. You felt ready to confront your demons, to let go of the past and finally move forward.
"You're lucky to be alive, (y/n). You both are," he concluded as his eyes descended to your stomach again. "Just remember, it's essential to protect yourself, and in doing so, you're protecting others from harm as well."
"But how can that be, sensei?"
"Take Obito for example. I'm sure he felt completely lost when you went to search for Orochimaru. Keeping yourself safe would put him at ease and allow him to do his best going forward."
"...You know what, sensei...? You're right. You are absolutely right. That's why... I've been thinking... I wanted to tell you... that I think it'd be best if I..."
Just spit it out!
"...retire as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village."
Immediately Minato lifted his palm from your shoulder, clearly taken aback by the abrupt announcement. Peeking up into his eyes presented you with the most surprised expression you had ever seen on the ordinarily levelheaded Hokage.
"Let's face it. I don't know how to keep myself safe. There's no excuse for a shinobi like me to face death and rely on others to get me out of it, especially when they... lose their own life in the process..."
Your expression lowered in sorrow before shifting back to Minato once more.
"I'm tired of making Obito worry sick over me. I'm supposed to be the one that makes him happy the most, but it feels like I'm only causing him grief by living this way, Minato-sensei."
At that, his surprised demeanor dissipated. He was still shocked but pleased that you were taking his advice to heart.
"Besides, in this condition, I shouldn't be a ninja. But what if... someone else could be..." you trailed off, your hand descending over your protruding stomach, gliding over its round surface and appreciating its beauty with utmost clarity for what felt like the very first time.
In that moment, you looked back up at Minato, his proud expression filling you with a powerful blend of gratitude and courage. You stepped forward, pressing yourself to him, your arms enveloping his torso in a tight, emotionally charged, appreciative hug.
"Minato-sensei... for everything you've done for me... thank you."
You could feel him smile, and your eyes were brimming with the moisture that had pooled within them for so long. With a pleased heart, he returned your hug, your words of gratitude driving him to embrace you back just as strongly.
~~~
Opening the door to exit the private room revealed numerous kids huddled against the frame with their ears pressed to the wall as one clumsily fell onto your feet before flashing you a nervous and guilty smile.
"So what were they talking about?"
"I don't know. I couldn't hear anything because Kiba wouldn't shut up!"
Naruto stood in the center of the crowd with his head tilted and eyes and mouth in a straight line, clearly confused. "So there's a kid in (y/n)-sensei's belly?" to which all the kids stopped and gasped in awe.
You and Minato scratched at your heads simultaneously before Naruto opened his eyes and directed his sight to the space above your head in puzzlement.
Sakura had been standing next to Naruto, respectfully remaining quiet up to this point. Her cherry-blossom hair was still at a respectfully long length even after the Chunin exams due to not being the target of Orochimaru or his henchmen. "Naruto, don't you think it's a bit rude to announce (y/n)'s business like th-"
"But for that to happen," Naruto interrupted. "wouldn't she and Obito-sensei need to have–"
A pink flush rose on Sakura's face, one that matched the color of her hair as she screeched, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS?!" A raging fist swung against Naruto's chin in an uppercut before he could finish, as he went through the ceiling and remained stuck there with his legs frantically squirming above.
The unbearably awkward silence that followed Naruto's inquiry coupled with the snickers and stares from the kids sent waves of mortification through your body, with your face flushed red from embarrassment. Minato's own face was full of unamusement and disbelief as one of his eyebrows began twitching from his son's antics. You began to laugh nervously and cocked your head to the side coyly while exiting the home, all while attempting to ignore Naruto's allusion to what had to have happened to have Obito's baby inside of you.
Never change, Naruto.
~~~
Obito paced back and forth along the ornate wooden flooring of his Uchiha home. You should have been home by now - his mind implored him.
Maybe I should go check up on her, just in case – no, I need to have faith in (y/n), just like how she always has faith in me.
His pacing paused abruptly and Obito grasped at the dark spikes of his hair in anxious frustration. Just then, the front door creaked open and slowly you treaded inside, any remaining energy not being used up by the baby was quickly depleted from the long walk back home.
"(y/n)-"
"Obito," you interjected, mustering the strength to approach him and envelop him into a strong hug, one that caught him off guard by just how insistent and desperate your body language was. He couldn't remember the last time you held him with such fervency.
"Obito, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for the way I've been treating you. I've been trying to convince myself that I can handle things, to try and make up for all the mistakes I've made. All this time you've been working extra hard to keep us safe, and I would always just throw it back in your face. Please don't let me make you think you're doing anything wrong, Obito. You insist on doing everything for me because you care about us, and I couldn't see that. Please don't forget how much we appreciate you."
We... Obito pondered the implications behind your words before his arms wrapped around your lower back, gently pulling you toward him. His slender stomach brushed subtly against your extended belly, your bodies beginning to sway side to side in comfort and rekindled affection, slowly dancing in silence.
"I'm sorry. I'm going to try harder for us. Things will be different from this point on, Obito."
"Yeah," he replied just as solemnly while continuing to rock you placidly, his eyes settling on the ring partially hidden behind a jar on the counter.
"They will be."