Chapter 12: Pretty Like a Princess

“So, Naruto,” Tsunade said as Naruto hopped up onto her desk for his fifth-month checkup. “I hear you made up with Uchiha Sasuke.”

“Yup,” Naruto grinned. “Stupid asshole finally apologized to me.” Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

“Should you be calling him a ‘stupid asshole,’ now? I heard he offered to help raise the kid.” Naruto looked at the ground sheepishly.

“I guess not,” he admitted.

“Either way,” Tsunade said “The usual.”

“Right. No, no, no, no, no, but I’ve been feeling a little strange lately, just in general, you know? Like something big is gonna happen.”

“Well, you’re still about four months away, give or take two weeks, so I doubt it’s your time yet.” Tsunade frowned. “But what exactly do you mean when you say ‘strange feeling?’ Be specific.”

Naruto thought for a moment. “Well, I dunno. I’ve been really touchy, lately, you know? Like, everything pisses me off. And this guy,” he patted his bulging abdomen, “he’s been really active, like he’s trying to get out.”

“Is that so?” Tsunade said, nodding thoughtfully. “Hmm. But anyway, shirt off--wait a minute, is that a dress you’re wearing, Naruto?”

Naruto nodded. “Iruka-sensei got it for me a few days ago!” he chirped. “Isn’t it pretty? It makes me feel pretty. Pretty like a princess.”

Tsunade blinked. It seemed that being stuck in a woman’s body was affecting Naruto in more ways than the physical. “Well, you are pretty in it,” she said, deciding to humor the boy for the time being. “Here, lift it up for me so I can check on the baby.”

Naruto rucked the dress up over the bulge in his abdomen, and Tsunade kneeled down to get a closer look. She placed a hand on it, more than a little surprised when the baby kicked almost immediately at her palm. Naruto let out a small squeak of pain, and Tsunade looked up, concerned.

“Are you all right, Naruto?”

“Y--Yeah. It just hurts sometimes when he kicks, you know? It’s like he’s got claws or something.”

Tsunade frowned and filed the information away for further contemplation. She focused herself on the flow of Naruto’s chakra, but something burned her. She jerked away from Naruto, shaking her hand reflexively though only time could soothe the burn of a chakra sting.

“Hey, hey, Tsunade-baba,” Naruto asked, worried, “what’s wrong?”

Tsunade ignored him, instead gazing at her hand, which still tingled. Immediately upon accessing Naruto’s chakra flow system, she’d been assaulted by a wave of dark red chakra. And there was only one being with chakra that powerful and evil...

“Naruto,” she asked, “have you been feeling the Demon Fox more strongly recently?”

“...now that you mention it, yeah,” he said, a tinge of nervousness entering his normally fearless gaze. “Why? What’s going to happen to my baby, Tsunade-baba?”

“I don’t know, Naruto,” she answered honestly. “We may have to abort it, for your own sake as well as the village’s. I don’t want to risk the effects resealing the Demon Fox may have on the baby.”

“But Tsunade-baba...”

“Only as a last resort, Naruto. And you can always have another.” She smiled reassuringly and stood up, brushing her dress clean. “I’ll make sure of that. Now, put your dress back and smile, OK?”

Naruto took a deep breath. He nodded and pulled his dress down over his abdomen, then grinned at Tsunade.

“Hey, Tsunade-baba,” he said. “Don’t think this’s gonna stop me from being Hokage, ‘cause it’s not.”

“I know, “Tsunade said. She smiled at him, but her smile quickly into a worried frown when Naruto suddenly doubled over in pain,.

“Naruto?” Tsunade asked, gripping his shoulders. “Naruto, what is it?”

“I... I don’t know,” Naruto gasped out, clutching his stomach. “It hurts, it’s like--ah!” He squinched his eyes tightly closed and whimpered. Tsunade considered him for a moment. It could just be a random premature contraction, but better safe than sorry, she thought, especially in a case as delicate as this one. She started to reach out with her chakra again, but withdrew it when a more physical sign appeared--a clear liquid she identified as amniotic fluid leaked out from under Naruto’s dress and soaked her shoes. Naruto’s water had broken.

Her eyes widened. Naruto was giving birth at only five months! Or, more than likely, miscarrying. As much as she hated to admit it, she was somewhat relieved. Once the baby was out of the way, she could reseal the Demon Fox. Still, she winced internally at what Naruto would undoubtedly go through--at only five months along, the baby wouldn’t be developed enough to survive in the outside world.

Naruto suddenly relaxed, taking deep breaths. He looked at Tsunade, a fear she hated to see present in his eyes. “Tsunade-baba,” he said, “what’s happening?”

“You’re giving birth, Naruto,” she answered. Naruto’s eyes widened.

“What? But--But it’s too soon!”

“I know, Naruto.” Tsunade swept Naruto into her arms and strode to the door. “Don’t worry, we’re gonna get you through this.” She kicked the door open, startling Kotetsu, who was doing paperwork in the small waiting room. He stood upon seeing her.

“Hokage-sama!” he said. “There are some people here to see you, emissaries from--”

“Forget that,” Tsunade growled, shoving past him. “Tell them I’m busy, and will be for a while.”

“B-But Hokage-sama, they’re the emissaries from Hidden Sand. They had an appointment... and that demon kid is with them.”

Tsunade closed her eyes and leaned against the door. “Damn,” she said under her breath. Then she shook herself. They would just have to wait. The safety of her village, and possibly the entire world, was literally in her hands. If the Demon Fox decided to take advantage of Naruto’s distress, or if Naruto died during the birth... the consequences could be disastrous.

Not to mention that the boy in her arms was her only link to her dear brother, and hell if she would gamble his life on a stupid meeting!

“Tell them to wait,” she ordered Kotetsu. “Tell them it’s an emergency. Give them tea.”

“Hokage-sama--”

“Those are my orders,” she called over her shoulder, already on her way to the hospital, which was fortunately nearby. “And close my door, will you? And send Izumo to get Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka, pronto!”

Tsunade walked down the hall as fast as she could without jolting Naruto too much, her steps long and sure. She’d get Naruto through this, she’d prevent tragedy, no matter what it was. It was her duty and her right, as the Fifth Hokage, to see this birth through. Naruto whimpered in her arms, and she looked down. He was looking up at her, tears flowing freely down his face.

“Tsunade-baba...” he keened.

“Don’t worry, Naruto,” she said, then leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. “Don’t worry. You’ll be all right. I’ll take care of you.”