~ With everything happening so fast Itachi thought it best to wait outside Tsunade's office in one of the chairs with Minochi safely asleep on his lap while the two inside continued to yell at each other over the dire circumstances. ~

Sasuke paced back and forth in front of her desk forcing himself to think harder to the point where he just ended up with a headache. He refused to break down even though his eyes were giving in. In the end all he could hear was the tapping of his brother's foot and the tick of the clock on the wall along with the repeated phrase of 'There is no other way.'

"Sasuke I know you want to save him but it's time to accept the inev-"

"Please don't say that." He halted and draped his slender hands over his face.

"We are running out of time! He's already prepped in the operating room right now and I need to be there. You signed the contract so even if you and Naruto were married you still wouldn't have a say so. I'm only indulging you in this because you asked for me to come up with another solution and I can't! He's a pregnant man Sasuke! This is already difficult to understand on top of the fact of why they are coming so EARLY! I couldn't get the reports from his other pregnancy and the guy that gave him the pills has turned up missing, so I have to treat him like a woman which he isn't! He's in critical condition as well. Can you hear me?! He is going to bleed out!" Tsunade was having just as much trouble with this as he was.

Nothing was going right, and her hair was wild from frustration on top of the fact that she hadn't had a decent drink in weeks. She didn't want to lose her idiot and half considered saving him instead.

Sasuke clenched his fist and slammed them down on the desk in more of plea than an aggressive movement.

"You aren't fucking trying!"

"I am!! What the hell have you done?! You're the reason he's in this mess! We've been talking about this for ten minutes and have gotten nowhere!"

~ The navy solider shook his head at the muffled yelling he could hear from the other side. With his nephew asleep on his lap he continued to tap his foot to the floor to keep his leg from going numb. ~

Sasuke knocked her things of her desk before gripping his hair and turning around to the door. He was acting off adrenaline and fear of loss wanting to break things to get steam off. He would have started with his brother's leg if he was in the room.

"Very mature asshole!"

"Fuck you Tsunade!" he cursed with grief in his voice. Raising a fist to the door he said slowly, "Itachi stop tapping your damn ..." trailing off with that demand he got a clue as a result.

"I think I have an idea..."

"What is it because we have to do it now?!" Tsunade stood up to see what Sasuke was looking at since they were only two people in the room.

~oO...Oo~

Heading towards the operating room in her white get up and green mouth mask she kept the Uchiha's words in mind. What he had suggested could work if Naruto could last long enough. The babies would be fine but it'll all be up to his will power in the end.

"Where have you been?!" One of the nurses working the machines had been keeping the unconscious blonde under surveillance and diagnostic.

"New plan."

"But he's already prepared for the C-section! We can't ju-"

"Shut up and do as I say." Tsunade ordered with a muffled voice from her mask as she washed her hands and slipped on her gloves.

"Well you should know that we have already given him anesthetics but it's not enough..."

"That's fine...were going to up the dosage."

"Have you been drinking?!"

"Do it."

And so the long unorthodox operation began. With the propped up sheet covering from Naruto's stomach on down Sasuke and Minochi, whom had woken up moments later, could only see their loved one's sleeping ventilated face in the dim light unaware of what was going to happen.

"What are they *hiccup* doing?" the child asked as he held onto his father's hand tighter.

"Everything they can..." He knelt down and picked up his son when they closed the curtains on them. He couldn't explain what he'd suggested to Tsunade out of dread Itachi and Minochi wouldn't understand. The only thing he could do was pray that Naruto wouldn't give up so easily. If the blonde didn't then he himself would change for the better.

Minochi could hear the regret in his father's words no matter how hard he tried to sound brave. He wrapped his arms around his dad's neck and buried his face in his shoulder as his hiccups turned into uncontrollable sobbing.

Itachi had left long before the operation to get them something to eat, but it was mostly because he couldn't handle it himself and felt the more he kept busy the less he'd think about the outcome.

~oOOOOo~

It seemed like days till cerulean orbs finally opened to meet familiar blinding lights mixing with the rays of the sun from an open window above. He brought a hand to shield his sensitive eyes just to see the little clamp on his finger and hear that annoying beeping sound again. Feeling the heat and dryness of his throat only added to the nauseas feeling he was getting. Trembling as a result he looked around the chilled room the best he could.

'How the hell am I.....? ?' He wondered if this was what heaven was like? Surrounded by pillows not being able to see a damn thing. When tired of seeing the outlines of all the fluff around him he sat up with a hand pressed on his stomach to relieve some pressure.

When he came into view of the whole room he looked from the pale blue door ahead with the chart hooked on it to his right. On his back on the faded olive couch was a sleeping well-dressed man with his hair somewhat back in order and business attire on minus the jacket. The back of his hand was rested over his eyes with a cell phone held in it.

Naruto snickered and looked down to an even more pleasant sight. His son was asleep against his leg with his father's jacket tucked over him. On his left Itachi was propped up in a chair knocked out with his arms crossed and his own army jacket covering him up.

The only thing missing was his babies....

He clutched the fabric over his stomach as the waterworks started automatically when he thought the worst.

"Hn, what are you crying about?" Sasuke said with playful grogginess and a warming smile. He sat up and stretched to his Ex's surprise as if everything was alright.

"Where are our ba-"

"They are fine, they are fine calm down." He got up and walked over, planting a loving kiss on Naruto's forehead after pocketing his phone.

"We all agreed that we wouldn't see them till you woke up so Tsunade's taking care of them in the meantime." He said while he broke away the fluid streaks on his loves face with his thumbs.

"How long have I been out again?"

"Just a day actually."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief before looking up with a twitching smile.

"If you ever get me pregnant again I will kill you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sasuke chuckled softly embedding a brief kiss on the blonde's lips this time.

Naruto blushed on cue and turned away to mess with Minochi's hair.

"He's doing okay?"

"Yeah." He watched the blonde entangle his fingers in their son's hair. He was amazed Naruto hadn't noticed yet....

"Sasuke how am I...alive? Not that I'm complaining but..."

"I'll let the old hag explain it to you. She said I'd just make it sound like she did it on purpose, so move your butt." He nudged him over so he could sit on the bed too.

"This is my bed! Go get your own." Naruto teased innocently with the older man, not catching what he'd said at all.

"It doesn't have your name on it." Sasuke smirked and hooked an arm around the man while laying back on the pillows that were way more comfortable than the couch.

"Ugh I hate you." Naruto grunted and leaned back onto the man's arm with a grin. It was nice to have Sasuke there even though he still had partial ill will towards him. He nuzzled over against the ravens chest creating more noisy movement.

This caused Minochi and Itachi to stir but the boy woke only.

"Stop moving!" Their son whined softly and hugged onto his 'mom's' leg.

Only then did Naruto realize he couldn't feel anything from the waist on down.