Harmonious Prince

It looked like a long journey would be ahead of us. I'd forgotten just how far I'd traveled in what would be roughly nine months. Very far, and it would be a painfully long journey back for a teenager whose legs were a complete mess. It was just the pain. The pain and the drugs, everything seemed like a mess. I couldn't stop shaking, I'm not sure if it was the shock in my body or that I was cold. I had a baby clutched to my chest, but I wasn't that old myself. I don't know how old Tobi was, but I think in most places our relationship would be seen as illegal. Good thing we were already criminals.

I kept finding my eyes drawn to my baby girl. We'd bundled her into some blankets and we didn't have much else in terms of things to use in terms of care, but it would be okay. At least, that's what I told myself as I staggered along the dirt path, barefoot. I could barely feel the stones digging into my feet. I was tired, but I'd been tired for a week or so now. I could feel myself falling asleep on my feet, but every now and then I'd be jolted awake. Either the sensation of the baby nuzzling into my chest, getting used to her father (maybe searching for a breast to suckle, but I sure hoped not), tripping over and being caught by Tobi or my body's needs spiking into painful levels. It really seemed like we were walking forever.

I'd not even noticed when Tobi agreed to stop for a rest. I'd just kept walking, drug-addled mind leading me along like a clueless puppy. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me.
"Deidara." His voice seemed somehow deeper, less irritating...or maybe I was really going crazy. He guided me to a rocky outcrop and bid me to sit. "Deidara-senpai, you seem sick!" Ah, his voice was back to normal. Much better.

Is it strange? I'd entered into a relationship with this man, had sex with him, had a child with him, but all I'd ever seen of his face was his lips and one dark eye. I knew he had scars, and I guess I'd never thought much of it. I had issues with myself at times as well, but Tobi surely knew I didn't care how he looked now? I loved him for being Tobi. As annoying as he was, as much as he grated on my nerves, I really did love him.

I realised then that I hadn't responded. I gave a slight nod and a smile, although I hated looking weak there and then. "It's just the damn sedatives those bastards put me on, un. They didn't want me causing trouble."
The baby started to fret, whimpering and squeaking. I bounced her awkwardly on my knee, but it seemed to agitate her. Tobi held his arms out for her then.
"Senpai, can I hold my baby?"
I felt a shiver run through me. Tobi's baby...our baby...

At least he had accepted it now. At first he was so completely in denial about it I wanted to beat him half to death. Slowly, I passed the baby over, and he held her close to his own chest, rearranging his grip several times as he tried to work out what he was doing. It was actually quite endearing and I couldn't help but smile. The baby kept squirming and whining, even in Tobi's arms.
"Maybe she's hungry, un." I thought aloud. "What do we do?"
Tobi shrugged, stroking back the little fluff of black hair. "There's a village a few miles south." He mused softly. "We could get her something there."
"You think she'll last long enough, un?"
"She'll be fine, we'll be there in no time at all." He glanced to the baby and then back at me. "How are you holding up, senpai?"
I gave another slight nod. "I'm fine."
There was a brief silence. The dizziness had faded, and though my legs were still weak, I felt I could make it to the next village over no bother.

The thought that Kakuzu would be so pissed off crossed my mind. I'd lost my clothes, and babies were expensive. I probably wouldn't be able to work until I'd fully recovered as well. I let a chuckle escape me at this thought. Perhaps that was what Tobi found so interesting in bugging the other members of the Akatsuki. Sometimes the reactions people gave were funny, I had to admit. Was that part of what he liked about me? The way I reacted to him? Well, there was a lot I liked about him, it had to be said. I liked how deeply he cared, how he hid behind that mask as though shy (and believe me, I was already starting to see exactly how much of him was a facade already), his hair, the calouses in his skin, showing years of wear and tear as he toiled within our imperfect world of war and unrest...we were strong. That was us, and it showed. It showed how much he had suffered and how strong he truly was in every single slight action he made. Almost as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. It both pained me to see it, and made me somewhat relieved. As though it was proof we were meant to stick together through the dangers in this stupid world. I guess it just plain sucked that I was paired with Sasori-no-danna for the time being.

"Senpai?"
I looked up, the nasally voice jolting me out of my thoughts. "Hmm?"
"Does the baby have a name?"
I stared for a moment as though he had just asked the dumbest question  in the history of dumb questions. "I've only had her for a day, Tobi, un."
"Well, she needs a name, senpai. How about Yoshiko? Then Yoshiko can be a good girl, just like Tobi!"
"No." I said at once. "That reason is stupid, un."
"Chiyoko?"
"Nothing ending in 'ko'. She won't be a child forever, un."
Tobi gave a hum of thought. "I guess you're right, Senpai. How about a flower name? Flower names are always nice! Like Sakura, Sakura is a beautiful name!"
"I don't like it."
"She has beautiful eyes, like Senpai! How about Hitomi!"
"I'm not naming my daughter after an eye."
"Aw." Tobi seemed especially disappointed about that one, but I didn't care.
"Come up with a good name, un."
"Natsu? It means 'summer'!"
Well, I liked that one a little more, so I gave an uncertain hum. This would be something that would stick with my daughter her whole life, after all.
"Shizuka? It doesn't end in 'ko', and it means 'a quiet one, born in summer'. I think it suits her, don't you, Senpai?"
I glanced down at her. For some reason, the name Shizuka had always seemed like a...I don't know how, but I guess a dark name. As in, a name that suits girls with dark hair, dark clothes, a shy personality, pale skin...that sort of girl. She certainly had the dark hair and pale skin.
"Shizuka Natsu Yoshiko?" I asked, looking up.
"Yay!" Tobi threw one arm up, the other tightening his hold on Shizuka. She cried a little louder and the idiot looked back down to her. "Senpai, she smells bad. You can have her back now."

We traveled for over a month, this child between us, growing up between us. Our Shizuka. Tobi was practically dancing at first, but after a few nights of being kept awake, he was a bit more irritable. I, on the other hand, was recovering brilliantly. By the end of the first week, I could walk properly again and speak and think clearly. By the end of the month, I was completely back to my old self. It was sort of amusing. Apart from when he got snappy with me and told me to hurry up. I didn't know at the time, but I held in my arms an heir to the Uchiha clan. In fact, I would be the only person to produce a male heir to the Uchiha clan later in life. I felt absolutely betrayed when I found out Tobi was one of the Uchiha.

I was 18. I'd somehow become pregnant again (apparently it's due to a form of chakra poisoning or something, and god was it painful), and baby number 2 was growing fast. It seemed active. Like it would be the kind to run around everywhere, never shutting up, very cheerful. We'd already agreed on a name. Sachi for a girl, Katsuhiko for a boy. Anyway, I must have taken him by surprise. He'd had the sharingan activated. I honestly don't remember much about the hissy fit I threw. I'd screamed, and now I'd probably blame it on hormones or something. He'd left me alone in the end, after many threats and attempts to fight him, to which he gently kept me at bay considering my condition. I'd had a long time to calm down, and then I heaved myself to my feet, deciding to talk to him. I guess I had to talk things over eventually, after all.

I found him playing with Shizuka in her room. I knocked on the door, already feeling a strange sense of anger and annoyance sinking back into me.
He glanced up briefly, but kept his attention primarily on our daughter. "Yes, Senpai?"
I rolled my eyes. Already he was making me pissed off beyond belief. "Could you put that down for a minute? I want to talk, un."
"Is this about my eye, Senpai?"
I heaved a sigh. This was going to be so taxing for me. "Just...follow me, okay, un?"
Tobi obediently got up, lifting Shizuka as he did so. I led him through the base, trying to think of how to say things. At some point, he unceremoniously dumped the little girl on 'uncle' Itachi. I wasn't paying total attention, I was very busy. I had a lot running through my head, you see.

I led him outside, found myself fiddling with the stem of a nearby morning glory. "Look, about earlier-"
"Tobi's sorry, Senpai!"
I turned in shock. "Tobi's sorry? You didn't do anything wrong, un."
"Tobi should have told his Senpai everything when this relationship started."
Sighing, I turned back to the flowers, starting to pick them from their place. "Everyone has secrets."
"But we're a couple, we shouldn't have secrets!"
"Well, no, but..." I gave a soft sigh. "I forgive you, un." I turned, offering the flowers.

When he went to take them, I dropped them, crying out as pain washed over me. It looked like the baby was coming there and then.

Our Katsuhiko would be born. Our harmonious prince.

It was just a shame I wouldn't get to see him grow up...