Night lay heavy over the ruins. Only a few dying campfires remained, their fading embers flickering in the wind.
Shinobi from the various villages slept in scattered groups, wrapped in blankets. Some snored, some muttered in their sleep, while others lay awake in the darkness, staring at the starless sky.
Teizawa left Gaara's side and slipped silently through the night like a prowling cat.
He avoided the sentries still on duty whenever possible, using the ruins' shadows and the wind to conceal his movements. Without making a sound, he crept into Konoha's camp.
There were only a handful of tents, scattered across several relatively flat patches of ground. Some were still lit from within, while others had already gone dark.
Teizawa already knew which tent belonged to Kurenai.
During the day, he had used checking on the wounded as an excuse to walk through Konoha's camp several times, memorizing everyone's location.
Now, he moved through the camp with practiced ease, slipping past those who were asleep and those still awake. He lifted the flap of Kurenai's tent and darted inside.
There was no lamp burning within.
Only a sliver of moonlight squeezed through the gap in the flap, painting a thin silver line across the ground.
Kurenai lay on her side, breathing slowly and evenly. She appeared to be asleep.
Teizawa said nothing. He quietly walked over, lay down behind her, and wrapped an arm around her waist.
Kurenai's body instantly stiffened.
Her mouth opened as she instinctively prepared to shout, while one hand reached for the kunai hidden beneath her pillow.
But her hand stopped before it touched the weapon.
She recognized his scent.
It was faint, carrying traces of sand and sweat. She knew it so well that she could have recognized him with her eyes closed.
"Did you miss me?"
Teizawa's voice came from behind her ear, barely louder than the night breeze.
Kurenai covered her mouth, swallowing the startled cry that had nearly escaped.
She turned her head.
In the moonlight, that handsome face was mere inches away, wearing the same infuriating smile she both loved and hated.
"You..." Her voice was so quiet that only the two of them could hear. "What are you doing here? Do you have a death wish?"
"This is Konoha's camp. There are hidden sentries everywhere. What if someone finds you?"
Teizawa buried his face against the curve of her neck and took a deep breath.
"I missed you."
His muffled voice brushed against her skin.
"These past few days, all I could do was look at you. I couldn't even have a taste. It was driving me crazy."
His hand wandered restlessly over her waist. Even through the thin fabric, he could feel the warmth of her body and the softness of her curves.
Kurenai's face turned bright red.
She slapped him, though the blow was neither hard nor gentle, leaving only a pleasant tingle where it landed.
"Have you no shame? How can you say something like that?"
Despite her words, the corners of her lips lifted slightly, and the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Teizawa's hand did not stop. It followed the curve of her waist upward while his lips brushed the edge of her ear.
"Kurenai..."
"Don't..."
Kurenai caught his hand, her voice trembling slightly.
"Don't do anything reckless. I'm carrying a child."
She lowered her head and placed a hand over her abdomen.
It was still flat, without the slightest visible change.
Teizawa froze.
He lifted his head, his dark eyes shining with pure delight, like two stars suddenly set ablaze.
"Really?" He placed his warm hand over hers. "You're really pregnant?"
Kurenai gave him a reproachful look. Sweetness and embarrassment filled her eyes, along with a trace of barely concealed resentment.
"What do you think?" she whispered. "Ever since you left Konoha last time, my period hasn't come."
"At first, I thought it was only late, but then..."
She did not finish. Instead, she gently stroked her abdomen.
"Before we left Konoha, I asked Tsunade-sama to examine me. It's been a little over a month, so the baby is still tiny."
Teizawa stared at her in stunned silence.
Then the corners of his mouth slowly spread into a grin. The joy reached his eyes before taking over his entire face.
He was going to have another child.
His second child, and Kurenai's first.
He could not describe what he felt. There was happiness and excitement, but also something deeper and harder to name, something that made his nose sting and his eyes burn.
"Mama-to-be..."
His voice came out hoarse.
Kurenai looked at him and saw the nearly imperceptible glimmer of moisture in the corners of his eyes. An indescribable emotion stirred inside her.
"Are you..." Her own voice became slightly hoarse. "Are you happy?"
"Very."
Teizawa nodded firmly and pulled her into his arms. Resting his chin on top of her head, he said in a muffled voice, "I'm so happy I could die."
The tent fell silent.
Kurenai rested against him and listened to his strong, steady heartbeat. Her hand remained over her abdomen.
A tiny life was growing there.
Their child.
A bond connecting the two of them, and the most precious gift of the night.
"Tsunade-sama said..."
Kurenai's voice was soft, almost like she was talking in her sleep.
"We can't do that until after the first three months. The baby is still too small, and she's afraid it might get hurt."
Teizawa paused.
The smile on his lips gradually deepened. He said nothing and merely held her tighter.
"So..."
Kurenai looked up into his eyes, which seemed especially bright beneath the moonlight.
"You'll have to endure it for now."
Teizawa lowered his gaze to her face, softened by the pale moonlight. Her ruby-red eyes reflected his image.
His hand slid from her waist to her back, stroking it gently.
"Then..." His voice dropped until only she could hear him. "Help me some other way."
Kurenai blinked in confusion.
"What?"
Her gaze moved across his face, from the amusement in his eyes to the faint curve of his lips.
Then she understood.
Her entire face instantly turned crimson. The color spread from her cheeks to her ears, down her neck, and even to the tips of her fingers.
"Y-You... You pervert..."
Her voice was flustered and soft as she tried to push him away.
But there was no strength behind her hands. They pressed weakly against his chest.
Teizawa caught one of them and kissed it.
"Just once," he coaxed in a deep, gentle voice. "Please?"
Kurenai bit her lip and lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.
Her heart hammered wildly, and her thoughts were a complete mess.
She should refuse. She should push him away. She should tell him not to fool around.
Yet she merely sat there in silence.
After a long while, she gave the faintest nod.
Teizawa smiled but said nothing more.
Kurenai took a deep breath and sat up in his embrace.
Beneath the moonlight, her slender silhouette cast a long shadow across the tent.
The night breeze slipped through the gap in the flap, making the candle flame tremble softly.
Outside, the footsteps of a patrolling sentry occasionally passed by before gradually fading into the distance.
No one knew what was happening inside this tent.
No one knew that the mighty Kazekage was lying inside the tent of a Konoha jonin.
Some time later, the tent became quiet once more.
Kurenai rested in Teizawa's arms, a faint blush still coloring her cheeks and a small, contented smile on her lips.
After composing herself, she asked, "When are you leaving?"
Teizawa looked down at her, running his fingers gently through her long hair.
"Before dawn."
Kurenai said nothing else.
She buried her face against his chest and closed her eyes.
His heartbeat was calm and steady, each beat resonating deep within her.
Her eyelids gradually grew heavy, and her consciousness began to fade.
"Kurenai..."
"Mm?"
"When the baby is born, I'll bring you to Sunagakure."
Kurenai did not answer.
She only held him tighter.
Teizawa said nothing more. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her hair.
Outside, the moon emerged from behind the clouds.
Its pale light spilled across the ruins, over the sleeping tents, and onto the two figures holding each other close.
(End of Chapter)
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