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CHANGES
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»»————- ONE WEEK LATER -————-««
Jun couldn't believe that a week had already passed and that life in Konoha was taking its usual course. For her it was still incomprehensible that Sasuke was no longer there and yet she had accepted this fact.
No one could do anything about it and now it was a matter of rebuilding the village and protecting it from possible dangers that would lurk in the future and above all to strengthen and stabilize the armed forces.
She had been on three different missions in the last few days to gather information about Akatsuki. Unfortunately, every clue they received came to nothing and after a week they were still at the beginning.
No one knew exactly what they were up to. Even Jun, who had overheard the conversations between Orochimaru and Itachi, only knew that they were searching for all the Jinchuuriki. But what they were trying to accomplish, she didn't know herself.
It was almost like a race against time, because no one knew what they were up to and when they would attack where to complete their goal. And that gnawed at every Shinobi in every village.
The time she could spend with Kakashi was also rare because he too was sent on missions and most of the time they didn't see each other until the evening and by then they were both far too exhausted to enjoy each other's presence.
The most important thing for Jun, however, was that he came home healthy every time and that was worth so much more than the fact that they didn't have as much time for each other as they had a few weeks ago.
Jun sat by Naruto's bed in the hospital after he returned from a mission and gently stroked his hand as she waited for him to finally wake up.
She knew the day had come when he would leave the village with Jiraya to train. But this time he would not stay away only for a week or a month and that was what she was most afraid of.
When Jiraya told her that he wanted to train with Naruto for two years outside of the village and his familiar surroundings, she was almost ready to disagree because she was afraid that something might happen to him.
But she was neither a part of his family nor his guardian and so Naruto could decide for himself whether he would agree to this training or not. And of course, he didn't have to think twice, because who would turn down training with the legendary Sannin.
"Jun-Sensei.", Naruto said softly, snapping Jun out of her thoughts.
"You know I'll be okay right?", Jun always found it remarkable that he seemed to know and sense exactly what was going on inside her without her having to say it.
"Yeah I know. And yet I'm worried.", she whispered as well and stroked his messy hair from his forehead.
"Long time no see you two.", Jiraya spoke all of a sudden and not only Naruto but also Jun cried out in shock and looked angrily at him.
"Don't give me that 'long time no see' garbage, you jerk Sage. You were talking all big about watching my training, making me your protégé and stuff! Where were you until now?", Naruto immediately started yelling around the room and Jun just rolled her eyes as she lightly punched him in the back of the head.
"Remember who you're talking to right now, Naruto!"
"It's okay, Jun-San. And to your question...I was gathering information."
"It was probably just gathering information on naked ladies anyway.", Jun muttered softly, earning an amused look from Jiraya.
"Not this time. I was mainly after information on the Akatsuki. With this I've been able to verify their actions. And now as promised, two years from now, I will thoroughly train you. I wonder if you're prepared?"
"I've been tired of waiting. Of course I am prepared."
●●●
Jun couldn't believe that the day had come when Naruto would leave the village. She knew that he would come back in two years, and yet two years was a long time.
Especially when she thought that he would come back as a completely changed person. Not only would he become stronger, but he would also be two years older and hopefully a bit more mature and adult.
She knew that he was in good hands with Jiraya and probably he could have no one better at his side to train him. And yet it was hard for her to let him go and hope that everything would somehow work out.
Jun was standing at the big gate and when she saw Jiraya and Naruto from far away, she took another deep breath to avoid bursting into tears again. She didn't want Naruto to worry if everyone would be okay here, so she had to stay strong and show him that they were all waiting for him full of expectations.
"Jun-Sensei.", Naruto shouted when he saw her and came running straight towards her.
"Have you come to see me off?"
"Of course. Like I'm just going to let you go like that.", she said with a smile, now kneeling in front of him as she straightened his headband and zipped up his jacket properly.
"Did you pack everything you need? Enough clothes? Your toothbrush? Your money?", and while she asked all that, Naruto just rolled his eyes with a grin and nodded at her in agreement.
"I have everything with me, and if I'm missing something, I'll buy it. Don't worry about it. Besides, pervy Sage is with me. He has more than enough money and I'm sure he can buy me some stuff.", he whispered at the end and Jun nodded with a small smile and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.
"Promise me you'll be in touch from time to time. And don't be sassy to Jiraya-Sama. Don't talk to strangers, and above all, make sure nothing happens to you. Always listen to what Jiraya-Sama says, and above all, get enough sleep and eat. Got it?", Naruto just nodded and gave Jun a tight hug goodbye.
"Promise Jun-Sensei."
Jun straightened up now and when she looked at Jiraya, he nodded to her with a smile and Jun took a deep breath before she stepped aside and let them leave the village.
She would prefer to accompany him and make sure he thought about all the important things she had just told him. Jun knew, however, that this was his personal mission which he had to carry out himself.
She could no longer help him on his way. He had to find the strength that lurked deep within him and she knew that all the other Genin wouldn't allow him to fall by the wayside and lose to him.
It was a journey that not only Naruto needed but everyone else as well. The fact that Sasuke was no longer part of their group and their lives had taken a toll on everyone and thrown them off track.
If they really wanted to save him someday and bring him back, everyone had to find the way of becoming stronger and walk it alone, while they got some tips from the outside how it could work better.
And for Jun, too, it was now time to accept that the kids she had trained back in the academy were no longer children but were slowly growing into adults who would lead their own lives.
A thought that made her sad and happy at the same time, because she knew that in this generation of Genin there were people that the village needed so badly and could rely on without thinking.
They were young Shinobi that Jun would accompany on their way and no matter how independent they would eventually be and no matter how old they were, for Jun they would always remain her little brothers and sisters that she would protect forever.
It was hard for her to face the fact that at some point she had to let her former students go too, so that they could find their own way.
It almost broke her heart to know that her kids would also grow up someday and for Naruto the time had come to find his own way.
With a laughing and a crying eye she turned around and went on patrol in the city, because one could never know exactly what would happen in the next second.
Changes.Lately her life had been marked by changes and if there was one thing she hated more than anything else, it was the fact that she had to get used to this new life.
●●●
Jun couldn't believe that she only now noticed that her period was already a week away. And even though she had thought that nothing could throw her off track anymore, she had never expected that she would be so nervous before the result of the test.
She didn't know if she should be happy about it or not at that moment, because when she looked at the test after five minutes and it showed two pink lines, she felt like she was going to fall over.
She was pregnant.
She didn't know how long she stared at the test in her hands without really realizing what had just happened. Her life would completely change from this point on and she didn't know how to handle the thought.
She also didn't know if she should talk to Kurenai directly or if Kakashi should be the first to know about this news. She couldn't think straight anymore and only when the door to the house opened, she jerkily turned around and quickly hid the test in the pocket of her sweatpants.
She bit her lower lip lightly and when Kakashi lifted his gaze and saw Jun standing in the middle of the living room, he immediately knew that something was wrong and that scared him just a little.
"What's wrong?", he asked and went to her, but she took a step back and slowly shook her head.
"I need to tell you something.", she mumbled softly, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
"Okay? Spit it out.", he stopped in front of her and he couldn't even begin to imagine what was even going on here, but it had to be something serious if she was this nervous.
How should she tell him about it?Should she just tell him directly that she was pregnant?Or should she just hand him the test and let him find out for himself?
She was completely overwhelmed with the situation, because until now she hadn't thought about when they would have children, even though Jun knew that she would want to have at least two with him.
But that this would happen so suddenly and unexpectedly, even she would not have expected and she was afraid of how Kakashi would react to this news.
Jun knew that he would also want to have children someday, but with the things that had happened in the last weeks, they both had not wasted a thought to talk seriously about this topic.
And now she was standing here. In the middle of the living room and was just about to somehow tell Kakashi that in nine months she would be expecting a child that they would have to take care of and that would completely turn their lives upside down.
"Kakashi...", she continued mumbling and then she reached into the pocket of her sweatpants and pressed the pregnancy test into his hands.
"I'm pregnant.", and now Kakashi looked shocked from Jun to the positive pregnancy test in his hand, without even realizing what was going on here.