Title: A Mother's Worth
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. The legal rights belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.
Rating: K+ for fluffy moments and dramatic tension.
Summary: When she was pregnant, Karura was always glowing with love. Because even before Gaara was born, she already loved him with all her heart [Edited 10/07-2015].
...
Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children - William Makepeace Thackeray
Karura sat content on the couch in the livingroom, humming cheerfully as she kept knitting on a little black sweater. Her soft humming got interrupted as she suddenly felt a small kick within her womb. A faint smile graced her lips as she put the half-done sweater on the table in front of her, before placing her hand gently above her swelling stomach. Karura was almost six months on the way with her third child and couldn't be happier. The blond woman had returned from the doctor's office in less than two hours ago, and was told she was expecting another healthy baby boy. Karura's smile widened at the thought of the growing child inside her.
She loved being pregnant.
To her, the bond between a child and it's mother was the most beautiful and sacred thing in the whole world. It made her feel important, considering childhood has an important outcome on how people might be in the future. That's why she felt it was her duty to raise her children to be the best people they could be. Happy that she can somehow make the world a better place by bringing more caring people into it.
Still, she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.
She tried to ignore the eerie feeling, but ever since her strange dream last night, she just knew something was amiss.
Karura was brought back from her thoughts when she heard the sound of childrens laughter.
Correction, her children.
Suddenly, her three year old daughter Temari burst through the door with her two year old brother Kankurō hot on her heels. "Mother!" they screamed, as they both embraced her simultaneously. Temari lashed onto her stomach while Kankurō, who first struggled to climb up the couch, finally managed to get up in the seat next to her to hug her as well. Temari bore a strong resemblance to herself, inheriting her sandy blond hair and mischievous jade colored eyes (1). While Kankurō on the other hand, with his spiky brown hair and brown eyes, took more after Rasa. At the though of her husband she looked up to meet Rasa's eyes as he was leaning against the wall, smirking as he watched the children overwhelm her with adoration. Karura turned her attention toward the children, inwardly glad that they have arrived home safely before the sandstorm set in.
Sandstorms were nothing out of the ordinary in Suna. But no one, absolutely no one, would want to be outside when they were ravishing the city.
The sand is after all a harsh mistress.
"Hello Temari-chan, Kankurō-kun. How was your day with father?"
Temari released her belly and threw her arms in the air. "It was soooo boooring! All he did was sign stupid papers and talk with grumpy, old men!" she complained with Kankurō nodding in agreement. Karura laughed.
"Is that so? Well it's not all fun and games being the Kazekage, you know," she said, waving her finger in fake disapproval. Temari however, proceeded to ignore her mother's words as she placed her hands on her mothers pregnant belly, rubbing it slowly as she tried to feel the baby's movements.
"Ne mother, when are we gonna have the baby?" she asked with excitement shining brightly in her eyes. Karura couldn't help but smile at the sight. She found it adorable that even though she was the one psychically caring the child, she wasn't the only one bringing him forth mentally. Because in Temari's mind, it was both her AND her mother who was gonna have the baby.
"Soon Temari-chan. Are you really that impatient on taking care of the new baby?" she teased, pinching Temari's cheek. Temari released her and rubbed her flustered cheek. "Mou, mother~!"
Karura winched when the baby decided to kick again. This time a little bit harder.
"Oomph...That little sibling of yours is quite the kicker."
At the sound of his mothers cry, Kankurō jumped up to his feet. "Oy! Stop kicking our mother. You're hurting her!" he yelled, waving his fist threateningly toward his unborn sibling.
Karura raised her eyebrows in surprise before she burst out giggling. When her giggles had finally seized, she put her hand on top of her fuming sons head, stroking his hair fondly.
"It's alright Kankurō-kun. That just means that the baby is healthy," she assured him. Kankuro seemed to visible relax at this.
Until Temari decided to make her presence clear.
"Yeah, Kankurō. You're such an idiot!"
Kankurō snapped toward his sister.
"'Am not!" he retorted. Kankurō turned his back to Temari, crossing his arms insulted. "Beside, I would never kick mother!"
"I know you wouldn't Kankurō-kun," Karura replied, but her words fell on deaf ears as the siblings continued their bickering.
Karura sighted. At his point she didn't even dare to imagine how it was gonna be with a third child in the house...
It was that moment her husband decided it was about time to interrupt his families amusing antics. He directed his voice toward their firstborn.
"Temari, go and play with your brother. Mother needs her rest."
Temari expression saddened. "But Father! We just got home..."
"Temari. Now.," he repeated, this time more harshly.
Karura shoot her husband a look of gratitude. She ruffled Temari's hair in reassurance.
"Listen to your father, Temari-chan. I promise it won't take long,"
Temari sighted. "Yeah...Yeah...," she muttered. Fortunately for Karura, the disappointment didn't last very long as Temari flickered Kankurō's forehead.
"TAG, YOU'RE IT!" she screamed, before running down the hall. Kankuro raged.
"I'LL GET YOU, TEMARI!"
Rasa's eyes softened at the sight of Temari's teasing and Kankurō's violent reaction. He left the empty doorway and went up to his wife, kissing her forehead affectionately.
"Hello, Karura."
"Hello, my love," Karura replied, secretly enjoying his touch on her skin. Rasa took the empty sit next to hers, eyeing her stomach with pride. Karura felt herself brighten under his observing gaze. Rasa once told her that even though he always thought she was beautiful, she became even more so when she was pregnant. That was because she was always glowing with love, he said, making it impossible for anyone to stay unhappy around her.
She was that one bright star that shone brighter than any other stars in the night sky.
"What did the doctor say?" he asked, staring intensely at her growing stomach. Karura's smile grew as a light blush appeared on her cheeks.
"It's a boy."
He smirked at the sigh of Karura's blushing features and whispered softly. "Another boy, huh?"
Karura nodded. "Mm, but I can't help but wondering what he is gonna be like though..." she uttered dreamily into the air, already trying to picture their future son's personality. Rasa rubbed his head in exhaustion. "Well, let's hope he is a calm one. I'm not sure how many energetic kids I can handle."
Karura gasped jokingly. "How mean...! But true, it doesn't hurt having a child who is slightly calmer then the other two."
The couple turned their attention toward the window, silently observing the ongoing sandstorm outside. For a moment, they just enjoyed the peaceful silence between them, both trapped in their own musing concerning their future son.
Would he have blond or auburn colored hair?
Would he be strong like his father or gentle like his mother?
Would he be smart as his sister?
Or, God forbid, have a temper like his brother?
The possibilities were endless.
But Karura found herself surprised over that she didn't much care about his potential strengths or faults.
She just knew that the moment she would see him, she would love him unconditionally.
But as Karura was watching the sand harshly smash against the window, she was once again reminded of the dream from the night before. No longer able to keep her worries to herself, Karura said.
"I had a dream last night."
Rasa tilted his head toward her, a perplexed expression marrying his face.
"What did you dream about then?"
"It was a boy," she uttered in a trance like voice, her eyes never leaving the sandstorm. "He didn't look more than sixteen, but he had this strong and serious air about him...He didn't said anything, but I could tell right away that he was my son."
His eyes widened slightly. "How do you know that?" he asked.
A smug smirk graced her thin lips.
"A mother's intuition."
Rasa raised an eyebrow at this. Karura scratched her cheek in a sheepish matter.
"Beside it wasn't that hard to tell. He looked almost like a young copy of you with the same strong cheek bones and same unruly auburn hair. Except his had more of a fiery color to it. He even had the same black rings around his eyes like you have when you use The Gold Dust Technique!" she pointed out enthusiastically.
"I could even see some of myself in him!" she exclaimed. Her other two children took only after either her or Rasa, but this boy. This boy was sharing traits from both of them! Something that filled her heart with unbelievable joy.
"He had my pale complexion and even my jade colored eyes!" But as soon as she mentioned the boys eyes, her cheerful face fell. Instead, it became replaced with a more somber expression.
"But his eyes...They were so cold and distant. I could feel his loneliness in them. But then when he looked at me...something happened."
Karura stopped for a brief moment to collect her thoughts, but as she was about to open her mouth again, she noticed no words would come out. The memory of the boy still stunned her. She was brought back to reality when she heard her husband ask.
"What happened then?"
Karura's lips broke into a sad, heart-wrenching smile. "He...He smiled. Not a big one, but I could tell it was genuine. His smile...It was so beautiful. He was beautiful. He reached his hand out to me, but before I could even reach him, his...his body started to crumble."
"Crumble?" Rasa asked bewildered. She nodded stiffly.
"Yes. Like his body was made of...sand. And before I even knew it. He was gone..." Karura began to feel the unshed tears that were threatening to stream down her face. But as she was about to force them back, she felt a sudden weight on her shoulder. To her side she saw that Rasa had placed a comforting arm around shoulder, allowing her the vulnerability to shed her tears in front of him. With gratitude in her eyes, she let a sob escape her throat as she felt the first of many tears trail down her cheeks.
"It felt so real..." she sniffled, drying her now puffy eyes with the sleeves of her shirt. After she finished wiping her tear stained face, she hesitantly asked.
"Do you think...that maybe...that dream was a sign of some sort?"
Rasa stared silently at his wife before turning his attention toward the city, which at this point was almost impossible to see due to all the sand. The comforting hand that was placed around her shoulder only a second ago was now on his knee, gripping the fabric of his trouser roughly.
"No, that's impossible. "
Karura stared at him with worried eyes. By the tone of his voice (or rather lack of), Karura could immediately tell that something was bothering her husband. But despite her worries, she still couldn't bring herself to ask what bothered him. She knew that Suna was going through some economical difficulties at the moment, especially since The Daiymō had decided to cut Sunagakures budget rather drastically. But if it was one thing she had learned from being married to him, was that her husband was a stubborn man who never told anyone about his worries unless he felt it was necessary.
Karura noticed that the previously, joyous air that surrounded them earlier had now become heavy with melancholy. So in hope of brightening the mood, she placed her hand on top of her husbands restless hand, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze. At the feel of her hand, his hardened eyes shifted directly from the window and into her loving gaze, softening immediately from her simple, yet tender gesture.
"Then what are your hopes for a son?" she chirped.
Rasa pondered one moment, before answering. "That he will become a strong shinobi of Sunagakure."
Her eyes crinkled at his somewhat serious, but sincere answer. Many would have interpreted this as a harsh and apathetic answer, but Karura could immediately tell that the seriousness in his tone was overshadowed by the twinkle of mirth in his eyes. To his people and his enemies he may be a fearful ninja, but in her eyes, he is nothing but a caring husband and father.
A wonderful human being who loves his people more than anything in the world.
"What about you, Karura?"
She opened her eyes and gave him a steady smile.
"I just want him to grow up happy and healthy."
Karura tilted her blond head down toward her swollen stomach and wrapped her arms around it in a loving embrace.
"You hear that my child? That's because your mother loves you with all her heart."
Her smile widened in happiness as she felt her beloved child's response as he kicked back right into his mothers loving hands.
...
"Kazekage-sama, her heart-rate is dropping rapidly...!"
"...What a small and feeble child..."
"We apologize Kazekage-sama, there is nothing more we can do to save her."
"Karura...!"
"I'll always protect you no matter what, Gaara!"
Authors Note:
Edited 10/07-2015: I decided to correct some grammatical errors and add some new details into the story, like exploring the conversation between Karura and Rasa in more depth (Now that I finally know the man's name! Yes!). Otherwise, the summary of the story remains the same.
(1) I changed Karura's eyes from indigo to jade to make Temari and Gaara resemble her more.
I hope you readers enjoyed my one-shot and thank you all for taking the time to either read, review or favorite my story. I cannot describe how much I appreciate that!
- Cyanidespiderbites