Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine.
A/N:
This is new: my first try on pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood with the usual pairing(s). Inspired by just a little talk over someone's birthday, and later motivated by just a little chat with my parents about how I got into the earth.
I actually learned something from writing this story xP. So until there, please enjoy!
Start of Something New
--
Sometimes the deepest agony,
Can bring the greatest joy.
Sometimes the journey is arduous,
That takes us where we need to go.
At times we may wonder
Was it really worth the wait?
(Lara's Birth - Shannon Mitchell)
--
Hyuuga Neji was having a normal, peaceful morning as he sat inside his dining room, reading the newspaper titled 'The Konoha Chronicles' on the table. In front of him were a cup of hot Japanese tea and plain tuna sandwiches.
He knew that hot tea didn't exactly match with sandwiches, but heck, ever since his lovely wife got pregnant, he just had to get used to this kind of weird meals she prepared for him.
He lifted his cup from the table and sipped the brown, warm tea, exhaling softly after that. He secretly loves how drinks, and since he only admitted it to his wife, she was the only one who knows exactly his favorite mix, too.
Three-fourth tablespoon of cream, one and a half blocks of sugar plus a cup of Japanese steaming tea are all equal to a very satisfied Hyuuga Neji.
He smirked to himself at the thought, as he slowly turned to the window, where the sun was shining brightly through the light blue curtains.
Today might just be a perfect day, he thought, almost happily. Hell, he deserves days like this, really. He has been experiencing the worst days ever since…
"Neji, I want strawberries!" Tenten called loudly as she stumbled into the dining room with her well-rounded stomach. "Can you please bring me strawberries later when you go home tonight?"
"Tenten, the market doesn't sell any more strawberries." The Hyuuga prodigy said patiently, folding his newspaper neatly before he finished his breakfast. "The season has passed."
She walked to him and hugged him dearly, pouting. "Please?"
"No." He said flatly, "My meeting finishes at six tonight. The marketplace closes at five thirty every day."
Tenten pouted again, this time cutely. "Then be home by dinner." She said at last, giving in to him. Husband or not, when he was determined, it was hard to break him, and she didn't want to go all those troubles reassuring him, too. "And please bring me a gyoza (Japanese style dumplings) set from Ichiraku."
Neji sighed, keeping himself very patient. "Okay." He agreed, before then looking at her softly, standing up as he put away his plate and cup in the kitchen. "I'll be going now, then."
She smiled at him before she walked him to the doorway, being a good wife she tried to be. "Goodbye, then, Neji." The weapon mistress said gently, "Have a nice day."
The Hyuuga prodigy leaned to his wife and planted a firm kiss on her lips before he stroked her pregnant belly carefully. "I'll be back by dinner."
"Okay." She replied faithfully.
Neji almost smirk to himself again. Pregnant or not, she was still cute and lovely. He walked out of their house, closing the door behind him slowly before he leaped onto their roof and sprung away quickly, shinobi-style.
--
Tenten sighed heavily as she lied herself on the couch. She was bored, damn it! There's nothing to do, the weather was frigging hot, and their fan just happened to be broken. Great, so much for a day!
She looked at the television and sighed again. Television these days, she thought angrily, they show nothing but sappy romance movies with no specific plotlines!
She sighed once more before turning it off and glancing at her large stomach. Smiling, she stroked it lovingly.
She has been pregnant for almost nine months – in fact, the day after the day after tomorrow will make it a complete nine months, also due date of the baby. She has been a pretty good mother until now, always going on regular check-ups with Sakura, who just found herself pregnant in the courtesy of Uchiha Sasuke.
The medic nin was surprised, not to mention that she was very happy on the news. The Uchiha's reaction was priceless – he was more than happy, but he kept on denying his feelings. Well, so much for a prodigy!
Remembering Sasuke's reaction, Tenten couldn't help but remember Neji's reaction too when Sakura told them both that she was pregnant.
He gaped a bit, his face went paler, and he just had to ask Sakura not only twice, but five times whether she was absolutely sure or not about her pregnancy.
The pink-haired kunoichi, being a medic nin, could only nod as she stifled her (loud) laughter.
Tenten sighed a little again as she puffed the cushions of the couch. She has been given a pregnancy break from her work as an ANBU under Aburame Shino after she got two-months pregnant.
ANBU missions are especially dangerous, and her husband has practically banned her from working as a kunoichi, though she still throws aims and practices her archery at home as she waited for him to come back from his work as the Hyuuga clan leader.
But that was until she got eight-months pregnant.
Boy, being eight-months pregnant was like… hell.
She couldn't help but craves for many, many food. Her belly just have to get bigger and bigger that she wondered whether she would have her former flat, slim waist after it was all over. Every time she looked into the mirror, she thought of herself ugly, but she never really cared.
Appearance is never a big thing for her, and she's not going to let pregnancy change that.
She keeps doing regular check-ups with Sakura (who by now, was three-months pregnant), or sometimes she just visited the medic nin, having quality time between them both.
They have developed this… friendship bond ever since they got married, and Tenten thought that maybe their closeness was because they married the same type of guy: a genius, arrogant, cold bastard.
After the marriage, then comes looking for the house. Tenten has always wanted a house where she could be independent: a house with no servants messing around, so Neji figured out that they must live outside of the Hyuuga compound.
Without protesting, he fulfilled Tenten's dream of living independently, taking a house outside of the whole Hyuuga mansion, though he needs to go back there every day, since he was the notable clan leader.
Though, on the note of being a good mother, Tenten wondered whether she has been a good wife for Neji or not, too.
She has… umm, practically forced him to do all the housework, like washing the clothes, cleaning the house, mopping the floors, gardening, doing the dishes… Heck, he even cooks for them both sometimes, though most of the time she was the one who did it.
And during those times he cooked, she couldn't help but agree that he was a much better cook than her himself. He made mean cheese sandwiches, delicious chicken udon (Japanese noodles), yummy seafood noodles – his dishes were top star! Until now, she wondered where he learned to cook just then.
Still, he has been very patient to her, not to mention kind. He fulfilled almost each and every one of her cravings, except when she was being impossible, like when she craves for roasted dog (Kiba had just to be there, and he yelled at her for wanting this)…
There was also the housework. She just had to be very lazy in her state of a pregnant wife that she often leaves the house unattended – well, she did wash the dishes at breakfast and lunch since he was away, but when he was at home; he was the one who offers to do it, along with the clothes, the floors, and many more…
And there were times when she just had to annoy him so much. Like when he just wanted to take a rest from doing all the housework, and his own clan matters, she bugged him endlessly with never-ending pranks she learned from Naruto when he was just visiting. He never got mad – well, he might, but he never enrages, at least not at her.
Neji never complains, not even a word, and she loves him more because of it. He is never a man that complains much, at least, not when he still can endure her… umm, evilness as a pregnant wife.
Just as she was getting deep in her thoughts, her doorbell rang. Tenten got up from the couch (after trying hard for a little while) and went to the door, opening it.
An endearing smile appeared on her lips when she saw Uzumaki Naruto, his wife the former Hyuuga Hinata, and their daughter, Uzumaki Yukiko in her arms.
Naruto was now a proud man of twenty-two, a father of the family and was happily a faithful Rokudaime, though Tsunade-sama was still available as the Godaime. The elders have agreed to her promoting the Uzumaki as the Hokage, since they believed that two leaders will at least bring better things to Konoha.
Hinata, still as white as ever, was actually a kindergarten teacher in the ninja academy, though she was on a break after giving birth to Yukiko. Sometimes she still went to the clan, going around and checking whether everything is alright.
She was still a faithful daughter to Hiashi, who has went down by a step and stayed just being the Hyuuga elder, helping Neji a little to control the clan. She was most of the time at home, though, being the house-mom for a while until Yukiko was big enough.
"Hey there, Tenten!" Naruto greeted cheerfully, patting the weapon mistress' back slowly. "You look…" He paused, "… healthy." He finished lamely. He was actually going to say 'fat', but remembering Sakura's reaction when he said this (it was bloody scary), he wasn't going to take any risks of being thrown – again.
"Good afternoon, Tenten." Hinata said, still in her usual soft, sweet voice. "I hope we're not interrupting anything…"
"No, of course not!" Tenten smiled quickly, smiling as she led the two inside her house. "Neji is just away and I was damn bored." She motioned them to sit on her favorite lavender-leathered sofa. "I'll make tea."
"No, Tenten, please…" Hinata stopped her, smiling as she led the weapon mistress to the couch. "Let me make the tea." The former Hyuuga heiress announced softly, giving Yukiko's peaceful sleeping form to her husband.
The weapon mistress almost argued, but seeing Hinata's determination, she said nothing.
"So how is Yukiko doing?" She asked at last, looking at the seven months old baby girl in Naruto's arms. She still remembered the day where Naruto was just at one of his random outbursts (which happened to be the day Yukiko was born, too) and he chose the name 'Yukiko' since it means 'child of snow', referring to the baby's milky skin. "Last week, I heard from Hinata that you have been trying to feed her ramen. Naruto, she hasn't even grown perfect teeth yet! What are you thinking?"
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Well, I'm bored!" He said, defending himself, "And Yukiko was chewing a rubber kunai at that time! Ramen must taste better than rubber, right?"
"She's growing teeth, Naruto!" Tenten chuckled. She sincerely hoped that Neji wasn't as… clueless as Naruto is to parenthood. If he is, then… it would be more than troublesome. "The rubber is supposed to help her gums stop to itch." She explained kindly to the confused Rokudaime, "Doesn't Hinata tell you about this?"
"She does." He nodded, still wearing the same sheepish smile he keeps from the time where they were just mere genins, "I guess I just keep forgetting."
"It's good that she has almost unlimited patience towards you." She said slowly, "If Neji is just like you, I may have murder him already. I never have much patience, so unlike Hinata."
"Speaking of Neji-niisan…" Hinata suddenly said, coming from the kitchen, bringing three cups of steamy hot tea. She gave one to Naruto, then to Tenten and held one herself. "… How is he like… in the house?" She asked, settling down next to her husband.
Tenten laughed good-naturedly. "He might be the nicest guy I've ever known." She said fondly, her eyes shining happily, "He helps me with anything I don't wanna do. Oh, Hinata, you know how being pregnant is. Neji is just kind." She finished before at last she turned to the couple again, smiling mischievously, "Though, let's not go into details since Naruto is here." She joked happily, "How was Naruto when you were pregnant, Hinata?"
"Of course I have been good!" Naruto exclaimed, "Haven't I, Hinata?" Using his free hand, he squeezed Hinata's hand fondly as he used his other hand to support Yukiko's weight.
Hinata laughed, nodding at that statement, "Naruto-kun is very kind." She said reassuringly, taking Yukiko from him as he stood up. She looked at him, face disappointed but still composed. "Oh, it's time already?"
"Yeah." Naruto said. "Sorry, Hinata… I'll be home before nine. And Tenten…? I'm sorry too. I have to go. There's this… meeting with Granny Tsunade and the other elders. Hinata will be here, okay? You'll have company and so will she."
Tenten nodded, waving her hand as Naruto opened the window and leaped out from it. She turned towards Hinata.
"So where were we?" She asked, another smile appearing on her red lips. "On how Naruto is, right?"
"Yes." Hinata smiled lovingly, caressing Yukiko's cheek softly as Tenten eyed her curiously. She has never really watch a mother interacting with her baby. The former Hyuuga heiress looked up and smiled once again, "Changing the subject, Tenten… Have you talk with Neji-niisan about the baby? Like, do you want a girl or a boy?"
Tenten smiled at the question. "We've only had one talk." She said, remembering clearly about their discussion just a few weeks ago. "And we agreed that whatever gender the baby might be, we might as well take care of her or him. It's not about gender, really. And it's our first child, too."
Hinata nodded in agreement as she gazed around the room. "I see that you have been shopping." She said, her eyes looking right at the cradle on the edge of the room.
Tenten laughed. "Actually not. It was the Hyuuga elders who did this. They sort of… went overboard knowing that Neji is gonna have a baby soon." She explained, "And they brought us many things. We have loads of toys in the other room!"
Hinata laughed softly. "They did that to me, too." She said, cuddling Yukiko happily. She then noticed the questioning look in Tenten's eyes. "Anything you want to ask, Tenten?" She asked slowly, wondering herself.
Tenten grinned as she rubbed her well-rounded stomach. Just as she opened her mouth, the doorbell rang loudly. Groaning a bit, she got up and stormed to the doorway, opening it only to reveal the one and only Nara Ino, wife of Nara Shikamaru, with her son: Nara Shikano, who was silently examining the clouds' movements.
"Hey there, Tenten!" Ino said cheerfully. She patted Shikano's back. "Say hello to Tenten-san, Shikano!" She cooed to her one-year-old son, holding him down to the floor as Tenten smiled dearly to the mother-and-son.
Ignoring her, Shikano continued to watch the clouds.
Tenten giggled a little as she felt Ino glaring at her son. "Now, now, Shikano's grown so much like Shikamaru in only a year, ne?" She teased, as her head felt heavy all of a sudden. "Anyway, get in... Hinata's… inside."
"So I do come at a right time."
Tenten simply smiled as she suddenly felt something wrong with her stomach. She felt faint. Oh, god… She felt something rolled to her feet. Her knees weakened as her vision went blurry. She almost fell behind until two pair of arms caught her. Voices…
"Hinata! Hinata! HELP ME HERE!" Ino?
"I-Ino! What happened?" Hinata? "Tenten! Let's go to the clinic now!"
"Mom..?" Is that… Shikano?
After that, total darkness.
--
Neji stormed into the clinic, his face flushed as he noticed Ino, her son, Hinata, and her daughter waiting patiently in the waiting room. Hinata stood up, smiling softly to her cousin as Yukiko slept in her arms softly.
"Neji-niisan." She acknowledged gently, holding Yukiko closer to her chest. "Tenten is just inside."
"Am I late?" He asked helplessly, trying his best to look composed as usual. He was just sitting inside the compound, having their usual daily meeting with the Hyuuga when a servant rushed to him and told him that 'Nara Ino' called to tell that his wife was ran to the clinic because her water bag broke.
Immediately he left the meeting without saying anything towards the elders – he will definitely get scolded by Hiashi later on, but that was none of his concern right now.
"No, really." Ino shook her head, cuddling her sleeping son. "Her water just broke and we immediately ran her to the clinic. Sakura's inside, helping her. Uh, she just experienced her first contraction. She's waiting for you, Neji."
"Just go, Neji-niisan." Hinata added sympathetically. Without saying anything, just sending a little nod towards his cousin, Neji reached the door into the labor room. He opened it, a little hesitantly and peeked inside, only to see Sakura talking lightly to Tenten.
"Neji-san…" The medic nin said, slowly smiling towards the Hyuuga. "Just come in."
Neji entered the room, looking at Tenten who was just lying on the bed, looking somewhere between helpless and tired. "Tenten…" He whispered, approaching her quickly. He reached out for her hand and held it tightly, only to be held back with stronger pressure.
She was sweating furiously, her eyes showing pain as she held his hand stronger, easing the pain she was feeling. He tensed up right at that moment.
"She's alright." It was Sakura who answered, being the perky girl she really was. "Though the contractions are worse than ever. The baby will be coming in a number of minutes, I daresay." She stood up just as Tenten let out a painful breath, her medic senses going up.
"I'll call for some nurses to help." She informed Neji and left the room quickly. Within a number of seconds she was back, with two nurses on her side. "Tenten…" The pink-haired kunoichi smiled slightly, brushing her friend's bangs away from her brown eyes. "Are you ready? We'll start the labor now if you are."
Tenten, a bit too occupied by the pain she felt, could only nod as she let out another painful breath.
Sakura gave an encouraging smile as she arranged the two nurses to fix Tenten's legs just about the right amount, giving herself a clear view of her under. "When I say 'push', push, okay?" She said at last, looking at the sweating weapon kunoichi, now looking helpless on the bed.
She smiled encouragingly once more and closed her eyes for a second, preparing herself. "One, two… three… Push!" She yelled and Tenten pushed hard, clenching her fist until white as Neji looked at her worriedly. "Push!" She instructed loudly, as Tenten pushed harder, trying to keep herself from screaming the pain as Neji held her hands strongly.
"Harder!" Sakura yelled. "There's the head! Oh, wow!" She almost squeals in delight when she saw the head, but she remembered that she was the one in charge right now. "Push harder, Tenten! You're almost there!"
"Again!" The pink haired medic shouted excitedly, also sweating furiously as she counted to herself. As Tenten pushed, she felt something slipped out of her abdomen and the pressure was gone. She felt… light. Her clenched fists blossomed as she gave a relieved sigh upon hearing a loud cry of an infant. Her eyes dropped shut. Neji was staring wide-eyes at what Sakura was holding in her arms, loss at words.
"Congratulations, Tenten, Neji." Sakura said softly, holding the baby ever so softly as she looked at it between disbelief and happiness too. "It's a girl. You have a beautiful baby girl!" She snatched a wet white sheet from one of the nurses and wiped the baby with the sheet ever so carefully, cleaning any blood stains. She then put the sheet on the waste basket and stared at the baby again, also happy.
Another nurse took the prepared white blanket and took the baby from Sakura, carefully blanketing it with the sheet. The nurse then gave the baby to Neji, who was still wide-eyed as he received what seems so fragile to his hands.
Sakura smiled slightly, satisfied with her job today. She approached the disbelieving couple and squeezed Tenten's hand gently. "You have done a good job, Tenten." She said, whispering lowly. "Your baby found almost no trouble at all."
Neji gazed down at the baby, who was sleeping soundly in his arms right now. Sakura smiled. "I'll leave you to privacy for around five to ten minutes." She said softly, "After that, we'll move you and your baby to the mothers' room, just for two nights, okay?"
Without waiting for a reply, Sakura left, a big smile on her face as her emerald eyes were greeted by the fluorescent light outside the labor room.
Tenten's eyes opened again, though just slightly. "How is she..?" She asked, her voice so light, so soft, so tired, but there was a hint of happiness and satisfaction in her tone.
Neji approached her and sat down next to his wife. She turned at the baby – their baby and gave another breath as she held up one hand to touch the infant's cheek softly.
"… She's beautiful…" He replied her question at last, looking down at their first child. She was so… tiny, so fragile that he was afraid that if he held her any second longer, she will break. The baby's eyes were closed, and one of her tiny hands was up on her face.
Tenten smiled slightly, her vision getting blurry as she felt her head going heavy. "Thank… goodness…" She whispered, her eyes dropping shut once more, indicating that she has dozed off to sleep, a soft smile curled on her ruby red lips.
Neji looked down at the baby, then to his wife, and then to their baby again, completely not uttering a word. He was at loss of words as he gazed down to what is their first child, trying to muster what he was feeling right there.
It was magical.
It was somewhere between being happy and touched.
It was… breathtaking.
He looked up at his sleeping wife and stood up, smiling softly as he bent down to kiss her forehead lightly. Just as he did that, Sakura went inside the room silently.
"Time is up…" She announced, but immediately stopped when she saw Neji's quick, chaste but soft kiss. He looked up at her, feeling very satisfied indeed. She braced herself and gave an awkward smile.
Oops. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"
--
Tenten sat on the bed, cuddling her lovely baby. It was already twenty-four hours after she gave birth, and the tiring pressures, the painful feeling on her abdomen were all nearly gone.
Sakura grinned at her. "You're alright, Tenten, and the baby's very healthy. Today you may go home already – that's early." She said, and her next sentence was enveloped in teases and laughter, "And I heard Neji is heading here to pick you up."
Seeing as the weapon mistress didn't reply but was staring at her baby, Sakura let out a soft giggle and left the room quietly, almost making no voices.
In her aloneness, Tenten smiled to herself as she gazed lovingly at her baby. She has gone through nine months of insanity, craziness and boredom. She has gone through thirty six weeks of being pregnant, having those 'pregnancy syndromes' as Sakura calls it. Those busy times of regular check-ups, those days of driving Neji crazy…
She looked down once more at her sleeping baby, and smiled softly, realizing something…
It's all worth it.
--
But love is the greatest outcome
And love never comes too late.
So sometimes when you may wonder
if all the patience is worthwhile.
There is nothing more rewarding
Than a Newborn Baby's Smile.
(Lara's Birth - Shannon Mitchell)
--
-Fin-
Information
If the water bag in a pregnant woman's womb breaks, it means that she is ready to give birth, or it's just a number of contractions before the child is born.
Contractions: a very strong and painful movement of a muscle, especially of the muscles around the womb during the process of birth.
Notes
The childbirth in the fic is just a little summary of what happened when someone in my family was born, though it was very brief, I had to add little 'spices' here and there. I hope that is good enough…
I actually want to continue it, but remembering I have my other fics that should have been in my concentration (I'm still continuing xP), I don't really know about that. It depends on my mood, my inspiration, my ideas, and my mood again.
There's not much humor here, but if I continue, I'll add more. I have the ideas, I don't have the time. xP. Sorry...
Thanks for reading! Please review!!