(This is a short story fiction that will pave the way for a HUGE project later in the future. We wanted to release that story this month, but with other commitments bogging down the writers with time constraints, that's just not going to happen. As a result, we wrote a short story to prepare for the big project. The story we really wanted to release will come around sometime around 2016, after the insane holidays that are sure to keep us too busy for comfort.)
Summary: Perhaps being a ninja suited her better than motherhood, but even Temari had to admit, there was nothing more humbling than the experience of childbirth.
Warning: for the particularly squeamish, a large segment of this fiction (primarily the early chapters) focuses on childbirth. If that bothers you, you might want to pass it by.
The Sand Child
She'd been skewered, stabbed, strangled, and sliced. Temari was a strong woman, and didn't back down an inch. In her lifetime, she'd been beaten bloody, tortured, and caught in more explosions than she could count, and she came out of it a stronger person. There was nothing on the planet that rivaled this moment though, nothing more painful, or more terrifying, than being rendered completely powerless to the forces of nature in and of itself.
"Why did I let you talk me into this," Temari half sobbed when the contraction ended. "I should have learned the first time with Shikadai."
Shikamaru remained quiet for a moment, worry lingering in the depths of his eyes. Quickly, he blinked it away. It was never easy seeing his wife in agony, and lord knew Temari was not a woman who let pain get the better of her. "It's a burden now, but it won't be that way soon."
Between clenched teeth Temari, hissed out a shaky breath. She knew he was right. She really wanted to have another child, the pain of labor be damned. She was just glad her brothers weren't allowed in the room to see this, even though they had both made the trip to Konoha to welcome the birth of the baby. It was a hard labor, not even her first born had been this difficult.
The contraction passed, and the room grew quiet while Temari caught her fleeting breath. "I thought this would be easier the second time around."
"It usually is," Ino said, using the palm of her hand to put a soothing pressure on Temari's back. "Too much longer though, and we might want to switch to the bench. That's an easier position to be in."
"Easier my ass," another hard contraction stifled any further retort. She could smell her own sweat, it was far too hot in the room. Temari's kosode sat wide open, modesty abandoned for any inkling of comfort. "You and your damn traditions, Shika," Temari grumbled hoarsely when the pain finally passed.
Chocho stood quietly observing childbirth for the first time. She made herself useful by fetching the things she was told to get, and acted as a messenger to those waiting outside. Karui, the girl's mother, remained at the ready to step in when she was needed, but childbirth was always a waiting game. She gave a look to the sun dial that lingered in the corner of the room, a smug little smirk falling over her lips. "Twenty-eight hours so far. Any bets how much longer it'll be."
"Like hell," Temari muttered.
"That long already?" Ino asked actually surprised. "By the sounds of it, this baby bypassed Shikadai."
"How long did he take," Sakura asked. "I've forgotten."
"Twenty-seven hours." Temari sighed. "Twenty-seven long, grueling hours."
"Still faster than Chocho." Karui laughed.
"I wasn't that long, was I?" The dark skinned girl asked, looking towards her mother.
"Long enough," Karui shrugged, "you were a stocky baby."
"Aye, took after your father that way." Shikamaru said with a nod. "Akimichi blood runs strong."
"So does Nara," Temari said with a huff. "Stupidity and all. I knew I should have gone with the hospital this time around."
"I'm kind of surprised you didn't," Ino murmured sympathetically.
"If the mother and child don't have a birth here with the clan members, they can't bond," Shikamaru said tiredly. Halfway reaching for his cigarettes before snapping himself out of it, he offered Temari a smile. "It's tradition."
Beneath sweat soaked bangs, she gave her husband a murderous look. "If you don't shut up, the next contraction I get, it won't be your hand that I squeeze."
Karui and Ino exchanged glances before the dark haired woman sighed. Shikamaru was too logical for his own good sometimes, concerned father or not. "If you have strength enough to curse your husband, you've strength enough to give birth here in the family birthing room." Karui said quietly, though she too, was starting to get worried. Long labors were hard on both mother and baby. "You've done it once before."
"He'll be lucky I don't have strength enough to snip him myself," Temari could hardly recall the last time she'd lacked this level of control in her own inhibitions. For nine months, her body hadn't been her own. Today, however, it seemed to outright rebel at every turn.
"That can be arranged," Ino warned, also giving Shikamaru a glare.
"You know, in some places, the men have to wait outside with the rest of the family. It's not common place here, but, if Temari wanted…" Sakura said, thinking back to her training.
"It's true," Karui said, "Hidden Cloud is usually one of those places."
"Oh no, he's not going anywhere," Temari said, strain at the edges of her already exhausted voice. Shikamaru was on one side and Ino was on the other, helping to keep her from losing her mind. Another contraction hit Temari, this one much harder than the ones before. "Gods above."
Two sets of male eyes went wide eyes as a string of curses only natives of Suna would know came muffled through the door. Staring stupidly at the closed door, the brothers gaped as the rest of the room took the ruckus in stride.
"That doesn't sound natural…" Kankuro shuddered, arms crossed, almost in disbelief.
"I'm inclined to agree," Gaara murmured.
"I wonder if she's okay," Kankuro said, her stance becoming stern.
Gaara looked to his older brother. He honestly wasn't sure if the sounds coming from inside the room was a normal thing to hear or not. The birthing house was small, and walls were made of thin wood and paper. "Sakura's with them."
"Still," Kankuro sighed, "Temari doesn't yell like that."
Hinata, while not related to either of the three branch families remained closely by, as Naruto had asked her to. As she took to serving tea to the visiting Kazekage she bowed politely, a small blush on her face. It was impolite to speak so freely on the nature of a woman's condition, and it surprised her they spoke of it at all. "It's about as natural, as natural could possibly be, Gaara-sama."
Black rimmed eyes gazed at her, passively accepting the tea she gave to him. "Is that so?"
It was a question he didn't seem to particularly want an answer for, which was just fine for Hinata, who nodded her understanding. A knock came from the exterior door before a woman's head peeked in. It was Konoha's resident weapons' expert. She looked exhausted, and covered in the scent of soot. "Ah, Kazekage-sama, greetings. Hinata-sama, I just heard the news. Has the baby been born yet?"
"Not yet, I'm afraid," Hinata said as she took the scroll that was handed to her. It was a parcel of new kunai that she had ordered, that however, was not the main reason for Tenten's arrival. "You know, you didn't have to rush."
"Oh, but I did, before you-know-who made a rush of it himself. It has been a rather trying day among the smithy." Instead the woman moved beyond the group and knelt down before Gaara. It had been an official request from Naruto, a mission he'd personally given to Tenten in absolute secrecy. She acted as a Konoha ninja of her station, instead of casually waltzing around like she normally would. "The Hokage-sama asks that you do not open the box until the baby is born, but he desired that you received it as soon as possible."
Gaara smirked, taking the box from Tenten's hands carefully, giving Hinata a questioning look.
"Naruto is willful," Hinata said with a shrug. Gathering the many plates that sat in front of Choji, she placed before him another set of dumplings. "Is there anything I can anyone? It may be a few hours more."
"No thank you, Hinata-sama," Sai said as he looked up from his drawing. Closing his book he placed it in his side pack. "Somebody should perhaps check on our beloved Hokage. There's far too much going on in Konoha today, and without Shikamaru there, his work is probably starting to get the better of him."
"The boys are doing that," Choji said, slinging an arm around Sai, forcing him back into his seat.
"As will I," Tenten said with a firm nod bowing to those in the room. "I've really got to be going, but let me know if I can be of help."
"See, he's well taken care of," Choji smirked, handing Sai a dumpling as Tenten made her retreat. "You stay, it's our job as men to stay here, incase we're needed."
"I don't believe the girls would let us beyond the door, even if their lives depended on it." Sai rebuked, eyebrow raised as he heard a round of loud giggling, followed by Ino shouting at Shikamaru, Temari's voice following suit.
"Which is why Sakura is here," Hinata said, her voice tender, but stern. Her own motherhood had given her a bit more perspective on this situation than she cared to admit. "It is also why I am here. You have nothing to worry about, but, traditions are important, and should be upheld. No man besides the father shall enter that room while a woman remains in labor. It is unquestionably bad luck to see another man's wife in such a condition."
She didn't dare go on to say that Temari would likely be mortified if they did. The matter was invasive enough without having a bunch of men around making it worse.
"Murdering Shikamaru is a tradition?" Kankuro shook her head.
"He married Temari," Gaara said, as if that answered all of the questions his older brother could come up with.
It was Choji who cleared his throat. "Once the baby is born, Shikamaru and Temari will live here for the first three days with no access to the outside world. The only ones permitted to see the child during those days are blood relatives, and the members of our clans. For those three days, festivals are also held, but those will be done away from this birthing house."
"A kindness on the mother, truly," Hinata said with a soft smile. "It takes that long to even get acclimated to an infant."
"As opposed to Naruto," Gaara said knowingly, recalling how quickly he had been introduced to Naruto's brood, and how lacking in tact the blond Hokage could be. "He is a prideful man, perhaps, too much so."
"That, I would not argue," Hinata said, warmed by his words. It wasn't often Gaara spoke so freely to her, as he was much closer to Naruto. "It's auspicious, perhaps, that Temari's baby chose to make an appearance whilst you were visiting. It's difficult to find the time to gather together."
Gaara nodded, he'd come on business, but coincidences were something he didn't believe in. "Auspicious indeed."
They could hear more ruckus from beyond the door, and Kankuro shuttered. "Even when she's like that?"
Hinata just smiled. "Especially so, I'd say."