Thanks for reading! I don't own any of Naruto! Please let me know if you enjoy!
—
"Sa-ku-ra…" Sasuke whispered softly into the pinkette's ear, walking up behind her, he placed his hands on her waist and kissed her shoulder sweetly. "You don't have to go if you don't feel up to it."
Sakura smiled at her husband's kiss and turned to face him.
She noticed the glance Sasuke stole at her swollen breasts before they disappeared beneath her bra and shirt as she finished getting dressed. "Sasuke, I'd love to get out of the house and take a breath of fresh air. I won't be gone more than an hour or two, I promise."
Sasuke looked into his wife's deep green eyes.
A few weeks ago, Sakura had unexpectedly given birth to their daughter, Sarada.
While the arrival of the littlest Uchiha had been a shock to both of her parents, Sakura had taken to motherhood almost instantly.
Sasuke didn't know how she did it.
The screaming, the diapers, the sleep deprivation…
Sakura never looked tired or stressed.
No, since their daughter's arrival, Sakura always seemed…..peaceful.
Sasuke on the other hand, had been a nervous wreck.
He was worried when he woke in the morning and went to work.
Now he had a family to provide for…..
He was worried when he came home at night.
What if something had happened to one of them during the day…
And he was absolutely terrified of Sarada.
What if he hurt her accidentally when he held her?
What if he changed her diaper the wrong way and caused her to get a rash?
What if he crushed her with his prosthetic arm?
These things didn't seem to worry Sakura.
Since Sarada's birth, she had urged Sasuke to relax around their daughter.
So far, her words had fallen on deaf ears.
This morning, Sakura was taking a small trip to the supermarket alone, leaving Sasuke to care for Sarada on his own for a little while.
It would be the first time Sakura was away from their baby.
And it would be the first time Sasuke was alone with her.
Sakura frowned at him. "Sasuke, it'll be good for you two to spend a few minutes together."
That was what Sasuke was terrified of.
"What if something happens and we need you and you're not here?" Sasuke blurted out urgently.
Sakura blinked.
"Sasuke," Sakura giggled. "I'll be right back. I've been in this house so long I'm ready to go crazy. You are her father, aren't you? You know how to rock her and change her diaper. You two will be fine." She smiled reassuringly. "Besides, it was a long night, Sarada won't even wake up until after ten. It's five until eight now, and I promise I'll be back by eleven."
Sasuke nodded solemnly, as if he were stepping onto a battlefield.
"Can I go now?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sasuke leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. "Just hurry back, ok?"
Sakura pecked his lips and walked to the door, silently waving goodbye before she headed out.
As the door closed, Sasuke plopped down on the couch.
He glanced towards Sarada's nursery.
Well…
They were alone now.
He glanced at the clock.
It was eight now.
He had two hours.
Sarada would sleep for two hours Sakura said, and then he had to make it for about an hour, then his wife would be home.
Sasuke smiled softly.
He could do that.
Silently, he picked up a book from the coffee table and began to flip through it.
8:15
8:37
8:42
"NNNNUUGGHH…"
Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked up from his book.
Oh no….
"HHHHYYYAAA!"
Sarada was awake.
It was 8:42 and Sarada was awake!
And she was starting to cry…
Sasuke felt like he was moving in slow motion as he jumped to his feet and ran into his daughter's nursery, her cries growing louder and louder as he bounded inside the doorway, her screams seeming to rip through his ears and into his heart.
"WAAAAAA!"
By the time Sasuke reached her crib, Sarada had wrinkled up her nose and was wailing, her face red from the effort, her tiny lips open.
"It's ok! It's ok! I'm right here, Sarada!" Sasuke said frantically as he scanned over her.
"WWWAAAAAAA!"
His words did nothing to soothe her and she continued to scream, balling up her little fists, big, fat tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Sarada, what's wrong?! What's the matter?!" Sasuke asked desperately as he began to look her over.
What was it?!
She wasn't hungry, she didn't seem to have a fever, her diaper was clean…
Was she sick?!
What if something was really wrong with her?!
Sasuke grit his teeth and gently scooped her up as carefully as he could.
The horrible sound of his baby screaming was like nails on a chalkboard, especially with her held in his arms.
"WWWWAAAAAAAAA!"
Sarada wailed.
Sasuke didn't know it, but her tiny tummy was in knots.
Sarada could sense that her mother was gone and she could feel her father's anxiety but Sasuke had no idea and he was afraid his baby girl was seriously ill.
The hospital!
He should go to the hospital with her!
"Ok, it's ok! I'm going to take you to the hospital, alright?" Sasuke asked.
"WWWWAAAAAAAAA-ehhhhh"
They had made it to the living room and Sasuke was just about to grab his cape from the closet when Sarada suddenly quieted, her breath coming in little gasps of sobs.
Sarada wasn't dangerously ill, but her little tummy was upset, and her small diaper did nothing to stop the deluge.
Just then, Sasuke felt something warm and wet running down his leg….
He immediately looked down.
Oh…
No…..
He felt like he was having a nightmare.
"Eh….eh…..eh…." Sarada whimpered, watching her father, threatening to cry again.
"It" was everywhere.
"It" had soaked through her diaper.
"It" had spilled onto Sasuke, running down his leg.
Horror gripped the Uchiha heir.
"It" was all over the carpet!
And "it" was still coming!
"Sarada, no! Sarada, stop!" Sasuke shouted in a panic.
Of course, she couldn't help it, she was just a baby, and Sasuke knew that, but he was simply on the verge of mind-numbing panic at that point.
Sarada's little face furrowed in sadness and fear at the disappointment in her father's voice as he yelled.
"WWWAAAAAAAA!" She wailed again in response.
"WWWAAAAAA!"
Sasuke began to sweat and he felt his arms shaking as he held his soiled baby.
"WWWAAAAA!"
What to do?
What should he do?!
"WWAAAAA!"
He needed to give her a bath.
"WAAAA!"
He needed to clean the floor.
"WWWAAAAA!"
He needed to clean himself.
"WWAAAA!"
He couldn't move!
That would only make it worse!
Why was she so sick!? Had she ever done this to Sakura?!
What would Sakura do right now?!
How did she do this all day, every day?!
He didn't know where to begin and Sarada's desperate screams were threatening his sanity.
He felt like he was trapped in some kind of twisted genjutsu.
Sasuke glanced at the clock on the wall.
Had this really only been happening for fifteen minutes?
Sasuke felt like it had been happening for fifty years.
Help….
He needed help.
He needed a resource.
Shinobis were resourceful!
"WWWAAAAA!"
He looked around for something to use.
Couch, coffee table, phone…
Phone!
With his clean hand, he reached over and picked up the phone.
Why?
His wife didn't have a phone with her, he couldn't call her…..
"WWWWAAAAAA!"
The smell was becoming overpowering.
He had to call someone, even if he called the fire department.
He took a breath and for some reason he couldn't explain, Sasuke dialed the number of the only other person he truly felt close to.
Sasuke closed his eyes while the phone rang.
A short ways away, in the Hokage mansion, a hand picked up the ringing phone.
"Hello?" Naruto asked.
"Um…...hey." Sasuke said quietly.
"WAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Naruto blinked as he heard Sarada wail in the background. "Sasuke?"
"Yeah….uh…...are you busy….um, right now?" Sasuke asked.
"WWWAAAAA!"
Naruto didn't know what was going on, but he heard the panic concealed in Sasuke's tone and he heard the baby screaming wildly. "I'm Hokage, Sasuke, I'm always busy."
"Oh…..yeah, um, sorry." Sasuke said in a choked voice.
"WWWAAAAA!"
On the other end of the phone, Naruto looked concerned.
Sasuke never called abruptly in the morning like this and for what reason he apparently didn't want to say, but Naruto could sense Sasuke needed help. "But I'm never too busy to help a friend, Sasuke! I'll be right there! Believe it!" Naruto smirked, hanging up the phone.
Naruto decided to run over to Sasuke's and see what he could do…...
He would make it back to his office in no time.
As Naruto set out for the Uchiha residence, Sasuke's eyes widened.
Naruto was…...coming over?
Oh no…...
He just meant to ask for advice.
"WWWWAAAAA!"
He didn't want Naruto to find him like this!
—
"WWWAAAAA!"
"It's alright, Sarada. I'm right here." Sasuke muttered faintly.
No, everything was not alright and it was as if his tiny daughter knew he was lying.
In vain, Sasuke spotted a box of tissues on the sofa.
Not that tissues would really help in his current situation, but at this point, the Uchiha heir was completely desperate.
Sasuke reached for them…
It was too late by the time he realized he made a huge mistake.
In between trying not to spread the mess even more and trying not to drop Sarada, Sasuke lost his balance briefly and his arm slipped, knocking over a small shelf above the sofa that held a few figurines and small picture frames, which came crashing to the carpet just as Naruto opened the door.
"WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAA!" Sarada wailed at the noise.
Naruto's eyes widened.
So did Sasuke's as the two men looked at each other.
Naruto blinked, scanning the room from the broken trinkets and smashed shelf, to the screaming infant, to Sasuke standing there, on the carpet, absolutely covered in baby waste.
"Geez, Sasuke….." Naruto breathed. "Where's Sakura?"
"She's gone!" Sasuke shouted, as forlorn and desperate as if his wife was dead.
"Where?" Naruto asked incredulously.
"WWWAAA!"
"She's running an errand!" Sasuke cried.
Oh…..
Realization smacked Naruto….
This must be Sasuke's first time alone with the baby, and from the looks of things, he wasn't doing too well.
"WWWAAAA!"
Sasuke thought Naruto would laugh at him.
Maybe when they were younger, he would have, but Naruto was a father himself, and he knew the struggles that new parenthood could bring.
The Hokage remembered his first time alone with Bolt.
Naruto could see the desperation in his friend's eyes.
He sprang into action.
Instead of making fun of Sasuke, Naruto walked into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, came back, picked Sarada up from Sasuke and spoke.
"Where's her bathtub?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke blinked stupidly at the blonde.
"WWWAAAAA!"
"Sasuke! Where's her bathtub? The small one?" Naruto asked.
His words seemed to jolt Sasuke out of his trance.
"Oh! Uh, it's…..it's in her room! It's in her room! Beside the changing table!" Sasuke exclaimed.
"Ok, I'm going to give her a bath and clean her up. Get your clothes off, put them in the washing machine, and take a shower. Does Sakura have any carpet cleaner?" Naruto asked.
"In the kitchen under the sink." Sasuke nodded.
While Sasuke stripped down, put his filthy clothes into the wash, and jumped in the shower, Naruto went to work.
Now with Sarada carefully swaddled in the towel so he stayed clean, Naruto grabbed the carpet cleaner, poured it onto the stained area to let it soak, and swiftly went to the nursery with the smallest Uchiha.
"Ehh….ehh….ehh…" Sarada's screams quieted to little whimpers as Naruto carefully cleaned her, washed her, dried her, and powdered her.
Sasuke entered the nursery a few minutes later, now clean and dressed in unsoiled clothes.
He watched enviously as Naruto talked to his little girl while he dressed her in a onesie he had found in a nearby drawer.
"Your Daddy was just having a hard time this morning, wasn't he?" Naruto asked the baby with a smile.
"AAAAH!" Sarada shrieked with a small smile.
Naruto made it look so easy.
"Yeah….sometimes your Daddy has a hard time with stuff. He can be a slow learner, just be patient with him, ok?" Naruto asked the smallest Uchiha.
"SCREE!" Sarada giggled as Naruto tickled her tiny feet before he placed small socks on her feet so they wouldn't get cold.
"You're really good with kids." Sasuke muttered, leaning in the doorway. "I'm not good with kids."
"She's your kid, Sasuke." Naruto reminded him.
"Every time I hold her, she screams." Sasuke said quietly, looking sadly at Sarada, who now had her chubby little fist in her mouth, looking between her daddy and Naruto. "She hates me."
"She doesn't hate you. She cries because she knows you're nervous, you just need to relax. She's a baby, Sasuke, not a lion." Naruto chuckled as Sarada waved her little arms.
Sarada seemed to like Naruto's smile.
"Babies can't tell if you're nervous." Sasuke scoffed, narrowing his eyes.
Naruto glanced over at him.
Sasuke frowned and looked down.
Watching her father, Sarada frowned too and started to fuss, threatening to cry again.
Naruto watched Sasuke's eyes widen in horror.
Tears welled in Sarada's eyes before Naruto cut in. "See, Sasuke? Give her a big smile and see what happens."
Sasuke used all of his effort and put a bright, genuine smile on his face, looking at his little girl.
"Oooooh….." Sarada cooed happily, calming down, using her father as a reference point for reassurance that everything was ok.
"There you go!" Naruto grinned proudly. "Well, I've got to be getting back. Do you need help scrubbing the carpet?" Naruto asked his friend graciously.
"No!" Sasuke said quickly.
That was one onerous task he could handle on his own.
"Alright then, you two try to keep out of trouble." Naruto chuckled as he took his leave.
Before he walked out, Sasuke called to his friend. "Hey Naruto…"
"Yeah?" Naruto asked as he turned around.
"Listen…..Um, thanks. I…...I'm….." Sasuke struggled sheepishly for words.
"Don't worry about it, Sasuke. I know fatherhood is hard. Believe it." Naruto smiled.
Then the door closed and he was gone.
By this time it was well after ten thirty.
The Uchiha male needed to work quickly.
Sasuke placed Sarada in her little carrier so he could scrub the carpet and put the shelf and it's contents back in place.
Sarada did not cry this time when Sasuke picked her up, or when he held her, or as she watched her father tidy the house.
Sasuke was calm now and Naruto was right, baby Sarada could sense that.
Her big onyx eyes simply watched her father, cooing occasionally to let him know that she loved him and that she was ok.
As soon as Sasuke finished the last bit of cleaning, he stood up and went to the bathroom to thoroughly scrub his hands.
He came back, picked Sarada up, and sat on the couch with her.
Sarada began to fuss a little and she kept rolling against his chest.
Sasuke knew she was hungry.
For the time being, he let her latch onto his finger and shortly afterwards, the door swung open.
Sasuke felt a wave of relief as his wife stepped into the house.
"Hey." Sakura smiled at her husband.
"Hey." Sasuke smiled back. "We've been waiting for you."
Sakura began a silent inspection as she glanced around.
Sarada looked clean and happy.
Sasuke didn't look panicked or disheveled.
The house was in perfect order, the shelf and its contents were back in place, the carpet perfectly cleaned.
There was no sign of the chaos that had ensued only a little while ago.
"I think she's hungry." Sasuke said as Sakura sat her shopping bags down.
"Trust me, I know she is." Sakura laughed, taking their daughter from her husband.
Sakura kissed Sasuke's lips sweetly before she went to nurse Sarada. "I'm proud of you."
"Please don't be." Sasuke whispered as she walked off.
The Hokage truly was a good friend.
Sasuke was grateful, he would never have survived the morning without Naruto.
In his office, Naruto sat back and smiled in amusement as he thought about what had happened.
Of course, Naruto would never tell Sakura about that morning…...
Some things were better off kept between best friends.