Author: Cheza-chan
Rating: PG/PG-13
Summary: No one should try to hold onto the past. You cause yourself even more hurt and pain when you do. Look to the future and start anew. Non-Yaoi
Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own Naruto. I can always dream that I do though.
Author Note: (laughs nervously) If those of you who read December read this, you might have remembered me saying something about how I thought the end of one of my chapters seemed a little NaruHina, it was because I was having fun with this. This was once a one-shot but the idea kept expanding in my head, and I'm also fulfilling Kanemoshi's request of explaining how this rebirth came to be.
Rebirth
Sasuke ran a hand through his growing hair and down his neck. He was tired and worried at the same time. He folded the mission scrolls over themselves with a groan and dropped his head onto the desk. He doubted he had an even eight hours left before he had to leave with Naruto and Shikamaru again. Excited voices drifted into his home office from the hall and he smiled wearily. His only solace was now arriving.
The door slid open. "Papa!"
"Hush. Your father's busy."
"I'm not. When did you get back?" Sasuke stood and moved to the young woman's side. "Is everything okay? You shouldn't be wandering around. This place is so big—"
Soft fingers pressed against the rambling man's lips. "Sakura-san said I'm fine. She also said to tell you that a young woman needs a period of rest and your clan can come back at an annual rate." Hyuuga Hinata blushed as she smiled warmly.
Sasuke grinned and removed her hand from his mouth and placed it on her rounded stomach. "You have to forgive me. I don't know what'd I'd do if I lost this child, or even worse… you."
This would be their sixth child—the fifth and youngest was currently attached to her father's leg and trying to pry open his shuriken holster. Hinata gasped and both father and child stared at her, Sasuke clutching the small fingers gently to keep them away from danger. "What's wrong?" he asked, worry flooding his voice. "Do we have to go back to Sakura?"
"It's nothing," Hinata whispered. She took his hand and placed it atop her stomach. The Uchiha gasped, eyes widening slightly. The baby was kicking. It was kicking and he felt it. Ever since becoming a Jounin, missions ruled his life, but the feeling washing over him was euphoric. He laughed and Hinata giggled.
"Papa? What's wrong?" Large, round, lavender eyes with the Sharingan wheel in them blinked innocently.
"Daddy's just happy." Sasuke lifted the girl and placed her tiny hand to her mother's stomach. She squealed—the baby obviously knew its family's chakra—and both adults laughed. Using his free arm, the ebony-haired shinobi wrapped it around the shy young woman and drew his fiancée in for a loving kiss, their daughter squeezed between them.
No matter what the mission, Sasuke would bring himself and his team home. Why? Just to see the smiles of his growing family; it's what carried him through life.
But it wasn't always like this…