I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto Masashi does.
When babies are born, the first thing people look for is resemblance. The birth of Uchiha Sarada was no different.
Sakura let out a fair approximation of a growl as Naruto's face suddenly appeared in line with her chest. She was sweaty, she was tired, and she was now a mother - that was both terrifying and thrilling, and she wasn't sure which feeling would come out dominant. Her usually high (relatively) tolerance for her obnoxious teammate was at an all-time low, and she outright refused to deal with him right now.
"Naruto!" She bit out, shooting a poisonous look at the Hokage, who was staring in awe like a young teenager. "Personal space!"
He didn't seem to react at all, his vibrant blue eyes locked on the small bundle wrapped in soft cloth, wonder causing his mouth to drop open in the most unattractive way possible. Sakura screwed up her nose, the dark bags under her eyes highlighting the ordeal she'd just undergone to bring this little baby into the world.
"Naruto!" She hissed again before he finally looked up - from the side came a low chuckle, and she shot a dark look over at the man who got her into this mess.
Sasuke was sitting awkwardly on the small hospital chairs, his large bulk thoroughly under-supported by the fragile furniture, yet he looked like he wouldn't move for the world. He had been awake as long as she had, refusing to catch up on some sleep when her labour had slowed down, yet he didn't look any less pristine than usual - bastard, Sakura thought. She had lost her almost worshipful reverence for her husband before the second date, but instead of making their relationship crumble, it had only made them stronger. Proper love had blossomed in place of the childish crush, and she had found that was what he based his current respect of her on. She had matured and truly turned into not only a powerful shinobi, but also an emotionally strong person.
Said emotionally strong person huffed at the amused look on her husband's face, before she was brought back to earth by Naruto's excited voice piercing the last remnants of peace.
"Sakura-chan! He's so small! What are you going to call him?"
She held back her laugh at the almighty Hokage brought low by a tiny newborn, before graciously replying.
"It's a girl, baka. The pink blanket gives it away."
He blinked once before his grin widened even further, and Sakura was sure she would be blinded by his white teeth. Reluctantly, she began to share in her teammate's excitement despite her exhaustion, as it was quite exciting - this was her baby daughter. She smiled to match Naruto's, and he gave a delighted laugh before turning to Sasuke.
"So what's her name, teme!? Better not be something stupid, my goddaughter can't have a stupid name, dattebayo."
Sakura glanced sharply over at Sasuke, and saw that glint in his eyes. Oh, she knew the name he had chosen (the deal was he would name a daughter, she a son), the same way as she knew exactly the reaction that Naruto would give - hers had been the same when the name had first been brought up. Then she had done some research into it, and discovered that it had some more pleasant meanings, and before she knew it it had grown on her. However, that didn't mean anything now, as she knew Naruto as well as she knew herself; and his reaction would be... interesting.
Sasuke looked fondly over the spent but elated woman with bubblegum hair stuck to her forehead, then the small baby that was resting in her arms - his daughter. Something he never thought he would ever get to say. His face gave nothing away as emotion after emotion raced through him, although he returned the short but loving smile Sakura gave him. He stood up, stretching his legs, before stepping over to stand over his wife.
"Uchiha Sarada."
Naruto gaped slightly, and his mouth opened and closed a few times. Sakura watched warily as she saw something loud building up in her teammate's chest-
Then Naruto's crescendo never came. Instead all of the indignation at his goddaughter's naming slipped away as he turned a loving gaze to the door, and the ex-Hyuuga heiress flowed through the door as gracefully as her heavily pregnant form would allow.
"Hinata-chan..."
"Naruto-kun." She walked slowly but steadily up to her husband and gave him a short kiss, then turned with kind and curious eyes to Sakura. A small, not out of place smirk appeared on her lips.
"Uchiha-san, how are you and your daughter?"
Sakura gave her a knowing smile, before replying. "Wonderful, Uzumaki-san. Sarada-chan is... wonderful."
Her voice fell to a whisper, and she looked down stunned at the miracle in her arms. This was her and Sasuke's daughter. She was truly a miracle baby, born despite all of the hardship that preceded her birth. Hinata's gentle reminder of her married name was something they both sometimes did, liking to remind each other that they finally made it - they were with the men they were madly in love with, and those same men returned those feelings. It made all of the suffering and loss it took to get here worth it, and Sakura felt herself tearing up.
Above her head, Naruto and Sasuke shared a look at the strange formality of their wives, before shrugging it off and looking back at the new arrival.
"May I hold her Sakura-chan?"
Sakura was broken out of her emotional - damn hormones - funk, and she nodded hastily, brushing away any evidence that she was about to have a weepy moment.
"Of course Hinata-chan, here..."
She leaned up as far as she could, and she watched as the first person besides herself and her husband gently lifted away her baby. A small pang of loss echoed in her chest, but she knew it was stupid. She couldn't hold Sarada for the rest of her life, no matter how much she wanted to.
Hinata lifted the baby with little difficulty despite her advanced stage of pregnancy - being a shinobi was good for something - and half rested her on her bump. Naruto was looking over her shoulder as she glanced at him, and then the two new parents sitting watching on the bed before finally lifting away the cover over Sarada's head.
She gasped delicately as a miniature yet perfectly formed face appeared, eyes closed tight and a tiny fist clenched over her chest. She had a harsh red mark on either side of her head, unfortunately it seemed forceps had been necessary. However they were half covered by a shock of thick pitch black hair that when Hinata ran her fingers softly through it felt like feathers. She smiled without knowing it.
"I thought your hair was a dominant phenotype, Sakura-chan?"
She managed to pull herself away from the baby when Sasuke chuckled - something she noticed Naruto was unable to do. She couldn't wait to give birth to their son - he would be such a loving father.
"There were many, many discussions about that."
Hinata was so genuinely overjoyed for her sister-in-arms, with what she could hear in Sasuke's voice. It was something that had been missing from his life for so long.
Love.
"She might have his hair, but she looks like you Sakura-chan."
Naruto grinned, but rubbed the back of his head sheepishly when he caught Sasuke's raised eyebrow.
Hinata shook her head.
"I don't think so Naruto-kun. She has many of Sasuke-san's features. Although she has Sakura-san's nose."
Naruto squinted at the baby.
"Eh... I don't really see much of the teme apart from the colouring."
"But don't you see, she has Sasuke-san's facial structure. The brow is definitely his."
Hinata ran a delicate finger along Sarada's forehead, accentuating her point to Naruto.
While the Uzumaki couple discussed exactly which parent the baby looked like more, Sakura glanced up at her husband, who returned her look whilst linking his only hand with her left. Everything was wonderful.
So, so wonderful.
She decided to wade in.
"She actually looks a lot like my mother - who should be here soon," she gave a half-hearted look out of the window, "but she definitely has the Haruno nose, you're right Hinata-chan."
Hinata gave a mildly triumphant look at Naruto - how she had changed - who only kissed her nose in response. She giggled, and pretended to push him off, before proceeding to give the littlest Uchiha back to her mother.
"She is beautiful, Sakura-chan."
Suddenly, Sarada gave a whine before scrunching up her face and waving a little hand in the air. Her lip slowly moved out, giving the appearance of a pout, and her little hand slammed down onto her blanket. Naruto snorted.
"I see teme in her now alright."
Naruto ignored the dark, if slightly amused glare Sasuke shot him, before remembering something and looking straight at his best friend.
"How 'bout you? Who do you think she looks like?"
Sasuke was silent as he gazed down at his newborn daughter, his sharp eyes taking in every nuance and feature. Her fine lashes that brushed her cheeks, her jet hair, the aristocratic brow, the spacing of her eyes, the shape of her mouth. His eyes widened.
The atmosphere grew thicker, and Hinata shifted, not in discomfort, but almost a sort of anticipation. Even Naruto couldn't speak, caught up the intensity of Sasuke's thoughts.
Finally, he spoke, however it was quietly, and even the three others in the room with their trained shinobi hearing barely heard him.
"... she almost looks like..."
Sasuke's head snapped up and his eyes caught Naruto's as the pained, almost scared look vanished from his face.
"I don't know."
Wow, it's been over a year since I last wrote. Talk about time flying.
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this - I've since fallen in love with the new Uchiha family.
Also, got another oneshot out about our Sarada and her family! Enjoy!
