Life is considered to be a wonderful and sometimes unusual thing. How it begins is a miracle. How it ends is often a mystery. But this is not a story of a life ending, but that of a life beginning. And this life begins with Sakura, in labor at Konoha hospital. Her husband, Naruto, was down the hall with some of their friends waiting for the birth of their child. This was the child that had been conceived prior to its parents' marriage and was about four months grown at the time of the wedding. Naruto told their friends that Sakura was pregnant at the wedding because they were afraid she had gone into labor too early. Many of them didn't care. It didn't matter to them what Naruto and Sakura had done before their marriage as long as they were married now that the baby was being born.
Naruto had known this day would come ever since he learned of Sakura's pregnancy, but still it caught him unawares. He anticipated this day and yet he now realized how nervous he was, waiting as Sakura labored to give birth to their child. He suddenly realized he knew nothing about being a father, since his own father had never been alive to teach him. He was unaware of the number of sleepless nights having a baby would bring or the number of things that had to be just right to take care of a baby. Then, other worries clogged his brain. What if child didn't like him? What if it didn't acknowledge him as its father? Even worse, what if Sakura died and he was left to care for the child by himself? All these things ran wildly through his head as he sat wringing his hands in anxiety.
Ino saw his nervousness and placed a hand on his knee. "Naruto, don't worry," she said smiling at him reassuringly, "I'm sure that everything will be all right." Naruto smiled back, wishing he could be as sure as Ino was. "I know you'll be a great father." Ino continued. "Ino is right, Naruto," said Lee, seated on the other side of the room, "You will do fine." Naruto looked around at his friends who were now smiling to reassure him. "Thanks, guys." he said.
The clicking sound of heels walking down the hall broke the silence that had settled over the friends. They all looked up to see Lady Tsunade walking towards them with a look on her face of nothing but pure happiness. Naruto stood as she came abreast of them and stopped. "Naruto," she began, "do you want to see your son?" So many feelings filled Naruto's heart as many of his worries ceased. "I have a son?" was all he could utter. Tsunade smiled and headed back down the hall. Naruto's legs were shaking so much that he barely wobbled as he followed Tsunade to Sakura's room. Ino and Lee came on either side to guide him, for he looked ready to collapse. When they reached Sakura's room, Naruto motioned for them to let go, feeling good enough to stand on his own. Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he slid open the door and entered the room.
Sakura was sitting in bed holding the tiniest white bundle Naruto had ever seen. She looked happy, but at the same time she seemed breathless and tired. Her short pink hair was damp with sweat and plastered to her smiling face. She shone with maternal radiance and Naruto thought she had never looked happier or more beautiful. The soft mewing sound issuing from the bundle in Sakura's arms beckoned Naruto across the room to see the wonder the white blanket beheld. A tiny red face gazed up at him from the comfort of its mother's arms. It had a full head of blond hair and its blue eyes gleamed as it took in every detail of its father's face. Naruto was awestruck; it was like he was looking at a tiny version of himself. A miniature Naruto whose eyes wandered every which way as it sucked on its tiny thumb.
"Isn't he precious?" Sakura asked, adding to the aura of happiness that surrounded the family. Those were fewer words than Naruto could use to describe the beauty of his newborn son. "He's perfect," he murmured, feeling those were the right words. And yet, not even those words seemed enough. Naruto managed to take his gaze off his new son and look at his beautiful and glowing wife. "I love you," he told her, but that seemed a bit of an understatement. He didn't just love her. He adored her. He idolized her for helping him to create something so tiny, beautiful and precious.
Naruto's mind jumped back to the present as one final question settled in his mind. "What do you think we should name him?" he asked Sakura. She smiled and said, "I have one idea." She pulled him close and whispered in his ear. Naruto's eyes went wide with amazement at the name Sakura had chosen. "I think that's perfect," he said. He gave her a kiss on the lips and then they both gazed down lovingly at their son: Minato Uzumaki.
A few nights later, Naruto sat looking down at Minato, who was asleep in a small cradle beside their bed. If Naruto had thought his son was beautiful, he was even more so sound asleep. Sakura climbed onto the bed behind Naruto and wrapped her arms around him. "He is sweet, isn't he?" she murmured. Naruto smiled and placed a hand on Sakura's arm. "He is. I just can't believe he's really my son." "You nervous?" Sakura asked. Naruto leaned back to look at her face and placed his other hand on her cheek. "Not anymore," he answered. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it together. You, me, and our son. One happy family." Then, they kissed as if to seal this promise.