Binds Like A Blessing
Chapter 11: New
4 months later…
"Sakura!"
"Oh, Sora-neesan! Right on time!" Sora walked up to Sakura, greeting her with a smile as they met up in Konoha's hospital.
"Thank you for agreeing to be my trial subject for the day," said Sora with a bow. "Tsunade-sama has asked to understand the strength of a shinobi's body, and you were the person I thought of first to ask."
"I'm honored," said Sora. She smiled as she followed Sakura through a long sterilized hallway and to a large sunny room with a hospital bed. Sora watched, amused as Sakura picked up a clipboard, scribbled some things down, and smiled at Sora before handing it over for her to sign.
"How are you doing, Sakura," asked Sora. Sasuke had been gone for a three months now, and Naruto had been gone for a little less than that.
Sakura stilled and slowly sat beside Sora on the hospital bed. Sora watched carefully as Sakura looked down at her hands. "I'm okay," said Sakura, looking up, offering Sora a bright smile.
Gently, Sora reached out, pushing Sakura's bangs out of her face. "You know, Sakura, it's okay to mourn still." Sakura looked up, her emerald green eyes shining brightly. Since Kakashi and Sora came out about their relationship, Sora had made herself more available for the team, especially Sakura, her heart breaking for the girl who had to say goodbye not only to one, but two best friends.
"A shinobi never-"
"Never shows her emotions on the mission field," Sora finished. "But you're not on the mission field 24/7, and not letting yourself grieve is more detrimental than crying in the face of a mission."
"Sora-neesan…" Sakura hugged Sora tightly, grateful for this woman. Sasuke was gone, Naruto was gone, even Kakashi was gone, as a few select jonin were sent to continue the search for Sasuke. "I miss them."
"Don't give up, Sakura. Don't give up hope," Sora encouraged, pulling away with a smile. She watched as Sakura wiped her tears before Sora picked up the clipboard again, signing all the lines Sakura highlighted.
"Alright," said Sakura, once Sora signed everything. "First we'll take your height and weight, we'll do a few physical tests, then we'll review your blood work from three days ago. Any questions?"
"Nope!"
"Let's get started."
Sora allowed Sakura to fuss over her, checking her hearing, respiration, sense of smell, and eyesight. Once all that was done, Sakura led Sora to another room, this one was larger with small windows by the ceilings. On one side of the room there were several piece of equipment, making the room feel like a gym.
"Okay, you're going to do a circuit here," explained Sakura. "Start by using your chakra as you go through punching and kicking combos. Then strength testing at the next station, and finally, I want you to sprint on the treadmill until you can't anymore. When going through the strength and speed exercises, give it your all. We are testing a shinobi's peak performance, and what it looks like. "
"Easy enough," said Sora, pulling her long hair into a bun. She had also worn her training gear today, form-fitting black pants and dark blue tank top.
"Before you begin, I'll need to stick these small electrodes on you, so as you go through the circuit, it will read you stats."
Sora took a seat as Sakura carefully stuck small circular patches all over Sora's body.
That's when the sickness hit.
Sora's eyebrows furrowed, she felt like she was going to throw up for the 5th time that week.
Sakura noticed Sora go pale. "Sora-neesan, are you ill?"
"W-what," asked Sora, looking up at Sakura who peered down at her with concern. "No, I'm fine. Let's just get started."
"Okay…"
Sora flew through the circuit, punching, kicking, spinning, causing the punching bag attached to the ceiling to swing violently back and forth in such a way Sakura feared the bag would break from its hinges. Several times, Sora felt light headed, but she kept pushing through. She moved on to the strength training, using her chakra to help her push harder and lift more weight that she could have done on her own strength.
Finally, tired and sweaty, Sora went to the treadmill, allowing Sakura to put even more patches on her body, attaching her with long wires that attached to the treadmill.
"10 minutes of a full sprint," Sakura reminded her, "then you'll be done with the physical part of today."
"Great," said Sora, turning on the machine, starting at a jog before quickly bumping up the speed to a full sprint.
Sakura's eyes narrowed watching Sora, sprint. All the color was drained from her face and her amethyst eyes seemed to lose focus.
"Sora-neesan!"
5 minutes into the sprint, Sora collapsed.
o0o
Groggily, Sora woke, the the room slowly coming into focus. Sora found that she was in the room she and Sakura started in, and she was in the bed. Carefully, she sat up, a wave of nausea hitting her.
She looked to her left to see Sakura peering anxiously at her.
"W-what happened?"
"You collapsed," Sakura explained.
"I'm sorry," apologized Sora. "It was an easy circuit, I was just...tired, I think."
"I have the results of your blood work here," explained Sakura, and for the first time, Sora noticed the manila folder on Sakura's lap.
"Am I healthy," asked Sora with a laugh.
"Amazingly so," answered Sakura. "You and the baby."
"The what?"
"The ba-"
"I heard you," Sora cut Sakura off, her eyes wide. Sora pressed a hand against her mouth, shocked.
"B-baby," Sora murmured, letting the words sink in. That would explain the sudden fatigue and nausea. Sora thought it was just something she was eating, as she experience similar symptoms years ago when she found out she was allergic to dairy.
"How far along am I?"
"Three months," answered Sakura, smiling gently. "Exercise is good for your pregnancy, but I don't recommend doing anything too extreme for a while."
"A baby…" Sora swung her legs over the bed and sat for a moment before laughing to herself. It had been about two months since she last saw Kakashi, and she hadn't heard from him since. She knew he would come back from his mission at some point, now she worried. What if he didn't. What if this baby didn't have a father. That is, if she kept it.
"Sora-neesan?"
Sora glanced at Sakura who looked at her expectantly. "Congratulations, Sora-neesan."
"Thank you," said Sora, rising from the bed. Absently, she ran a hand over her stomach that she did realize felt more bloated than usual.
She had a lot to think about.
o0o
Kakashi was bone-weary physically and emotionally. The past two months have been difficult as his small team attempted to track Sasuke with no luck. Wherever Sasuke was, he made sure it wouldn't be found.
Kakashi paused in front of his apartment complex and looked up at it from the street. Three stories up on the left was his balcony. He sighed heavily wondering if Sora would be home. He hoped she was. As much as he hated to admit it, he dreamt of her face nearly every night, and it was a strange sensation to sleep alone for the first time in a long time.
From his spot below, he noticed movement in his apartment. Carefully, he ducked out of sight, behind a post where he could clearly see into the sliding glass door without being easily seen.
Sora opened the sliding glass door, holding a potted plant. She smiled to herself as she set the plant in the sun before picking up a watering can, sprinkling water over it. Setting the can aside, Sora continued to smile, gently touching the green leaves of the plant. She was dressed in her dark purple skirt and black tank top, her long dark red hair was down, blowing in the breeze, just like it did in Kakashi's dreams.
Sora paused, carefully pushing her dark hair behind her ear. She felt as though she wasn't alone. Looking up from her new plant-after the hospital she did a bit of stress shopping and ended up with a fern-she looked to the streets below, searching for who could possibly be watching her. Seeing no one, Sora shrugged her shoulders, wondering if she was paranoid, and headed back inside, rubbing her belly.
Sora finished washing rice and putting it in the cooker when she heard the front door open.
"I'm back."
"Kakashi!" Sora grinned, her heart and mood lifting at hearing his voice. As much as she enjoyed time to herself, she enjoyed his company much better.
She greeted him at the front door, stepping into his arms, standing in her toes to bury her face into his neck. She could feel the weariness emit from his body.
Pulling back she searched his one visible eye. "No luck?"
Kakashi shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
"I am too." Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck.
"You must be exhausted. I just started dinner, so you're lucky. Maybe you should shower and nap, I'll wake you when food is ready."
"That's tempting," said Kakashi, tugging on a strand of Sora's long hair, "but we have a lot of catching up to do."
"After you shower," Sora playfully ducked out of Kakashi's reach. "I'll be in the kitchen." Sora turned her back to continue meal preparations, her heart hammering. She would have to tell Kakashi about the pregnancy. She just didn't figure she'd have to do it so soon.
About half an hour later, while Sora was at the stove, Kakashi wrapped his arms around her midsection, causing Sora to jump and drop her spatula to the floor with a clatter.
"K-Kakashi!" Sora put her hand over her heart, blowing out a breath. She bent to retrieve her spatula and throw it in the sink. "You scared me!"
"Sorry," said Kakashi, the twinkle in his eye told her he wasn't. Kakashi wore his usual all black-a black tank top that included his mask, and black cropped training pants that went a couple inches above his ankles. His hair was still damp from his shower and he smelled fresh and musky. Sora's favorite smell.
"So," said Kakashi, handing Sora a new spatula as he leaned against the counter. "What's new with you?"
"Oh you know…" Sora suddenly became very fascinated with the vegetables she was cooking.
"Sora…"
Sora's movements stilled. Turning down off the stove, Sora carefully put the spatula aside. Her movements were calm, but her heart hammered painfully against her chest. Turning from the stove, Sora faced Kakashi with a bright smile.
"Well, I agreed to help Sakura with her medical training today. She needed to test the strength of a shinobi, and she asked me to help her out. The tests were easy. It was a physical exam and a strength exam, a chakra exam, and an endurance exam. During the endurance part, I passed out…."
Kakashi raised a questioning eyebrow. "You passed out, huh? Was it that bad?"
"I just had to sprint on a treadmill," said Sora, laughing, rubbing the back of her head. It sounded ridiculous out loud. "Then when I came to, I asked Sakura what I would pass out, turns out…" Sora bit her lip, trailing off. "TurnsoutI'mpregnantthreemonths-"
"Okay, slow down," Kakashi held up his hands, in a "stop" motion, but he felt his stomach drop. If he heard what he thought he heard…"Can you say that last part slower?"
"I'm pregnant, Kakashi," said Sora, in a clear but quiet voice. She smiled a little. "Three months."
"Pregnant."
"Three months."
"Three months."
"I thought you took-"
"I did. But even those aren't 100% guaranteed. We're the .01%"
"Pregnant…"
Sora took Kakashi's hand. "You're going to be a dad. I'm going to be a mom." Sora chuckled lightly to herself. "We're going to be parents, that's strange isn't it?" Sora gently guided Kakashi's hand to her stomach. After the hospital, she went home and undressed in front of the mirror. Sure enough she had the smallest of bumps-she didn't understand how she didn't notice it, but there it was.
"What do you think, Kakashi? I mean, do we keep it?"
Kakashi had been mesmerized by his hand pressed against Sora's stomach. The longer he stared, the more he realized he guessed he could see the slightest difference, but he knew better than to ask Sora if she had gained weight while he was away. Her question brought him back to reality. Looking up from her stomach he met her steady gaze. Sora always looked sure of every situation she was thrown in. Today, she still looked sure and steady, but he could see by the way she breathed shallowly and searched his eyes she was as scared as he felt.
"Do you know what it is yet?"
Sora shook her head. "I have a check-up appointment in two days to check if it's healthy. I haven't done anything too drastic outside of training, I just want to make sure."
Kakashi looked down at his hand again.
"You're going to be a mom," said Kakashi. Sora nodded once. "I'm going to be a dad." Sora nodded again. Kakashi ran a hand through his silvery hair. "We aren't even married. Shouldn't a kid have married parents?"
"Well, yes," answered Sora, "but it might be better for a kid to see her parents faithful than legally bound."
"Her?"
"Or him," said Sora with a shrug. She laughed, "I mostly call it "it"." Her smile left her face. "So, what's it going to be, Kakashi? Do we keep her? Or him? Because, if you can't do it, I-I don't know if I could do it without you. I think I could. But I don't want to. Not that I'm co-dependent, I'm perfectly independent, I did well without you here I just-"
Kakashi reached his hand up from her stomach to her chin, turning her face toward his. Sora's eyes shone as though she was about to cry, but Kakashi knew she wouldn't.
"So we have about six months until the baby is due," Kakashi logiced. "Do you think it's time we look for a bigger place to live? A one bedroom apartment won't be the best situation. I still have the deed to my family's house. I can easily fix it up, and we can move in there in time for you to nest."
"Nest?"
"I heard women go through a process of making a place homey and ready for a baby just before the baby is due. It's called nesting."
"I know," said Sora, wrinkling her nose. "It's just...strange." Sora smiled up at Kakashi. "So we're doing this? We're going to be parents. And we're going to nest?"
"We're parents. We'll go through a nesting phase."
"Wow." Sora felt a weight lift from her shoulders, not that she thought Kakashi would ask her to get rid of the kid, but it was relieving to know she wasn't in this alone. "So, I thought that would suffice as a welcome home present. I also bought a fern."
"A fern?"
"I thought if I could keep a fern alive, I could keep a kid alive," Sora reasoned. She sighed at Kakashi's look. "Okay, it was an impulse buy! I stress shop! You know that."
"Sounds...reasonable." Kakashi sweatdropped. Carefully, Kakashi lifted Sora from her feet and carried her from the kitchen to the bedroom and carefully laid her on their bed. Sora was silent as Kakashi rolled up her black tank top, exposing her stomach. Carefully rolling down his mask, Kakashi gently kissed Sora's stomach, just below her belly button.
Sora breathed out a sigh and ran her hand through Kakashi's hair as he kissed her stomach again before coming up to lie beside her, pulling her close, his hand pressed protectively over her abdomen and his chin rested atop her head. Soon, Sora heard Kakashi's breathing slow, and he was asleep. For the first time that day, Sora allowed herself to dream. She wondered what the baby would look like. Would it have her eyes and his hair? She laughed, that would be a strange combination. Soon, Sora too, drifted off to sleep, even though it was still daylight.
o0o
Six months later…
"One more push, Sora! One more big push!"
Sora gripped Kakashi's hand tighter and pushed with everything she had before she collapsed back onto the hospital bed. Kakashi was quite positive Sora realigned the bones in his right hand.
The room was tense with silence. Then, a piercing wail.
"Congratulations," said the nurse, as she took the baby to be cleaned, "it's perfectly healthy!"
"I'm so glad," said Sora, as Kakashi wiped her forehead with a cool, damp cloth. "W-what is it?"
"It's a girl." The nurse carefully walked the baby, freshly swaddled, over to the new parents. Kakashi helped Sora sit up in the hospital bed as the nurse placed the baby in her arms. The baby girl had a patch of thick black hair peeking out from under a pink cap. The baby immediately stopped wailing when it was placed in her mother's arms, it's piercing screams turning into baby hiccups.
"Black hair for my baby girl, huh," murmured Sora as Kakashi touched the soft hair. "Just like my mom."
"Or my mom," said Kakashi.
"She looks like you," Sora cooed, smiling from her baby girl to Kakashi. "She has your nose and, oh! She has your eyes too! See? Lucky girl to be so beautiful like her Papa."
Kakashi blushed as he realized Sora was right. He then felt worried. If his daughter was attractive she had to train to be a strong shinobi so she could defend herself against boy perverts.
"Do you still want to name her Tonbo," asked Kakashi.
"I do," answered Sora, touching the baby's cheek. "Tonbo, dragonfly, the symbol of courage and happiness, and a festival in a shady town where I realized it was time to stop running and be with you. Yes, Hatake Tonbo is a beautiful name."
"Hatake?" Kakashi looked at Sora, his heart warmed. Sora smiled.
"Of course. We may not be married, but she can still have your name. Here, you hold her."
"Hatake Tonbo…" Kakashi awkwardly took Tonbo in his arms. Tonbo whined a little in protest, but immediately quieted. At that moment her eyes opened, and Kakashi swore she looked right into his visible eye, straight into his soul. "Tonbo-chan, my daughter."
Author's Note: Okay, one chapter, two chapters tops, left! :)