Authors note: I know this took ages to get up. I was writing my final essays for my masters, planning a wedding and dealign with other things as well, but I'm glad I finally managed it. This is the second to last chapter, the next one being the epilogue. I hope you enjoy.
As much of an uproar as could be made by generally quiet, well-mannered older men was currently being made in the Hyuuga council room and Neji felt the distinct sensation of a migraine creeping up on him. He wanted to exhale in frustration but he knew that his grandfather would not find that amusing. Therefore he decided to steel his emotions and listen to the complaints brought forward by the older man. As if he wasn't already on edge with Sakura due to deliver any second, now he was stuck in his room with these men for an undetermined amount of time. To say he was displeased would be an understatement, but he was determined not to let it affect his work though his grandfather's temperament wasn't helping his anxiety in the least. Hyuuga-sama set his hand down on the table with a purposeful thud in an attempt to gain everyone's attention. "I do not understand why the clan should set aside such a time honored tradition. This law has been in place for generations," he said, looking to each of his colleagues attempting to draw support.
Neji caught his grandfather's eye and did his best to keep the growing irritation out of his tone. "That does not make it right."
"It serves a purpose." Hyuuga-sama squared off with his grandson and his eyes told Neji that he had no intention of giving up, which was quite a shame because Neji was just as determined and stubborn as his elder.
One of his uncle's cousins made his voice heard in an attempt to create some form of compromise. "Not long ago we removed a seal from Neji because he was the best choice for clan leader. One day that may prove to be the case again. It would be simpler to at least wait until the child's abilities become apparent before placing the seal on them." The appeasement was clearly not enough and the man's compelling words were met with harsh looks from both parties, neither wanting to step down from his podium and be the first to give in.
Neji calmly looked towards the man who spoke and explained his contentions to the idea that had been proposed. The seal was unacceptable to him no matter who donned it and regardless of the age in which it was inflicted. "I want to eradicate the seal completely, not inflict it on older children."
Hyuuga-sama shook his head and raised his voice ever so slightly showing his supreme displeasure. "It serves a purpose for the clan. It keeps the byakugans secrets in death and protects the main family from the branch members."
Neji's voice deepened, his conviction shining through as he subtly explained how it could feel to be under the seal's influence to a man who had never felt such oppression. "It is also a means of subjugation. Not even the Uchiha could claim to hold members of their family as slaves to their will."
His statement was met with silence as the other council members looked very uncomfortable and his grandfather began to seethe. "Hold your tongue." The gravel in his voice was more than usual and everyone in the room could tell that the older man was exceedingly angry though it didn't seem to bother their leader as much as it probably should have.
Hiashi knew what his father was like but he knew more than most what Neji's calm demeanor was hiding. Neji was fighting for the rights of every child in the clan who was to be born in the future including those of Hiashi's own grandchildren. He looked at his father and understood that without backing from someone Neji would continue to fight this battle but make little headway with the older Hyuuga. "He speaks the truth," he stated, locking eyes with his father showing his support for his young nephew. The conviction in his voice was proof enough that this was not just political for the former leader. Neji was fighting for his future grandchildren and so was he. "The family should be united together out of love and loyalty. This drives a wedge between the members and causes hatred to grow." There were nods among the council members in acknowledgement of a truth that they had been trying to fight unsuccessfully for years.
Hyuuga-sama shook his head. "Then that is something we must work on, but not by halting the seals application. Someone mentioned earlier that we recently removed a seal. In truth, that was out of necessity, but there is no evidence that such an occurrence will ever happen again."
Hiashi addressed himself to the rest of the council doing his best to bring support the cause by using a prime example of where the seal's potential problems, "If we are being honest, Hizashi should have never been placed under the seal at all. We were identical twins with equal power, born only moments apart. Being older didn't make me any more worthy than him." His humble statement caused mutterings to run through the men and some to nod along with his declaration.
A hint of sadness crossed Hyuuga-sama's face at the mention of his son. He mild manner only lasted a moment and he quickly regained his composure. "I will agree that the incident was ill planned, but that is no reason to eradicate the tradition completely." The older man held his head high and Neji couldn't help but admire the man standing in his way. There was a certain authority to the man and even if they agreed on next to nothing Neji had to admit that his grandfather was quite the fighter, despite his physical fragility. He took in the man sitting across from him. His arms were thin and his hair was now white, where in his memories Neji always thought of him with shinning silver locks. The skin on his hands were spotting with age and the veins stood out on the surface, particularly when he was worked up about something. The wrinkles around his eyes and on his brow showed the physical effect of his constant efforts to maintain his image and the clans well fair.
Neji thought back to the amused comment that Sakura often made when he'd been at a council meeting all day. Maybe she was right; if he kept frowning so much he would one day have the same crinkled forehead and permanent scowl as Hyuuga-sama. He decided in that moment that he would he would take her advise and try to be less worked up by his grandfather in an attempt to look less angry in his older years.
One thing was clear though, neither one of them was going to give in today. Neji couldn't suppress the sigh that escaped him this time. "This is getting us no where. I call for a vote. All those in favor of leaving the law as it is?" He took in the raised hands and counted only his grandfather and another older man. It was promising, but he didn't get his hopes up. This was going to be a long fight. "And those in favor of removing it?" he asked masking his hope. He was right to do so as only he and Hiashi were decided on the fact. "Undecided?" That question was met with raised hands from the rest of the room and Neji resigned himself to the idea that this would continue at another time.
He recorded the votes on the scroll before looking to the next item on his list of things to address. "The vote brings no conclusion to the matter. This will be brought up again at the next council. Moving on to the next matter of business-"
The sound of someone screaming his name made him pause mid-sentence and turn towards the door. "Neji!" The yell came from just behind the door, which then abruptly slammed open.
A young Hyuuga guard stood in front of the Hokage with his hands up, attempting to appease the hokage and yet at the same time trying to get him to calm down enough not to disrupt anything. "Naruto-sama, Neji-sama is in a meeting."
Neji chose to ignore the young mans attempt and spoke over him, knowing there was only one reason Naruto would be here. "Is everything alright?" he asked scanning the panic stricken look that encompassed the blonde man's features, suddenly feeling panicked himself. What had happened? If anything had happened to Sakura and the baby while he was away he would throttle someone.
Naruto took a deep breath and blurted out, "Sakura's water broke."
Neji didn't even turn to look at the council members as he pushed past Naruto, leaving in a hurry. "Meeting adjourned." His words echoed back to them as he disappeared through the door. "Uncle." His voice called out to Hiashi who was already leaving.
Hyuuga-sama stood and signaled for the rest of the council to stand with him. "Is everyone ready to witness the event?" he asked, starting to move towards the door where their leader and his uncle had just exited.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief and he placed himself in the doorway blocking their exit as best he could, knowing what would happen if the older man showed up in Sakura's delivery room. "You are not going to be there. Seriously." He looked the older man in the eye, attempting to get through to the notoriously stubborn man.
As per usual Hyuuga-sama straightened his shoulders and look into the blue eyes of the hokage, entitlement radiating off of him. "This is the birth of our potential clan heir. I would like to speak to Sakura-san before the child is born."
Naruto sighed in frustration. Why on earth was this man so hard headed? Didn't he know what could happen? And Naruto realized that the elderly Hyuuga probably had no idea what sort of situation he was leading his men into. "And if you show up in that room Sakura will break each and every one of you. You can stay in the waiting room if you have to be there." There was a general murmur of buzzing through the council members as they all thought over the hokage's words.
One bravely stepped forward and leaned in close to the straight-backed Hyuuga. "As much as I hate to agree, Hyuuga-sama, he is probably right," he said quietly, hoping to bring the older man around with a humble tone.
With an exasperated sigh of resignation Hyuuga-sama gestured for the Hokage to lead the way. "We will wait in the lobby."
Neji burst through the hospital doors, byakugan activated. He only stopped for a moment to pin point his wife's location and in doing so had gained the attention of the nurse at the front desk. She stood excitedly, knowing exactly who he was looking for. "Sakura-san is in room 516. She's been asking for you." White eyes trained on her for a spilt second and she felt the need to shrink back in fear. There was so much intensity there that when the man turned away and dashed down the hall she was happy to see him off.
"He's a bit nervous," Naruto said to the young woman apologetically as he approached with a gaggle of Hyuuga behind him.
She gave him a nervous smile and took a fleeting glance at the man who was already at the end of the hall and rounding the corner sharply. "That's understandable," she said noting the way the young man in front of her was now fidgeting relentlessly.
He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Really?" he asked. He'd always assumed that birth was a natural thing and that when the day came for the first woman in his life to have a baby he wouldn't be nervous. And yet here he was shaking like a leaf. He had no idea what would or could happen and it made him wonder if Neji was feeling ten times worse than he was.
She nodded and quietly responded. "It is a very nerve wracking experience."
Naruto turned at the feeling of a strong presence next to him. "I'm not worried about Sakura-chan. She's strong. Everything will be fine," he said to Hiashi trying to convince himself more than anything else, and in return Hiashi slowly lead him to the hallway.
Hiashi felt as though he had just stepped into fathering mode as they walked down the hall and up the stairs. He attempted to explain to Naruto that he was deeply worried about his best friend and that denying the potential danger was his way of copping with the unknown until the situation was over without incident. "You are putting on a brave face and compensating for your lack of experience. In this situation worry is inevitable. One day you will understand." Hiashi left it at that, hoping that Naruto would come round. It seemed that the words had helped a tiny bit as the fidgeting had lessened to a great degree.
Naruto looked up at the older man and decided to trust him. "I'll take your word for it Hyuuga-san."
Naruto turned at the sound of things crashing behind him and hearing clack of heals racing along the linoleum only to come face to face with konohas reigning gossip queen. "Oh my God, get out of my way," she shouted as she shoved him away from the door and into the small seating area just outside the delivery room, already jammed with people. He bumped into Shikamaru and wondered how everyone else had managed to get here so fast. The door swung open and Ino announced her presence in her usual fashion. "Don't worry mini forehead, Auntie Ino is on the way!"
A pink head of hair shot up from the bed and Sakura glared with all her might and shouted through the pain of her contractions, "Shut up, Pig!"
Ino took in the scene and realized that Sakura had probably been here for a while already. The sweat on Sakura's brow and the tired look in her green eyes was enough to tell Ino all she needed to know. "I see I got here late."
"No shit. Where have you been?" Sakura growled out her question as she proceeded to get ready for her next round of contractions.
Ino looked suspicious as she blushed and admitted, in a round about way, why she was late, along with why her hair was slightly mused and her lipstick was smudged a bit. "I was preoccupied and didn't get the message. I came over as soon as I found out."
Sakura snorted loudly before returning to her pushing, knowing full well exactly who Ino had been 'preoccupied' with. Ino was about to jump into the fray when Tsunade blocked her path to the patient. With her hands on her hips like that, the older woman distinctly reminded her of her own mother and Ino's immediate reaction was to snap to attention. "Well, clean up if you're going to be in here. We've got a long way to go," Tsunade instructed as she shoved scrubs into her hands and maneuvered her towards the sink to wash up.
Ino slipped the hospital clothes over her own attire and then began to scrub her hands thoroughly. She then realized that there had been one thing that in her haste she had actually remembered to bring, despite having walked out the door looking as though she'd blindly thrown on her clothes and gone for a run. She looked around the room and found that her partner in crime was nowhere to be found. She caught sight of him just outside the door and called to him. "Itachi, did you bring the camera?" The man held up the object and Ino signaled for him to bring it to her.
"Pig, if you let Itachi in here I'll kill you." Sakura looked as though she was about to murder someone and Itachi seemed to feel more threatened by the pink haired woman than the one he normally, albeit reluctantly, took orders from and remained by the door.
Ino rolled her eyes at her friends antics and made her way over to Itachi. After retrieving her camera and giving him a peck on the cheek she rushed to stand on the opposite side of the bed from Neji. She waved her free hand at her friend in an offhanded way as she turned the camera on with her other hand. "Calm down and push." For the first time since she had arrived she got a good look at the docile man next to Sakura and was suddenly slightly concerned for him. His hand looked odd and his facial features were strained. "Neji is your hand ok?" she asked, genuinely concerned.
"I'm fine," was his somewhat terse reply.
Ino was skeptical. Looking more closely she noticed that there was no way some of his bones weren't crushed, and his voice sounded strained to say the least. "You sure? It looks squashed," she prodded curiously.
The sharp look she received in return should have been enough to tip her off but Neji knew that Ino wouldn't let it drop so he continued. "It's fine." His voice was low and Ino held up her hands in defense.
Sakura for her part seemed to realize that what Neji was covering up and looked to her husband in questioning her voice tinged with worry. "Neji?"
He pushed her hair back with his other hand and stroked her cheek. "Worry about you and the baby. I'll be right here," he said reassuringly, making sure to gaze into her eyes for encouragement.
Their intimate moment was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Alright, smile for the camera!" A second later when the two pairs of eyes turned to the source a blinding light went off.
"PIG!" Sakura's face went bright red with anger and Ino was suddenly glad that her best friend was in no position to chase her around the room. Fast as lightning, the camera was snatched out of her hands and a crunching sound was heard.
Ino looked at the culprit with big blue eyes. "Geez Neji, you didn't have to break it! It was new," she whined as she gazed down at the floor on the other side of the bed, taking in the shattered pieces of her camera under the Hyuuga's foot.
Neji resisted the urge to roll his eyes, kicking the device away. "I'll replace it later."
Ino perked up at the thought of a new camera. Maybe this time she could get it in purple… with that decided she smiled at the two in front of her. "Alright… Oh! Go, Forehead, go!" She shouted noticing that Sakura was looking more uncomfortable now that her next contraction had started.
Sakura blew some errant hair off of her forehead and glared at the bouncy blonde woman to her left. "Stop calling me that!" she yelled. The last thing she wanted her child to hear as it entered the world was it's mother being called 'forehead'.
Ino, for her part, had the decency to look slightly bashful and guilty and she seemed to understand why Sakura would find offence in that nickname today more than any other day. "Sorry." She looked up into the air and paused for a second before letting out a loud cheer. " Go, Sakura, go!"
The room was completely silent for a second before an encouraging shout was heard from the other side of the door. "Yeah! Go Sakura-chan!" Sakura couldn't help but laugh at her two best friends and their ridiculousness.
Hanabi rushed into the waiting room just in time to hear something she wasn't expecting. Laughter was echoing down the hall and died as they approached the crowd. Well, to be fair it sounded more like clacking and there was no denying that her sensei was behind it. As if confirming her suspicions and the chuckle coming from the man behind her, what looked like the entire rookie nine, team Gai, Hyuuga clan, and just about everyone she knew was standing just outside this one door way that thankfully had a waiting room outside that they had all piled into. She looked over to her father and sister in curiosity. "Is everything ok? We heard manic laughter," she said, looking between the two, her sudden halt bringing Sasuke, who's hand was still attached to hers, hurling into her back. Instead of answering her, the two in question just stared at her hand and the man who was attached to it. Not wanting to answer their impending questions she looked towards the relaxed Temari, who was reclining against the wall next to the door.
"Nothing to worry about. Sakura is just amused at Naruto's attempt to cheer her on through the door," the woman said, pointing to the hokage who was bouncing on his heels in font of the closed door.
"Well, I can't go in there. She'd kill me!" Naruto exclaimed whilst looking around for someone to back up his claim.
He received hesitant looks from everyone around and was surprised to find that Itachi was the first to speak up from his vantage point just behind him, having been constantly called over by Ino through the doorway for one thing or another. "She might not…" he said, thinking it over, though even he sounded a little wary of the prospect.
Naruto shook his head fervently and held his hands in front of him in defense as he usually did when he incurred Sakura's wrath for one reason or another. "I'm not taking that chance."
The cynical chuckle that sounded from the sofa was enough to confirm Naruto's suspicions; everyone was silently agreeing with him. "I don't blame you, " Deidara said, leaning back in his seat while he rubbed a fidgity Tenten's shoulders in support.
Naruto looked to Itachi and threw his hands over his head. "See! Now since we're all agreed that we can't go in there, we have to cheer her on from out here." He looked around the room and noticed that everyone appeared to be nervous in their own ways. There was tenseness in the air that couldn't be removed, but he figured he could cover it up. "So, help me. 3, 2, 1…" he directed them with his hands and watched with glee as all, well most, of the group drew in big breaths (the hokage was giving them an order, after all).
"Go Sakura, go!" The shout reverberated around the walls and took over the entire ward.
There was a short pause before an indignant shout echoed back to them. "Is the whole freaking village out there?!" Sakura's voice was shrill but Naruto could hear the small sliver of amusement in her shriek.
He was about to direct another encouraging shout when the door swung open and almost hit him in the back of the head. He turned to find opal eyes that were quickly scanning the room and obviously not amused. "Will you idiots shut up? My wife is trying to have a baby and having Ino in there is distracting enough." He growled before turning back towards the room.
Naruto huffed and before he knew what he was saying allowed something to slip from his lips. "Fine Mr. Grumpy Pants." Neji's shoulders stiffened and he slammed the door shut behind him. Naruto winced at the loud bang and turned to look at Hinata. "I'm going to pay for that later aren't I?" he asked knowing what the answer was and received the nod from her in acknowledgement.
"You think?" Said flippantly, the arrogant sarcasm from Sasuke reached Naruto's ears.
Blue eyes narrowed as he squared his shoulders in preparation for the banter to come. On some level he had missed these encounters with Sasuke, especially during his absence, but since his return the nostalgia had worn off. Every time they saw each other they were at each other's throats with half playful, half serious intentions. It hadn't been right away, but as soon as Sasuke decided to get used to his life without sight he stepped right back into his old attitude towards Naruto, only now there was a keen irony to the whole situation as one of them was now hokage and the other was obviously not. "Shut up teme," he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.
Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "You asked dobe." Where before Sasuke had been turned towards the crowd he was now facing Naruto and the blonde could see the expression the Uchiha was making despite not being able to see the superiority in his eyes that usually graced his name-calling. The only thing that gave him away now was the slight upward tilt of one corner of his lip, but it was enough to send Naruto reeling back to all their previous insults.
He let a small growl escape when his arms fell to his sides and his fists balled up. "Don't call me dobe, you teme."
Sasuke reveled in his ability to ruffle Naruto's feathers and his minute smirk grew until it almost resembled a grin. He found that prodding the hokage had a certain pleasure to it. "Then don't act like a dobe, Dobe." As if he'd finally realized what Naruto had been calling him for the first time his grin faded into a blank façade. "And don't call me Teme."
Thinking he had the upper hand and still feeling a bit flustered over the name calling, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his chin up. "I'll call you whatever the hell I want, Teme!"
Sasuke scowled before speaking in an agitated manner. "At least come up with something accurate."
Naruto let loose a devilish grin at Sasuke's less than pleased tone. "Who said it wasn't?" he asked, clearly pleased with himself for having managed to get under his long time rivals skin if only for a moment.
Hanabi didn't know whether to laugh or shake her head so she leaned over to whisper in her sister's ear. "Are they always like this?" she asked, clearly somewhat bemused as the two men were now in each other faces and quite worked up.
Hinata sighed and let out a small chuckle of her own. "Always," she said, leaning into her sister and playfully shoving her with her hip.
The comotion from the two men was interrupted by stop of a foot on the linoleum and a woman staring them down menacingly. "If you two wanna start a fight in here I'll finish it for you. Got it?" Temari commanded more than asked, teeth grinding in her demand for some peace.
"Yup," Naruto said, looking for all the world like he was a five year old who had just been reprimanded by his mother and admittedly the only other two people who could get him to behave that quickly were currently preoccupied in the delivery room.
Temari grinned and leaned back against her space of wall again. "Good, now sit down. Kakashi-san and Hiashi-san look like they want to strangle you." Her words caused the young hokage to look towards the two men in question and found that she was relaying a very accurate description. If he had to bet, Kakashi would be first as that lone eye was glinting something fierce and that only happened in the most dire situations.
He held his hand up and put on his most charming grin, at least the thought it was, and did his best to diffuse the situation. "Sorry."
Kakashi rolled his lone eye and looked towards clock on the wall. "Ah." Shikamaru who was sitting next to him suddenly felt the need to get up and find a bathroom. The copy-nin was on eggshells and was not safe to be next to at the moment.
A scream ripped out from the delivery room and rippled out to the ears of everyone in the general vicinity. The whole crowd froze for a moment and Naruto's eyes went wide before he plunked down next to Kakashi. "Is it just me or does Sakura-chan sound like she's about to burst a blood vessel?" he asked, causing the vein along Kakashi's temple to stand out predominantly.
Getting the hint Hinata moved over and hauled a confused Naruto out of the seat by his elbow. "Naruto-kun, let's go get some coffee," she said, with an apologetic smile aimed at both of the men who were just as edgy as her boyfriend, though the man in question didn't seem to realize exactly what he was doing.
Kakashi's voice reached her as she ushered her man down the hallway. "No coffee, please. Caffeine won't help." She nodded, heeding his advise and trying to think of what else she could convince Naruto to get without making the trek down to Ichiraku.
Hiashi sat in the seat next to Kakashi, which had been vacated. He looked to the other man and sent him a gratefully glance, happy to be sitting in a chair and next to someone he understood how deal with. "Thank you."
Hours later Kakashi heard a pause in the noise from inside the room and stood quickly along with his Hyuuga counterpart. The entire waiting room went silent with nerve-racking anticipation. Finally a long sigh of collective relief was released as the shrill cry of an infant came from within the room. As if a bomb had gone off suddenly, the quiet had turned to joyful rambunctiousness. Even if some of them were less than enthused to be in the vicinity of a birth, all were pleased to find that Sakura and the baby had gotten through it.
Naruto was dancing near the door, jumping up and down with elation hoping to be the first through the door when then let people in to see the family. A few minutes later Tsunade opened the door. "It's a boy," she said with as much bliss in her voice as Naruto was exuding with his outward displays.
His jig paused for a second and like an enthusiastic puppy, his eyes wide with wonder, he asked, "Can I see them?"
Tsunade shook her head. "Give them a few minutes to themselves. I'll come get you in a bit."
Realizing how intimate this moment really was, Naruto took a look around the room. The drab yellow wall paper could hardly be seen for all the people stuffed into the area and all the blue cloth chairs were occupied. There was no way Sakura was going to want to see the entire Hyuuga council immediately after giving birth. If Neji was out here he would have undoubtedly sent them off already. That willful countenance of Hyuuga-sama's silently implied that unless otherwise cajoled he was going to insist on entering that hospital room. It was fair, to an extent; they all wanted to see the baby, but Hyuuga-sama wasn't Sakura's favorite person nor was he Neji's. The likely hood that they would want to talk clan business now was minimal and that was undoubtedly what he wanted to discuss at the first opportune moment. And Naruto wasn't the only one to realize the situation. Sasuke had also stepped towards him with his brother and Deidara in toe. The girls were all speaking excitedly together waiting for a chance to se their friend. Kakashi and Hiashi appeared to be busy quietly speaking together and hadn't made a move to join the younger men. With a quick glance from Kakashi Naruto realized that the man knew they could handle it.
With a few purposeful strides Naruto stood in the center of the room. "Alright, anyone who has been dragged here or is here out of clan duty please make your way home. It is late. Sakura and the baby can be seen tomorrow." Happily setting the example, Baki and Kankuro made a swift exit past the throng of individuals. Many council members took this as an excuse to leave as well. The room was already looking considerably emptier.
Hyuuga-sama took in the four men in front of him, all very serious and looking very protective. He wasn't sure what it was about Hyuuga Sakura, but something about her caused people close to her to be fiercely loyal and protective of her, despite the fact that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. And since when had the three defectors become so intent on taking care of her interests? Perhaps it had something to do with all of them being attached to her friends and family in a romantic fashion. Well, that Naruto and Sasuke had been her teammates in years past. With a nod, and no objections, Hyuuga-sama led the remaining council members out of the area.
Lee, Gai and a number of other individuals left in an attempt to give the Hyuuga family some privacy. They all settled down and waited for Tsunade to let them congratulate the new parents. After a number of long minutes the door opened and Naruto raced through the doorway, the rest of the group following suit.
The sight that greeted them was so serene it nearly took Naruto's breath away. Sakura looked tired and sweaty, but she had an ethereal quality that added to her already beautiful features. Neji wasn't even looking at the intruders, instead he was resting next to Sakura on the bed with his arms wrapped around his wife looking down at the bundle in her arms and regularly kissing the side of her face.
A small noise brought the groups attention to Sakura's arms. There in a blue blanket was a baby with skin that was slightly red from his ordeal. His little mouth opened and closed with his occasional noises and his tiny fists were balled up. His eyes fluttered open and the entire room watched as the small babe looked at his parents with wide opal eyes. The dark head of hair he sported was soon covered by Ino with a small cap.
"Congratulations nephew, Sakura," Hiashi said, moving to view the child and pat his nephew on the shoulder. Each girl went up to Sakura and gave her a small hug and cooed at the baby for a second before making way for the next visitor.
Naruto and Kakashi approached the trio last and both looked at Sakura and gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "We'll be back tomorrow," Kakashi corralled the younger members of the group out of the room with the help of Hiashi, knowing that the moment they left Sakura would go to sleep. He knew that Sakura and the child were in the best of care and what they really needed was a good nights rest. Neji would be sure that his wife and son were well. Kakashi turned as the door was closing to find the Hyuuga clan leader cradling his son in one arm and his wife with the other. They made a lovely picture and Kakashi was so happy. He doubted he'd ever been happier in his entire life and he only imagined how Neji and Sakura felt.
Kankuro sat, arms crossed on a small stool in the coffee shop sulking. Baki was across from him and actually appeared to be enjoying himself in this small corner of hell. The walls were pink and there were chattering women everywhere. In an attempt to meet up with Temari, who was never free these days, they had agreed to talk at this coffee shop in-between her meeting with the hokage and her tea date with Shikamaru's mother. A pack of giggling girls walked past and Kankuro shrunk down in his seat hunching his shoulders. The smell of perfume made him wrinkle his nose and he couldn't help but look to Baki. To his surprise and vexation the man was greatly enjoying his coffee and seemed completely at ease with everything that surrounded them. "We've been here for weeks! Are you sure we haven't received the orders to return home?" Kankuro asked cantankerously, whilst looking out the window for Temari's arrival.
"Positive," was the response he received.
Kankuro leaned in and narrowed his eyes, sure that his old sensei was keeping things from him. "What is Gaara thinking?"
Baki shrugged and took a sip of his beverage before answering in monotone. "I do not pretend to understand the working of our leader's intricate thought process."
Kankuro leaned back in his chair narrowed his eyes further. "Bull," he accused convinced that something wasn't being said.
"Think what you like," Baki said stone-faced, continuing to sip his coffee. His eyes focused on something out the window, which made Kankuro turn to view the arrival of Temari and she blew through the door and made a beeline to their table.
Temari stole a chair from a near by table and sat down waving over a waiter. "Hello boys! How are things?" she asked cheerfully then turned around to give her order of a 'latte to go' to the man that scurried over at her demand.
Kankuro rolled his eyes. "Just waiting for the order to ship out."
She chuckled at his misfortune, and tilted her head to the side. "Well, I've got news for you then. You'll be headed home in three days."
"Thank God," Kankuro said, obviously keen to get going and relieved over something and Temari had a pretty good idea what his tetchy mod was all about.
She gave him a cheeky grin and leaned back in the chair. "Worried that the girl you started seeing will find somebody else?"
He glared at his sister wondering how she had found out about that. "Shut up Temari."
The latte, which had been made in the utmost haste (clearly Temari had been here before), was placed down in front of her. She grabbed two sugars and popped the top off the beverage. She stirred the sweetener in, popped the top back on and took a sip. She stood and returned the chair to the previous table. "Don't worry about telling Hanabi-chan. I'm visiting Sakura later so I'll tell her myself."
Kankuro sighed. "Ok. Wait… How do you know when we're leaving?" he asked curiously thinning that she'd come from a meeting with the hokage or that Shikamaru had shared the plan with her, and wondered why he hadn't gone to those two in the first place.
"Gaara sent me a letter," she said dismissively, as if that were a normal occurrence, and walked out of the cozy café with great speed.
Kankuro's jaw loosened and fell down slightly as what she had just said sunk in. "He never sends me any letters!" he exclaimed looking to Baki for sympathy and receiving none.
Baki stood near the gate clearly interested in getting a move on, and Hanabi began to feel anxious. Her family had told her they would come and see her off, but they must have been running late. These days everyone and their mothers were stopping the family to get a look at baby Daiki and offer congratulations. She had been able to spend some time with the new family addition and was already firmly attached to him. She smiled at the thought and closed her eyes for a moment. The morning sun felt nice on her skin. A familiar chakra flared slightly from near by and Hanabi opened her eyes. Off a ways, close to the near by shops, stood Sasuke. He didn't move forward but she knew that he wouldn't have shown up with out a reason. She felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks and grinned sheepishly. She flared her chakra in return and saw his lips twitch upwards.
The sound of someone approaching caused her to turn her head. Kankuro stopped his approach a few steps away and signaled towards the gate. "Are you ready?" he asked, telling her that it was time to leave. She looked back towards where Sasuke had been and found the spot empty.
She heard the sound of cooing coming from the road and knew her family had arrived. She turned to the source of the noise and found her family hurrying in her direction, politely moving past a couple of doting older women. She didn't turn to look at Kankuro as she addressed him. "Give me a minute. My family is here."
She stepped forward and was engulfed in a one armed hug by Sakura, who was also holding the infant securely in her other arm. "Good luck Hanabi-chan," she said with a large confidant smile, absolutely sure that her student would knock the socks off of the Suna medics, just as she had the first time she'd arrived. Hanabi kissed hte babe on the forehead and smiled as he stared up at her with wide keen eyes. When Sakura leaned back Neji pulled her and rested his chin on the top of her head.
When Neji let go, Hinata moved in for her hug. She squeezed her sister with all her might. "We're going to miss you," Hinata whispered in her ear before kissing her on the cheek.
The two women pulled apart and when Hinata stepped back Hanabi turned to her father who, for the first time, didn't seem to know what to do. He had never been one for outward shows of affection so when he grabbed her hand and kissed her forehead it meant a great deal. He locked eyes with her and with stern, albeit worried, fatherly tone gave her one last command before she left. "Be safe."
Hanabi smiled at the unusual show of affection from her father and squeezed his hand in return. "I will Tou-san." She let go and readjusted her pack, which she had managed to fill completely. "Baki-san, I'm ready," she said, striding confidently towards her waiting escorts.
Baki nodded and Kankuro hoisted his pack over his shoulder. "Alright then," the Suna sibling said taking the starting position while Baki moved to stand behind her.
"See you soon!" she called over her shoulder as the small group jumped into the trees just outside the wall.
Hinata, who had been holding back tears, began to cry. "Oh, she grew up so fast!" she exclaimed with a wobbly voice. She whipped the tears away and leaned into Sakura, resting her dark hair on Sakura's shoulder.
The mew mother shifted to hold Daiki more comfortably in both arms, glancing at each of the long faces surrounding her, and decided that today might be a good day for a quiet afternoon, filled with junk food and sweets. "Does anyone else feel the need for some comfort food?"
She had been staring at desert horizon for at least a full 24 hours and after a while that view could get a bit stale. It certainly didn't help that the longer they stared at the scenery the hotter it got. She could feel the increase in temperature as high noon came and went. Thankfully they appeared to be approaching something. It seemed quiet small at first, but after a couple of hours the wall of Suna stretched out before them. The end of their journey was at hand and Hanabi stared up at the red colored barrier craning her neck back to see the top ledge. She passed through the start of the small tunnel and past two guards staring straight out into the desert, having already identified Kankuro and Baki. She followed the two men through the dark tunnel and stopped at the other side, the slight streaming through the opening blinding her. She stepped into the archway and looked out over the city. Kankuro stepped up next to her and lead her down the ramp and into the valley.
He looked back at her when they stepped out into the streets. "Welcome to Suna, Hanabi-chan."
They waked through the streets and came across a small park for children. A number of the children turned and pointed at her. It was clear they knew who she was. She heard one of the mothers say, "That's Hyuuga Hanabi, the medic nin from Konoha."
Before she knew it she was center of attention. Parents were speaking excited to each other and the children waved to her from the playground. The tired travelers made their way into the center of the city with the same general reaction from most of the people they passed. Soon enough people were sending her greetings from their stalls. She felt so welcome in this new and somewhat stark looking village. It was quiet clear that the people of this village were as welcoming as the ones she had grown up with, once they knew the individual meant them no harm. She made sure to smile at as many people as she could.
She was startled when the shadows of a near by alley way revealed the kazekage. He stepped out from the side street and began walking along side her after a nod to his brother. "The whole village has waited in anticipation for your arrival," he said, looking around at his excited villagers as they each stopped what they were doing to get a peak at Sakura-himes apprentice who just so happened to be a Hyuuga as well. On top of that they were all very interested to see Temari's exchange partner, even if she wasn't to be the permanent one.
She nodded her head at him and then continued smiling at every villager that waved at her. She waved at a small child as he ran past and shouted 'hello'. She had to admit that the welcome was somewhat overwhelming. She hadn't expected for the villagers to look foreword to her presence. They were loosing Temari, one of their sandiame's children, who had been in the village since birth and were gaining a total stranger. Having said that, their enthusiasm would be justified if the villagers knew what ailed their leader and what the consequences of that were. She looked up at Gaara and found him waiting for a response. She let her astonishment and sense of overwhelming relief enter her words. "I am flattered."
Her words seemed to please him and he lifted his left hand to guide her down another main road. "How was your journey?" he asked, gazing out at his people with a mixture of pride and subdued humor.
"It went very well," she said having realized that he was doing his best to be polite and make small talk. She noted that now that she was here without her sensei, the kazekage was being friendly but not overly so. She was sure that in time they would come to an agreeable working friendship, and maybe after her stay here they would be able to be friends.
"That is good to hear." He stopped in front of the kage building, which seemed to be at the center of all the main roads in the city. "Would you like to be taken to your quarters now?" His question made her think about the best course of action.
Upon reflection of her master's instructions and training she received, her first instinct kicked in. While she was here in Suna for a number of reasons, first and foremost she had a job to do, one which would be very time consuming and particular. She intended to be diligent and professional throughout her time spent in Suna and that had started the minute she left konohas gates. "Would it be possible to see the hospital?"
He stared straight ahead and spoke to her as they walked down the street winding between vendors and citizens that smiled as they passed. "Of course."
She found that his new attitude suited her. Before he had clearly been hoping she would be the one to come to Suna and had done his best to convince her that Suna was a great option for her. She had known that the kazekage was not for her romantically not long after they'd met, though she had to admit that he was very good looking albeit not her type. She found that she was now partial to someone else, in fact she had become somewhat attached. She only hoped that exceedingly handsome Uchiha Sasuke would actually write to her and keep the relationship they had started going. And if she didn't receive a letter from him soon she'd send him one instead. She was determined to see this through. They had a connection and suited each other. On top of all that she couldn't help but smile whenever she thought about him and felt completely comfortable when he was near.
She shook her head to stop herself from smiling and went back to the thoughts that lead her to thinking of Sasuke. As for Gaara, the professional relationship that they had silently agreed upon suited her just fine. She allowed him to guide her down a busy street and past a number of stalls selling beautiful jewelry, brightly colored scarfs, and decorative fans. She tucked that information away for later and decided to come back here on her time off. She stopped for a moment to pick up a ball that had rolled into her path and throw it back to the children that had been using it. She turned back to the kazekage and shifted the pack on her shoulder. "Also, I will be managing your sleeping regimen, so I would like to examine you while we are there," she stated with authority. Sakura had told her she would have to put her foot down with the sand leader, but if directions were given with medical authority he would follow them with out too much grumbling.
He looked down at his feet for amount and then looked to his guard. The guard shot off into the distance, presumably to rearrange a previous meeting. "If you feel it would be prudent," he stated while they walked past a restaurant that Hanabi decided she would try at her first opportunity. She noted that the number of people in the street was lessening as they left the market area and came closer to a large looming cluster of buildings.
She bowed her head and closed her eyes for a second. "Thank you Kazekage-sama."
Suddenly Gaara stopped in front of the large building and held his hand out to direct her inside. "Follow me." She walked up to the door as his words had requested of her, but couldn't help but turn to see where she was in the city. To her surprise the walk from the kage building was a much shorter distance than she thought. The streets here were narrower, which caused the people in them to be more crammed together making it more difficult to maneuver, but also causing the walk to seem longer. In actual fact she could see the kage building clearly from here. They entered the building and Hanabi wondered how many interesting places were tucked away in the small alleys and streets that existed in this maze of a city. She was certainly looking foreword to exploring.
They walked past the front desk and the reaction was even more severe than the welcome she received from the villagers. As they past the medical staff bowed and glanced up at her as the walked past them with curiosity. She made sure to have a pleasant and welcoming smile as they walked down the halls and up a long flight of stairs, bypassing a number of floors in the process. Gaara led her through a door way and into a hall that was quiet with hardly anyone walking around. They walked past a few doors until Gaara pulled a key out of his robes and unlocked the door. He handed the key to her and allowed her to walk in front of him.
"This is your office. The examination room is through here." She noted the empty desk and the comfy looking chairs that were there along with a hefty looking bookshelf in a lovely walnut color that matched the desk. To the right of all of this was a doorway, which Gaara was now going through. He stood next to the examination table and Hanabi patted the cushion, implying that he should jump up. As he did that she swung her pack around and after a moment of digging pulled out a large scroll and pen. Gaara noted the handwriting on the cover to be that of Sakura's and realized that Hanabi had been entrusted with all of his information; everything that Sakura had accumulated on him.
Hanabi rolled it out to a new section and dated it before reaching out to read his stats with her chakra. Sakura had told her exactly what to do when she did her first checkup and Hanabi began her task just as she had been instructed to, realizing that from here on out she would be on her own; her masters instructions only went so far as this point.
Her chakra entered his system and did a basic scan, while she checked and recorded all of his stats. About ten minutes later she with drew her chakra and placed the pen down on an open space. She stepped back and allowed the kage to stand. She led him back to the office and placed the scroll in a desk drawer. Hanabi took a deep breath as she closed the drawer and signaled for the man to sit down. This was her office and she would treat him as she would any other patient that came to her or her master. She began by explaining the facts of the situation. "Well, there hasn't been too much improvement, but you've only had a short treatment which was a while ago. With more sleep many of these problems you've been experiencing will rectify themselves."
He nodded, having already been told most of this by Sakura the last time he'd had the treatment, therefore it was hardly a surprise to hear it now. "So Sakura-san said."
Hanabi sat behind the desk and leaned back in the chair enjoying the plush leather against her travel weary body. She took in her surroundings and decided that a lovely shade of blue would do well on these walls. She took a long breath and brought her thoughts back to the medial issue at hand. "Sakura-sensei instructed me to keep a close eye on your developments to make sure that is the case and if not to fix things when your sleep is back to a normal schedule. With out the sleep being fixed everything else will just reoccur."
He stopped to think for a moment and then folded his hands in front of him and placed them on his lap. "When should I start treatment?" he asked, clearly taking this very seriously.
She looked him square in the eye and stated frankly, "As soon as possible."
He made a small noise in the back of his throat before speaking. "I will let you know when I am ready to retire this evening."
She was glad to find him being so co-operative and nodded in consent to his appointment. The booking worked for her but she had to do a few things first. "I will need to get rest and I will need to find an assistant from within your medics. Someone you trust," she said quietly. This person would be seeing the Kazekage at his most vulnerable and therefore would need to be someone trustworthy. He knew the people of this village and he was the one putting himself in her hands. It was only fitting that he chose the assistant involved.
He seemed to understand her implications and concerns and it became apparent that he had the same concerns. His eyes were steely and he breathed in deeply, glad to know that she was taking this very seriously and understood the gravity of the issues at hand. "Of course. I will have someone ready for you this evening."
She pulled her bag to her and removed some photos, writing utensils, and a number of books and scrolls. She placed them on the desk so she could put them away later. "When I arrive this evening, I will have you lay down and I will place my hands on your temples and wait for you to get drowsy. When you feel like you are about to sleep I will leave and you will be able to sleep as you did when we did the test run. We will need something for you to contact me with if you experience any problems during the night." Hanabi finished her description, standing to imply that their consultation was finished.
He stood and waited for her to sling her pack over her shoulder before making their way through the door. "I will find something."
She turned to lock the door behind her and placed the keys in her pocket. "Good. May I ask where am I staying, Kazekage-sama?" Her question caused him to begin walking towards the stairs. It was then that she noted that the guard that he had sent away earlier was back and standing to attention next to the stair well door.
They entered the stairs and began to make their way down. Gaara's voice echoed through the area as he described the living quarters. "There is an apartment complex near the kage house. The basics have been provided for you, such as a futon, basic furniture, and cook ware. It is a well maintained building with plenty of living space and a nice décor, or so Temari told me."
Hanabi let a small laugh escape her. Temari must have hounded him about it and picked out the nicest things for her stay. She had met the kunoichi a few times and shopping was something that the woman enjoyed immensely. She also liked to take care of those coming to the village and would have probably asked Sakura and Hinata for help with some of it. "If she picked it out I'm sure it will be lovely," Hanabi said, happy to have had a woman looking out for her before she showed up.
Gaara opened the door to the ground floor hall and directed her to the front entrance. "It is also near enough for my guard and I to keep a watchful eye on you and far enough away for you to have privacy and freedom. I've been told privacy is important for women." His tone indicated that he was baffled by the statement, but was repeating it because it had been hammered home through many years of living with a woman.
They exited the door and Hanabi turned to face the redhead. "Temari again? She is right." The travel form the day and the use of her chakra was catching up to her and she felt the need to take a long nap. "I appreciate all of this. I'm feeling a bit tired."
Gaara stared at her for a second before waving his guard foreword to stand next to her. "My guard will show you to your new home." The man disappeared in a cloud of sand and Hanabi decided to just get used to the kazekage just up and leaving with no warning. She turned to the guard and followed him down the road and to her new home. She would send her new address to Sasuke, Sakura, her father, and Hinata as soon as she knew what it was. If she got them out today before her nap they might get the notes by the end of the week. The though of getting a letter from Sasuke made her feel bold enough to tap the guard on the shoulder with the intention of making a small detour to the messenger birds before she plunked down for the day.
"Sasuke! Which room are you in?" Sakura called as she entered the hall, wanting to give him some time to respond to her. He had always been someone who took his privacy very seriously. If he didn't want her in his room or wandering around the complex aimlessly he'd come out into the hall or answer her.
"Hn." The noise came out of the room at the end of the hall and it was her signal to interrupt him. If he hadn't wanted her around at all he wouldn't have answered.
She slid the door open to find a sparse room that may as well have been anyones. There was nothing there to suggest it was Sasuke's other than the portable writing desk that was in front of the man seated on the floor and his sword propped up against the far corner. "Oh thank kami, here you are. Ino has no mercy." She waited for the man to acknowledge her presence but he seemed much more focused on whatever he was doing.
"Ah. She's cooking?" he asked warily, and understandably so. Everyone knew that no matter how hard she tried Ino had a tendency to over cook everything she touched. The only person who was worse was Tenten. At least Ino's food was edible.
Sakura shook her head thinking of the plight that poor Deidara endured whenever Tenten deiced to cook, which thankfully wasn't very often. Tenten admitted that her food was terrible, Ino on the other hand did not and thus Itachi had taken it upon himself to try and help her with it. So far not much progress had been made, as it was difficult to convince someone to change their habits when they refused to admit anything was wrong with the food. She didn't envy Itachi the task of breaking the news to her. Based on the frustration she had seen on the older Uchiha's face when she passed through the kitchen it wouldn't be long now. "Yeah. I wouldn't go out there if I were you."
"Hn," he snorted in arrogance, reminding her of the old days when her stating the obvious would either be followed by his silence or his belittling. She let the implication roll off her knowing it was just his way of being. She was sure, with this new information under his belt, he now intended to go out and get something he could bring back here with him and leave his brother to endure the torture on his own.
She was curious as to exactly what was so engrossing and silently padded over to the desk. "What are you doing?"
Her words sounded right next to him and he realized that she was already looking at what he was doing so he made no move to hide it. Maybe she would be able to help without passing too much judgment. "Writing a letter."
She narrowed her eyes trying to make out exactly what kind of letter it was. "Your characters are all over the place."
"Ah."
She had been trying to find a way to lead into her topic of conversation, and reason for being here, but it appeared that she wasn't needed in the situation. At the top of the paper was the very scratchy and disheveled heading. It was the only thing that was even remotely discernable amidst the jumble of other letters. Sakura's brows hit her hairline and she smiled at the irony. "Sasuke… are you writing to Hanabi-chan?" she knew the answer, but she just had to ask. It was to good to be true.
Hiashi-sama's request had been odd but she found that it was within her capability to suggest things to Sasuke, such as writing to the young Hyuuga that Itachi had his eyes on as a potential mate for his brother. She hadn't been looking forward to it and the only thing that helped was that she knew that at the very least Sasuke and Hanabi weren't going to be pushed into anything and that the two could come out of the scenario as friends at the very least. She needn't have worried. It would appear that the work had already been done for her. "When did this happen?"
His scowl, which had been deeply etched into his features no doubt due to his current occupation, intensified at her gentle prying. "I happen to enjoy her company. We agreed to write to each other." His tone was clipped and Sakura realized that part of him was embarrassed. She resisted the urge to laugh and instead took a seat on the floor across from him and the small writing desk.
"I'm glad you like her," Sakura said, both teasing and genuine. She watched the scowl disappear to be replaced with his famous poker face.
"Hn." The way the tiniest hint of a blush tinged the tips if his ears she knew exactly how much he like Hanabi. She smiled and took a deep breath tilting her head to the side.
"Let me be very clear. If she gets hurt by this in any way I am going to make you pay." The sickly sweetness in her voice told him how serious she was and he had no intention of crossing her. It wasn't necessary though. He had no intention of hurting Hanabi.
"Understood."
Sakura took a long look at hr old teammate, assessing everything about and eventually found that he was being sincere. "Good. Now give me that pen. If your going to write her, we might as well make sure she can actually read it."
"…Ah," his pause was most likely because he wasn't sure whether to be glad that she was helping or upset that she had to. He decided to put his pride away for now; he'd have to get someone to help him read the response anyway. He had been listening carefully and something puzzled him. "Where is the infant?"
Sakura look up at Sasuke and smiled warmly picturing what was happening back at home. No doubt Neji was carrying Naiki about with him everywhere, showing him off to anyone and every one that was interested, gently cradling the child in his arms and insuring that his every need was met. "With his daddy. Neji just loves spending time with Naiki. So do I. We are loving every minute of it." She was already looking forward to being back with her two boys, curled up blissfully next to Neji and devotedly watching over her son.
Sasuke was quiet for a second before stating, "You two spend a great deal of time together."
Sakura did allow herself a laugh this time, knowing he wouldn't take offence. She was laughing more out of joy and general good will than anything else. "It's part of being in love," she explained.
He nodded sharply once and folded his arms over his chest. "It must be nice."
Sakura let out a sigh of contentment. "It's wonderful." She patted him brusquely on the shoulder then rifled around for a clean sheet of paper. "Don't worry. One day it'll happen for you."
"Hn." His monosyllable held a great deal of amusement and Sakura wondered if he was laughing because he was being cynical or if he was laughing because he knew it was already starting for him. She decided to go with the later.
She took a long look at the original document and found that it was just as unreadable as she had first surmised. She wrote out a tiny note from herself at the top explaining why it was her handwriting and not Sasuke's on the page along with a small greeting. Sakura finished up her leading and rested her left hand to anchor the page on the desk while asking, "So, what is this letter supposed to be saying exactly?"
End comments: Thanks for reading! The epilogue will take a few weeks to dish out. I find that end this story has been harder to write than I thought it would be. If you enjoyed it let me know. Also I would like to say that this is not the last of me that NejixSakura fans will be seeing. I have a number of one-shots in the works that I want to get out over the summer, one of which might turn into a few chapters long, nothing even close to as lengthy as this story though. So if you enjoy my work please keep a look out. I love getting your feedback.