I'm sorry for the mistakes, English is not my mother tongue. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer : Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

His Smile

Karin entered her room and collapsed on her bed. She was trying to get her breath back. It was dark and all she wanted was to sleep for at least several days. The past day had been the scariest and most stressful she had ever lived. She had to act as a midwife for Sakura. Karin's hands shook slightly when she thought about what had happened. She would never have imagined herself helping a woman to give birth to her child, especially if this woman was Sakura. Fortunately everything went well. She did not even dare to imagine what Sasuke would have done to her if something bad had happened to his wife and daughter. She had seen what he was capable of doing and she did not want to be the target of his new revenge.

She had been surprised when she had felt Sasuke's chakra inside her lair. She had felt another chakra with him, but it did not matter. Sasuke was there. In just a few seconds, hundreds of thoughts crossed her mind. Particularly the one where Sasuke had come to declare his eternal love to her. Then, she saw that Sakura was with him and that she was about to give birth. All of Karin's illusions were shattered. He was not there because he loved her, but because his wife needed help. His wife, Karin had thought bitterly. Why her ? Why did he choose Sakura ? What did Sakura have that Karin had not ? Sasuke's voice brought her back to reality.

'Please Karin.'

She had never been able to refuse anything to him, how could she say no when he needed her ? This is how she got herself involved in this situation.

Lying on her bed, Karin stared at the ceiling, thinking of the little girl she had helped to give birth. Sarada. She was marvelous, with a few black hairs on the top of her head. Like her father, Karin thought. She did not know if it was because Sarada was Sasuke's daughter or if it was because she was there when she was born, but Karin had felt a bond between her and Sarada. This little being had turned her life upside down.

Karin closed her eyes, letting sleep invade her. She felt herself slowly falling into a well-deserved rest when Sarada's cries awoke her. She opened her eyes abruptly and stood up. She knew that Sakura was exhausted and she was sure that Sasuke would not know what to do with a newborn. Fortunately, the room where she had put Sakura in was not very far from hers. She would be there quickly to calm Sarada down.

Once outside Sakura's door, she realized that Sarada had stopped crying. She glanced into the doorway and saw the perfect family portrait. Sakura held Sarada in her arms, tired, but radiant. Sasuke had his arm around his wife and he leaned down to kiss Sarada's forehead. He looked up, smiling. He was looking at Sakura with so much love that Karin blushed. He kissed her gently and Karin looked away, feeling like an intruder. She knew there was no place for her in this picture of the Uchiha family.

Karin returned to her room. A few hours ago, this scene would have brought her to tears, but at that moment, strangely, she felt happy. Sasuke was smiling. She had hoped to see his smile for years. In all of her dreams, she was the one who would make him smile again, but life had decided otherwise. She loved him and she knew would still love him for a long time. But it did not matter. What was important, was that he was happy and that he was smiling again, even if it was not thanks to her.

The end