Chapter 44
The next few weeks were peaceful for her. Hinata was now at month nine, she was due in a week's time or there abouts from her due date. But aside from Hinata's progressing pregnancy there was also good news for her. Sakura's body was healing up again and feeling normal again; moving, breathing, and in general everything, no longer hurt like the seven circles of hell.
Which brought her to today as she sat in the garden of her new home with her husband as Sarada napped under a tree with her sewn up bear (something Sakura had spent five days fixing once they had moved into the house). A hawk flew through the air, catching her attention when it dove straight for Sasuke.
"Sasuke! What is it?" she called out as she stood up and walked to him. Then, there was a package, small though, in the Hawk's talons.
"A parting gift for Sarada," Sasuke said, she flinched at his wording, but she didn't say something to him. Kakashi had told her on the day Hinata gave birth Sasuke was leaving for his mission again. How long he'd be gone… it was not known to him or her, but he wasn't leaving for good for a change. Though, Naruto and Kakashi had to hold her back so she didn't storm up to the council and pummel them all to gravel. Tsunade had stayed with her for a week so she didn't do something stupid, and Sasuke explained that no matter what he would've been completing this mission with or without her and Sarada with him. He just wanted to make certain the world would stay safe for Sarada.
Also, in completing this mission he'd be fulfilling his brother's final wishes, and Sakura found she couldn't be angry about his reasoning.
The council on the other… well, they were going to be receiving the fullest extent of her wrath once her husband was gone, and then she'd just try to keep everything together until she saw him again. She was the expert at holding herself together, Sakura mused bitterly, after all, she had held herself together all the while after he had left her alone, unconscious on that bench until he had returned to her as who he was and not as his hatred. And if she had held it together while he hated her guts with a fiery passion, he was certain she could hold it together again when he at least cared about her.
"What is it?" she asked.
"A seal," he answered for her as he handed the package and letter to her.
Here's hoping to keep it suppressed! Sorry we won't see her for a bit.
-K
"Huh?" Sakura blinked at the letter then opened the package. Her eyes widened and then she pulled out the gift Karin had given Sarada glasses!?
"It's a seal, it will keep her Sharingan repressed. So long as the council does not know she possesses it then they cannot take her from you," Sasuke explained and Sakura blinked at the glasses.
"Karin made these?"
"Hn," he nodded.
"That's ingenious! When you get back you'll teach her about her Sharingan," she ordered.
"Aa," he nodded and then she darted over to Sarada. Sakura looked at the red glasses that were fashioned like Karin's, she grinned when she slipped them onto Sarada.
"Well, they'll work, but what about when she gets larger?" Sakura asked as she stood up then.
"Karin will be mailing you new glasses periodically."
She nodded then. So, this was all coming to an end, she thought miserably, Sasuke was making plans for when he wouldn't be here and he was making them to last for if he didn't return at all. Sakura didn't know how to feel about his intentions but at the same time she was concerned for her daughter and if her father did not return at all.
"You are going to come back, right?" she asked him then. She just needed to reaffirm he was going to be returning.
"Hn," he nodded.
"Good," she sighed as she walked up to him. "Because if you don't, I will track you down and I will pummel you into smithereens. You will not be breaking my heart again, Uchiha," she warned him as she jabbed his chest with her finger. She wanted it to be clear to him that he had to return to her.
"Alright," he poked her brow and then he walked away from her, into the house again.
Sakura sighed as she flopped down beside her daughter as she stared at the tree leaves above her. Truthfully, she was tired of all this, of all the control the three elders on the council held, of all the shinobi way of life, of all the missions and impossible tasks. She was just tired of it all. There were times she wanted it all to burn down and leave her alone, it was only because of this life that her husband would again be leaving, that her daughter would have to wear a seal to repress her natural gift, and why she'd be taking on more and more missions later when her daughter was older.
This was the way of life for shinobi though. She could accept it, she didn't have to like it, but she was going to have to live with it and through it. Sarada curled up beside her, and Sakura curled around her daughter.
"No matter what, Sarada, I'm never leaving you," Sakura promised as she kissed her daughter's temple. "I'm going to fight for you, I'm going to protect you, I'm going to love you, and I'm going to be here for you all the time; even when you don't want me here or hate me. I will never leave you alone, and even if Sasuke isn't here with us, I'll never let you think he left us; because he didn't, and even if you don't remember this later I'll tell you about all the good times before we were here in this village."
Sasuke had been packed for a month to be ready to leave, it would be better if he was just to leave on his own rather than have the ANBU escort him through the village like he were a criminal. People were still uneasy around him and he didn't need them to think anything else was wrong where he was regarded. Sakura and Sarada would both have to live here, and he didn't need the world to think the worst of them too because he was escorted away with the ANBU.
Which brought him to tonight.
Sakura was sleeping on his chest, Sarada was curled up on their bed too; a nightmare from what she had said, and everything was quiet. Though he was in a light sleep he wasn't really sleeping as he lay there listening to the quiet world around him. His wife hardly moved as she slept, and Sarada had long since claimed her spot this night, his fingers were trailing over Sakura's spine. This was one of his last nights here, here in this dreaded village. The very village which killed his family and his brother, the very village he had once wanted to destroy.
There was a knock on the door which had him tightening his hold on Sakura as she stirred.
"Sakura! Sakura! Come on! Hinata's in labor!" Naruto's voice shouted through the dead of night. Sasuke sighed, Sakura was up then and she was pulling on clothes as he got up too.
"You're not leaving now!?" she hissed at him.
"No, I leave after the birth," he answered coldly as he pulled on his shirt and then Sakura was buttoning it.
"Alright, until then, watch Sarada!" she hissed as she then bolted out of the room to the door which was being pounded on. Sasuke looked to Sarada, she was snoozing contently on the pillows, sighing he hefted his pack onto his back then scooped up the toddler. Someone would be needed at the hospital to keep the dobe from freaking out. According to Sakura the birth of Boruto had had Naruto breaking down. Sarada drooled on his shoulder as she slept with her bear clutched tightly, her glasses were slightly askew but after the days of her getting used to them she was good at keeping them on her person.
"Sasuke! Sasuke! She's in labor!" Naruto screeched as he held Boruto who looked grumpy about being awake.
"Yes," he answered flatly. He was tired of this already, Naruto was running around in his panic.
"That's all you have to say?" Naruto demanded.
"Dobe, calm down, she already had Boruto, you should be used to this," Sasuke snapped at Naruto. Besides, according to Sakura Hinata's pregnancy was going perfectly fine, nothing was going to go wrong; it wasn't like with Sakura.
"B-but! It's another kid! What if I'm not cut out for this! I mean, I was an orphan, I don't know anything about raising more kids! I barely know what I'm doing with Boruto! I don't know about this! Maybe it's not too late to take this back!" Naruto panicked as he started running towards hospital room where Sakura and Hinata were.
Susanoo caught Boruto as Sasuke tripped Naruto before he could say or do something stupid to a laboring woman; wife or not, Sasuke wasn't going to be losing the dobe for something stupid he did or said to Sakura and/or Hinata.
"Think before you act, dobe, there is no going back from having another child; Hinata's in labor!" he snapped. Boruto was gaping at the Susanoo's hand holding him.
"Huh, oh, you're right," Naruto sighed as he sat on the ground. Sasuke set Boruto down then, the toddler grabbed his leg and tugged his pant leg then.
"Purple again!" Boruto ordered.
"No! Susanoo no toy!" Sarada shouted before he could react as he set her sleepy form down and helped Naruto up. The dobe winced when there was a scream which had even him worried. The pain of a laboring woman was something he knew to be dangerous and very painful even for anyone who was there or cared about the woman.
"Dobe, just don't say something stupid, I'll watch Boruto," Sasuke sighed as Sarada hit Boruto again before stomping to him.
"You're alright with that!?" Naruto demanded as he surged to his feet.
"Just go," Sasuke ordered as he sat on a waiting bench, his daughter clambered up to his lap and fell asleep again. Boruto though tugged his armless sleeve for his attention.
"Hn?" he looked at the blonde mini dobe.
"Purple again!" he pleaded. Sasuke sighed; fantastic; the kid was just like his father and in need of entertaining. Sasuke was less than thrilled as he summoned Susanoo's hand again for the boy to examine. More screaming ensued.
"Alright Hinata! It's time to push!" Sakura informed her friend, it had been about ten hours since this had started and Sasuke was watching over both Sarada and Boruto while Sakura attended to Hinata. The labor; for a woman who was peace loving and kind, was actually very, very violent. Sakura had had to physically pry Hinata from strangling Naruto. Oh, and déjà vu, she had seen stars when Hinata had pulled her head for getting between her and Naruto.
"Naruto! No more kids!" Hinata screeched as her body began pushing her newest child out of her.
"You're doing well Hinata, I can see the head!" Sakura shouted over Hinata's screaming.
"Promise! Promise! No more kids!" Naruto screamed as Hinata crushed his hand.
"AHH!" she screamed, Sakura caught the coming baby who came out with a scream which rivaled the mother's screams.
"And congratulations Hinata! Naruto! You have a daughter!" Sakura declared as she proceeded to clean their daughter of the birth and aid Hinata and expelling the placenta.
"A girl!" Naruto fainted then.
"A daughter!" Hinata smiled then as she took the child then.
