Sakura had accepted she had to talk to Naruto, however she also knew that she couldn't just show Naruto by himself, she would have to talk to Hinata as well and show them Shinachiku.
It would be less suspicious that way, it might still look suspicious but Sakura had Shizune, the note and picture from the other Sakura, and Sarada's own awareness of the event being the one to find the little one with her.
So the next day after a lot of thought on how to tackle the subject she strapped in for something upsetting and called in to Naruto that she needed to speak to him and Hinata early in the morning, probably waking up Naruto now she thought about it but it was his fault for sleeping in his office as often as he did.
Naruto seemed confused and a little off-put but she wasn't going to give anything more than that as she gave him a time before hanging up, going to Sarada and finding her awake with a crying Shinachiku as the young girl frantically tried to find out what was wrong with him, Sakura stepping in with an almost indulgent smile to both her children.
" Come on Shina-Chan let's get you changed and fed~" She cooed to him as the blond baby hiccupped, looking over to her daughter as she turned, " Please get dressed Sarada, we're off to see the Hokage today."
" Shinachiku's papa, Lord Seventh?" Sarada asked, surprised before she nodded furiously, racing to get into her clothes.
Sakura had noticed how much Sarada admired Naruto, to the point that she had wanted to become Hokage herself, and Sakura found herself backing her daughter in her dreams to become the best of the best, she just wanted Sarada to be happy even if at times it conflicted with her own feelings, like when Sarada left to meet her father.
Sure Sakura hated the questions and the jabs it took at her emotional state and her thoughts, but in the end Sarada was smiling genuinely and no one was dead, as long as that criteria was met she was happy to back her daughter in her goals.
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She changed Shinachiku, slipping him back into his green onesie as she made a mental note to go shopping for him as she donated Sarada's baby clothes out when Sasuke's absence time reached a decade, Sarada running in to the smashing sound of her mother pulverizing carrots for Shinachiku to try, turning to the little one in the chair as his green eyes sparkled seeing her and what she was carrying, " Shina-Chaaan~"
She offered up a slug plushie to him as he squealed and hugged it, taking it from her as he wiggled with it.
" Ah, that was with him when he came here wasn't it?" Sakura hummed as she put the pulverized carrots into a small bowl, smiling softly to herself at the thought crossing her mind looking to the stuffed slug, ' It looks like Katsuyuu-Sama.'
" Yeah, he really seems to like it!" Sarada beamed to her before brushing past to see if there was cereal in the cupboards, Sakura weaving past her and feeding a very hungry Shinachiku with some mashed carrots, there being a bit of a mess but it was manageable, leaving Sarada to play with him as she roved over the house for any possible carrier she could use for him before deciding on a blanket sling she could fashion until she got a proper carrier as she tied a good knot on her shoulder and slipped the happily fed baby and his plushie into place.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
" Ready?"
" Ready!" Sarada smiled to her before the two of them left the house, hopping from rooftop to rooftop as Sarada carried the evidence in her kunai pouch as they got to the Hokage office, Sakura covering the curious little one from the outside world as she walked into the office with her daughter by her side and her head held high, thinking about Karin's words.
She didn't cheat, she had done nothing wrong and neither did Naruto, she had no need to feel ashamed.
Her eyes met Shizune's and she gave a nod, the older woman pausing in her work before abandoning it to follow the pink-haired woman, wondering what had happened to change Sakura's mind from letting Naruto know about what was going on.
She stood beside the door as she looked to Sakura, unsure before the ex-Haruno knocked on the door loudly.
" Come in." Came the practically monotoned voice of Naruto, Sakura pausing for a little.
There was a reason she hadn't interacted with Naruto in a while and what he had become as a person had been one of them.
Back when she was younger she knew full well what his answer to this surprise child would have been, smiles and immediate acceptance without question, but as she pushed open the door with Sarada by her side she acknowledged again that times have changed the both of them.
She rubbed Shinachiku's back in confirmation he was still there, taking in the Hokage office which was scattered with scrolls, Naruto sitting in the middle of all of it with Hinata standing not beside him but in front of the desk, as if she had just got there as she looked back to Sakura, looking a little anxious that she was called there as the tense air in the room relaxed a little to the appearance of Sarada, whom looked serious, but her eyes still held a shine of appreciation for the room and the important people by the desk.
" Lord Seventh, Lady Hinata." Sarada intoned with a bow of her head.
" Naruto, Hinata." Sakura spoke up, looking to the two of them, " I have called you for something important."
Both of the two looked to the sling in Sakura's arms, a pudgy little hand having poked out gripping at the red shirt Sakura was wearing.
" Sakura-Chan?" Hinata asked, her brows furrowing, worried, " What do you have there?"
Naruto also looked curious but Sakura took more steps in, keeping quiet.
Sakura decided to get straight to the point, not wanting to have any more false drama than what was to come, " Sarada found him behind our house with a note, a picture and a plushie. I had his blood tested and looked for any genjutsu and he's clean.
Naruto..." Sakura drew back the fabric to show the little boy with brilliant green eyes and blond hair with tanned skin, " Please meet your son from another place, Shinachiku."
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Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as Hinata's hand clutched at the front of her jacket before the veins in her temples bulged, Sakura not blaming her for that reaction as she stared at the little one in Sakura's arms.
" Sakura-Chan-" Naruto sputtered, " What- How-"
" Excuse me Lord Seventh, here." Sarada reached into her pouch and produced the photo and the letter for him, Naruto looking to it and reading, his eyes unblinking as Hinata's Byakugan disappeared and she looked... devastated, no other word for it, swallowing hard.
" He's clean Naruto-kun." She whispered to him before looking to see him staring at the picture of Sakura and him together, his arms around her with the old Uzumaki grin absolutely stretching his face, like it had done with her when she had Boruto so long ago, Hinata looking from him to Shinachiku as her bottom lip trembled, trying not to show how upset she was at this new development.
After all, it had just been explained, it was a child from another world, neither Naruto or Sakura had betrayed her or her trust in them.
She wiped at the wetness in her eyes and faced Sakura a little more, " Do you... have a plan for him?"
" Sarada and I are going to be taking care of him." Sakura looked to the ground, " I know you and Naruto have been... struggling in spending time together and I didn't want to burden you. I just had to tell you two of him because I have nothing to hide. I am still your friend, just with someone else's child.
With how different we are in that world, we might as well be altogether all different people, so I just wanted you both to know he was here instead of letting others talk."
Naruto's chair gave a small jolt as he stood fast, " Can I..." Naruto's eyes were fixed on the little one in Sakura's sling, " Can I hold him?"
Sakura looked down to Shinachiku as well, whom was unable to turn all the way back to see Naruto as he looked around the room, a little uninterested with it before she pulled him out, keeping his slug plushie in the sling as she walked to Naruto, offering up the little blond as Sarada held her breath, watching as Naruto lifted up the green-eyed little blond, his eyes wide as he seemed unable to breathe, unable to look away from his other son.
Shinachiku stared to him with wide green eyes before giving a big smile that reminded Hinata of Naruto as Naruto's eyes seemed to be getting wet, a young cord inside him being struck from the new life beaming to him as he pulled him close.
Shinachiku babbled excitedly to him as he placed his small hands on Naruto's face, his little legs kicking, the two older women watching him in shock while Sarada beamed, happy the Hokage approved of her little brother while the other two could not look away from the large Uzumaki smile that spread across Naruto's face as he held the smallest Uzumaki, it being a smile he had not genuinely held in years, Hinata last remembering it being aimed at Boruto and Himawari when they were small as he gently bounced the little one.
" Hey Shinachiku!"
Author's Note: So Naruto finally met Shinachiku! Hinata's a little crushed but who wouldn't be really? A chapter focusing on her will be coming soon, as well as the introduction of another pairing baby! Hope you guys enjoy, and don't worry, it may get a little angsty at times but all and all this is made to be a fluffy story, hopefully something to make people smile!
Read and Review, I really want to know if this seemed alright, Constructive Criticism is appreciated!
