Happy New Year everyone! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to post a chapter, life has been so hectic and the holiday was just chaos. I don't know how often I will update but I have been writing and planning things for this story so know that I have not abandoned it. Thank you to everyone that reviewed, liked or favourited it. I'm so grateful for all the kind words and support. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Let me know what you think.
XOXO
Chapter 6: The First Appointment
HINATA knew she promised Naruto she would book her doctor's appointment as soon as possible however she only manages to get a date almost a week after their conversation. She does keep her promise to inform him of the day and time and he promised her he would be present for it. Much of the morning before her appointment is spent lost in thought. She keeps recalling the first scan for both Boruto and Himawari. They were like little tiny fruit and just the sight of their heartbeats was enough to make her a weeping puddle. To think those little scans were now her children; two different people with their different minds and opinions. Yet again she wonders how different this baby will be; their personality and temperament. The pregnancy hormones have finally begun kicking in. She had to squeeze her eyes tight and white knuckle the back of the kitchen chair to stop herself from crying when they were leaving the house. Naruto's nerves were apparent, shown with his hasty goodbye kiss and rushed assurances that he will see her later, almost forgetting half his belongings as he left the house. Bolt and Himawari may have noticed their parent's odd behaviours but if they did they thought it wise not to bring attention to it.
After everyone leaves Hinata scarves down two bagels topped heavily with fillings, partly eating because of her nerves but mostly eating because she was very hungry. She then tidies up around the house to kill time until her appointment. By the time she reaches the doctor's office, she feels nervous and hungry again, her breakfast feeling like a light snack. She makes a mental note to grab something on the way home. She's sitting in the exam room, looking at the various charts around her and occasionally biting her nails in apprehension, unsure of what she is going to hear today.
"Hinata?" She is broken out of her thoughts when she hears her name being called in confusion. Sakura stands there in her standard medical robes, her face pinched in confusion as she looks at Hinata and then proceeds to scrutinise the clipboard in her hand, no doubt holding Hinata's medical card.
"Morning Sakura," she greets amicably. Sakura shakes her head a little before smiling.
"Hi. How are you? It's been a while since we caught up." It has been a few weeks since they had lunch. It was that very same encounter that led Hinata to the revelation that she may be pregnant and now seeing Sakura for this appointment feels like a full-circle moment, where the same woman will be the one to show Hinata her baby.
When she first got pregnant, she visited a few doctors trying to find the one that would be perfect for her. Her earlier attempts were all fruitless, with most of the doctors being star-struck with Naruto. He would always try to redirect the conversation back to her and their baby. Ultimately, they both decided it would be better to find someone that could handle who they were. Hinata was a bit wary of having Sakura be her doctor. She didn't want it to be awkward. There was always a small part of her that was jealous of Sakura, as she had always spent so much time with Naruto and what with her husband's earlier feelings for the pink-haired shinobi. However, the older she got and the more time she spent with Sakura, she realised she could let those feelings control her and let it come in the way of a potentially good friendship or she could let it go. In the end, she chose to let it go. She knows that Sakura will always be family to Naruto and their shared history with Sasuke will always bind them together. She's glad for her maturity because she gained a genuine relationship with the woman and can't imagine her life without her in it. It didn't even matter to Hinata that Sakura was privy to her body at her most vulnerable time. Sakura never held it against her and Hinata thinks if it had to be anyone, better it is Sakura than a stranger.
"I'm really good." She answers in turn.
"That's great! What can I do for you today? Just a general check-up I presume," Sakura enquires before musing, "It's been a while since you've had one." Sakura comments; switching out her friend hat for her professional one.
"Yes, it has been a while, but no to the check-up. I mean yes, I would like to know everything is good but that isn't the only reason I am here." Her anxiety is palpable, hence her babbling.
"Is everything okay Hinata?" Sakura asks in a soothing tone.
She takes a deep breath. "So here's the story. I'm … pregnant," she smiles, "and I needed you to, you know, check that everything," she gestures to her stomach, "is healthy."
"You think you're pregnant," Sakura asks in shock.
"No I know," Hinata interjects.
Realisation dawns Sakura's features. "Of course, Byakugan."
Hinata silently nods in affirmation.
Sakura nods as well, before sitting on the little stool at the side of the bed. She looks at the clipboard, moving a few pages around.
"Okay, so let's go through some standard questions so I know what I'm working with."
"Actually, can we wait for a little? Naruto was supposed to be here. He's just running a bit late."
"It's Naruto, so I understand. I'll wait to do the scan until he gets here. We can just talk." Sakura assures her. That's why Hinata loves Sakura. She's got a knack for making people feel comfortable. Even now when she is probably shocked at Hinata's revelation she isn't letting it show. Hinata is once again happy that she chose her.
"Okay. So when was your last menstrual cycle? Just want to record a few dates."
Hinata thinks for a few minutes, calculating in her mind before answering which Sakura makes a note of on her clipboard while nodding her head.
Before she can ask her next question, the door slams open with a thud, and a flustered Hokage enters, "I'm here! I'm here! Don't start without me!" They both turn to look at Naruto who was breathing heavily, almost as if he ran the whole way here.
"Take a deep breath Naruto. You haven't missed anything. We were just talking." Sakura advises in her usual chiding tone.
Hinata smiles warmly at her husband as he makes his way toward her. He leans down to place a soft but slightly sweaty kiss on her forehead in greeting. "I'm sorry I'm late."
"It's okay sweetheart. We haven't started," she soothes.
"You're okay Naruto? Can we begin?" Sakura asks in a soft tone.
"I'm good. I'm good, you can continue." He says heaving a few breaths before calming down.
"Right, Hinata, how are you feeling? Have you experienced any pregnancy symptoms? Morning sickness? Weird cravings? " She has her pen at the ready.
"No to the morning sickness; which is odd because for both Hima and Boruto it started quite early? Is that bad?" She turns to gaze at Naruto then Sakura, unsure.
"No, it's not bad, just different. That is normal. Every pregnancy is different."
"Okay. I have been feeling tired quicker. With Bolt I was on my feet and I could a lot before I would feel like I needed a nap and Hima too though to a lesser extent. But this time around it's different. By the time the kids leave for the morning and I clean up after breakfast, I feel like a need a nap, or to just sit down for a bit." Sakura's brows furrow as she makes a note.
With every word she speaks Naruto tenses a little beside her as if he is suddenly realising all the nights when she was already asleep by the time he came home.
She asks her a few more routine questions before asking Hinata to lie back on the exam table. She leaves them alone as she gathers whatever she needs for the scan. Naruto comes to her side, doing his best to make sure she is comfortable. "You okay?" He murmurs in question.
She nods. "I'm just a little nervous. I can't believe we're going to see the baby." She can't keep the excitement out of her voice.
"Me too. I've been thinking about it the whole day." He clasps her hand and looks around, eyes landing on the machine at the side of her head. "I can't believe that's going to go inside you. " She looks at the wand thing on the side that Sakura is going to use and lets out a chortle.
"Of all the things you could have said…" She remarks. Trust Naruto to lighten the mood and ease her fears.
"What?" He asks incredulously. "It's a little weird, don't you think?" He looks at her waiting for her to back him up.
"As opposed to other things going inside of me" She fires teasingly and his face contorts.
"That's different and you know it!" It isn't often that she makes Naruto blush but she revels in it all the same.
She laughs again as the light in the room dims. Sakura walks up to them securing her gloves and then situates the machine in a way that works for her. Naruto is standing at the side of Hinata, his hand in hers and Sakura is on the other side, towards the foot of the bed. The screen is at an angle so that Sakura can manoeuvre it and the wand so it is possible for all of them to look at the screen.
There's a silence in the room, as they all wait, anticipation palpable. Hinata and Naruto keep casting glances at each other and the screen, sensing the other's emotion as the seconds' tick by. Naruto squeezes her hand three times before Sakura begins talking. "Okay, so you know how it works but I'll remind you. The baby will be small but will glow on the screen here," she indicates with a gloved finger. "You'll most likely see the heartbeat glowing as well."
She moves the wand and Hinata feels every moment but her eyes are glued to the screen. Sakura points with her finger. "So here…is…your baby," she smiles. And Hinata sees a tiny glow on the screen. That's their baby. That's the chakra she saw all those weeks ago. Her eyes begin filling as she is overcome with emotion. "And right here is the little heartbeat; as you can…" she stops speaking and Hinata feels her heart in her throat. Sakura hesitates for a second, moving the wand around and Hinata can't find the words to ask her what is going on but Naruto does.
"Sakura," he says sharply. "Is everything okay?" His brows are furrowed and worry is etched onto his features.
"Sorry, I was making sure. I mean. This does make sense considering Hinata's father."
"What does my father have to do with anything?" Hinata manages to find her voice.
Sakura takes a deep breath and realises how much she must have alarmed them with her hesitance and vagueness. "I'm sorry. Take a deep breath. Everything is okay. I apologise for scaring you." She's looking at them now and her face doesn't seem negative.
"Here, I'll show you. So see here," she points with her finger, "this is the heartbeat," she moves her finger alongside the screen and stops, "and this is another heartbeat."
The room is filled with silence before Naruto blurts in shock, "the baby has two heartbeats!?"
Hinata doesn't have the energy to correct him, her mind reeling with the information.
"No Naruto," Sakura chuckles. "Hinata is carrying twins."
Twins.
She is carrying two babies. That comment about her father makes sense now but, "this is impossible." She squeaks in disbelief.
"It is very possible Hinata." Sakura states softly.
"No. No. But I saw. My, my Byakugan saw one chakra signature." She's looking at Naruto now, hoping he can see the truth in her statement.
"I don't know what to say. It could have been really early and you may have missed it. It is possible." Hinata can understand that but it's a revelation still.
Naruto bends down, his forehead resting on hers. "It's okay Hinata. This is good."
She can't stop her tears now. "No. No. I know. I'm happy, just, a little bit shocked."
She sniffles a bit before turning to Sakura."Do they both have heartbeats? They're both healthy?" She questions, desperate to know the answer.
"Yes. Everything looks good. Here is baby 1 and here is baby 2," she indicates and Hinata looks at the screen for what feels like the first time; seeing both her babies. She's sobbing at this point, making seeing difficult.
Naruto is cupping her face and wiping her tears gently. "We're having twins, two babies," she's laughing through her words, almost hysterical, her hormones spurring her emotions. He's kissing her cheeks and she's deliriously happy.
"Yeah, yeah we are. It's amazing. You are amazing." He whispers, his face wet too.
"I can't believe it. You have super sperm." She mumbles incredulously. He laughs loudly, "I guess I do. I'll take the blame for it. This is good. I feel good," he assures her.
Sakura steps away, to clean up and presumably to give them more privacy. When she returns Hinata has mostly stopped crying and they both seem calmer to talk.
Sakura herself is shocked by the fact she just revealed but bottles her emotion. There will be a better time to talk about it.
"Now it's time for some real talk." She has the clipboard in her hand again. "From what I can tell you're roughly 9 weeks along, so well into your first trimester. The babies are both healthy and so are you. There are a lot of women who have babies and twins in their thirties, so it's not a big deal. However, we will need to monitor you."
They're both paying attention now, Naruto laser-focused on the conversation. "The reason you're so tired so quickly is because you're carrying two, as we now know." She shrugs like the answer is obvious now.
"I need to stress this. Hinata you need to give yourself time. You can't overdo it. And I know you. You're super mom and that's amazing but you need to listen to your body too. If you're hungry eat! If you're tired, sleep! You must take care of yourself. Healthy mama equals healthy babies."
Hinata nods her head. She understands. She does overdo it sometimes but it doesn't feel like it to her. She makes a mental note to be more cognisant of her feelings and surroundings. "I understand."
"Thanks Sakura," Naruto says gratefully.
"You're welcome. I'll make sure that you receive copies of the scan, and a video. We'll set you up on some prenatal vitamins. But you're good to go." She taps the pen on her board and stands up.
Naruto straightens up and gathers Hinata's coat and bag as Sakura exclaims. "Congratulations!"
They both sport identical grins before Hinata tentatively asks, "Can I pee before we go?" In all the excitement she forgot about her bladder but now that everything is winding down she is suddenly reminded of her desperate urge to use the bathroom.
Sakura laughs, "Of course."
It's another 10 minutes before they can leave, her purse heavier with the pictures and their hearts fuller with the knowledge of their growing family.
XOXO
THEY'VE been sitting at Ichiraku's Ramen shop in complete silence for the past 20 minutes, just processing their thoughts. After the appointment, Naruto said he had taken a few hours off so he could spend some time with her. He suggested they go home to have some lunch but Hinata was too tired to cook and too hungry to buy the food and take it home. It's one of the few times they have decided on a public outing. Since it was still early in the day the streets weren't as busy, people occupied with their jobs and lives. Public lunches and dinners were always chaotic with Naruto because everyone wanted to stop and speak to him, to thank him, or really to just be in his presence.
They decided to eat in a booth today instead of at the counter, believing the booth would shield them more. Hinata raises the bowl to her mouth to finish the last of her broth.
She feels like she wants another bowl so she looks to the side to get the attention of one of the servers but before she could call them over Naruto is pushing his almost full bowl to her. She looks at him quizzically and he just nods his head to her in offering.
"I can wait for another bowl Naruto, it's okay." She's wondering if Sakura's words about her health are getting to him, so much so, that he is forgoing his food. She doesn't want him to worry.
"Hina; it's fine. I'm not hungry, but you are. So eat." He leans forward his nose, brushing hers in a playful gesture, so she takes him at his word and begins to eat.
After she is done she pushes the bowl away and places both her elbows on the table, cupping her face with both her hands, her mouth resting at the juncture of her hands and her palms hiding her face. She's peaking at Naruto through her lashes, waiting for him to speak.
Sensing her hesitance he begins talking, "I never really saw that coming. Are you unhappy about it? It's me; you can be honest with me." He's inviting her to be candid, with no judgment in return. She's always been more of a thinker than a talker but with Naruto, it's so easy for her to be open and share her feelings.
Her eyes widen in surprise, not expecting the question. She grabs his hand on the table. "No." She shakes her head and then reiterates. "No. I was just very surprised. But I'm happy. They're both healthy and that's all I care about." That's the truth. She was taken aback by the scan today but the surprise had been all but forgotten. All she was concerned about was her babies' well-being. She just needed to know they were growing and healthy and it didn't matter that there were two of them. "Are you unhappy?" She tentatively asks.
"Not even a little bit." He takes a deep breath. "When I saw the scan and Sakura said there were two, I kept waiting to feel scared and overwhelmed, even shocked. When you told me you were pregnant," he whispered the last bit, in the event people were eavesdropping, "I was terrified. Our lives seemed so busy that another baby was frightening for me."
He licked his lips. "Seeing them though, seeing their heartbeats… all I felt in that moment was an incredible joy. I looked at you and I was grateful all over again, for everything you've given me."
She can feel her eyes start to water with emotion but she is unable to speak when a little boy, no older than 5 comes up to their table. His mother looks apologetic as she runs after him, "I'm so sorry Lord Seventh."
He shakes his head in an attempt to tell her that it is okay before leaning down a bit so he's closer to the young boy. The dark-haired child is bouncing on the balls of his feet and he speaks in a rush. "Hello, Mr. Hokage. Is it true that you can make over a hundred shadow clones? And that you used them all to win the Great Ninja War?" He exaggeratedly says 'a hundred' as if in his mind a hundred equates to a much larger number.
Hinata can't help but smile at his adorableness. She can see Naruto is just as enamoured. "Can you keep a secret?" Naruto whispers in a conspiring tone. The little boy nods so eagerly Hinata is worried he might get a headache. Naruto laughs before speaking low again, "I can make over a million shadow clones." Naruto can make a lot more than that, to be honest.
The boy's eyes bulge out and his mouth is agape. "No way! That's like…. A LOT."
Hinata and the boy's mother both giggle at his response. Naruto just nods his head, "but you can't tell anybody. It's a secret." The little boy nods in understanding.
"When I grow up I'm going to be the Hokage, just like you!" he declares, boosted by this encounter.
"That's a good goal to work towards. But you must know" Naruto says, though he is speaking in a normal tone now. "I didn't win the war on my own. The reason we won is because we were fighting together and we fought, not just for ourselves but for everyone. To be a good Hokage is to know that you can never achieve greatness entirely on your own. You remember that" he points a finger up before finishing, "then you'll never stray from your path." The boy nods his head sagely taking the words to heart. His face is a little puzzled at first but then it turns jovial again.
He then turns to her, "Mrs. Hokage. You're very pretty. When I grow up I'm going to marry you." Her eyes widen and she yelps in surprise. The confidence this boy has is on another level.
"Excuse you," Naruto interjects. "I contest that. She's my wife, so you have to find another girl. You are right about one thing though, she is very pretty."
Hinata blushes at the compliment and the attention. "You're very kind but I have a secret too," she whispers. "My secret is that I love Mr. Hokage very much and I wouldn't be able to leave him."
He pouts at her, "I understand," he says sullenly.
They spend a few more minutes talking and Naruto signs the boy's backpack before they are left alone again.
"Do you think we'll have another boy? Or two boys?" Naruto asks, their encounter making him think about their future.
"I don't know. They are adorable at that age, aren't they?" Hinata asks.
. "They definitely are," Naruto huffs out a laugh. "Bolt was just as happy and authoritative."
"He gets that from you; that's for sure," Hinata says in jest.
"Fine. Blame me. You didn't spoil him in the least," he says dryly to which Hinata gasps in mock outrage. "I spoiled him?" She asks sarcastically. They both know Naruto has a hard time saying no to the kids, even now.
They laugh as they look around the restaurant and Naruto pauses before he speaks, "a while back Bolt and I came here for dinner and I was telling him that we had our first date here."
She smiles at the memory as he speaks. "He laughed and said it was so lame that I brought you to have ramen and I told him you wanted to come here but now that I'm thinking about it, did I ever really ask you if you wanted to come here or did I just assume so?"
"I didn't mind. I honestly didn't care where we went. I was just happy to be with you." She kisses the knuckles of his fingers. "But Bolt was a little right. Ramen for a first date is lame," she teases him, not meaning it in the slightest.
She laughs at his reaction. Lame or not, it was the start for them, and over a decade later it got him a wife, two children with twins of the way. All in all, ramen can't have been that lame if it gave him all of that.
XOXO
So one of the reasons this chapter took me so long to write is because I was unsure if I wanted to go with the twins angle, since Hinata only saw one chakra signature. I agonised over the decision so much that I just never ended up writing anything. But then I thought, twins are amazing and this is fanfiction, I can give the Uzumaki's two bundles of joy instead of one. So that's what I did. What do you think about it? Hit or miss? Bolt and Hima will be finding out very soon. How do you think they will react?