Title: stay here, with us.
Summary: With prolonged labor came many complications. This wasn't going to end well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Prompt: Sakura dies giving birth to Sarada
Rating: T
Warning(s): Character death.
A/N: This is honestly the hardest thing I've ever written, I hated myself for doing this to Sasuke. I might have cried. Like. 10 times. IM SO SORRY.

She was three weeks early.

She was three weeks early, and they were stuck in a house on a mountain hike ride, far away from home in the high end of the Land of Snow, nearly a week's worth of travel by foot for even the fastest ninja. Not even a miracle could get tsunade to get here on time—especially not in this weather. They were lucky enough to have found refuge in the lonely home of an experienced nurse, but that was as far as their good karma went.

He knew he shouldn't have let her leave. Something in the back of his mind knew how dangerously stressful it could be on her body—but Sakura had been so energetic, and the pregnancy had gone so well. She'd won him over in the end, after nearly an hour spent arguing over her health. Sakura had been confident that their baby would do well and stay duteously within her belly until their estimated due date neared.

("Sarada is a good baby," she reassured, rubbing the swell of her stomach with a loving smile. "And I can feel it… she's very comfortable in there! I wouldn't be surprised if she wouldn't want to come out and had to become a post-term baby!")

Yet for nine hours now, Sasuke had watched his wife writhe and struggle in the tiny house bed, panting and wheezing out pained, keening whines. He'd allowed her hand to squeeze his as hard as she dared, responding only with a supportive squeeze of his own, gritting his teeth in worry. This wasn't good.

The labor had been difficult on Sakura; stressing her body and mind to the point of exhaustion, causing her to lose consciousness sometimes when it became too much to handle. He had gently prodded her awake every time, brushing damp hair out of her feverish face, trying not to sound as distressed as he felt when he murmured tight, encouraging words to keep going.

"I'm right here," he said, voice thick. He lifted her hand to press his forehead against the back of it. "I'm right here, so hang in there, Sakura." His brows drew together, and he swallowed tightly, whispering, "Hang in there."

His gaze shifted to the nurse at the foot of the bed, noting the look of concentration and concern painted so clearly across her features. His hand tightened around his wife's, stress pooling in his belly with enough intensity to make him feel sick.

"Remember to breathe, Sakura," the nurse called. "Slow breaths. You're going to have to start pushing soon, and we can't do that with you feeling light-headed."

"It hurts," Sakura rasped, wrenching her head to the side and gritting her teeth. "I'm trying but it—oh god, it hurts."

Her nails dug in his skin, but he paid no mind to the pinching. He merely pressed his lips reassuringly to her clenching fingers, squeezing his eyes shut. His wife was a strong woman, the strongest he knew, with years of relentless, brutal training under her skin. She did not easily yield to pain.

Which is why he was so shaken, seeing her like this. Childbirth wasn't supposed to be this painful. Something… something was wrong.

"I know," the older woman said, full of empathy and support. "I know it hurts, sweetie, but you need to keep breathing through the pain, or your baby won't have enough oxygen."

At Sakura's worried, choked out sob, Sasuke stroked his hand comfortingly down the length of her arm, his anxious eyes finding her own. A few tears slipped when he nodded at her, confident of her strength, and his heart swelled with pride when she leaned her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes, making efforts to steady her frantic gasps.

"That's it, Sakura. Slow breaths," the nurse encouraged. "You're going to have to start pushing soon, okay?"

When Sakura nodded, the woman gestured to him to get his attention. When she did, she requested solemnly, "Sasuke-san, I'm going to need you to get me some more hot water, if you please." At his look of protest, she pressed, "Your wife is about to start pushing out your child, and I need hot water to help make sure the procedure goes as smoothly as can be. If you value their health, you can absent yourself for a few minutes and help me make sure that everything goes without further complications."

His mind stayed frozen on the last words, breath hitching a little. He had been right in his assumption that something had been wrong.

But with a reluctant nod, he gave one last kiss to his wife's hand and whispered a promise to return, before disappearing in the kitchen of the small house, tenser than he'd ever been in his life.

Swallowing hard, Sasuke tried not to pay mind to the bad feeling swirling in the pit of his stomach.

When he stepped back into the room a while later, Sasuke nearly dropped the bowl at the sight of the blood covering the bed sheets, feeling himself growing faint.

His fear was quickly appeased as the nurse noticed him by the door and smiled, wiping the sweat at her brow with her forearm.

"It's alright," she reassured, gesturing him over. "Some blood is normal in childbirth. Can you come set the bowl on that stool there? I'll be in need of it soon—your wife is about to start pushing.

Sasuke hesitated, then nodded. He strode over to abide to her request. When he'd set down the bowl, he hurriedly padded over to Sakura's side. His lips mulled together worriedly at her form panting harshly, body overcome with tremors. She gave him a pained smile, her hand searching for his. He slipped his fingers between hers without a moment's breath, letting her cling to him.

"Sasuke-kun," she uttered, bleary-eyed. Her hand clenched his tighter.

"I'm here," he whispered, brushing sweaty locks from her hair. His thumb brushed her cheek, his eyes warm and resilient. "I'm right here."

"Are you ready, Sakura?"

She broke their gaze and tipped her head back, squeezing his hand and taking in shallow breaths. She nodded.

"Push!"

Her grip tightened around him, nearly cracking his bones, but Sasuke held onto her, steadfast, teeth gritting together as she choked back a cry and quivered, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Push!"

Another wrenched out cry, another squeeze, and Sasuke's stomach churned, lips brushing in encouragement on his wife's hand.

"Push!"

Her body jolted backwards, head knocking against the wall, and he stiffened, mind fogging at her deafeningly sharp, crippling scream. He'd heard screams like that before, far, far away in his past.

"Push!"

Her face twisted in agony, body shaking against the intolerable pain, and he couldn't help but to look away, unable to bear looking at her like this. He could never stand seeing her hurt.

His hands squeezed hers harder, and he hoped it was enough.

"Push!"

Another cry tore out of her mouth, and he felt his stomach turn again, eyes slipping shut angrily. He felt so helpless. Should he have taken those medical ninjutsu lessons she'd offered to give him, all those months ago?

He wished he would have.

"Come on, Sakura, don't let up! Just a little more! You're almost there!"

"C'mon," he muttered, more to himself than to her. He pressed a trembling kiss to her hand. "C'mon,Sakura. Hold on. Don't give up."

"Push!"

He heard his wife shout once more; heard the exhaustion and strenuous effort, heard her sobs of torturous suffering. Heard her straining to endure, to do her best to put their child safely to this world.

And her agony was so acute that Sasuke found he wanted nothing more than to vomit, unable to endure seeing her like this anymore. It was simply cruel.Vicious.

Sakura didn't deserve this.

But then a cry ripped into the room, one new and young and so very, very fragile, and Sasuke's heart stopped in his chest, disbelief washing over his face. He felt his mind spinning with startling clarity, head lifting to peer over their clasped hands.

When his wide eyes settled over a very red-purple, wailing mess, covered in blood and fluids that the nurse was already cleaning off, he lost his breath, and felt his heart swell with relief.

His daughter was born.

He couldn't take his eyes off her, as the older woman checked her over and washed off the grime from her purplish-red skin, before closely wrapping their newborn in a warm, fluffy towel. Feeling a wave of intense, intense love and pride wash over him, he leaned his forehead on their still joined hands and pressed a few quick, warm kisses there, something like a breathless laugh leaving him. She was so—

"Beautiful," the nurse said, as if reading his thoughts. Or maybe she could see it on his face. Standing from her seat, she took a few steps and carefully offered him his tiny daughter, smiling. "That is one healthy baby girl."

Shaking, Sasuke slipped his hand from his wife's and reached out to accept the bundle, cradling her so carefully against his chest, lips dipping down so he could kiss her small head. He shifted his hold until he was confident she was safely tucked in one arm, fingers of his free hand brushing her pudgy little cheek as he looked down at her with the tiniest smile.

He turned to his wife, unperturbed to the feeling of proud tears welling at the corners. He didn't care if the older woman babbled about the all-too-famously-callous Uchiha cried at the birth of his daughter—he was happy.

But that happiness dropped short in his stomach as his eyes landed on Sakura's pale, still face.

"…Sakura?" he murmured, reaching to touch her hand.

It was cold.

He recoiled with maddening shock, grasping her hand tighter. "Sakura..!"

She stirred a bit, but so weakly he felt dread creep into his bloodstream. She wasn't doing well, and if they didn't get help soon—

He heard a sound like a gasp somewhere behind him, but his mind seemed to pay no mind, seize by the terrorizing fear towards his wife's condition. Blood pounded in his ears, so much their surroundings faded around him, and the fumbling of the stressed nurse became nothing but buzzing noise.

"…Sasuke… kun…" she murmured, her voice thick with fatigue, her breaths unstable and too soft. She blinked slowly, so slowly, half shuttered green eyes hazy and unfocused. "…How is she…? How… how's my baby girl…?"

His throat grew tight, and grief struck over him, different tears clouding his vision. Squeezing her hand, he replied hoarsely, "Perfect. She's perfect."

A relieved smile spreads across her lips, one so frail and fragile it had him getting choked up, because god, he knew where this was heading, he knew what that meant—knew that if Sakura slipped out of consciousness right now, she wouldn't ever wake up.

"Good…" she whispered, head lulling to the side. He stiffened and reached out to cup her sweaty face, feeling his legs shake. "I'm so glad…" She leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering shut. "But… I'm so tired… So I think I'll rest… at least for a little while… you can take care of her, right… Sasuke-kun…?"

The tears threatened to spill, and he rasped out her name, bowing his body into hers. He pressed their child between them, wrapping her arms carefully around their baby.

"In a bit," he said, his smile tight and quivering as he brushed his lips to her feverish forehead. "Let's talk a little more," he went on, cupping her face. "Or I can talk, and you can just listen, right?"

"S'kay…" she murmured to him. "It's gon'be 'kay…"

Her fingers twitched, like she was trying to move it, to touch him, and he clenched his teeth to drown the imperceptible noise of anguish in his throat. His hands found hers in a tight grip, and this time, it was him who clung to her.

"Stay with me," he begged. His head dropped to her chest, heart tightening so painfully in his chest at her sickeningly slow heartbeat. "Stay with us." He touched their beautiful baby girl's head with such desperation admits his gentleness. He looked up at her, but her eyes were closed. The tears sting harder. "Sarada needs you."

Sakura took one breath, and then another, and then another. His heart was thunderous in his ears as he felt the constant rise and drop of her stomach—the proof that she was still alive.

And then one long, deafeningly silent moment later, she exhaled… and didn't take another breath.

"I'm so sorry," the nurse whispered, weeping quietly as she stared at her blood-soaked hands. "I'm so, so sorry. I did… I did everything I…" Her shoulders shook harder, and she bowed a little into herself, ashamed. "There was nothing I could do."

With tired, misty eyes and a numbed out heart, Sasuke kept his gaze on his sleeping baby girl and continued to rock her gently, fingers tracing her tuff of black hair and poking her soft cheeks. He could only hope she would grow to look more like Sakura, in looks and soul.

Because maybe then Sarada wouldn't be so sad about never meeting her mother. Maybe looking at herself in the mirror, and seeing her staring right back—maybe that would be enough.

"Papa's here," he murmured to his daughter, the warm tears finally slipping over his cheeks. "Papa's here, and he's gonna take care of you, Sarada. We're gonna be alright."

It had to be enough.

A/N: I know I'm the devil incarnate please don't kill me dsalhlkhdslkhgslka

YOU CAN YELL AT ME ALL YOU WANT THO I DESERVE THAT

I AM SATAN

DeepPoeticGirl