Eight months later

Sasuke and Sora had already married, the wedding not being really a wedding. It was a short ceremony that rephrased what they already knew. Sasuke tried his best to make her feel comfortable in the state that she was in of her pregnancy.

She was reaching for a cup when she suddenly felt the worst pain imaginable to her abdomen. She panicked when her mind involuntarily thought of the day her mother died. Knowing that she was going to give birth, she called to Sasuke. He walked in, a little anxiety portrayed on his face. He told Karin something and she went out the door. He helped Sora go into a room they had already prepared for the birth. Since she was a medical-nin, she decided to do it herself. It proved far more complicated than she thought, though. She had to push and heal herself at the same time if she caught herself losing more blood than she wanted. She also had to ignore her phobia of blood.

Renn appeared through the door about three hours later with her medical kit and rapidly went to aid her. She pushed Sasuke aside and Sora could tell he seemed a little insulted. But he didn't do anything about it and Sora had more important matters to preoccupy herself with. Also, Renn knew more about medicine than Sasuke ever did even though she was just six years old. She had been training with Shizune, she told Sora.

She finally gave birth to a girl. Renn held her to Sora. She scrutinized her face, saw Sasuke's features in her, and gently pushed Renn's hands away. She felt disgusted. Renn cleaned the daughter and handed her to Sasuke. Sora glanced at him whose lips curved into a happy smile as he played with her tiny hand. She was bothered, but nonetheless too tired, and so she turned away from them.

"What's her name going to be?" Renn asked.

"Suzume," Sora softly spoke, shutting her eyes.

Later that day when she felt much better, Renn pulled her aside where no one was around. She gave her some advice, though in Sora's mind, she was angry towards her. What did she know about her relationship with Sasuke? She couldn't understand what she felt.

"I saw a look in your eyes that frankly scared me, Sora. Please don't abandon your child. You know what it feels like to lose a mother," she said.

"Suzume won't even know I ever existed," Sora replied.

"You're being selfish, Sora! What happened to 'don't hate the child'?"

Sora bit her lip and remained quiet. Yet again, she was proven by her little sister that she was more mature than Sora ever acted. She felt like she set a bad example.

"Anyway, I must go," Renn said. "Don't let your little sparrow escape. You're going to be a great mother. I give Sasuke that."

She left and Sora headed back to where Sasuke was. She stood at the doorway, admiring the way he was treating Suzume. He was kind with her and seemed extremely nervous. She decided to help him out. Sora sat next to him and fixed the arms he had under her. He gave her a timid smile and kissed her lips. She chewed the inside of her cheek and brushed Suzume's hair from her face.

"She looks like you," Sasuke spoke.

"No. She has more of your features," she quickly replied, wanting to deny the fact that she had any similarities with that child.

"She's a precious thing."

Sora twirled her dress between her fingers. Renn was wrong. She wasn't going to be a good mother. How could she be a good mother when she didn't even feel love towards the creature? Sure, she had grown fonder of Sasuke the months she was pregnant, but the mere fact that he forced her to be a mother boiled hatred within her. Why would he want to revive his clan on such a foundation of abhorrence?

Suzume began to cry, her wails piercingly loud. Sora bit the tip of her thumb and glanced at her over her shoulder. Sora knew she must have been hungry. She tried to ignore the sound but Sasuke made Sora hold her.

She handed Suzume back to him, stating, "I'll go make some."

She came back with the bottle, offering it for Sasuke to take it. He looked at her and then at the bottle.

"Taste it," he commanded.

"What? Are you fucking kidding me? It probably tastes like shit," Sora exclaimed.

"Do it," he said.

She gathered some courage. "No! You can taste it if you think I'd so much as poison an innocent creature. I'm not as cruel as you."

She threw the bottle to the ground and stormed out, punching the wall on her way out. She actually made a hole in it. She was surprised at her own strength. And Sasuke was too, which is why he didn't go after her.

She packed her belongings that night and quietly left; the moon was at its highest. She ran through trees and branches; jumped over logs and evaded vines. It felt so good to run and to feel the wind sweeping through her hair. She wanted to keep running to her sister's house but she stopped. And she began to cry. She knelt down. It was useless. No matter what she did, she would never be free. He would somehow find her.

She gathered chakra in her hands, feeling the power surge through her fingers. She had made up her mind. She wasn't going to be able to avenge Itachi. She wasn't going to be a good mother. She wasn't a good sister. And she certainly wasn't a good wife. She shut her eyes and moved her hands to her heart. She felt some hands grab her wrists.

He said, "Don't..."

As she was opening her eyes, he kissed her. Her heart was racing so fast. She released the chakra and moved her hands toward his face; she held him, his hands still clutching her wrists. When the passionate kiss was over, a tear slid down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. But please don't make me."

"No, I'm sorry."

He pulled her into him. He began to kiss her neck and she slightly moaned, closing her eyes. She couldn't hold back the emotions. To think she was going to kill herself. His shoulder was damp from the tears. He kissed her cheeks and then her lips; she tasted the salty essence. She looked at him, his eyes glistening. Did his eyes give away his feelings?

"Sasuke—"

"I know," he said.

Her hand brushed his wet cheek and wiped it all away. "Crying over me... How stupid can you be?" she laughed.

"Suzume wants her mother back."

"Let's go home, then," she said, getting up and making Sasuke wrap his arm around her shoulder.

As they walked, she looked at the dark sky, watching the bright stars. There was a pattern in the shape of a smiling face. One star twinkled above the rest as if giving her a wink. A bird chirped in the distance. That was it. That's what she had been missing. Her parents were finally proud...