Thank you for the reviews Pixie07, MuffinMan9223, madeyemoody95, grandshadowseal, cheerry-blossoms, MrPsych77, Pumpkin Blasts,Carcrash87, JohnPeacekeeper, Chili26,ForeverSummerSnows.
Thank you to everyone who added Road to Parenthood as favorite story, story alert and added me under author alert, favorite author. Much appreciated!
Detailed A.N at the end. For now enjoy!
Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto.
Road to Parenthood : Team Babysitters!
"What is that?"
"Don't take it out! It's a nipple you idiot!"
"A what?!"
"Not literally you perv!"
"Guys you'll are being too loud. Don't wake her up."
"If your stupid birds stop chirping we wouldn't need to be so loud."
"He didn't mean that tweety."
"She looks so much like Sakura."
"Are you blind! She looks nothing like her! She looks like Sasuke and.."
"And?..and you?"
"I..I.. didn't mean it like that..I ..just..shut up..stupid birds!"
"What are you saying!"
"What is all the noise about?" Sasuke entered the nursery room and looked around at his former team mates. Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo turned their eyes away from the crib and noticed Sasuke carrying a tray with lemonade.
"Wow. The wife has brought about some etiquette in our otherwise antisocial Sasuke-kun." Suigetsu said and grabbed his glass. Karin and Jugo followed.
"Maybe it was the kid." Karin justified for Sasuke.
"Yeah a new born baby will teach her father social skills." Suigestsu taunted. "Even though I must agree she is comparatively more social than when I first met you Sasuke."
"Maybe it has something to do with not having to see you naked the first time she met you." Sasuke shot back and placed the tray along with the jug of extra lemonade on the side table.
"That could mentally scar anyone." Karin added with a smirk and adjusted her glasses in triumph.
"Talking about the first time we met Sasuke, hey Karin! Why don't you ask us to leave and lock yourself in the room with the kid and seduce her." Suigetsu said.
"You sick pervert!" Karin said and was about to pounce at Suigestsu but was rightfully blocked by Jugo.
"You'll need to be quite or you will wake the kid up. So shut up on your own before I make you'll." Jugo deadpanned. Everyone along with the birds sensed the anger and backed off. The birds flew out the window in horror. Jugo took a long sip of his lemonade and tried to calm down, the other two gulped down the lemonade and placed their glass on the tray in fright.
"The kid has a name." Sasuke said. He walked towards the crib and picked up the little Uchiha carefully with his hands and cupped her head under his palm on his shoulder. "Her name is Sarada." He completed.
The trio looked at each other and wondered whether Sasuke was trying to be funny. The all looked blank not being able to sense his tone, Suigetsu just look at him baffled. He finally broke the silence.
"Sarada? As in salad? As in a cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other ingredients that salad?" Suigetsu asked.
The others just looked at Suigetsu perplexed by his random rant.
"What? I know things!" Suigetsu said.
"Oh yes you know the ingredients of the most obvious dish. Bravo!" Karin said and clapped her hands slowly.
"Shuu..wait can you hear that?" Suigestsu said and placed his hand over his ear in a theatrical way to hear more clearly. "Oh do you hear the tick tock?" The others just looked at him confused as he inched closer to Karin and tried to place his ear closer. "Hear that Karin? That sounds like your biological clock ticking, better put a bun in that oven before it runs out of gas."
"That had no relevance to the topic whatsoever you bastard!" Karin screamed out and punched Suigetsu's face. As expected her hand passed through as he converted into water before her punch could land his face.
"HAHA everytime!" Suigetsu snickered.
"GOSH YOU CREEP!" Karin said agitated.
"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" Jugo roared.
Sasuke had a nerve bulging out of his forehead he tried to control his anger. Suddenly he felt Sarada move uncomfortably over his shoulder. He knew this sensation far too well, she was about to cry. He tried to be proactive and pacified her by patting her back gently, hushing soft soothing tunes in her ear. But in no vain Sarada went off like a ticking time bomb and before they knew it her screech pierced through their palm covered ears.
"OH GREAT! SEE WHAT YOU DID JUGO!" Suigetsu shouted in order for his voice to be heard over the loud cry.
"WHAT?" Jugo responded.
"HEY SUIGETSU! CAN YOU HEAR THAT? THAT IS THE MIND NUMBING CRY OF A CHILD WHO CAN'T STAND YOUR VOICE!" Karin said.
"HEY KARIN! FUCK OFF." Suigetsu said and showed his middle finger.
"BITE ME!" Karin fought back.
"I WOULD BUT I WONDER IF THERE IS ANY AREA LEFT UNMARKED." Suigetsu shot back.
"SUIGETSU!" Karin roared.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Sasuke deadpanned. "GET THE HELL OUT."
The other three froze and then dutifully agreed and walked out the room. They closed the door behind them still able to hear the cry.
"So that was fun aye?" Suigetsu asked.
Karin just gave an indifferent face and walked past him. Jugo followed.
"Hey the lemonade is still inside. I'll go get it." Suigetsu said and turned back to enter the room. Before he could turn the knob he was lifted midair and carried down the stairs by Jugo.
"You damn giant! PUT ME DOWN! I'M THRISTY!" Suigetsu said and shook his legs in exasperation. Since that didn't help Suigetsu turned his body into water and slithered down Jugo. He turned back to flesh and walked towards the kitchen, leaving a wet Jugo wiping off his soaked face.
"Calm down Jugo. Calm down." Jugo tried to pacify himself before he joined the other two in the kitchen.
Team Taka were in the kitchen chewing on some snacks which Suigetsu digged out from the cabinets.
"It's been half an hour, what is Sasuke doing in there?" Suigetsu asked nibbling on his cookie.
"Maybe one of us should go check on him." Jugo said.
"Okay I will go." Karin said and hopped off the table surface she was seated on and walked towards the stairs.
Suigetsu ran ahead of Karin a cookie half way in his mouth.
"Wai wai wait!" He said and stopped her midway. She stopped with a sudden jerk, "What the hell are you doing."
Suigetsu looked at her and narrowed his eyes. Karin just gave a disgusted face. He slowly took the cookie out of his clenched teeth with his hand in a dramatic fashion. He placed both his hands behind his back, cookie still held, and started walking in circles around Karin.
"What are you doing you jerk." Karin asked.
"So Ms. Uzumaki Karin why do you think you are the best candidate to go help Mr. Uchiha Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked in an interrogation manner.
"What?" Karin asked confused.
"I mean could go, so could I. Why do you think it should be.." He suddenly turned his head around to face her. "..you?" Suigetsu finished and looked right into her eyes.
Karin was left flabbergasted, Suigetsu was barely inches away from her face. He could probably hear her rapid breathing.
"Wha..wha..what are you..do..doing.." She said awkwardly.
Suigetsu slowly got his right hand ahead, inbetween the space between their faces, without losing eye contact. Her heart started beating even faster, her eyes glued to his as if she was being hypnotized. She could sense his hand slowing inching closer and closer to her face. Her hypnotic self was steady till Suigetsu got his cookie held hand in front of his mouth and took a bite. The crackle of the cookie snapped her out of her daze.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" She shouted back in hidden disappointment and tried to slap him but as predicted he liquidated himself.
"Damn my cookie!" Suigetsu complained regaining back to his flesh.
"You piece of .." Karin was cut off by the loud screech which was earlier muted behind the closed nursery door.
Sasuke came descending down the stairs with Sarada still crying in his arms.
"She is still crying?" Jugo asked in concern.
"Hn." Sasuke said.
"Gosh girls! Crying and whining starts right from birth and never ends." Suigetsu complained and grabbed another cookie out of the jar. Karin just made a face on the comment.
"Maybe she needs to be fed?" Jugo tried to help.
"She pushes off the bottle, it's not that." Sasuke said as he swung her back and forth in his arms.
"Maybe she wants to take a dump." Suigetsu suggested. "Hey Karin why don't you smell her ass and find out."
"I'll gladly do that if I get to slap the diaper on your face!" Karin said.
"It's not that either." Sasuke said ignoring their rant.
"Maybe she misses her mom. When is Sakura coming back?" Jugo asked.
"Later in the evening. She has a tight schedule at the hospital today." Sasuke said and patted Sarada on the back.
"Maybe she needs a lady like figure to make her feel at ease. Now who amongst us four is the most feminine?" Suigetsu said sarcastically and tapped his finger on his chin as if he were pondering over the question.
Karin's breathing was getting heavier as anger fueled inside her. Sasuke rolled his eyes at the drama and Jugo hoped they stopped with the childish games already. Suigetsu looked around once again and slowly directed his eyes at Karin.
"Karin…" Suigetsu began. Jugo gave out a sigh 'Atleast he isn't teasing her about it.'
"Yes Suigetsu?" Karin said sarcastically as she gritted her teeth.
"..can you be a doll and get the lemonade from upstairs." Suigetsu finished.
Before Karin could march over to Suigetsu and liquidate him again Sasuke spoke, "He might have a point. Karin can you try?"
Sasuke held out crying Sarada for Karin to hold. "What? Me?" Karin asked.
"Yeah Sasuke are you sure?" Suigetsu asked sarcastically.
"Would you like to try?" Sasuke asked and looked at Suigetsu. Suigetsu just looked away and took deep sips from the straw from the empty juice carton making a sucking sound.
Sasuke looked back at Karin and gestured her to take Sarada.
"Hmm I.." Karin hesitated.
"It is worth a try Karin." Jugo encouraged her.
"Hmm okay." Karin said and held her hands ahead to hold the baby. "How..how do I.." She said as she shifted awkwardly not knowing how one is to hold such a fragile being.
"Just like that." Sasuke said and placed Sarada slowly on Karin's arms. "Support her head."
"Okay." Karin did as she was told. Suigetsu put down the carton and observed Karin.
"What do I do now?" Karin said and looked at Sarada who was still crying her lungs out.
"Just cradle her sideways." Sasuke said.
"Like this?" Karin asked and slowly swayed her right to left.
Suigetsu looked at her with a raised eyebrow in surprise. Karin saw his reaction and felt self-conscious.
"I..I don't think it is working. She is still crying." Karin said and placed her arm ahead for Sasuke to take Sarada back.
"She isn't screaming anymore, I think it is working." Jugo noticed.
Karin looked at Jugo with a contemplating frown and drew her arms closer. She looked at Sasuke who nodded in agreement. She then looked at Suigetsu who folded his arms and snorted.
"DON'T.." Karin started to warn him but before she could complete, Suigetsu raised both his arms in defeat and actioned that he is zipping his mouth and threw away the hypothetical key.
"Just keep doing that." Jugo said.
Karin tried for a couple of minutes. Sarada had mellowed down a bit but was still crying.
"Maybe.." Karin spoke. The other three looked at her. She hesitatingly continued, "When I was little, my dad..he would hmm ..lift me up and down as though I was bouncing mid air. He would hmm say that would ,well that I would stop crying after that. Maybe..maybe that could work here?"
The three guys looked at each other in surprise.
"Sure try it out." Sasuke said.
"Okay." Karin said and carefully placed her hand under Sarada's arms and lifted her up and then slowly down in consistent motion.
Sarada continued to cry.
"Maybe not.." Jugo said.
"I should just call Saku.."
Before Sasuke could finish the sentence Sarada cry slowly went down. Karin's face lit up. She looked at the boys without halting the motion.
"Wow." Jugo said.
"I..did it. I DID IT!" Karin said.
Sasuke gave a smirk while Suigetsu looked on in shock. He was pleasantly surprised, not to mention impressed.
"Hah! Beat that loser!" Karin said and scoffed at Suigetsu. Karin continued to pacify Sarada.
Suigetsu would otherwise say some snarky remark back but he had to hand it to her this time.
"Okay okay I must say.." Suigetsu started.
"Why..why does she have that weird look on her face?" Karin cut off Suigetsu mid-way and tried to understand what Sarada's motionless face meant. Karin held Sarada high in the air and turned to make her face the others, "Is she turning pale?"
"What?" Sasuke asked and before he could reach Karin, weird liquid gushed out of Sarada's mouth straight at Karin's head.
"OH MY GOD!" Karin said in horror and slowly brought Sarada down from the height. She faced Sarada who gave a cute little burp and blinked at Karin innocently.
Suigetsu couldn't control his laughter literally rolling on the floor.
Sasuke quickly took Sarada out of Karin's grasp and placed her on the kitchen counter and wiped her mouth with a tissue. Karin just shook her hand in disgust and couldn't stand the stink . Jugo handed her tissues to wipe her face.
Suigetsu placed his hand on the kitchen counter and tried to stabilize himself and stand up straight. He continued laughing looked at Karin's state, Sarada looked over at Suigetsu and his jolly vibe made her laugh too.
Suigetsu looked at Sarada and gave a laugh, "Oh damn, kid you are a racket!" He gave her a fist bump to which Sarada just slapped her tiny palm.
"She must have been wanting to burp all this while, bouncing her must have made her nauseated which eventually led her to burp." Jugo concluded.
"You think!" Karin said as she wiped off chunks off her face with the tissue.
"How genius of you Karin. You solved the mystery of the crying baby." Suigetsu said and gave her slow claps of mocking appreciation.
Karin stopped wiping her face and gave an evil grin. "Hey Suigetsu why don't you come on here and give me a hug?"
"Wait..what?" Suigetsu asked confused.
"Oh come on, just one hug." Karin said and walked closer to him.
"Stay away from me you bitch." Suigetsu said and walked further away maintain a safe distance.
"Oh come on buddy. For old times' sake?" Karin said and started marching at him.
They continued the chasing while Jugo seated himself next to Sasuke and Sarada who was clapping at the other two's shenanigans.
"Why is he running about, he could just turn into water like he always does." Jugo said looking at the other two.
Sasuke snickered.
"What?" Jugo asked confused.
"If she gets close to him and he turns into water he will wash off the vomit too." Sasuke explained.
Jugo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Suigetsu was right. She is a genius."
Sarada gave a happy yelp in agreement, Sasuke and Jugo laughed in response and continued to watch the other two run around.
A.N : Hellooooo all you lovely people! I hope the little visit from Sasuke's former team members was a heartwarming delight. I used to love Suigetsu and Karin's constant nagging! But they could have had a moment there but Suigetsu is just so oblivious.
Next chapter most definitely will be the Uzumaki's back from the dead chapter. Dattebayo! :D
I have been meaning to put in the bonus chapter 'Letters to my Valentine' as well, should I put that next? Let me know!
I'm so glad you guys liked the last chapter I hope you guys like this too. As usual any reviews, recommendation, thoughts, critiques are most welcome and encouraged!
Hope to catch you'll here again next time!
Ja ne!