They're not able to take the baby home for two weeks. She's little and underdeveloped- even with the natural healing abilities from the chakra Kurama lent her.
(that is a story in of itself, naruto tells it to sasuke later- explaining how when he went into labour tsunade went right to work- even sterilized her hands with the sake she was drinking earlier.)
By the time they're allowed to take her home she looks so much healthier. Sasuke marvels at how much she looks like Naruto. Her hair is soft and it might be dark like his own hair and Boruto's- but her eyes are brilliant blue. Her skin is tanned and her smile is wide and bright. She giggles everytime she sees Naruto.
She also doesn't have a name.
They weren't expecting her for two more months, after all and well- they were a little unprepared.
It's going on two months when Ino gets involved.
"Banka?!"
They meet her at the grocery store, the baby in Naruto's arms and Boruto on Sasuke's hip. They had been arguing over names for a while now- Sasuke refuses to let her be named after anyone. This, so far, is the only name they had sort of both liked.
"What's wrong with it?"
Ino looks at Naruto incredulously. Like he's stupid.
"You can't name your baby tomato, Naruto!"
"You named yours salad!"
"It's close to Sakura- it was on purpose!- Y'know what, no. I'm not getting into this. Just- name her something else. I'll tell Sakura to make sure Kakashi won't let you name this poor child 'tomato'."
They think it over after they leave. Two days later they're at Ino and Sakura's, (sasuke makes sure to avoid looking at the black eyed toddler who plays with boruto and her blond brother), asking for suggestions. Ino pulls out a book on flowers and smiles brightly.
"Pick a theme."
Hours later they settle on Himawari. Sunflowers. Radiance.
Sasuke takes one look at the little infant- bright and light and so much different than he is- and thinks it fits.
Boruto makes faces at the little girl when she's first brought home. He doesn't know what to think of her just yet. (this nameless, squishy baby that cries and cries at night and keeps him awake.) He mostly hovers around when his fathers hold her, standing on his tiptoes to peer up at the bright eyed baby.
"What do you think, Boruto?"
"She's a girl."
Naruto figures he'll need some time to adjust to her, after all, he really wanted a brother.
After she's named he seems more interested, pulling pillows and stools over to her bassinet to stare down at the dark haired babe.
"Himawawi," he'll repeat, watching her. "Himawawi, Himawawi."
When she's five months old they let him hold her. Naruto settles him on the couch and carefully places Himawari on Boruto's lap, telling the toddler how to correctly hold her head up. The infant blinks up at her brother, head tilted, and then bursts into a smile, giggling.
Boruto smiles back.
Sasuke watches from the corner of the room, heart clenching, as the toddler babbles down to his little sister. Naruto seems elated, ecstatic, beyond himself.
Himawari wails when they finally try to take her back, clutching fists at Boruto, and Sasuke has to walk outside, gasping.
(he thinks of forgotten photo albums, a five year old boy holding a dark haired baby. "you'd scream whenever anyone tried to take you away from itachi, sasuke. even me! can you imagine?" his mother's voice echoes in the back of his head and the former shinobi can only hold onto the wall to keep his knees from buckling.)
Times goes on. The children grow. Naruto returns to work- Kakashi's asked him to take on a genin team and the blond seems thrilled at the idea.
Himawari goes from crawling to walking within a matter of months. Before they know it she's talking, chasing after Naruto's genin team when they stop by and making friends just by smiling.
Boruto, ever vigilant, watches her like a hawk. He's with her every step of the way, going from a toddler who trips over his feet and words to a little boy who walks confidently and brags about his family to anyone who can hear.
He's reading books for children already in the academy by the time he's four and a half. Naruto beams with pride when he finds out, laughing about how Shikamaru said he caught Boruto and Shikadai reading an old history textbook of his from when he first joined the academy.
"He's so smart, Sasuke! He's like you!"
Sasuke thinks of himself back when he was four, still toddling after his older brother and begging him to take him everywhere.
He thinks of Itachi when he was four, just a year from becoming a genin, reading and throwing kunai with perfect precision.
"No, he's not like me."
He can't be like any Uchiha. Not here. Not in Konoha. He can't. He can't.
And the anxiety grows and grows.
He's been in Konoha for years now, and, even after everything, he still can't find himself comfortable in the village. He watches the villagers go by from his house, his fellow rookies for years ago settle down and have children, and Sasuke thinks. He thinks about how his family is dead and ash, scattered on the wind because of Konoha. He watches more elders be placed on the council and thinks of how this village won't change.
What world are they raising their children in? Which child would be martyred for Konoha again in the future?
The Uchiha watches his son and daughter play with Sakura's children, heart heavy, and the anxiety grows.
The fifth Kazekage visits Konoha on business. His brother comes with and Sasuke isn't oblivious enough to miss how the redhead, (sand that swallows everything, gold eyes and power he hasn't' seen before), greets Naruto like an old, old friend.
Gaara's visited before, he keeps in touch with Naruto via phone calls and messenger hawks- but never before has he actually stopped by their house to see the children.
"Let's have dinner!" Naruto says, stars in his eyes, as he shows the children off to the Kazekage. "All of us!"
And Sasuke- god he knows the look on Gaara's face as Naruto talks- he knows the redhead would do anything Naruto asked. sometimes Sasuke feels the same way.
(it's like looking at the sun when you've lived in the dark all of your life. you can't get enough. you never want to be without it's warmth ever again.)
All of us, as it turns out, means the entire Konoha twelve plus Sai and significant others. They all meet at a restaurant Gaara suggests, some odd teppanyaki place, and pile into a private room. The children are left at home, for once, babysitters found, and Sasuke sits squished between Naruto and Sakura. The conversation is loud and joyous, the group all reminiscing, and Sasuke feels like a fish out of water.
He wasn't there for that, or that- or anything they're remembering, honestly.
Drinks come at some point, sent over by one special jounin who's on a date with the daughter of the owner, (anko mitarashi- sasuke makes a point to not look at her. ends to a mean, best to try and not dwell on it now), and the group becomes louder and louder.
He adds little to the conversation, only occasionally adding something when Naruto or Sakura nudges him sharply with their elbows. Ino calls him into the conversation sometimes but, beyond that, no one else acknowledges him much.
Until Gaara makes a comment about how lovely Konoha is. How it feels like a home away from home, safe and inviting, (eyes on naruto), on how proud he is to have an alliance with such a place.
Sasuke can't help it. He's had a drink or two and he scoffs, eyes rolling as he downs another.
Kankuro, situated between Gaara and Temari, eyes Sasuke hard. "Got something to say, Uchiha?"
(he's thinking he has to defend his brother, something he'll do without second thought no matter how old he gets.)
Sasuke stiffens a moment. Sakura's murmuring something, looking at him, but he keeps his eye on his food.
"Well?"
"Kankuro-"
"Just doesn't seem much to be proud of."
It's out before he can stop himself. All around him he can feel the tension rising, shinobi who fought for this village, had family die for this village- they're angry or offended. Sasuke doesn't look up, not even as Naruto starts murmuring to him and Kiba throws his drink down.
"The hell is that suppose to mean?!"
"Kiba- please-" Hinata's grabbing his shoulder, eyes wide, and Naruto's looking at Sasuke, at a loss for words.
Sasuke grips his glass tightly, blood singing with sake, and breathes deep. "This entire place is built on lies and the blood of innocents, is all. And nothing's changed. Still forcing kids to- to learn to kill before they're grown and those elders that helped kill my entire family off are still living and my brother-" His one hand is close to shattering his glass, eyes swirling red before he realizes it.
"My brother-" He's choking on his own words, everyone around him has gone shock still, and his vision is spinning and god what is he doing Itachi loved Konoha and he was good and good but he can be wrong about some things- he can be wrong- there are people here worth it but not the village itself not the village-
"My-"
"Sasuke! come on, man, let's go, okay? Let's get some air."
Naruto's hand is on his elbow, pulling him up and out of the room before anyone can stop him.
They leave a quiet room behind them, everyone's eyes wide, conversation dead in the water.
Sasuke kicks trashcans over outside, Sharigan blazing for the world to see, eyes rimmed red and Naruto yells back when the raven haired Uchiha screams and screams.
("our friends, sasuke!" "your friends! your friends! no one cares about me except you, naruto! no one cares about what happened except- except you! no one-" "sasuke, please-")
(he wants to run away. he wants to- he doesn't know what he wants to do anymore. doesn't know what he needs to do. he lives with the burning, crushing feeling in his chest. swallows back his words. he lives. that's all he can do.)
The anxiety grows.