One day Hinata was giving birth to Boruto, and then the next day, in the blink of an eye, she was back in Konoha in her and Naruto's apartment. Drowning.
A hero's welcome awaited Naruto and the Konoha shinobi when they returned home from the war, and in the silent of the night, Hinata and her team of guards slipped into the village, this time with an extra little bundle.
She hadn't been outside in weeks. How could she? They had to rush to finish the baby's nursery setup and Naruto was working extra missions to make ends meet, technically nobody knew what happened to her during the war (she's still considered "missing") and three, little Boruto was a FULL TIME job.
This little newborn, this little tiny human depended upon her for everything, every two hours. Feeding, pooping, snuggles, sleeping, all of it. Naruto helped when he could when he wasn't away on missions, and she was grateful, but the longer Hinata stayed cooped up inside with a baby, the more bitter she became. Every time she caught a glimpse of her post partum body in the mirror, she sighed in sadness. Her body had been forever changed, and no matter how fit a shinobi was, there was nothing her body could do to prepare for the morphing that had occurred. Wider hips, a wider ribcage, a bigger chest, and slightly protruding belly that was once flat, permanent evidence that a baby once developed there.
While all of Hinata's friends were receiving praise, accolades, and continued training to advance their ninja careers and potentials, Hinata had secretly retired, forever a Chuunin, and certainly no war hero. It was a catch 22 really. Hinata had loved Naruto practically her entire life, and she knew she always wanted to marry him and have his children, and while she only accomplished the latter part of the two, she was still bitter. Naruto's life largely remained the same. Why did hers have to change so much?
It wasn't fair. And every time Hinata could feel that resentment surface, she would quickly squash it down. She had Boruto, a dream she had always wanted, someday, and she should be happy right? So then why was she so miserable?
Tsunade had mandated Hinata receive counseling privately, in-home, to help treat her PPD. Post Partum Depression Tsunade called it. She said that it was common and supposedly temporary. Tsunade called Hinata's case particularly severe due to the war and all the trauma she went through alone. Hinata hated these sessions. She loved Shizune, Tsunade's right hand, but she definitely didn't want to divulger her innermost feelings to her.
And Boruto, oh sweet Boruto. He was an angel baby, everything you could ask for. He slept well, ate well, and stuck to his schedule. Sure, he has his fussy moments, but for the most part he is the sweetest boy. How could she be mad when he would coo at her? She was amazed every time she glanced at him, awed at the power of genetics. He WAS Naruto's kid, absolutely that was a fact, but his face...oh his face was so reminiscent of her own, that it was not difficult to tell who his mother was at all.
She constantly battled with herself. With her situation. With her life. It was like even though she had attained the one thing she had always wanted, Naruto's love, that it wasn't perfect like she thought it would be. It was not idealistic. She never expected to have these hardships together with Naruto. It was a complete heart, but dented and scratched in some places. Working, but not without it's imperfections.
Hinata thought of her current predicament. Bittersweet was certainly the only word she could call to mind.