Yep. That is a baby, Shikako thought, horrified. She knew it was a baby. Beet red, wrinkly, a little deformed, with ten tiny fingers and even tinier toes. It - he - was a tiny thing. When she's told it's healthy, she believed them, but she still handed it off as soon as she could.
It has no chakra. Or rather, it has no chakra of its own.
Shikako remembers a life from before - a life without chakra - but she has always felt it in this one. She has had this sense for so long that it's now a part of her. And it's telling her that this thing is an abomination. (She knows better.) That it is a piece of flesh removed from her mother, leaving a gaping, bleeding wound behind. Her mom feels exhausted and hollowed out. At first, her chakra seemed like it was hemorrhaging, but Shikako could see it reaching out for the thing in Shikamaru's arms.
Ew, she suppressed a shudder, making sure to show nothing but happiness. Everyone was so distracted that she thought she got away with it. She can't wait until it gets its own chakra. He. Her brother. Her baby brother. Kinokawa. Yeah.
It lets out a piercing wail and is quickly reunited with her mom. Their mom.
Shikako remembers a life where this would be a beautiful moment, but she can only watch with barely suppressed horror as her mom's chakra fused back together. It's an imperfect mesh, but at least she looks whole with the parasite attached. It feeds on her body, its tiny star siphoning off her chakra before bleeding into the world.
Yeah, Shikako's never having kids.
] [
Sasuke takes in the scene, flashing his sharingan so he will never forget this moment. Yoshino is practically glowing with a soft happiness as she breastfed the new baby Nara. Shikaku is on the bed, an arm around his wife and his free hand gently tracing his new son's head. Shikamaru is sitting on the foot of the bed, watching with gentle awe. But Shikako... Shikako is standing with controlled ease, her face pleasant, body relaxed, but leaning back just the slightest bit. He looked again but saw nothing that should alarm his teammate.
Shikako was good with kids. Sasuke knew Shikako was good with kids. So why did she have such a hard time with her baby brother? If he asked, she would tell him, but did he really want to know?
Kinokawa finished eating and in quick, practiced movements, Shikaku placed a towel over his shoulder and cradled Kinokawa against his chest - Shikako startled slightly, leaning forward then cringing back, her expression glassy - and Shikaku started patting the baby's back.
Did he want to know?
No.
Should he?
] [
Excerpt from Dreaming of Sunshine Chapter 147(8)
"Do you know," [Kurenai] said. "[Yuuhi Shinku] once told me I couldn't go and fight in a battle because I owed him grandchildren."
"Wow." ... [Shikako]... "I think if someone said that to me, I'd rip my uterus out with my bare hands and throw it in their face."