Chapter 14
Sakura’s birthday was spent in the hideout. There wasn’t much to do in the hideout in the first place unless you knew how to help Karin, which Sakura did although Karin continued to scold her about doing anything too drastic. Sasuke had spent most of his time while being here either with Sakura or roaming the halls of the hideout to make sure everything was secure and safe. Even with Karin’s promise he still was worrying. They did run into trouble a few times during Sakura’s pregnancy, but it was never that drastic and they never knew she was pregnant. He was happy that Sakura was here in her state rather than outside in the woods. They would have never made it back in time to the leaf village for the birth of Sarada.
Currently he was returning back to the room they were staying at to bring Sakura a gift. He couldn’t do much with what he had around him so he improvised. The option of leaving to get her a gift was on the table, but he decided against it quickly. If something were to happen he would never be able to forgive himself. He also didn’t want to leave Sakura again. He made that mistake in the past and he didn’t want to do it again.
He stopped in front of the door to their room. He was about to open the door, but he heard Sakura talking to someone. He took the moment to listen in on it.
“You’re so lucky, Sarada. Your papa can’t wait to see you. Mama wants to see you too, honey. I want to hug you, take care of you, and hold you. Mama is also very nervous because this is my first time being a mother. I hope I’m the best mother for you, sweetheart. Papa will be back soon. He said he was getting something.”
Sasuke smiled while listening to the conversation. He lightly knocked on the door before walking in. Sakura had her hand on her stomach, a light blush appearing on her face when she saw it was Sasuke. Her lips formed into a smile. He closed the door behind him with his feet.
“I’m back. Sorry for how long it took, but I have a gift for you. It’s not much.”
“Oh! It’s okay! Anything from Sasuke-kun is enough. Sarada agrees.”
She moved her hand to where Sarada had just kicked her. Sasuke approached the bed she was sitting on, taking a seat next to her.
“Happy birthday. I know you haven’t heard from your friends and people you consider family so I tried my best to make you happy.”
He pulled out a pile of letters from his cloak and handed it to Sakura. She took the first letter on top, which had her name on it. She looked at Sasuke, giving him a nod as a thank you before opening the letter,
Dear Sakura,
I’m happy that you’re doing alright and I’m also glad Sasuke decided to reach out for your birthday. Also, happy birthday! We can celebrate once you get back, which is soon from what Sasuke told me when he reached out for the letters from us. I’m assuming that it happened already so congratulations! When Sasuke asked me if he could propose to you I was so happy for you. You deserve the happiness you’ve been waiting for and now there’s no need for you to suffer from loving him. I’ve been rooting for you guys since day 1! I’m also happy Sasuke is in a better place now and can officially be in a relationship with you. I never was able to tell you this when you were here. As Hokage I’ll help you with your wedding ceremony once you guys want to get married! I miss you and I love you, Sakura. You can come to me if you need anything. I wasn’t the best for you when you were younger, but I won’t stop protecting you. You’re like my daughter to me and you remind me a lot of a certain someone of my past I loved dearly too. Once again, I can’t wait to see you. Happy birthday!
With care and love,
Kakashi.
Sakura wiped her tears away as she read the letter from Kakashi. She only knew it was going to get worse and her hormones weren’t going to take it. Sasuke held her hand, squeezing it to show her that she had comfort.
“If the letters keep getting even more sentimental I’m going to cry even more. My hormones can’t handle this.”
“Don’t worry I’ll be here to comfort you.”
“Okay.”
Sakura put the letter from Kakashi down in front of her and grabbed the one that was on the top of the pile next.
Sakura,
Hey, kid, how are you doing? Sucks not hearing from you, but I don’t doubt that you’re doing okay. Uchiha told me you’re coming back soon. It’s not the same with you not here. Shizune and I miss you a lot. We also wish you a happy birthday and congratulations on getting engaged. No one else knows yet so no need to worry. We can look for a dress for you when you get back and have a party for you. I never had a child of my own with the person I loved and I want to do that for you since you mean the world to me. Once you get back we can go out for a drink, the three of us. Unless you’re pregnant or something. The hospital is doing good, but it’s different without your warmth. Your orphanages and mental clinics are doing good too. Ino is making sure that they run smoothly with the help of myself. I can’t let your dream and passion crumble when you’re away. You’ve done some great work and I’m incredibly proud of you. I don’t say it a lot, but I do love you. I have a weird way of showing it, but I do. Come home safely. Happy birthday.
Tsunade
Sakura set down the letter once she finished it. A few tears did roll down her face, but they were wiped away by Sasuke. Tsunade was never like this and it made her very happy that she was able to be that person for her. She reached for the next letter that was next to her and opened it
Forehead,
We have so much to catch up with. Well Sai and I got married and you missed the wedding! I can’t believe you, but I’ll forgive you since you’ve been waiting for this moment. I’m also pregnant! I can’t wait for you to come home so I can see you again. How the hell do you handle all this work in the hospital? It's so stressful. Oh yeah Daku is doing great by the way! He officially loves me and he misses you guys. You’ve been gone for too long, like almost a year. What are you guys doing? You better be getting some. Ha! I can’t believe I got married before you and had a kid before you. Oh yeah, you’ll probably hear about this from Naruto, but Hinata gave birth yesterday. They wanted you to help with the delivery, but it didn’t happen. Oh well. Shizune did it at least. He’s really cute. We found out we’re having a boy and I’m so excited to be a mom. You’re going to be an amazing aunt. When you eventually have a kid they’re going to be playmates and best friends just like their moms. Oh yeah forget to say this earlier, but happy birthday! We’re partying when you get back. Also I need details when you get back. This trip must have been good.
See ya soon
Ino
Sakura laughed at Ino’s message. She was happy for her best friend. She was able to be happy and start a family. She can’t wait for the look on her face when she tells her that she’s already married and shows her Sarada. Ino will absolutely love Sarada.
“So apparently Ino and Sai are expecting and Naruto and Hinata just had their son yesterday. Everyone is so close in age for their babies that it’s going to be so cool. We’re going to have so many play dates with Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Sai. I can’t wait!”
“Heh, me either.”
Sasuke wasn’t sure how he was going to deal with that, but he will be happy if Sakura is happy. The last letter that Sakura picked up must have been from Naruto.
Sakura-chan,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You’re coming home soon. I can't wait and teme will be there too! Guess what! I have a son now and his name is Boruto. I’m so happy that I have a family now that just isn’t my team. He looks so much like me. You’ll get to meet him soon! I was hoping that you would be his godmother and Sasuke would be his godfather! I trust you guys so much and I trust my son's life in your hands. Hinata agreed with this decision so don’t get on me about not asking her because I made sure to ask. I hope the adventure Sasuke brought you on was amazing and I hope he’s treating you like a queen. You deserve so much happiness. If he isn’t treating you well I will beat his ass up! Oh yeah! Shikamaru and Temari are expecting and if you don’t know yet so are Sai and Ino! All of us are going to have kids so close to each other it’s so cool! Kakashi-sensei says I can finally become Hokage in the next few years. That’s so amazing, right? My dream is coming true and I know you’re so proud of me. You’ve been one of my biggest supporters for a long time. We can talk more when you get back! I’ll see you soon!
Naruto
“Naruto is so happy about his son. Wanna know something funny? All of us are all pregnant at the same time. Once they hit the academy, if they want to, it'll be an interesting class. Also Naruto wants us to be Boruto’s godparents. It makes me want to cry even more that he trusts us so much and Hinata too.”
“That’s Naruto for you.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Anata.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to ask, but can you massage my back? It hurts so much right now.”
“Yeah, I can.”
“Can we also try that thing we did that we did that Karin suggested? When you lifted my baby bump it helped so much with the pain. Sorry if I’m asking for too much.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Sasuke began to do what Sakura had asked shortly after. Her birthday was spent being pampered by Sasuke along with Karin. Her due date was coming soon and she looked like she could pop any minute. Wouldn’t it be cool to have your baby be born on your birthday? Unfortunately that did not happen.
Early in the morning of March 31st Sakura Uchiha woke up with great pain and the bed was wet where she was sleeping. Groaning, she shook Sasuke awake. His eyes fluttered open to look at his wife. She didn’t have to say anything, it was written all over her face. He knew the baby was coming. He nodded, creating an arm with his susanoo he picked Sakura up bridal style and made his way to where the operation was planned to take place. Shouting for Karin, Sasuke quickly and carefully places her down on the table. Karin rushed into the room after hearing Sasuke’s shouting shortly after. She asked Sasuke to help Sakura into the hospital gown. Karin gave them privacy by turning away and preparing everything that was needed for the birth. It’ll most likely be a while before she physically gives birth, but she always preferred to get everything ready beforehand.
When Karin announced to them that she was barely dilated and it would be quite a bit of time before she could officially give birth Sakura wasn’t surprised due to her experience while Sasuke had a mix of worry and shock on his face. Karin left the room to give the couple space. She planned on checking in every hour.
Sakura knew pain very well and everything about birth, but none of that was going to help her now. All her knowledge was thrown out the window due to the extreme pain. It was only going to get worse when she was officially able to give birth. How will she be able to do this? That made her question how Hinata’s birth went. She knew if Hinata could do this she could. They were both strong women in their own way and had many titles to go along with it. Naruto must have been a mess. Sasuke was also being a mess right now. “Just so you know it’s only going to get worse. My contractions are far apart right now, but they’ll eventually not be so I’ll be in a lot of pain. I’ll be in even more pain once I’m actually giving birth. I’m sorry if I end up crushing your hand. I’ll try my best.”
“It’s just a hand. You or Karin can heal it. What matters more is if you squeezing my hand as much as you can will help bring comfort then do it.”
“Okay… I’ll still feel bad.”
“Don’t.”
As Karin promised, she checked in every hour and reported back to Sakura how dilated she was. The cervix must be 100% effaced and 10 cm dilated before a natural delivery. The first stage of labor and birth occurs when you begin to feel persistent contractions. These contractions become stronger, more regular and more frequent over time. It took only about 6 more hours until she was ready to give birth. Every woman's labor progresses differently, however most women go into labor on their own after their waters break. Around 7 in every 10 women give birth within 24 hours of their waters breaking and almost all women (9 in every 10) give birth within 48 hours of their waters breaking. It was a painful delivery. She was sweating like crazy while holding her screams in each time she had to push. Sasuke’s hand was officially crushed. He kept his own pain to himself and he focused on Sakura. He felt terrible. He never knew it would be this bad.
Sarada Uchiha was officially born at 1:58 pm on March 31st. Sasuke cut the umbilical cord once his hand was healed. Sakura looked like a mess and it was understandable. Her hair was sticking to her face from the sweat. The pain in her face was not as bad as before. She was also very tired. Karin took Sarada and cleaned her up then wrapped her up before giving her to Sakura. Sarada came into her arms already asleep. It made her giggle. Her smile was as wide as it could be.
“With her black hair and eyes she really looks like you, Sasuke-kun.”
“She is very quiet.”
“I wonder where she gets that from. Is your personality going to be just like papa’s?”
Karin leaned against the wall, watching the couple with their newborn. She was deep in her thoughts.
‘It does surprise me that she would give birth in this hideout. Thankfully she delivered the baby here safely, and with no complications during the birth.’
Sasuke was given Sarada by Sakura shortly after their conversation. She told him how to properly hold her with his one arm. By the time Sasuke gave her back to Sakura she asked,
“Karin, do you want to hold her?”
This caught Karin off guard, but she did it anyway. She had an embarrassed look on her face as she did so. Sasuke kept staring her down for some reason and that was also embarrassing. He was already a protective father. Sakura kissed Sarada on her forehead before placing her down in the makeshift crib next to her. She needed to rest for right now. She was so incredibly tired. She already told them if Sarada wakes up crying to wake her up.
She was able to sleep for a few hours until she was woken up to feed Sarada. Breastfeeding was the only option as of right now and that’s what Sakura planned for their child to be fed in the first place. Breastfeeding is the healthiest option for both mom and baby.Compared with formula, the nutrients in breastmilk are better absorbed and used by your baby. These include sugar and protein. Breastmilk has the nutrients that are best for your baby's brain growth and nervous system development. It can help protect babies against some short- and long-term illnesses and diseases.
“I can't wait for everyone to meet our little girl.”
“Yeah.”
“To be honest, we’re probably going to be questioned so much. Most of my letters are about helping me get ready for our wedding and about how we’re late to the pregnancy show. It’s really funny.”
“I bet it is.”
“I’m just saying it’s going to take me a little bit to recover and either way when we return to the hidden leaf I can’t go back to work. I would rather do it the natural way. That’s what my master always recommended.”
“I understand, tell me more.”
“No matter how you delivered your baby, the postpartum recovery period is generally considered to be the first six weeks after childbirth. Fully recovering from pregnancy and childbirth can take months. While many women feel mostly recovered by 6-8 weeks, it may take longer than this to feel like yourself again. During this time, you may feel as though your body has turned against you.”
“Hn.”
“Do I look bad?”
“You look like you gave birth to our baby girl.”
“Yeah, I did that.”
“You did.”
“I’m still really sleepy. We also shouldn’t leave for at least a week or so. I want to make sure Sarada is okay for travel and that I’m more comfortable to travel. I can’t push myself too much and the same goes for Sarada. She can’t fight any viruses yet due to her immune system not being that strong. However, they are better at fighting off new pathogens. Which I find really interesting. I’ll do more research on it when we get back.”
“You’ll not be working when you get back.”
“But it’s for our baby and it’s just reading.”
“Fine, but you will not be overworking yourself.”
“Deal.”
“Sarada is asleep.”
“Yes, she is. I wanna sleep with you now. I’m very tired and this mama wants her papa to rest with her.”
“That sounds so weird.”
“I was trying to be cute. Shannaro….”
“I’m coming. Make room without hurting yourself, please.”
“Okay!”
Sakura easily fell asleep on Sasuke’s chest. However, Sasuke was still awake. He wasn’t tired and he served this time to watch over the two most important people in his life right now. He was officially a father. It felt so weird to him at first when he realized it. He chose to be a better person for himself when he left for redemption and now he was. He’ll still believe he is a terrible person, but the two lights in his life in this room right now gave him hope. He can finally be proud of himself.
The next week was spent with Sakura recovering and taking care of Sarada before their departure. She was still getting used to being a mother and she knew it would only get harder when Sarada gets older. Her doubts of being a terrible mother have passed, but those thoughts still lurk in the shadows of her mind. The same went for Sasuke. After packing everything they had with them and preparing Sarada they departed the hideout.
“Thank you for all you’ve done.”
“Yes, thank you for your care.”
“Meh, I'm just glad that I can help. What’s next for you guys?”
“We’re going to return to the village and raise her.”
“Do what you gotta do if you need any help you can come to me.”
“Thank you, Karin. See you later.”
“Bye for now, Sakura. Well, Sasuke see you later.”
“Ah, see you later.”
Karin wasn’t expecting a response from Sasuke at all. She could tell he generally meant it. Forming a smile, Karin yelled as they walked off.
“Hey! Sasuke! Even as if it’s you. I won’t forgive you if you hurt either Sakura and/or Sarada.”
Sasuke turned his head to the noise,
“What’s this all of the sudden?”
Karin wasn’t very happy to see him before, and now she was happy to see him? Did Sakura do something?
“Us three haved formed some sort of connection. It’s unique and irreplaceable.”
“Yeah, a special connection.”
Sakura replied back.