Treasured
Sakura frowned at the small bundle sitting on the doorstep, huddled against the frame. It shivered and shuddered and she glanced at it, eyes narrowed. She returned her glance to the patrons sitting near her in the teahouse but none cared for anything outside of the warm lit building. The rain was nearly a sheet outside but Sakura’s eyes were sharp.
Sakura raised her hand and flagged the waitress who scurried over with her bill. Sakura made sure to tip her well and the bubbly girl bowed deeply, smiling at Sakura as she insisted on giving Sakura her receipt. Sakura watched her scurry away and looked down at the bill with a number scribbled on the corner and a set of lip prints. She grinned and tucked it in her shirt before she reached for her umbrella.
She headed for the entrance and ducked under it, snapping open her umbrella as she stepped into the muddy street. She crossed the street, weaving between the carts and the people dashing out of the rain and headed for the stoop. If there was an abandoned puppy Kakashi would never forgive her if she left it.
When she reached the stoop she crouched down, umbrella resting on her shoulder. She reached out and nudged the cloth out of the way only to rear back in surprise.
“Well," she spoke aloud, “Definitely not a puppy.”
The small child mewled softly at the loss of warmth, face scrunching up as it cracked its rummy eyes open. It started to cry, soft muffled sniffling’s of a babe and Sakura quickly scooped it up, filthy blanket and all. It quieted in her hold as if surprised and she slid her arm out of her haori so she could pull the child under it to cradle against her. With her free hand she once again grabbed the umbrella and set off down the street.
.--.
The inn keeper had thrown a fit at the sight of the baby and Sakura may have lost her temper a tad. She promised herself to leave some extra cash to fix the cracked counter. She shed her wet coat on a hook and left her umbrella propped against the door. She looked at the baby in her arms and realized in the light of her room that it was filthy. It also did not look all that well. That might have explained something of the inn keeper screaming about disease.
Sakura retreated to the small bathroom and filled the sink with lukewarm water. As she slowly unswaddled the child she wrinkled her nose at the smell and the filth and the scars. The child cried as she set it in the water, careful to keep its head above the water as she washed it off. She frowned even more as the scars dotting its body were further revealed.
It was something similar to measles but with more scabbing and must have hurt like hell for the small infant. Her hands lit green as she slowly let her chakra slip into the infant. It was slow going simply because she was unfamiliar with the strain of virius and wanted to be careful. Healing infants was much harder than healing adults with built up immune systems and strength.
By the time she had fully healed the small infant the water had gone cold but it had finally stopped crying. She supposed getting rid of the pain had helped.
“Well, that should feel better,” she told the thing as she pulled it from the water and wrapped it in a towel.
She tore an extra towel into strips and fashioned one as a diaper after she had dried it off.
“Now,” she said laying the infant on the futon, “What to do with you?”
The infant gave a huff and seemed to fall asleep instantly, warm and clean and disease free. Sakura laid down beside it, half curled about it and drifted off to the sound of rain on the room and the soft breaths of the baby.
.--.
“You’re the ninja healer?" the man asked.
Sakura raised a brow.
“Yes. Do I not look like one?”
He glanced at her once, quickly, taking in the black kimono with rolled up sleeves and the mesh leggings and undershirt, the red haori. He took in her tall geta sandals and the band around her forehead, her hair pulled up in a high short ponytail. He even eyed the pouches of kunai and shuriken uneasily.
“Yes, but I mean…”
He made a half-aborted wave to her back.
“Tomio is my companion,” she said blandly.
He stared at her for a long moment then simply shook his head.
“Follow me then.”
He led her away from the small teahouse and down the street amidst curious gazes. The small out of the way village was tiny, only visited for the fact it was at a set of crossroads. Sakura had been passing through but word of a travelling ninja had spread ahead of her easy pace and she had been contacted in the last village to see if she would take a mission for this man.
Sakura followed him up through the fields and out of the town until they stood before a house surrounded by fields and a small grove of trees. Sakura followed the man into the house at his wave and glanced about the modest sized manor. This was a man with influence apparently. Most likely village headman.
Sakura slipped her geta off and silently followed the man down the hallway. It was eerily quiet in the house and Sakura’s ear caught the faint rasp of a cough as they stopped before a door. He slid the paper door open and slipped inside, already murmuring to the woman lying in the futon. Sakura followed and kneeled beside him as she clasped the woman’s hand.
The woman was pale and shaky, eyes glazed with fever. Beside her lay a small girl, still curled against her mother.
“Please. Whatever you can do for her,” the man said lowly, “The village doctor has given up hope.”
Sakura nodded and reached up to untie the sling around her back. She handed the small infant over to the man who grabbed the child, surprised at his new duty.
“Get out,” she said not unkindly.
He cast her a suspicious worried glance but finally retreated, the babe in his arm. Sakura’s first action was tossing the futon cover to the side so she could see the seeping wound taking up the woman’s side. It was bleeding even through the bandage and Sakura could smell the infection. Sakura sighed and sliced the bandages away as she started to look at the wound.
It was the work of only a few hours to heal the woman’s side up and force the infection out. She could have been quicker but there was no reason to exhaust herself in a rush job. The child took even less time, suffering just a mild concussion.
When Sakura slipped out of the room the man was sitting on the porch with Tomio, the babe still asleep. She plucked him from the man’s surprised arms and waved him away idly. He quickly headed for his wife and she claimed his seat, rocking the child as she looked out over the small village lit up by the setting sun.
She ended up staying the night, tucked in the second room, and spent most of the night only half asleep, listening to the man and woman whisper together in their own room, so happy she had survived. The next morning she insisted on giving Sakura all her daughter’s old clothes and swaddling including cloth diapers and some toys.
Sakura thanked them, took her pay, and set out. She headed slightly off course from her final destination as she tracked some very obvious signs away from the village.
The wound on the woman’s side had been from a blade. A rusty one swung by someone who barely knew how to use it. And Sakura knew the signs of a bandit attack well enough. She strapped Tomio tighter to her back and started hunting.
.--.
Sakura sprang up in a tight coil, like a striking snake, blade going too fast for the naked eye to see as she slashed the man’s throat open. He was dead before he had even realized what happened. Sakura went spinning off in another attack, dodging an arrow.
The bandits were quick, she’d give them that. She’d dropped in on their little fire in the dying day light and it had given her an edge of surprise but they’d recovered remarkably well for some small hill’s bandits.
Sakura dodged another arrow, kicked a blade out of the way, and then crushed as man’s throat with her fist. The last two bandits left, the ones with bows, tried to retreat, firing arrows at her desperately now that there were no comrades to worry about hitting. Sakura went after them, bounding through the trees and shadows. Up ahead one tried to make a desperate retreat over a river’s edge, but Sakura’s kunai caught him in the eye and his body fell into the river.
The last one blubbered something, made some sort of plea, but Sakura was no longer a girl of mercy. The war had stripped that out of her and she knew the things this man had done as a bandit. She ended his please with a kick to the had that shattered his skull. She wrinkled her nose and moved to the water to wash her hands and feet of the blood spray.
Tomio was sitting in the tree she’d left him in, swaddled and fast asleep despite the commotion and she smiled faintly at him before strapping him to her back.
.--.
“I need a room for the night,” Sakura said politely.
The civilian side-eyed her but accepted her money and slid her a key.
“Just the night?" he asked.
“Put me down for three nights,” she said, “I’ll let you know by tomorrow if it will be longer.”
“Yes ma’am. And if you could please make sure the child is silent in the evenings…” He trailed off, unsure if he wanted to put anything like an order towards her.
“Tomio is a silent child,” she agreed, heading for the stairs.
She found her room easily enough and slid into the cramped space. At least the inn-keeper had been smart enough to give her one of the rooms with an attached bathroom. She eyed the single bed built half into the wall and the small window that she had the practically rip open. She supposed she couldn’t expect much from such a small traveler’s inn.
The town she had found herself in sat at the very northern end of Fire Country, only prosperous because it connected a trade route from Hot Water country to Iron country. It was a medium sized city that relied on trade as much as farming and as such had a few inns and restaurants and other luxuries and not just the bare necessities of an isolated farming village.
Sakura looked out the window, looking out over the fairly busy street and out over the fields. If she leaned out and craned to her left she could make out the walled manor at the center of the town that belonged to the minor Lord who ruled the area. She pulled back into the room and untied the now familiar sling, setting Tomio on the thin mattress. From her kunai pouch she pulled out a set of small cloth rings and set them before the child. Tomio bubbled happily and wrapped chubby fingers around the toy, immediately biting them.
Sakura was going to head for the washroom when a soft knocked echoed. Sakura only had to take two steps to get across the room and when she opened the door she came face to face with what looked like a servant girl in a faded blue yukata. She sketched a bow and offered Sakura a shy smile.
“Hello. I’m Akiko, the inn-keepers daughter-in-law. He said you may be interested in my services?”
Sakura raised a silent brow and the woman hurried on.
“I’m, um, I can offer my services as a wet-nurse.”
She flushed in the face of Sakura’s silence.
“That would be helpful,” Sakura finally said, “He’s eating some solids as well but I’ve been using goat’s milk.”
“Oh! Um, is he not yours?" she said, flashing a glance to Sakura’s chest.
“My brothers,” Sakura lied, “The idiot got him and his wife killed so he fell to my care.”
The woman muttered her condolences and Sakura let her pick Tomio up.
“Would you be willing to watch him at times while I am here as well?”
“Oh, that should be no problem,” the girl brightened, “I’ll let my father know and he can just add it to your room bill.”
“Acceptable,” Sakura nodded, “Do you mind feeding him while I have a shower?”
“I’ll do it here.”
The girl started to loosen her yukata and Sakura slipped into the washroom to have a much needed shower. She slid her own kimono off her shoulders and winced at the crusted blood that wasn’t visible in the black material. Those bandits had certainly not died with dignity. Sakura was only grateful she was wearing black or she would have sent the inn into a tizzy if they had actually seen how much blood was splattered across her.
.--.
Sakura hummed as she bounced her steps so the child on her back was rocked into a lulling sleep. The men and women around her gave her a wide berth but barely a second glance too busy with their own lives. Sakura paused before a stand, looking at the wares before she gave a toss of her head and walked off. She explored the streets calmly and in no particular pattern, looking in windows and at wares. She blatantly ignored the tail that had been following her.
Sakura only paused as the day grew long and the sun started to vanish behind the hills. Many buildings had lanterns out so it was not without light. Sakura glanced back towards a two story building near her inn. The lights and music coming from it only grew as the sun vanished and Sakura quirked a smile. She wondered if Akiko would look after Tomio for the night.
.--.
“Oh, do it again mistress!”
Sakura gave the girl an indulgent look and gave a brief hand sign. The sake in her glass rose up like a snake and did a few spins through the air before splashing into another man’s cup. The girls all gave squeals of appreciation.
“Can all ninja do that?” One asked, eyes wide.
“It takes a lot of practice and a lot of control, so I would say the majority cannot,” Sakura smiled.
“What else can you do?” Another asked, draping herself across Sakura’s shoulders.
Sakura gave it a brief moment of thought. Then she scooped both her arms under the girls beside her and stood up, each sitting on her biceps as she flexed her arms. The girls sealed in glee and Sakura flashed them all grins.
“Oh alright girls, that’s enough bothering her,” The Mama said with an indulgent smile.
The girls all gave whines but obeyed, slipping off either to their duties, or back to the men who had been watching silently from across the room. The music started up again a bit louder and Sakura flopped back into her seat. The two girls she had lifted cuddled into her side.
“It must be very exciting,” the brunette sighed.
She was a pretty thing with short hair and a mass of freckles.
“And so romantic,” the blonde said.
She was more beautiful than pretty Sakura thought. With a slim curving figure and a flawless face with her straw blonde hair. Both wore some of the slinkiest outfits Sakura had ever seen.
“A bit,” she agreed, amused by their dreams.
She wouldn’t burst their bubble by talking about the violence and the blood and the pain. Let them have their dreams. If any ninja came by they would be treated better by these girls if the girls thought them more like samurai.
“I bet you have men and women throwing themselves at you,” The brunette piped in, “I bet you don’t need to visit any whore houses at home.”
“Where would the fun in that be?" the blonde demanded.
“I wouldn’t say throwing, but I’ve had offers.”
“Whatcha doing all the way out her then?” blonde asked.
“Trying to get out of the way of a family spat,” Sakura sighed as if weary, “My brother and his wife got themselves killed in an internal conflict with my father and so I decided to give him some room to calm down.”
“I’m sorry,” Brunette said softly.
Sakura knew without a doubt anything she told them would be getting back to someone. Depending on who paid this brothel the most it could be either the Lord or the one who ran the crime around here. Or maybe both. Sakura really didn’t care. She just needed a good background story for no one to look twice at. She had taken care to make it look like she wasn’t heading anywhere in particular in her past few weeks of travels. She had stopped here and there, made a zig-zag route, taken out some bandits, healed some people, and generally just made it look as if she were wandering. No village symbol rested on her person either.
“Enough of such depressing thoughts,” blonde huffed, “She’s not here to feel sad.”
“Indeed I’m not. Do you have a solution for that?” Sakura asked.
Brunette threw her legs over Sakura’s lap and settled, pressing down. Sakura’s hands went for her hips and pulled her harder down. Blonde slipped behind her, breasts pressing into her back as she gently massaged her shoulders. Sakura ran her hands up Brunette’s side, breath hitching just the slightest as she cupped the heavy breasts. Brunette gave her a sly look and Sakura abandoned herself to the two women.
.--.
Sakura took Tomio carefully, smiling at the infant and thanking Akiko as she retired to her room. It was actually morning but Sakura had no plans so she shut herself in. She played with the infant a moment, the babe burbling happily at her.
“Who’s a good baby?" she chuckled as she nosed the infants stomach.
It spit at her, happily as she blew on it’s tummy.
“Ma!”
Sakura paused.
“What did you call me?" she asked seriously.
“Ma!” It waved it’s arms, “Ma!”
“I …I suppose that’s true,” Sakura agreed.
“Ma, ma, ma!” It giggled.
“Such a little charmer you are,” she laughed bouncing Tomio.
The small boy giggled and flailed and she spent the morning idly playing with him and going over some Intel. She also started to organize her receipts. Some she would turn in to get paid for when she returned to Konoha, some would come from her own account. She had perhaps taken a few more luxuries then she should on this trip. Trying to turn in files to get reimbursed for the brothel would not go over well, no matter if she tried to pass it off as Intel gathering. Oh well. Worth it.
.--.
BLANK BIT
(NOTES: Sakura takes down some petty crime ring that had rooted itself in the trading town.)
.--.
“Hello Kotetsu, Izumo.”
Both guards screamed like children, flailing at the surprise.
“And that’s why you guys always get stuck with Gate Duty. You really need to work on your senses,” she said, giving them stern looks and trying to hide her satisfied smile.
“Or maybe people should stop sneaking up on us,” Kotestu growled.
“Well, we are ninja,” Izumo shrugged.
“Could you just check me in please. It’s eleven oh eight,” she said looking at the clock hung in their little gate stand.
They both nodded and looked up at her, getting their first good look since she had arrived. As one, they froze.
“Do I have to check myself in now as well?” she raised a brow.
“Ummmmm….anything to declare?” Izumo asked slowly, Kotestu seemingly frozen like a statue.
“I guess you can put down Chiko.”
“Chiko?” They both echoed.
Sakura reached down to her feet and picked the puppy lingering there up by the scruff.
“Found him in the last town back and you know Kakashi would murder me if I left an abandoned puppy.”
The puppy squirmed in her hold, trying to lick her hand even as he tried to escape. She set him back down with a scratch and made sure his leash was still on tight where it lead up to her wrist.
“Anyways, I’ll see you guys later,” she waved a hand, turning towards the road.
There was some scrambled whispering behind her but they didn’t call her back so she made her way for the Hokage Tower.
.--.
Sakura gave a customary knock but did not wait for a reply before she slipped into the Hokage’s office. Tsunade was in her chair, facing the window, a scroll raised high against the light as she squinted at it as if trying to decipher a code. Considering Naruto was acting as her under-secretary and his writing was atrocious, she probably could read one word in four on the damned thing.
“Well, that took you quite a while,” Tsunade grunted without looking at her.
“It was, all told, five months,” Sakura rolled her eyes, “You estimated about six, so I was actually quite quick going.”
“And you’re sure you rooted out all the bandits up North?”
“Yes. Plus their boss. Torched their main base just to make it neat and tidy.”
“Good,” Tsunade said, rolling up the scroll.
She still didn’t even look at Sakura as she turned for the next scroll. Sakura rolled her eyes. She’d bet money that Tsunade had had her sake taken away. It always put her in this kind of mood.
“Any complications?” Tsunade asked.
“Not really. I have all my receipts for reimbursement though. Do you want those now?”
“Give them to the desk chunin, it’s a waste of my time. And don’t bother turning in any for the brothels. I’ve told them not to ever reimburse you for that again.”
Sakura smothered a grin and tossed the mission report she had finished this morning. She had another one for the desk chunin but Tsunade would want an overview.
“Well, guess I’ll be off then,” Sakura said.
Tsunade released a gusty sigh and stood, scooping Sakura into a tight hug.
“It’s good to see you again kid. I’m glad you didn’t have any problems-”
She cut off and leaned back, pushing Sakura away by her shoulders. Sakura made a noise of disagreement not having even had a chance to return the hug. Tsunade stared at her blankly. Or more precisely, just to the left of her head. Sakura felt Tomio wave his hands in greeting.
“What is that?” Tsunade asked, surprise in her gaze.
“It’s a baby. A boy to be exact,” Sakura smiled, eyes crinkling.
“Where did you find it?" she asked, still staring at the child.
“On a doorstep,” Sakura said vaguely.
She reached up and tugged Tomio out of the loose sling. He babbled happily and she rubbed their noses together before she held him out to Tsunade. She stared at the infant as if it were uncomprehend able. Tsunade only took him very carefully when Sakura made it apparent she wasn’t leaving before she did. Tomio stared solemnly up at Tsunade for a moment then reached up and patted her cheek.
“This is grandma,” Sakura cooed at him, “Grandma.”
“Grama!” Tomio repeated obediently.
Tsunade stared at the child with wide eyes, lips falling open.
“Grama!” He repeated, patting her cheeks again.
Tsunade swallowed thickly and Sakura politely studied the wall as Tsunade’s eyes grew misty.
“How old is he?” Tsunade asked hoarsely.
“As far as I can tell, just past the six month mark. I’ve been giving him a mix of solids and goats milk, though I employed a wet-nurse for a bit.”
“Have you gave him a thorough checkup?" she asked, fingers brushing across the scars on his neck.
“Yeah. He had some strain of measles when I found him and it scarred a bit, but he’s okay.”
Tsunade stared at the kid who grinned a wide baby-grin at her.
“I’m probably gonna ask you to babysit every once in a while,” Sakura smiled.
“I’m a very busy person,” Tsunade said automatically.
“I’ll make sure to schedule in advance then,” Sakura said softly.
Tsunade helped her slip him back into the sling and wiped at her face with her sleeve.
“I’ll get some papers drawn up for him. Tomio you said?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a good name,” she said seriously.
“Thank you. Say bye-bye Tomio.”
“Bye!” He waved.
Sakura offered Tsunade another smile and the woman smiled back. Sakura left the office at a leisurely pace, picking Chiko up from the ANBU guard she’d left him with on the way out.
.--.
“Kakashi!” Sakura called as she shut the gate behind her.
There was a brief flare of chakra, Kakashi’s call sign that he had heard her and was home. At the same time a mass of eager dogs came barrelling around the corner.
“Sakura’s back!” They yipped, charging at her.
Sakura had expected this and as such had Tomio still on her back and the new puppy tucked up under her arm.
“I will pet you guys all later,” she assured them as they rubbed against her.
They whined and wiggled but all seemed to realize she was serious as they headed off again, running about like puppies. Sakura smiled after them and headed for the front door. She slipped her sandals off in the entrance way and headed down the hall.
The Hatake compound had once been a flourishing home with a clan, albeit a small clan but a clan of more than one. It was a large enough manor with an array of rooms done up with traditional paper walls and sliding doors. There was a porch that ran around the building and a small inner courtyard.
When the war had ended, they had had an influx of refugees and immigrants, coupled with the destruction of many buildings had resulted in a housing shortage. Many clans had opened their doors to other ninja and Tsunade had personally kicked Kakashi from his apartment and told him to use his dusty old home. It wasn’t to be purposely cruel, sending Kakashi back to the house filled with old memories and his father’s ghost, but a necessity. Tsunade had told him if he fixed it up and sold it he could move back into an apartment.
So she and Naruto had met Kakashi at the gates on the first day and made sure he wasn’t alone for one minutes in that old house for the first month. They had cleaned and cleaned and cleaned, and then fixed some stuff, then cleaned more. Sakura’s pride and joy was the inner courtyard where she had taken over and made a beautiful blooming garden and pond (with the help of Yamato). During the month Naruto and Sakura had moved in as well, and then the Inuzuka had brought over all Kakashi’s dogs saying they had no room at the moment (Tsume gave Sakura sly smirk over the lie). Then some new dishes and furniture had found their place in the house. Then Yamato had claimed a room followed closely by Sai with the excuse that the ninja barracks were getting overcrowded.
Only two months after moving in Kakashi had stopped mentioning selling the place at all.
Now it was a clean homey manor with a pack of dogs running about at all hours and people coming and going. Sakura called the place home.
“Kakashi!” She called.
She could sense him somewhere in the courtyard and at the same time could sense no one else in the building. They weren’t afraid to leave Kakashi alone here anymore because it was no longer the Hatake compound, but theirs and with that came all their happy memories together.
She headed for the courtyard and found Kakashi sitting lazily on the porch in a beam of sun.
“Mah, no need to keep yelling Sakura,” he eye smiled up at her.
“Well if someone would greet me after five months away I might not yell,” she snorted.
“Welcome back,” he said honestly.
“I brought you a new friend,” Sakura smiled, holding out Chiko.
Kakashi stood, eyes on the puppy as he took him. The puppy was already shaking his tail and trying to lick Kakashi before he had a hold on him. He was an excitable thing.
“Where did you get him?” Kakashi frowned, looking in the pup’s mouth and at his ears.
“Found him on the side of the road an hour outside of a village. No idea how he got there,” Sakura shrugged, “If you don’t want him I know the Inuzuka will. He’s pretty smart for a puppy.”
“Well, I suppose we have room for one more,” Kakashi smiled, “Though we won’t for much longer if you all keep bringing me more puppies.”
“You want us to just leave them in the ditch next time?" she raised a brow.
He narrowed his eyes at her and she laughed.
“You have the time to train them,” she shrugged, “And none of us mind them.”
Kakashi had semi-retired after the war. She said ‘semi’ because this man wouldn’t stop until he was dead, but he did lower his workload. He only very rarely went on missions outside of the village now, and often only as a chaperone for younger less experienced teams. No more solo high ranked missions. He also spent more time hanging around the genin training fields to help kids out, even if he tried to deny it and say he just liked their reading spots better. The war had hurt them all and Kakashi had suffered physical wounds he would never fully recover from. But he, oddly enough, seemed happier for it. Maybe it had to do with the peace that was settling in, or the fact it had brought them all closer, or that they had all lived. All she knew was he was finally happy and she was very glad.
Tomio chose that moment to clap her shoulders, bored of the sling.
“Ma!” He said.
“Oh hush you,” she chuckled.
She undid the sling and pulled the kid out, settling him on her hip so he could look around better. Kakashi stared.
“Ma!” Tomio pointed at him.
“No, that’s Kakashi,” she cooed, “Say Kakashi.
“Kashi!” he tried.
“Kakashi.”
“Kashi!”
“Good boy,” she laughed, nosing his cheek.
He giggled and tried to catch her hair.
“What?” Kakashi said dumbly.
“Want to hold him?” Sakura offered.
Kakashi set Chiko down gently and then took the boy, staring at him, then up at Sakura.
“You weren’t pregnant when you left,” he said slowly.
“He’s too old for me to have had him on the way anyways,” Sakura snorted, “I found him on a doorstep.”
“What are you going to do with him?” Kakashi asked.
“Well, raise him,” she shrugged.
“That’s…. that’s a big decision,” he said slowly.
“Not really,” she said, “Besides, I made that decision months ago when I first picked him up. I would have passed him off long ago if I wasn’t going to keep him.”
Kakashi stared at her for another long moment then gave a thoughtful nod. He looked at the kid in his arms that was gnawing on his sleeve.
“Well, he’ll be well loved. And no one can say he won’t be strong.”
Sakura smiled brilliantly at him.
.--.
Naruto of course, true to his nature, freaked out. First he freaked out that Sakura had gotten married without letting them know. Then that she was dating someone behind their backs. Then then she was going to move out and away. Then that the child was his against all probability. Then he asked if Sakura had stolen him, where did he come from, where were his parents.
She tried to explain it all but his yelling got in the way of her answers. Then, when she grew tired of his screaming she shoved Tomio in his hands and Naruto freaked out again that he was going to drop him or hurt him or somehow corrupt him.
He didn’t really stop freaking out for about a week, but the moment Sakura tried to take Tomio back that first day, he pretty much revolted. Naruto proclaimed himself the best uncle and that Tomio would be one of his precious people.
Sakura rolled her eyes, but was pleased with Naruto’s acceptance, especially as it meant he would be a willing babysitter for a few years.
Yamato on the other hand, stared at the child blankly for a long, long moment and refused to take him when Sakura offered him. Some excuse about just having been rolling in the dirt. He asked where Sakura had gotten him, if he was a relative. He asked if Tomio had been from the mission and it took Sakura a quiet spoken moment to put all his worries at ease.
Sai was the only person not to ask where Tomio had come from. He simply looked, staring at the child intently when Sakura introduced them. He stared and stared and stared as if trying to figure something out and Tomio returned the look, gnawing on his own hand as he watched. Sakura waited until Sai gave a slow nod. Then she held the toddler out to him and Sai looked at her blankly.
“Hold him,” Sakura sighed.
“There is a large chance I will not hold him correctly as I have never held a child,” Sai said blandly.
Sakura rolled her eyes and shoved him so Sai had to grab the baby lest he drop him. He held Tomio awkwardly, hands under his arms so most of Tomio was dangling. Sakura raised a brow at him until he shifted his grip and pulled the kid closer.
“Now, this is uncle Sai,” Sakura told Tomio, “Sai.”
“Sai!” he chirped, offering a baby grin.
“Good boy,” she cooed.
Sai stared like Tomio was the mystery of the universe.
.--.
Tomio was very content in his sling. He was a quiet, well behaved child who could be distracted with a new toy and rarely had any objections to being kept close all day. Sakura took him to the hospital nearly every shift, carrying him in his sling with toys and snacks tucked in her kunai pouches. She also got a pack of antibacterial wipes to carry around so she could wipe his hands and face when he got messy. Naruto had gotten her a few slings once he saw how boring her white one was and now she walked around with vivid colors and stripes. Yamato had been the smart one and gotten her a diaper bag that she stored in her locker at work.
Despite all her friends saying he would be a handful, Tomio didn’t changed her schedule all that much. She still went to the hospital and training and she still got her rounds done. She only had to take a few five minute breaks every once in a while to change a diaper or feed him. She still took less breaks then the smokers. None of the nurses or doctors had been brave enough to tell her it was a bad idea to bring a kid to work like that even if she heard mutterings. It wasn’t like Sakura was stupid. When she had to work on an emergency, she’d hand him off to someone she knew in the building or summon the Slugs to watch him. But he went everywhere else with her. Most of her patients adored him. The elderly were always glad to hold him and coo while she did the check-ups and the ninja were even better because she would simply shove him in their arms. Either they had experience with kids and automatically relaxed and let her get to work while holding him, or they had no experience and were too afraid to drop or hurt him and stayed extra still. Either way he was good way to get the usually fussy ninja to comply.
…..
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The shinobi veered right, going for the little boy, obviously looking for a hostage. Anyone in the room could have told him that was a bad idea. Sakura was in his face in an instant, eyes nothing but murder and violence. Her hand was around his throat, forcing him back and into the ground just as his outstretched fingers brushed against Tomio’s hair. The resulting force behind the slam made the earth shatter and crack, as did the man’s spine. Sakura held him firm, fingers squeezing until he had no air as he clawed at her wrist weakly, the shock setting in.
“You made a mistake,” Sakura said, low and dangerous, and utterly calm, “Never touch my child.”
She clenched her fist until she collapsed his throat and then stepped back, watching him flounder and claw at his own neck unable to breathe. She watched until he turned blue and his eyes rolled back into his skull and his heart simply stopped beating. Then she slammed her heel on his chest just to be sure, crushing it into a pulp of bone and blood and flesh.
“Momma,” Tomio called, lip wobbling.
“Oh, honey,” Sakura said, spinning to sweep the child up, “Momma’s sorry the bad man frightened you. Momma made sure he’ll never bother you again.”
She spun him around and kissed his brow and didn’t mind a bit that there was blood and bone clinging to her foot.
.--.
“Why did you pick him up?” Kakashi asked finally.
“Would you have had me leave him?” Sakura asked as she ladled the soup.
“No, now of course, but what drove you to pick him up?” Kakashi asked.
Sakura considered the question for a long moment.
“You know, when I was a girl, I wanted nothing more to marry a handsome dark-haired man, to live a blissful happy marriage. I imagined Sasuke as that man. All my fantasies were of holding his hand and having dinner waiting for him and being the perfect wife. Not once did I factor children in. Maybe I was too young to consider that aspect, maybe I just didn’t want to make room for anyone else in my dreams.”
There was the sound of Naruto making a ruckus outside, her son’s bright laughter along side his. Sai would be supervising silently from the veranda. In the kitchen Kakashi held out a bowl and Sakura filled it with miso soup as the rice cooker whistled.
“But I let that dream go a long time ago,” Sakura said softly, “And I have found myself no lesser for it. I have not considered being married since. My mother would have said I just haven’t found the right man, my father said I would want to get married one day, that I’d change my mind. But the longer I carry on, the more I find myself complete just like this. I have a full house, a home with laughter and love, and I need no man in bed to complete that, no ring on my finger, or vows whispered.”
“We ninja often aren’t made for marriage,” Kakashi said idly.
Sakura looked at him, saw his slouched posture and thought of the way his house had been empty far longer than she had been alive. But she also thought of how peaceful he looked with their whole team crammed in his old ancestral home.
“Maybe,” Sakura smiled, “As for Tomio, well, I think that was just impulse. He needed me and I knew in that moment I could be whatever he needed. It was not a really conscious decision. I knew in an instant we had room for a child in this house and that if I brought him in there might be small hurdles, but there would be no walls we could not knock down. Afterwards, when I had had him for a while and really sat down and thought it out, I realized I wouldn’t mind a child to call my own, to love. I had just hesitated at finding a man to give me one. But Tomio came without any bothersome men attached.”
Kakashi laughed, loud and clear and a moment later the boys poked their heads in to find out what was so funny.
“Breakfast,” Sakura smiled as Kakashi chuckled and scooped out the rice.
Tomio made his way to her and offered her a grubby dandelion.
“Thank you,” she smiled brightly.
He tucked it behind her ear and Sakura smiled, content and happy as she and her family sat down to eat together.
.--.
Tomio announced when he was six that he would not be a shinobi like any of his uncles. He was gonna be a doctor like his momma. Naruto howled and cried and said Tomio had betrayed him and Tomio gave him the exact same exasperated looked as Sakura did. Tomio said boldly that he was gonna be the best doctor ever and he didn’t have the time to do shinobi missions.
Oddly enough people took this at face value and seemed to be under the belief that this meant he didn’t get any training in the shinobi arts.
The first kidnapper who got the idea to steal Haruno Sakura’s civilian child ended up with his ribs pulverized via tiny fist. Anyone who assumed Sakura wouldn’t be training him in chakra to be able to use medical jutsu was an idiot. The bigger idiots were those who assumed she wouldn’t teach him to defend himself. He had said he didn’t want to waste time on missions, not on training.
“Mah, I said he would be strong at least,” Kakashi said cheerfully as Naruto gaped.
Sakura merely beamed at her child who may not have shared her blood but was hers wholly.
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