Chapter Text
Chapter 1: You Are Mama, and I am Papa
March 31st.,11 PM Orochimaru’s Eastern Hideout
Sasuke’s heavy eyes shifted from the clock to his wife resting quietly beside him, cramped on a twin-sized bed (if that was what one wanted to call it), to the little being nestled between his chest and Sakura’s breasts. His wife was facing him and sleeping soundly. It had been three hours since Sakura had grunted, screamed, and pushed such a perfect creature in the world. Sakura had a rather difficult birth if he had an opinion; one that earned him a good smack across the cheek from fucking Karin, and a somewhat bruised ego. Sasuke prided himself on being able to mask his emotions and remain calm during stressful situations-situations that were battles, fights, and Shinobi duties. Nothing could have prepared him for the horrific details and unrelenting stress of childbirth. Sakura could have chanted, memorized texts until her heart was content, and it wouldn’t have even graced the tip of the iceberg.
He had panicked.
And like so many things, Sakura had this inapt ability to shake him, to cause him to lose control. (which might be why they were in the current situation). Sasuke’s resolve crumbled when Sakura spent five hours trying to push Sarada’s head out, and Karin had suggested that they may have to perform an emergency caesarean, a surgery that even Sakura had never performed. Sarada was under far too much stress, and both her and Sakura’s chakras dipped and dimmed, causing the poor, young man’s chest to ache. Sakura wasn’t having it, and she had put all of her effort into pushing Sarada’s head out, causing her to tear down there, what he considered such a delicate part of her petite body. Sakura bled more than she should have, but once Sarada’s head was out, she sort of slipped out the rest of the way. Not to mention, Sakura had been pushing for so long, she shit herself and had no clue of it. She had been in so much pain. She had fought against him too, as he had been barked at to hold her down, as Karin took scissors and cut his wife from one opening to another. He had just stood frozen, causing Karin to smack him hard enough that his cheek welled up. That certainly got his attention, and he got his shit together quickly to support his wife in bringing their child into the world.
That was over now. Sarada was pink and healthy, and the most beautiful human being he had ever seen. He fell in love with her the moment she opened her dark eyes, mirrors of his older brother's kind eyes. She was perfect, even though she had a cone-shaped head. Sakura had said that it was because she had spent too much time in the birth canal, and that it would resolve as days passed. Sasuke cried at that moment, and though Karin had not noticed, Sakura (always Sakura) noticed. But she didn’t say a word as she smiled a drowsy smile and gestured for him to touch his newborn girl. He wasn’t all waterworks (like his best friend, the Dobe, who had cried for half an hour after the birth of his son, and wrote a whole page of words in a heartfelt letter), but there were noticeable tear trails on his cheeks. Sasuke Uchiha, the last of his clan, was the happiest he had ever felt. This feeling, this love, even surpassed his carefree days following Itachi. He could not stop the bleeding red color of his left eye, no matter how hard he tried. He had recorded and memorized the very moment Sarada took her first breath.
Sakura was cleaned up after she delivered the placenta, something far more grotesque than the birth itself. She nursed Sarada for a short time, who seemed to struggle to latch on to her mother’s nipple, but both Sakura and Karin had assured him the baby would learn and she wouldn’t go hungry. Not long after, Sakura fell asleep, curled onto her right side, facing him. Her pink hair was a mess, in a sloppy bun on top of her head, and she still smelled of antiseptic, blood, and amniotic fluid, but Sasuke never thought her more beautiful than at this moment. Sasuke had held his daughter for the first hour as her mother slept. She was a tiny little thing, even for a baby, only weighing 6 lbs, 8 ounces. She was like a little peanut, which he had said out loud to his exhausted wife with the softest smile she had ever seen, one so rare and so lovely to see the whites of his impeccable teeth. Sasuke was travel-worn and tired, but could not shut his brain off if he tried. For the first time in decades, he was so incredibly excited he couldn’t stop the twitching of his left foot. So much so, Sakura had kicked him to stop and muttered that she would break it off if he kept it up. She scoffed when he chuckled. But far too tired to really do anything about it. She smiled and closed her eyes regardless. Sakura was happy too, and she cried the moment Sarada wailed and was laid, a slimy mess on her chest.
“Sasuke…” Her soft voice pulled him from his muses.
“I have to pee,” Sakura said, blushing. Why she was blushing, he had no clue. He had seen everything and then some.
“Do you need help, Tsuma?” He asked and shifted to allow room for Sakura to move. His arm came around Sarada’s back and little bottom, pulling her against him.
Sakura snorted. “I had a baby, Anata. I am not crippled.” She said playfully, as she sat up at the side of the small bed.
She peered over her shoulder, her lovely green eyes sparking with maternal joy, and so much love it made his heart pound and his own cheeks heat.
Sakura went to stand on trembling legs before she gingerly sat back down on the bed. The lab was quiet, and Karin had downed a bottle of Sake, then went straight to bed.
“Seems like you might be crippled…” Sasuke teased dryly; his lip slightly turned upward.
Sakura scoffed and flashed hard eyes his way. “Hey, Mr. Uchiha, you push a watermelon out of a lemon and see how it feels, not to mention I am split from vagina to asshole. And I can’t even heal myself.” She countered quite bluntly, causing her husband to snicker softly.
“I should hit you for that.” She added moodily. Her tight face suddenly softened when she looked over her shoulder at her husband, holding his daughter to his heart, with bags under his mismatched eyes and still looking so very handsome.
“And I should hit you for looking like that…all glowy and pretty.” She muttered. Sasuke gave her that smirk that melted her heart and often heated her core.
“Tch, glowy is not a word, Tsuma. And you do look beautiful…more so than ever.” He said tenderly. Sakura knew that he wanted to reach out and touch her, but his only hand was occupied by their perfect little girl, who had her father’s dark hair, bedhead and all, his signature scowl, and had him wrapped around her little finger.
“Did you hit your head while I was giving birth?” She asked, seemingly serious.
“It’s true, and no hits to the head that I know of, unless you went and beat me and I didn’t know of it…But these eyes see everything, Sakura.” Sasuke countered, that stupid smirk still present.
He was so blissfully happy.
“I still have to pee.” Sakura reminded him. Sasuke shifted and, slowly, sat up. Sarada grunted as he shifted her into the crook of his arm. He froze when she did that, causing Sakura to giggle.
“You’re like a spooked pony. She’s not going to wake so easily. She’s just as tired as we are. She will be okay in the bassinet for a few moments. And if she does wake, we can change her, and of course, I’ll nurse her. Then we can take a little nap. Because we are going to need it.”
Saskuke scowled. “You’re annoying.” He muttered as he moved to place Sarada in a make-shift bassinet. It was a large, plastic container used for storage. Karin has placed a bunch of clean towels into the container, rolling a few against the sides to provide cushion and warmth. Sakura had brought a pink fleece blanket with hearts and Sakura flowers all over it.
Sakura had placed the blanket into the container, laid it out like a diamond, and folded it down at the top. Sasuke gently laid his daughter into the container and folded the right corner across Sarada’s torso, tucking it under her side and below her little chin. He delicately folded the left corner across her lightly, swaddling her, as Sakura had taught him only an hour after she was born. Sarada immediately stopped squirming, and her little breaths evened out. Both parents watched as she slept for a few moments before Sasuke stood and went around the bed to his wife.
He clicked his tongue and leaned down over Sakura’s form. She was wearing one of his T-shirts and nothing underneath. Her belly was still swollen, but less round as her uterus was now empty.
“Since you are crippled, I’ll carry you. Arms around my neck.” He said in that bossy tone both she and Naruto hated as genin.
Sakura huffed but did as she was told, leaning up and wrapping her arms around his neck. “You’re annoying.” She gave him a dose of his own medicine. Sasuke let out a breath that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. His hand came under her ass, and he lifted her with ease, and far more gently than anyone would believe.
“Like that matters.”
“Oh shut up and take me to pee already.” Sakura countered, but leaned into his chest and turned her head so that she rested right below his chin.
Sasuke took his wife to the bathroom, ignoring her protests as he sat her down on the toilet. The bathroom was a tiny room with a sink and a toilet. It barely fit one person, let alone a six-foot man.
“I don’t need you to watch me…” Sakura mumbled with pink cheeks. “It’s gross, and I am bleeding, and it stinks. Get out, Sasuke. I’ll be fine, I promise.” She tried to reassure him.
Sasuke clicked his tongue again and lingered for a moment, until his wife laid fierce eyes on him and shooed him out with her hands.
“I’ll be outside, just tell me when you're done, Sakura. Don’t be stubborn and go and fall on me.”
Sakura and Sasuke slept for an hour before Sarada awoke with shrill cries. She was already rooting for her mother’s milk when Sasuke picked her up and gingerly handed her to his wife. Sarada whined, grunted as she tried to suckle, her little head uncoordinated, and it seemed she wasn’t keen on having to work for her food. Sakura rocked her body and held her head steady against her right breast first. A few moments passed, and Sarada seemed to settle. Sasuke tried not to watch his wife nurse their baby, as Sakura was usually embarrassed when he watched her for the first time. He didn’t quite understand what the issue was, and he wasn’t going to ask.
He certainly wasn’t an expert about these things, but it seemed his little peanut was having difficulty nursing. After a few minutes, she’d fuss and move her head around. Sakura would rub her head gently and readjust her nipple into the baby’s mouth, over and over again. Not to mention she had to ultimate between sides. Fifteen minutes of that repetition would ensue, and Sarada tired out simply from suckling.
“Is she getting enough?” He asked, curious. Sakura sighed and leaned back into her pillows.
“I am only making colostrum right now, maybe an ounce, maybe less. My milk hasn’t come in yet fully. But it will, and it should satisfy her more.” Sasuke had just noticed that Sakura had tiny, broken blood vessels on her face and shoulders.
You pushed too hard. Damn you, Sakura.
“Is she uh…doing it right?” He asked, his ears pink.
He’s unusually chatty tonight. Sakura thought with a light smile.
Sakura blew air between her lips. “Honestly, I have no idea, Sasuke. I have never done this before. I know I am a doctor and all, but teaching women and doing are two different things…I hope she’s latching on right. But I won’t lie, it’s very uncomfortable.” Sakura’s cheeks pinked to her ears. “My nipples are already sore.” She muttered as she looked down at her daughter, who grunted loudly against her breast, her little face turned red, and she squeezed her tiny fists.
“And I think she’s finally pooping. That’s good…it’s meconium, or otherwise known as her first bowel movement. This means her GI tract is working. It also means I get to teach you, Papa, how to change a little girl. We don’t have all those dangly bits.” She giggled at her husband’s frown.
“Don’t look at me like that, you will have to change a lot of diapers here on out. Being one-handed is not an excuse with one of the strongest shinobi.” She teased. Sasuke scoffed, yet his eyes were on his daughter, who was still pushing one out.
“Annoying. As if I would make that excuse. I can change a baby’s diaper. I had a lot of little cousins.” He slipped out.
Sakura was always surprised when Sasuke shared tidbits of his family and clan. Sakura patiently explained how to wipe a little girl from front to back as she changed her baby for the first time. Her husband seemed intrigued but a little flustered at the task. He kept looking at his fingers with a slight scowl. Sakura had bought a small pack of cloth diapers while on their travels. They had originally planned to be back in Konoha for their child’s birth, but little Sarada could not wait to meet her parents. Sasuke was thankful that Sakura had been forthcoming in buying a few supplies for their baby. Diapers were a must. She showed him how to fold and tuck the diaper and tie it together, but was mindful to compensate for his missing limb. Sakura had told him it would take him longer to change Sarada and that prepping was a must. Sasuke would have to place the clean diaper under the dirty one before he even started the task. Sarada was a newborn and still quite folded into herself. It would be easy for him now, but the older she got, Sakura guessed it would be difficult for a man with one hand.
Then again, it wouldn’t surprise me if he used Susanoo for aid. I can only imagine the look on Naruto’s face if he ever found out my husband burned chakra to change a simple diaper.
Sarada did not like her first diaper change; she wailed and turned quite red over the manner. Her cries were high-pitched and ear-piercing. Sakura shooshed her daughter and held her to her chest, patting her bottom and humming a tune Sasuke wasn’t familiar with. They were blessed the first night as Sarada had slept four hours into the morning. She awoke sometime around 4 AM for milk. Sasuke had fallen asleep with his arm across Sakura’s still round belly, below her breasts. If not for Sarada’s cries, he would have awoken to the wet he felt on his forearm.
Sakura’s milk had come in, and she was leaking, red-faced and far too bashful over it.
“Don’t stare at them, Sasuke! It’s gross, and I -I didn’t know it would just suddenly leak out like that!” She admonished, more emotional than he.
He didn’t really care, and he didn’t think it was gross. In a weird way, a way that made him blush, her producing milk was special and practical to provide nourishment for his daughter. Sarada’s cries seemed to amplify her body's hormonal response, and Sakura almost moaned when Sarada had latched on and suckled vigorously.
“I don’t think my tits have even been this big…or felt this…full. When she’s drinking, it’s like a relief.” Sakura had explained to her husband’s curious stare.
“Sasuke, can you please stop staring? It’s …it’s making me feel self-conscious.” Sakura complained, turning away from him, causing him to scowl and sit up rigid.
“You’re being ridiculous.” He said simply, his voice slightly terse. “It’s part of the whole deal, doesn’t change how I feel about you.” He added less stiffly.
Sakura scoffed, turning red once again. Sasuke was sure that was the right thing to say. He was hardly good with words as it was. She was still as moody as she had been while pregnant.
“Well, I don’t like it…I am not…feeling very pretty right now…I am leaking milk, bleeding out of my vagina, and…feel-“
“Just shut up.” He said exasperatedly. Sakura’s green eyes bulged, and he was sure she was going to clock him.
“You shut up!” Sakura snapped, clearly offended. Sasuke’s fingers gently pulled her jaw to face him. He hardly held her face, his touch light and gentle. His eyes were narrowed with defiance, but a new emotion came about: protection, and absolute awe.
“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence. You just gave birth, you shit yourself and tore blood vessels and…uh… tore...your delicate…parts. You carried our daughter, and now, you’re feeding her and providing her with nutrients. She is dependent on you, Tsuma, for survival. I am not looking at you in disgust; I would never look at you that way, ever. I am looking at you…because I am…astounded by you….captivated by you and…just…fuck Sakura, I don’t even have words to describe how I feel right now, okay. So just..stop being…so annoying.” He finished, his handsome face as red as his favorite fruit.
Sasuke turned away from her gaze now and let out a sigh. They sat in silence for a few moments before Sakura suddenly erupted in giggles. She held her round belly, while her left hand held her child, cradling her neck and supporting her head.
“I think we are both stupid right now.” She laughed, and even harder when Sasuke scowled at her, his thin lips turned down in a pout. Clearly, he wasn’t amused by her statement.
“But thank you, Sasuke. Really…it means a lot to me. And I still love you.” She giggled, moving her hand to pinch his right cheek. Sasuke batted her hand away.
“You sure about that?” He quipped, gesturing to her now wet tee-shirt and little girl who was intoxicated by her mother’s milk.
Sakura elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop being stupid. Of course, I do.” She smiled that smile he fell in love with.
“Hn”
“I hate when you do that. It’s not even a word.”
“Tch, you’re still annoying.”
“Gah! You’re the annoying one. Just go back to sleep. Naruto has been a bad influence on you.”
That got a reaction out of her husband.
“Don’t ever lump me in with that idiot.”
“Then don’t be an idiot.” Sakura countered.
Sasuke smirked. “Okay, I’ll go back to sleep if you take back what you just said.”
Sakura tried in vain not to smile. No one knew better of her husband’s knack for teasing as she did. “Never.”
“Then, there will be retributions.”
Sakura laughed even harder. “Pfft, right okay, Anata. I can’t pay you back any more than I already have after this day.”
Sasuke had nothing to give as a comeback.
Around seven in the morning, Karin had made coffee and rice porridge for the couple she had been entrusted with. She had practically had to beg Sasuke to let go of his daughter long enough to help his wife shower. If Sakura wasn’t holding the baby or nursing, Sasuke, once a hardened rogue-nin, was holding his newborn with the softest expression she had ever seen. She wasn’t sure he was capable of such gentleness. Sakura had mended his heart, it seemed, and gifted him with the most precious of gifts. A family to love and cherish. It seemed that everything that Sasuke had once lost was given back to him in a single night. He was smitten by his daughter, who wore her mother’s face but inherited her father’s beautiful color palette and regal features.
Sasuke stood guard while his wife showered. He helped dry her off, combed her hair, and helped her get into netted panties, with the biggest sanitary pad he had ever seen. He brought his wife ice from the freezer, and as instructed, stuffed it between her thighs as she sat up in bed, nursing their daughter while he practically spoon-fed her porridge. For the next three days, they spent their time learning Sarada’s habits and learning how to be new parents. Sakura nursed, rocked, and hummed to their daughter, while Sasuke walked around the lab, whispering stories to his daughter about his long-deceased family.
Sakura’s eyes misted when she caught a particular statement Sasuke said softly, walker thier daughter on their third day there. He had told his daughter that she carried Itachi’s kind eyes and easy spirit. He spoke of Itachi’s impossibly precise Shiruken abilities and how his mother was the best cook out of all the Uchiha women. He spoke of his Aunt that had four cats, and how her house smelled slightly of cat piss, but she had the friendliest cats he ever met. He also told his daughter that by no means should she ever turn out like the Loser, and that she absolutely had no permission to like his son, Boruto, also known as Dobe 2.0. And that he had no desire to be related to Naruto Uzumaki. On the fourth day, they bid their farewells to Karin. Sasuke had pulled the redhead aside and personally thanked her for all her help, and without her, he wasn’t sure his wife and daughter would be in such good health.
“You'd better keep in touch with me, Sasuke. I fuckin' mean it. I want pictures, updates, and I want to babysit her! I deserve that. So don’t go pulling that shit, where you just disappear from everyone! And if you need anything, I am here for you, Sarada and Sakura.” Karin had told him with a not-so-gentle smack to his back.