Nozumi !

Day 520

Ichibi discovered and guarded northeast of Kaze No Kuni, ten kilometres south, southeast of Maeto.

Kakuzu

— "That's out of the question," Madara said at once, reading over Sakura's shoulder. He knew very well what those few lines were about. He knew what she had asked Kakuzu to do because he had discussed it with her at length.

— "The Bijû are one of the reasons that will cause many wars in the future," Sakura said before burning the letter in one of the nearby braziers.

— "It's not about peace or conflict Sakura, it's about the fact that you're pregnant and that there's no way my wife is going to expose herself two months before giving birth and probably fight a Bijû !" Madara fumed, raising his voice.

— "I may be pregnant, but I'm perfectly capable of moving around, I'm not some weak thing that needs to be kept in a room. Don't forget who I am Madara," Sakura retorted sharply, inwardly flattered that the dark-haired man was concerned for her and her health.

— "My answer remains the same, woman !" The man said in a loud voice, thinking to make her give in to his injunction.

— "I didn't ask for your opinion Madara and your grand airs as clan leader don't scare me, I have every intention of leaving for Kaze No Kuni to join Kakuzu and accomplish what we've been fighting for since the beginning," Sakura said before standing up under the stunned gaze of the military triumvirate. This one was composed of Ashina Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno and Suzuki.

— "I love seeing her shut you up," Ashina said with a smile.

— "Shut up ! You should be helping me reason with her instead of spouting such bullshit !" Madara snarled, getting up to join his wife.

— "It would take the fun out of seeing the great Uchiha Madara take a dump in front of his wife !" Ashina shouted after the dark-haired man left the room.

— "How powerful is Sakura-sama Uzumaki-dono ?" Suzuki asked after this rather peculiar verbal exchange between his Heikage and his wife as they had just left the room.

— "I don't know... I only got a glimpse of her skills during the First Great Shinobi War and I can say that as a ninja she reaches a stage that few people have reached."

Day 530

A frightful scream was heard for several miles across the desert of Kaze No Kuni. The air vibrated for a long moment before the sound stopped. It was the legendary sound of the famous Bijû : Ichibi. It was common knowledge that if this roar was heard it meant that there was little chance of surviving the outpouring of violence that would follow.

It was said in stories and legends that this creature came at night to destroy villages in order to quench its thirst for blood and destruction. So it was almost natural that all the people in the vicinity became frightened when the scream sounded. No one had ever heard this sound, but they all knew immediately what it was.

— "Shit ! He's spotted us," said the Nidaime Kazekage.

Indeed, he was accompanied by about fifty shinobi and they had surrounded the Bijû's position. During the first war, his Jinchûriki had lost his life, thus allowing the tailed demon to free himself and hide. This is why the Kage wanted at all costs to regain possession of this creature which brought security and prosperity to his country. Indeed, during the negotiations for peace and balance between the nations orchestrated by Hashirama Senju, the Shodaime Kazekage had demanded to possess the Ichibi because it had the particularity of making the earth very fertile. For a long time, this had allowed the land of the wind to provide itself with food resources.

But since the demon was no longer under control, the Land of the Wind was on the verge of starvation and this situation could not continue.

— "Spread out ! We're sticking to the plan !" The Kazekage ordered as his troops ran as quietly as possible towards the monster.

Another roar could be heard across the sand dunes with the starry sky as the only witness to what was coming.

Suddenly, the wind began to blow very strongly coming from all sides to converge on a single point, the Bijû. He was storing chakra and inhaling deeply to accumulate the air environment in a huge ball of air gathered in his mouth. Once the air was balanced in his lungs and mouth, the creature expelled his wind technique straight in front of him. The attack went off at breakneck speed, eradicating everything in its path. A mini sandstorm was formed by the air movement and particles of blood were mixed in with it all. A dozen soldiers had just lost their lives by this simple attack.

— "Hold on !" Shouted the Nidaime Kazekage as he moved a large amount of sand around the sand demon in order to reduce its movements to a minimum.

— "Little bug ! Do you honestly believe that using the element that makes me up has any chance of success against me !?" Ichibi's guttural voice asked as his gaze turned to the Kage. With a flick of his tail, half of the sand that was hindering him disappeared before a new wave of sand replaced it.

— "That's right... focus on me," the Nidaime whispered to himself as the creature ignored the other shinobi.

However, something caught the Kage's eye to the left in the distance : a good sized fireball had appeared before exploding followed by a scream of pain. None of the ninjas he had brought with him had mastered Katon, so where could this technique have come from ? Then suddenly, his eye caught a flash of light like a bolt of lightning in the sky.

— "We are under attack !" Screamed one of his men before he died with his throat slit.

The air once again shifted in all directions, converging once more on the tanuki's mouth as he looked straight into his eyes. If his men didn't do something soon the Nidaime was either going to die or have to cancel his hold technique to dodge this wind technique that was gathering in that giant mouth.

The creature was several dozen meters high and the slightest attack from it could level a city easily. But as the creature released its wind attack, a multitude of Fûinjutsu seals appeared on the Bijû and a smile appeared on the face of the Nidaime Kazekage.

— "They did it," sighed the leader in relief as his technique properly held the Ichibi in place so that it could not break the seal.

However, being focused on his objective, he did not see the person appear behind him and he only realised too late what was happening as an arm literally went through his rib cage. He blinked for a few seconds before looking down to see what was happening. A bloody arm was sticking out of his chest and his still warm heart was beating in his captor's hand.

— "Your heart will gladly replace the one in my possession for the Futon," Kakuzu said into the Nidaime's ear before pulling his arm away from the man's body in one swift motion, and the man collapsed immediately after.

Hundreds of black threads shot out of Kakuzu's body and a mask sewn into his back came off to his hand. The mask opened in two and integrated the new heart into it before joining Kakuzu's body.

— "Hmmm so much power in that heart," the deserter gloated as he felt the powerful affinity the former Kazekage had. The immortal turned his gaze to the Bijû, who had been able to regain a modicum of freedom since the death of his captor and unleash death and destruction upon those who tried to seal him away. Without the Kazekage's support they had no chance and Kakuzu silently enjoyed the carnage in the middle of the cold night.

It didn't take Shukaku more than a minute to kill all his opponents before he turned his gaze to Kakuzu who still hadn't moved from his position. The two beings looked at each other without flinching, judging each other before finally the tailed demon asked a question :

— "What do you want ?"

— "To kill all those who will try to capture you," answered the deserter who was ready to fight if necessary against this Bijû.

— "Why ?" Asked the Bijû, very suspicious. He had learned with time to always be wary of the human race.

— "Because I asked him !" Said a new voice, attracting the gaze of Kakuzu and Bijû.

— "Who are you insect ?" Asked the gigantic creature to the pink-haired woman before seeing the man who accompanied her. Suddenly his body bristled and he showed his fangs as his mouth crumpled with rage. "NO ! I will not be sealed up again ! Stay away from me Madara !"

— "He's not here to seal you Shukaku-sama !" The pregnant woman immediately interjected, putting her hands forward.

— "How do you know that name ?" The concerned man asked in complete surprise. No one in the world knew this name that his beloved father had given him.

— "Because the one who gave it to you sent me to offer you and your siblings sanctuary," Sakura said with a gentle smile.

— "My father ?" Bijû repeated very suspiciously.

— "Hai, Ôtsutsuki-sama hasn't forgotten you Shukaku-sama," Sakura reassured her, playing a very dangerous game. She knew that Ichibi was the most unstable and one of the most sadistic of the tailed demons. The slightest mistake would be dangerous or even deadly for her.

Right next door, Kakuzu and Madara were listening very carefully and the immortal wondered a lot about who this woman and this Ôtsutsuki-sama could be.

Upon hearing this name, Shukaku immediately relaxed, no one in the living world knew his father, let alone his name. This meant that this woman could only be telling the truth.

— "What does he want ?"

— "Peace."

Day 570

If a month ago Sakura could still move without any problems, today that was no longer the case. She still remembered the last action she could do without too much difficulty. It was when she had traveled half of the elemental lands to guide a Bijû to come to Ta No Kuni.

The inhabitants of the country were absolutely surprised, even frightened to see this gigantic monster in the valley... but they were quickly reassured when they saw two people on its skull and that it crossed the valley to go north. An announcement was given to the entire army to inform the people that this creature was there to protect them and that they should not fear it.

Sakura knew that there were things she could not physically do anymore because in the next few days she would give her life, but she was not overly worried. As usual, she had studied the medical manuscripts she had brought with her at length and knew all about the theory. She knew what to do to ease the pain of contractions, how to help the baby descend and how to avoid any intimate tears, or at least how to treat them if they occurred. She had performed a few deliveries in her previous life, but the exercise she was about to take part in was something more difficult, as she was the one concerned. She had already requested that Hitomi, Amaya and Hana be present to help her give birth. Besides, Hitomi had returned to the capital to stand by her as soon as the time came.

She had had what she could call an easy pregnancy since she had not experienced any of the discomforts described by so many women in her condition. It was only towards the last few weeks that she had begun to feel the weight of the baby on her slender frame. Sakura told herself that she had an advantage over many women because of her Kunoichi training. Her body was toned and she had been able to do all the everyday tasks so far.

But that morning Sakura felt strange when she woke up. She was sitting comfortably so that the weight of her belly on her back was relieved, but she knew that this morning was not like any other. She was no more tired and had no particular pain. But she had this feeling that today would surely be the day she would become a mother. She decided not to focus on the outcome but rather on her body's own reactions.

She sat down in a chair and gently placed her hand on her round belly, caressing it slowly. She had never understood why pregnant women made this gesture so often, but when her belly had started to round out she had caught herself mechanically doing it, as if it were ingrained in her. She knew then that it was an unconscious way of creating the first, albeit invisible, links between mother and child. Even if the fetus only felt it very faintly, Sakura knew that this imperceptible sensation reassured the being inside her. And the young woman had the advantage that by manipulating the chakra with precision, she could increase that connection.

It was because of Madara that she had been able to use chakra in this way. She remembered how the man had used the energy to soothe her. She knew that it would have no effect on the development of the fetus as the chakra transmitted had no therapeutic value and did not interfere with its cells in any way. So Sakura used this technique as an enveloping caress that she provided to the fetus and she had even allowed Madara to practice it himself in order to ensure this father-child bond

From the moment she had told him of her condition, the young wife had been prepared that at some point they would have to room separately as was the practice in the Sengoku era. But to her delight, the man had refused to allow her to leave their conjugal room.

— "How can I watch over you if you are not by my side Sakura ? You are my wife and the mother of my children. You belong with me no matter how bad you are !"

They had shared this pregnancy to the end, it had been a special experience for the man. Indeed, he had had to get used to the physical change of the young woman and overcome his most natural fears : could he still touch her and make her his own given her condition ? Sakura had obviously reassured him and they had both learned as the pregnancy progressed to discover each other even more and in different ways in the privacy of their room. Then, the brunette had also had to learn to silence his ultra-protective temperament.

Sakura was her whole life, her future and she had to be absolutely safe. But this was without counting on the character of the rose who could not bear to be treated like a fragile little thing. Many times they argued about what he thought was impossible for her to do when she was perfectly capable of doing it.

Over the last few weeks Sakura had slowed down the pace of her days as she could no longer walk long hours through the city. The weight of the baby and the natural fatigue of her condition no longer allowed it. The dark-haired man was busy with the development of their peace, which they were building little by little.

This morning, as he was about to leave his wife, he observed her and found that she looked different. She didn't look worried, but he could tell when she was concerned about something.

— "Sakura ? I think you're worried, is it something to do with the baby ?"

She laid her eyes on the man she loved and gave him a tender smile as her hand mechanically stroked the curve of her belly.

— "I'm not entirely sure yet, but I think it's time," she replied, her eyes shining with emotion.

The man stared at her for a long time, trying to understand what she was trying to tell him, until it exploded in his face.

— "Are you... are you sure about this ?" He surprised himself by daring to ask the question when he had never doubted her words.

Sakura smiled at the question as she could understand the emotion that could beset her husband. Madara Uchiha may have been the most powerful shinobi in the world, but he was still a man and a concerned husband.

Madara had complete confidence in his wife's medical abilities, but the man knew that sometimes births did not go as well as expected and the inevitable happened. While he had found in this woman his reason for being and his motivation to pursue his dream of peace, it was inconceivable to him that she would lose her life in giving it away, or even lose these two beings that he cherished completely.

But Sakura knew that he would never admit it in front of her, she had understood from living by his side that she could never demand from this man that he express his love for her all day long. As a self-respecting Uchiha, Madara was not fond of long conversations, especially when it came to expressing feelings.

Sakura had grown accustomed to this and had learned to appreciate the difference between the simple words he might have said and all the attention he had for her. She had discovered by his side that love could be expressed in many different ways and he was very good at showing her the strength of his feelings.

— "Yes Madara, I am positive that it is planned for today. My body can't fool me," she said, still smiling.

Sakura had been listening to her body's signals and she had felt the first contractions in her entire rounded belly. The first ones had gone unnoticed, or rather as normal given her condition. But Sakura had finally noticed their regularity and especially the gradual, yet still minute, increase in their intensity. Her belly had been getting tighter and tighter for the past few hours and when the pain started to become a dull discomfort, Sakura knew that their child would be arriving in the next few hours.

— "What can I do to help you Sakura ?" Madara asked with great self-control as he realized that he was not in control of anything right now. Predicting the outcome of a fight was much easier than this case.

— "Go tell Hitomi, Amaya and Hana, they'll know what to do," the mother-to-be said in a calm voice to appease her husband.

The man complied immediately, but not without placing a light kiss on his wife.

The three young women arrived quickly and the emotion they were feeling was visible to all. Sakura was moved to see them in front of her and a happy smile stretched across her face before she frowned as a more intense contraction was felt.

— "All of them ?" Amaya asked calmly as she waited for Sakura to answer again once the pain had passed.

— "Every ten minutes for the past hour and I've checked on the baby."

— "Good ! It's time to go then," Amaya replied. "Hana, could you take care of business ?"

The three women took care of the mother-to-be while Madara was simply ignored. Childbirth was obviously a woman's business and the men had no say in it. However, the Uchiha was seething inside at being left out.

— "What are you going to do with Sakura ?" He said in a somewhat loud voice, which made all heads turn towards him.

— "Uchiha-sama," Hitomi replied as she bowed to the man, "forgive us for not explaining in more detail what would happen when the time came. But trust us, we will make sure that everything goes well for both the mother and the unborn child."

The dark-haired man looked hard at the three women before shifting his eyes to his wife's who disapproved of his bossiness in this situation.

— "Madara, I wish you would trust me. I chose these women so that she could help me give birth to our child. You have accompanied me and supported me every step of the way, but you will be of no help to me now. Let these women take over, they have the experience to make it all work."

Sakura had been sincere as usual, her voice had been soft and calm. She was making it clear to the dark-haired man that she herself relied on the knowledge of these women and that he had no choice but to do the same. The Uchiha understood, seeing his wife so relaxed despite the few grimaces of pain that could appear on her face, that she was in good hands.

— "So be it ! But there's no way you're walking to that centre you call 'hospital' Sakura ! You've seen how far it is !" The dark-haired man took offense, convinced that he was within his rights to point out the obvious.

— "Oh no, my Lord," Amaya replied, "unfortunately, it is necessary for the baby to make its way out. And the longer we wait, the more difficult it will be to travel. You may accompany us there if you wish, but Madam must walk despite the contractions."

Madara was disconcerted, he realized that the physiology of a pregnant woman was completely beyond him and he resigned himself to following the women's instructions.

He helped Sakura up from her chair and offered her his arm for support. They moved slowly, following the rhythm of the mother-to-be and the contractions that made her stop more and more regularly and for longer and longer periods. But the young woman kept smiling and her husband remained stoic in the face of the pain that he could not relieve.

He had been injured in battle, but he realised that what a woman endured at that time of her life must have been much more difficult than a gunshot wound. He admired the tenacity of the rose and thought of his own mother. She had performed this miracle for every child she had given life to.

Had his father been present or had she had to face this only surrounded by women ? That was something he did not know about his parents and how he himself should behave today.

He didn't dare ask her every time she stopped if she was all right, since the expression on her face was enough to express the pain she was in. But with about a hundred meters to go to Heiwa Hospital, Sakura stopped for a longer time than the other times. She had curled up slightly as a more painful contraction was gripping her stomach, and without realizing it she squeezed her husband's arm a little tighter.

— "Sakura, how are you feeling? We're almost there and you won't be able to keep going at this rate," the man worried as he couldn't stand to see the woman he loved grimace in pain. Why was she doing this to herself when she had worked miracles with him when he was about to die ?

— "Madara, I thank you for your concern, but I must go through these stages. The contractions are more painful and longer but that is a very good sign. Our child is preparing for birth," she reassured him as the contraction subsided.

— "Couldn't you use one of your Fûinjutsu formulas to cancel the pain ?"

The young woman laughed softly at the request and slowly stroked the dark-haired man's arm as a sign that they could resume walking.

— "I'm planning to use it, but if I cut my pain circuits right now, I won't know if things are going well for the child or for me. We pregnant women have to go through this stage of contractions, but I must admit that I had no idea that the pain could be so difficult to bear."

— "Can you tell me what you're feeling ?" The Uchiha asked, wanting to at least understand what his wife was going through since they left the house.

— "Hmm, let's just say that my stomach muscles are contracting strongly and steadily so that it's putting pressure on the sac where the baby is. Inevitably, when a muscle contracts, the opposite phenomenon occurs, but the muscle relaxation doesn't last long enough to compensate for the pain caused by the contraction. In addition, as you can imagine, the baby is cramped inside me so my whole body is under a lot of pressure and tension."

— "So why walk if it causes you so much pain ?"

— "Because it allows the baby to descend. A woman's body is designed so that when the baby is ready to be born, it begins a descent towards the exit. The contractions, combined with the walking and the fact that things are naturally drawn to the ground, guide the baby to find its way out. And I know that everything is going well and that our child is in the right position as I feel more and more a heaviness pressing inside me."

Once through the hospital doors, Madara had no choice but to leave Sakura in the capable hands of her chosen people. He tenderly kissed his wife on the forehead and burst a small dose of comforting chakra around her and the child. Sakura greeted him graciously and took one last look at the man she loved before following the three women to one of the birthing rooms.

Madara stood for a moment watching his wife being taken away and feeling helpless in the moment. He left the room and walked outside towards the wall.

— "It's frustrating isn't it ? Asked Ashina, who had also joined the wall. He was a man who always knew how to find the right place at the right time.

— "I hate not being in control of the situation," Madara replied, pacing the wall.

— "Like all men of power, it's not in our nature not to be able to control everything, but unfortunately this is women's business and we have no say in it."

— "You of all people should understand my fear," Madara retorted and Ashina had a pall of sadness in his eyes.

— "Yes... I understand more than anyone," Ashina repeated softly before looking to the horizon. He thought back to his wife who had lost her life while giving birth to their daughter Mito. "But you have the advantage of having a wife with extraordinary knowledge."

— "I hope that everything will go well..."

— "Well, she married you... the hard part is already done," Ashina teased.

Once Madara was left behind, Sakura let a sigh escape her lips. She was somehow relieved that he wasn't there to witness the delivery. She didn't want him to be shocked by what would happen next. Indeed, having already realised this, the birth of a child was a magnificent act in the mind, but men were not necessarily ready to see how it unfolded physically. After all, a woman's body and especially her intimacy could no longer be seen as a pleasure zone, but only as intended for childbirth. Sakura remembered perfectly the first woman she had helped, and while she wasn't afraid of the blood and the act itself, seeing a child come out of a woman could be a peculiar thing to observe when you didn't have a fully medical eye on the event. And for nothing in the world would she have wanted her husband to witness this. She was thankful for the current thoughts that excluded men and fathers from this part of a woman's life.

— "Sakura-sama ? How are you feeling ?" Amaya asked as she helped her undress so that she would be more comfortable for what was to come.

— "It's okay Amaya, contractions every five minutes for the last thirty minutes I think and I feel his head pressing down."

— "Well, let's take a closer look at it if you'd like to settle down," Hitomi pointed to the table in the middle of the room.

The three women also prepared themselves by carefully washing their hands and dressing in the proper clothes that Sakura had had made when she had created the hospital. Indeed, Sakura had begun to institute the first hygienic rules for operating theatres as she knew them in her future. Even the furniture and equipment was revolutionary for the current time, but it had already proven itself.

Sakura settled herself as best she could on the delivery table she'd had made from all the blueprints she'd brought back in her things. The young woman couldn't help but find it strange to be in the position of a patient when up until now she had been the doctor.

As she settled into a semi-seated position, a sharp pain shot through her lower back and up into her belly. There was no doubt that the pressure of the baby was pressing on her pelvis and on the nerves that innervated her sacrum and pelvic area. She winced in pain and concentrated on something else to try to channel the sensation. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly to calm her heart rate. She wanted to determine when she would be able to activate the Fûinjutsu seal she had placed between her third and fourth lumbar vertebrae.

Sakura had done a lot of research and had decided that she would ease the pain of childbirth without negating it. She wanted to be able to feel the labour but still be aware and active enough in her delivery. She knew that with the help of Fûinjutsu it would be easier for her to numb certain nerve roots without blocking them permanently. She could have made a serum that would have given her these same effects, but Ta No Kuni had not developed enough medicinal plants.

Focusing on her feelings, Sakura knew it was still too early to apply her seal and she got confirmation when Hitomi reached between her thighs to check on the progress.

— "It's not for a while yet, cheer up girl, you're doing great. Are you managing the pain ?" The forty-year-old worried as she watched the young woman who was trying to keep smiling despite the contractions that were getting closer and closer.

— "Yes, I can manage, but the pain is much sharper, if I can describe it that way."

— "Are you afraid, Madam ?" Asked Amaya, who had positioned herself to the right of the young woman, while Hana was on her left.

The mother-to-be remained silent for a moment in the face of the perfectly legitimate question.

— "A little... I know perfectly well how a woman's body works at this stage, but I didn't think the pain could be so random and so sharp at different times."

— "Don't worry, you're not the first or the last to experience this, trust us and you'll see everything will be fine."

Sakura had no sense of time as everything was punctuated by the contractions that were getting closer and closer. After another check of her cervix, Hitomi suggested to the young woman that if she wanted to use her magic technique it would be better to do it now, as at any moment the delivery could come.

Hana and Amaya helped the young woman to her feet and she sat upright with her back straight. She ran her fingers over her spine looking for the space where she had placed the seal. Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated, it was difficult to clear her mind as the pain of the contraction was so sharp in this position. Especially since she didn't have much time between each one to act. But Sakura was used to staying calm and acting at the right moment.

When she managed to settle into the rhythm of her own body, she activated the seal while holding her breath for a few seconds. Immediately she felt a relaxation in her pelvis and her entire pelvic area. She could feel the mechanical action of the contraction but the pain was no longer as sharp. It was as if it were stifled, still present but much less intense. The two maids helped Sakura back onto the table, and she took advantage of the momentary respite from the pain to concentrate on her breathing and other signals from her own body.

Then suddenly there was a stronger contraction, she hadn't felt it coming and gasped as she felt the pressure on her stomach followed by a sucking sensation as she realised that liquid was leaking from between her legs.

Hitomi hadn't lost a beat of what was happening : the rose's water had just broken, which meant that the moment was very close.

— "Sakura, you're going to feel the urge to push. Don't hold back until I tell you to. The moment has arrived, you will have to push to get this child out. Just hold on to the contractions and remember what we've learned, okay."

No sooner had Hitomi given her recommendations than Sakura felt as if the baby was literally slipping from her body. Despite the Fûinjutsu seal, the pain was powerful and radiated throughout her pelvis.

As if she had been doing this all her life, Sakura knew she had to accompany with her pushing what the contraction was doing on her side.

She could barely hear the advice of the two women behind her holding her hand. In fact, Sakura didn't even realize how much strength she was using as she clasped both her hands over those of her friends. The effort was indescribable, but she could clearly feel the child descending towards the exit. Her body shifted with each push and she felt a sort of painless internal tearing as the child's head passed outwards.

At that moment, Hitomi ordered her to stop pushing so that she could grab the child manually. Once she was completely out, Sakura felt a sort of emptiness inside her, the pain and contractions had faded. All her attention was now on the infant who was giving her first cry of life.

Sakura shed a tear of joy, as did the women beside her. She had done it, she had given birth to her first child. Amaya had joined Hitomi in taking hold of the child and giving it first aid after the forty-year-old had cut the cord that connected the infant to its mother.

— "It's a girl, Sakura, a beautiful little girl," Hitomi's emotional voice said.

— "Is she okay ?" Asked the rose who was overwhelmed by what she had just experienced.

— "Yes, she's fine, Amaya will take care of her while we finish here. You will feel contractions again and that's normal, we have to finish expelling what was connecting you to your child. Are you ready ?"

Indeed, several minutes passed before the contractions started again. Hitomi and Hana looked after Sakura to make sure there was no abnormal bleeding from the birth. Once all this was done, Amaya approached with the child who was placed in a thick towel so that she would not catch cold.

The woman placed the child on the new mother's bare chest so that the first skin-to-skin contact could be made. Sakura had tears in her eyes as she looked at this little marvel, still crumpled. The miracle of life had taken place and he was holding on to her.

Naturally the child reached for her mother's breast and time seemed to stand still around them. Sakura didn't even notice that Hana had covered them up so that they wouldn't be in the draft. She hadn't even noticed that the women had retreated after cleaning the room so that Madara could come and see his wife and child.

The young woman was engrossed in contemplating the cuddled child when her husband was allowed to enter the room. Madara was not known for being an emotional person, but with only the three of them in the room, the man felt his heart feel a mixture of emotions he had never known before : a mixture of joy and pride.

He had never imagined that he would ever be so touched by such a scene. His life had been nothing but wars, blood and death. He had never imagined that life could be as simple as this : life could also mean life, happiness and love.

Sakura had taught him to love and had shown him that he too had a right to happiness on this earth, despite war and conflict. Now he knew another happiness, that of being a father. He didn't know how to define what he felt inside, but he could easily imagine what his father and all the other fathers before him had felt in this same situation.

What he was sure of at the moment was that he was relieved that his wife and child had survived the delivery.

— "Is everything all right ?"

— "Hai," Sakura whispered very weakly, exhausted by the experience.

— "Is it a boy or a girl ?"

— "A girl."

Their child already had a small tuft of brown hair, characteristic of the Uchiha clan, and as Madara stared at his daughter, she opened her eyes.

— "She seems to have your eyes," Madara whispered, completely moved. "What shall we call her ?"

— "Nozomi..."

While the couple was immersed in this bubble of happiness, neither of them knew that they were being watched, and had been for a long time.

Indeed, someone was very attentive to what had just happened and a satisfied smile appeared on his face before whispering a sentence so faintly that it was only perceived by himself :

— "Finally... "