Growing Up 10

A/N: So I'm still struggling with my English. I was thinking of going to the UK to study English. Lel. Like for real!

Anyway, I'm always ranting. This chapter is quite hm... out of what you would expect me to write. There isn't much Naruto in this chap. Some of you wanted a little sister for Naruto while others didn't... So to make it fair, I wrote this chapter. You can hate me later ;)

_

A hand on her chest, a pale face, the sink in front of her and a glass of water on the floor was all that Minato could see after getting an alarming call from his beloved Kushina.

Naruto wasn't home. It was obvious from the silence that reigned in the house.

Minato ran to his wife's side and put a comforting hand on her back, drawing circles to comfort her from whatever had happened. He observed her shaky hands and the liquid found in the sink. She had thrown up her meal and looked like she was about to go at it again. It wasn't reassuring at all.

"Want me to take you to the hospital, hun?" Whispered Minato, hiding his nervousness and panic the best he could.

Kushina shook her head and lifted it, letting a sigh out. Minato gently took her hair away from her face and spoke again.

"I haven't seen you like this since you got pregnant." Leading his wife to the closest chair he found, Minato sat her and caressed her moist hands while keeping eye contact with her. "Yes, I haven't seen you li-" The blonde man paused for a second and frowned. "Wait..." He directed his eyes at Kushina's belly then at her eyes, then again at the belly and her eyes. He waited for Kushina to say something, but she was so weak that nothing came out of her.

"Are you pregnant, love?" Inside Minato's mind, a river of thoughts and questions flowed with a mix of emotions making their way to his stomach.

"I don't know.." Was Kushina's weak reply. She didn't look fine, she needed to go to the hospital and quick!

Lifting her up in a bridal position*** , Minato took one of his thunder god kunai and threw it the farther he could. This would take him to the hospital faster than running. Like he had thought, he found himself and Kushina standing in the front entrance of Konoha's hospital in a matter of seconds.

He rushed himself to the emergency ward and called for a nurse. Without wasting a second, the head nurse who saw them come in, called for the emergency team and with care, they lay Kushina on a hospital bed. Everything went fast. They started an IV, checked her vital signs, put her on oxygen and began the protocol for any incoming patient.

Meanwhile, not too far away from Kushina's bed, Minato was being questioned by the head nurse. His level of stress was at his peak. He couldn't compare the stress he lived daily as the Hokage to the stress he lived when something happened to his family. It was a whole lot different.

"So you're telling me that her symptoms remind you of her first pregnancy?" Asked the nurse, writing notes and keeping an eye on the team looking after the Hokage's wife.

"Yes, that's what I said. You know, she's a very strong woman with an unbreakable immune system! She doesn't get sick! Uzumakis are known for their strong chakra and physical endurance. The same applies to my wife. The only time I saw her throwing up or refraining from talking was during her first weeks of pregnancy. She is like a parrot! She can spend the entire evening talking. See where I'm heading?"

The nurse nodded her head while writing down everything the Hokage had said. Every little remark was important. "Very well, thank you so much for that information. And if I may ask, were you two planning on having another child?"

Minato blushed at the sudden question and then stuttered while giving his reply. "We-err, I-I well, I thi-think, I-I don't know.." He wanted to slap his face so bad for making a fool of himself in front of the serious nurse. Why was it so embarrassing to answer a simple question?

"Hokage-sama, a yes or no can make it simple for me to understand."

"Yes and no." Replied dryly the Hokage with an emotionless face.

The story behind that uncertainty was short. Kushina wanted another child while Minato wasn't much of that idea. It wasn't because he didn't want to raise another child, but he didn't want to make that child go through the life he's given to Naruto. Being the Hokage didn't give him much time with his family. There were nights when he had to sleep in his office, away from his family. There were many school events he didn't go to because of his duty. There were birthdays that weren't celebrated because daddy wasn't there. To Minato, his son was his everything and he wished he could spend the time necessary for his son to grow into a fine man, but with so much to do, a goodnight was like a treasure to Naruto. He didn't want the other child go through that. He wasn't even sure of the negative impact his way of living would have on his son later on.

"Alright. We'll let you know of any change or result. If you wish, you may wait in the waiting room while we stabilise your wife. Then, you'll be allowed to stay by her side."

Minato bowed his head to the head nurse and thanked her for taking care of his precious wife. He walked to the waiting room and sat for two minutes before his tireless legs took him to other parts of the hospital.

He knew the paediatric ward for his son had been a frequent patient with Lady Tsunade. He knew the geriatric ward because of the Elders' fragile health and the mother and newborns ward because of Kushina's first pregnancy. While he walked in that ward, he heard loud baby cries and nurses teaching to new mothers how to breastfeed their newborn. It was like he went back to the past, when Kushina had been transferred to the hospital after the Kyuubi's attack. Only a few selected nurses had the right to care for Kushina and the newborn Naruto.

He was about to leave the ward when he saw a well-known room that caught his attention. Behind a large glass, in small cribs were the newborns that needed special care. He remembered the day Naruto didn't want to drink any milk from mommy and had to be taken to the nursery. Kushina and him would spend minutes looking through the glass at their newborn being fed with a baby bottle.

In all honesty, Minato wanted another child, but his duty as Hokage really killed all hopes and desires of giving to Naruto a sibling. It wouldn't be wise of him to bring to life a baby that wouldn't get the chance to grow with a daddy by its sides.

After giving a last look at the newborns, Minato walked out of the ward and went back to the waiting room he was directed to while he waited for results. It didn't take long for two nurses to call for him from the door of said room.

Minato quickly followed them and one of them smiled at him. With confusion, the Hokage asked to the young nurse, "Why are you smiling?"

The nurse giggled and didn't reply. Minato was left in wonder and hoped nothing serious happened to Kushina.

The moment he stepped behind the curtains that gave a faint privacy to Kushina, Minato rushed to her side and took her hand while kissing her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Kushina smiled and let a giggle out. Her fever was gone and her pale face had regained its warm and bright colours. She dragged Minato's hand on top of her belly and giggled again.

Minato looked at her all startled then turned his head to the nurses in standby. He chuckled nervously and tried to understand the situation in his chaotic mind.

"I'll be a mommy again!" Exclaimed Kushina, gripping Minato's hand tighter.

"Mommy? Again? Wait... Does it mean... Daddy? It's... It's a baby?" The red-haired woman nodded her head and kissed her husband's hand.

"I'm pregnant!"

To Minato, her wife being pregnant were excellent and great news, but behind that joy was a hidden risk. The day she gave birth to Naruto and the Kyuubi was set free, her womb and reproductive system were severely damaged by the rough movements. She was told her womb wouldn't be strong enough to keep a new life to term, but words were still words. She could prove medics that her body was strong and that nothing could stop her from having another baby.

"Oh love! Such great news! I love you!" The Namikaze man showered his wife in kisses and sweet talking. "A baby!" He truly was happy, but his worry wasn't tossed away.

The head nurse as well as a doctor walked past the curtains and congratulated the two parents. The doctor then changed his happy face to a serious one and cleared his throat. "Lady Kushina, Hokage-sama, there's something I must tell you. My purpose here isn't to crush your illusions and future plans, but to warn you of events that may occur."

The couple listened with attention to the doctor's words and when everything was explained, Kushina chuckled and reassured her husband. "Everything will be fine-ttebane! I'm an Uzumaki after all."

The doctor remained silent and then excused himself, giving the parents some privacy.

"Kushina, I don't want this to-" Kushina gently hushed him placing her finger on his lips and then proceeded to kiss him.

"It'll be alright." She said with a gentle smile and pained eyes.

As much as she wanted to remain positive, she knew everything the doctor talked about could happen anytime.

The nurse popped their bubble of melancholy to tell the Hokage that Kushina was to remain in the hospital for the night and would be discharged tomorrow early in the morning. Minato kissed his wife again and wished her a good night rest. The two whispered between soft kisses and then let go of each other hands.

~O~

The night fell on Konoha and in the Uzumaki house, a thoughtful Minato was looking over his son. Having another little sunshine would make him so happy. It would be great for Naruto. He would have someone to care for and love. Naruto wouldn't have to spend evenings in his bedroom playing by himself. Naruto would be happy too.

"Daddy!"

Taken out of thoughts, Minato smiled at Naruto and nodded his head, showing his son he was paying full attention.

"Where's mommy?" With a red crayon in his hand and a white piece of paper, Naruto began his drawing with care.

"She's at the hospital." He wasn't going to lie to Naruto. Naruto wasn't a toddler anymore. He was old enough to understand some serious situations, like this one about his mother.

"She's sick?" Asked Naruto all naturally.

"Well, we could say so, but it's only for a short period. She'll be home tomorrow." Ruffling his son's hair, Minato sighed and watched the clock in the living room. "Yeah, she'll be here tomorrow."

"Did she get the flu? We got the flu shot last week at school to prevent us from getting sick. It's silly, right?" The moment his father didn't reply, Naruto lifted his head and set the crayon on the kotatsu.

"It's serious huh?"

Hearing the question his son just asked made the blonde father quickly shake his head. His son could really surprise him sometimes. "Mommy will be fine." He motioned the boy to sit on his lap and proceeded to comfort him.

Was mommy really going to be fine or would she go through what the doctor said? Could Minato get hopes for the baby or would he need to simply let go of that little dream? Thoughts and emotions were mixed in Minato's mind and heart. He felt the need to tell Naruto he was going to be a big brother, but what if it didn't happen? How would Naruto react?

The snoring of his sleeping child helped him not let his mind drown into the sea of questions and sadness. He took the boy to his own bedroom and tucked him in. He knew the boy would love to sleep in his parents' bed. He hadn't slept in that big bed since he turned five. Oh, time sure changed people's habits.

Leaving his son in his bedroom, Minato walked to the living room and sat on the couch. "Kushina..." He mumbled between sighs. He was unable to enjoy the great news. This moment wasn't anything like the day he learnt Kushina was pregnant with Naruto. This moment was unbearable, it was hard to accept, it was painful to foresee and yet, he felt joy and excitement at the thought of carrying a newborn in his arms again.

"Kushina..." This time, his eyes shut and a tear rolled down his cheek. He put his hand together in a praying manner and rocked his body. He whispered reassuring words to himself to avoid any negative thoughts to keep invading his mind. "Everything will be alright. Everything will be fine. Kushina will be fine. The baby will be fine. Naruto will be happy and we'll live happily as a family of four." He couldn't stop the unfrequent tears escaping his eyes. Why was he so anxious about this? He looked at the clock again and saw midnight. He couldn't believe he'd spent hours sitting in the living room all by himself. This was really consuming his spirit.

"Daddy..." A sleepy voice shook him out of his depressive state and the gentle steps of his son reached him. Without saying a word, Naruto sat on the couch and rested his body against his father's. "Be strong, daddy. You're the Hokage after all." The half-asleep child gave a thumb up to his father and then dozed off.

This time, Minato's body started to shake and soft cries filled the room. His son was a child with such a great heart, his son just reassured him. His son, an eight year-old boy just said what he was waiting to hear. The father wiped his tears and started chuckling. His child just comforted him with the simplest words, but he managed to turn those simple words into a ray of hope.

The man moved the boy in his arms and held him tight, making the two of them sleep on the couch. Crying sure was exhausting.

~O~

Morning came, Minato was already up since five o'clock. He prepared everything for Kushina's return. Breakfast was ready, a special breakfast for pregnant women to be precise and the wooden chair Kushina sat on to eat was changed to the chair she used when carrying Naruto in her belly. It was a very comfortable chair that helped relieve back pain related to pregnancy and with soft cushions to give her the best comfort ever.

He knew he couldn't stay home all day. He had to continue his duty as Hokage and keep the village under his watch. When he heard Naruto's yawns, the father greeted him and gave him his breakfast.

"A new chair?" Asked Naruto who noticed the changes faster than anyone.

"Yes, it's for mommy." Replied Minato while washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen counters. "She'll need it."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and put another spoon of cereals in his mouth. As much as he wanted to understand everything, he knew it'd be too complicated to absorb all information given to him. Better wait till mom's return.

"Want to go for mom with me?" Asked Minato while donning his Hokage cloak.

Naruto nodded with a smile and refrained from talking for he knew that speaking with a full mouth was rude.

After cleaning his place and getting ready for school, Naruto walked to his father's side and the two walked out of the house.

"We'll go the flash way." Said Minato with a smirk. He picked up his son and soon enough, with help of his thunder god kunais, they were standing in front of the hospital.

"That was so cooooool!" Exclaimed Naruto with a grin on his face. When he was set on the ground, he walked behind his father and once they walked past the entrance doors, he observed every wall around him. The place sure wasn't welcoming. It wasn't like the colourful paediatric ward.

After a short stop at the information stand to ask for his wife's room, Minato held his son's hand and the two walked inside the emergency ward.

The ward was full of people working and running here and there with bags full of water or medications, there were people moaning in pain and calling for help and nobody looked happy in the ward. The ward was a real nightmare to Naruto's eyes and ears. It was frightening. He didn't understand why wouldn't the doctors help the people screaming or crying for help. It was cruel to him.

"We're here." Softly said Minato to his son. Behind the curtains was the bed in which Kushina had spent the night, but mysteriously, Kushina wasn't in there. What if something happened to her? Thought Minato, holding Naruto's hand tighter.

"Ow! Dad! You're hurting me!" Cried Naruto trying to release his hand. The instant he heard his child's cry, Minato let go of his hand and quickly apologised.

"Ah there you are!" The voice he was waiting to hear since yesterday night came from behind and a quick embrace surprised him. "I thought you wouldn't come for me!" In her usual green dress and white shirt, with combed hair and a beautiful smile decorating her angelic face, Kushina kissed him on his cheek and then went to her son.

His lovely Kushina. His treasure, his jewel and unique love was looking fine as ever. He couldn't avoid the tears resting in his eyes, he was so happy! His wife was back to herself.

"Mommy!" Embracing his mother the tightest he could, Naruto chuckled and looked at her. "You aren't sick! You're like you always are." Commented the boy with sparks in his eyes.

"Mommy kicked sickness' butt hard! You know how's mommy, don't you?" The mother kissed the top of his son's head and then looked back at her husband. It was easy to guess he had a rough night. His eyes weren't as bright as usual, his face was pale and his smile wasn't as honest as it used to be. She felt sorry for causing him so much trouble. He knew Minato cared for her like she was the last woman on Earth.

She hugged him again and whispered in his ear, "You're my man, my hero and my strength, I love you from the bottom of my heart." She kissed his ear and made him giggle. Oh she loved her man.

"Can I not go to school?" Taking advantage of his parents' good mood, Naruto asked hoping he could stay home to take care of his sick mother.

The two adults exchanged looks and nodded. Minato would be more than reassured knowing Kushina wouldn't stay home alone and Kushina was more than happy to get to spend the day with her dear boy.

The walk to the house was silent, but love and happiness could be felt between the family. Words weren't necessary. In fact, words would sometimes ruin wonderful and magic moments, so they had to enjoy the silence settled between them. It was a precious silence.

Inside the house, Kushina noticed the little changes that were brought to the house and she laughed heartily. "Minato, honey, you didn't have to go to the trouble of doing this." She said, wrapping her arms around her husband.

"No such thing as trouble. For you, I would do anything. Anything." The couple enjoyed the moment together until eight o'clock hit the clock. It was time for Minato to go. In fact, he was late, but that lateness would be his first since taking the role of Hokage. "Naruto!" He called for his son from the living room.

The boy appeared with toys in his hands and an energetic aura around him. The boy walked over to his father and listened.

"I'll be going now. You're the man of the house while I'm not here, so take good care of mom. Be a good boy to her, OK?" The father played with his son's hair and turned it into a mess. "I know I can count on you. I believe in you."

Hearing those words made Naruto so happy and proud of himself. His father was giving him the task of acting like the head of the family! It was a huge responsibility, but Naruto was going to prove to his father that he did well to believe in him.

"I'll be the bestest boy ever and I'll take care of mommy better than you do!" Filling confidence in his words, Naruto grinned, showing his white teeth to his father and gave him a thumb up.

"Thank you! I count on you for this." He returned the thumb up and made his way out of the house, but not before giving a last look at his family.

His wife was pregnant and his boy was growing mature and responsible. He wasn't the little boy who needed his parents constantly. He's now a kid who wants to prove his parents that he's a big boy. "The day will be long." Said Minato to himself while jumping from roof to roof to reach the Hokage building.

~O~

"Are you hungry? Do you need water?" With a serious yet childish face, Naruto stood in front of his mother with an apple in his right hand and a glass of water in his left. "Or are you cold?" He placed the apple and the glass of water on the kotatsu where is mother was sitting and then ran to his bedroom to come back with his green blanket.

He wrapped his mother with the blanket and looked at her. "I know it's too hot to turn the kotatsu on, but I can turn it on if you're cold. Daddy taught me how to do it."

Kushina was simply amazed and speechless at his big boy. He was just too responsible for his age. Caring for his mother and making sure she wouldn't miss anything, it was beautiful seeing his boy looking after her. Minato would be extremely proud of his son if he could see him.

"Thank you so so much, Naru-chan for every care you've given to mommy so far. I'm very very proud of you! Mommy feels like tickles here." She pointed at her heart and giggled.

"Tickles? Do you need to go to the hospital? I can call for help!" Alarmed, the boy reached for his mother's hand and held it between his two hands.

"No, no, mommy is fine. Thank you, my boy. What I meant is that mommy is so proud of you that she feels too much joy in her heart."

The boy blushed at his mother's words and chuckled nervously. "Well, err... I gotta take care of my mommy because she has taken care of me since I'm a baby.. So it's normal."

Kushina quickly dragged her son into a tight hug and showered him with kisses on top of his head. She loved her son. She was thankful to any god that gave her the chance to become the mother of such a great and sweet child. She was the happiest woman with the family she had. It was the perfect family. The perfect family...

Would another baby make that family even more perfect?

"I can hear your heart going badum, badum, badum! So strong!"

"That's the sound of a happy heart!" Stated the mother, drawing circles on her son's back. "Of a very happy heart."

The boy rested his head on his mother's lap in a way that would let him keep contact with his mom's eyes. He locked eyes with her and said between giggles. "I love you."

"I love you too, son." While taking a bit of the blanket to cover her son, Kushina touched her belly and hoped for the foetus to grow big and healthy without any complications.

She took the apple and gave it a bite, it was such a delicious apple. Why was everything so beautiful and perfect today? Why?

The child on her lap was falling asleep so she grabbed the closest pillow she could find and removed her legs from beneath Naruto's head to replace it with the pillow.

"Did I hurt you?" Asked Naruto with a soft voice.

Kushina lay next to her son and shook her head. "No you didn't. Mommy just wanted to sleep next to you." She held her son close to her and shut her eyes. "Because I love you too much to ever leave you alone." The boy was already asleep, but mommy continued to praise his son in his sleep as she rubbed her belly. "We're Uzumaki, we were born strong and we can go through anything." She hummed a lullaby and rested her tired body with her son and future baby close to her. She let her mind drive her to the pleasant world of dreams where everything was possible and soon, the most incredible dream began with a curtain of rivers leading her to a room filled of stars. "Shooting stars, now is the moment." Said a soft and comforting voice in the emptiness of that incredible world.

With a hand trying to reach the stars, Kushina chanted her wishes out loud and danced through the firmament, feeling like nothing would ever hurt her family and baby. Nothing..

O, dreams sure were pleasant, but none was real. None.

_

Such a sappy chapter. BLAME COLDPLAY! I was listening to it while writing this chapter. Anyway~ I think you know where this is heading. I'm such an evil person. Hate me all you want or love me all you want. Do as you please.

Take good care, my dear babies and not so babies! Ahahaha!

~Lilskystar

Ps: Right when I was thinking of deleting my account, inspiration hit home again. I'm glad it did, because I love writing...