Eight Months Later

In the months following Madara's attack, Uzugakure had been slowly rebuilding itself. The walls and buildings had been repaired, and all of the ninja that perished in the attack were given an honorable burial.

Naruto had gone into a coma when he used the Shiki Fuuin on Madara. No one knew when he was going to wake, but the citizens certainly hoped it would be soon. Hinata had gotten better with the support of her friends. She got over the depression of losing her baby, and the anxiety of seeing her husband in a coma.

Kurenai had a healthy baby boy, whom she named Toshiro. She had heard about Hinata, and was a mother figure to the girl. However, on a crisp, clear morning, something unexpected happened.

Hinata awoke to a jolt of pain through her stomach, something worse than she had ever felt in the field.

"KURENAI!" Hinata yelled. Kurenai, who was living with Hinata for the moment, burst into the room. Hinata held a hand to her stomach, and she grit her teeth in pain.

It's times like this when I wish I were a medic-nin, Hinata thought as Kurenai shushined her to the hospital.

"It's okay Hinata, I'll get Lady Tsunade," Kurenai said soothingly. She returned moments later with the Slug Princess.

"All right Hinata, let's see what's up," Tsunade said, helping her onto an examination table. Her hands began to glow green as Tsunade made a sweep of Hinata's body. But then she got to something that piqued her interest.

"Hinata…you said that you were pierced by Zetsu's vine in the battle, right?" Tsunade questioned.

"Yeah, what are you saying?" Hinata said, whimpering.

"What I'm saying, is that you are eight months pregnant and going into labor."

Hinata's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.

"B-but, th-that's not…not possible…" Hinata said, astonished.

"Is there any way you know of that this might've happened?" Tsunade asked.

"If you're implying that this is someone else's baby, then no, I would never do that to Naruto!" Hinata angrily shouted.

"Nurses! I need a labor and delivery room set up pronto!" Tsunade yelled. She helped Hinata into a wheelchair as the pain increased. She wheeled Hinata down the hall, Hinata trying to suppress her cries of pain. Several people along the way were concerned with Hinata's well being, wonder what could have afflicted their Uzukage's wife.

Once Tsunade got Hinata to the room, she put Hinata on the bed and began to help with the delivery. A scream of pain echoed throughout Uzugakure's hospital.

"Hinata-sama, please, you need to calm down," said one nurse soothingly.

"CALM DOWN? YOU TRY AND STAY CALM WHEN YOU ARE IN LABOR!" Hinata yelled.

The nurse sighed as she injected a painkiller into her system. Tsunade placed her green hands on Hinata's stomach to help soothe the contractions.

"Alright, on the count of three you need to start pushing Hinata-sama, alright? Okay one…two…three…"

Hinata gave a groan and pushed with all of her might.

"Once more Hinata-sama, ready, one…two…three…"

Across the hospital was the room of one blue-eyed, blonde-haired, comatose man. He had remained unresponsive for eight months, and everyone wanted him to wake soon. More screams of pain across the hospital, reaching him room. Inside his mind, a voice whispered,

Get…up…kit…don't let…my memory…go to shame by…sleeping…GET UP!

Blearily, Naruto opened his eyes and scanned the room. The nurse who was attending to him dropped her clipboard. It clattered to the ground as she helped her leader sit up.

"Naruto-sama! Are you okay?" she asked.

"Need…wa…ter," Naruto croaked. She immediately produced a glass of water, and he drank it greedily.

"Arigato…How long have I been asleep?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you have been in a coma for about eight months now," she responded. Another wail of pain reached his ears, and Naruto recognized it instantly.

"Hinata! Urg…" Naruto tried to get up and walk, but the strength left him.

"Please, don't do that! You are in no condition to move!"

"You know me, I will anyway. You could at least help me, I need to get to Hinata."

"Alright…"

Hinata pushed again, and was met with the sound of a crying infant.

"She's beautiful," said the nurse. She went to clean off the little girl, and then returned her to her mother.

"What s her name?" asked the nurse who was holding her birth certificate.

Tears welled up in Hinata's eyes as she tried to decide on a name.

"I think Megumi Kietsu Namikaze sounds nice, what…about you, Hinata-chan?" asked a voice from the doorway.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata said, still weak from the birth. The nurses and Tsunade left, politely giving them privacy.

The nurse handed Hinata a bundle of blankets before leaving. Peeling it back, Hinata saw the face of an angel. She had deep indigo hair like her mother and cerulean eyes like her father.

"She looks beautiful, Hinata-chan…" Naruto said, sitting in a chair.

"I didn't even know that I was pregnant…you don't seem surprised, why is that?" Hinata questioned.

"When I fought to free the bijuu, Nekomata gave me a gift. It was a seal, with the power to resurrect one person. She said it was the least Shinigami could do for how many souls she'd given him. Before I passed out, do you remember what I did?"

"You placed…a seal…on me. That was Nibi's seal, wasn't it?"

"Yes, when you told me about the baby, I knew what I would use it for."

Hinata held out the bundle to Naruto. He looked at Megumi with the pride of a father, gently taking her from Hinata.

"Ohayo, Megumi, I'm your daddy…you know, I wish I could've been there to talk to you or to help your mommy, but I guess being here now is okay…"

A nurse came in later to take Megumi for the standard newborn procedure. What she found was probably the cutest thing she would see in a while. Hinata lay in Naruto's lap on the bed, with Megumi nestled in her blankets sound asleep. Naruto stirred quietly, and looked at the two women in front of him with love.

I guess it was worth it after all, because in the end even flames can't separate us…