5"Kushina!" yelled the blond haired man excitedly, putting down the phone, "He's here! We gotta get to the hospital fast!"
An annoyed and very pregnant woman with long fiery red hair waddled out into the hall, "Who's here Minato stop babbling and tell me why I should get to the hospital 4 months ahead of time?" It was common knowledge that Kushina hated the hospital. She would not step into the damn place even when she got hurt during her missions if she could help it. More than once, she had been tied down or drugged and then dragged to the hospital by her team mates or husband when the damage was too much, but not before she tried to maim each and every person responsible. So not surprisingly she was quite displeased at her husband's proclamation.
"Mikoto's baby, Kushina, it's on its way." Kushina's tone didn't deter Minato's enthusiasm. Kushina's eyes widened. "Shit. Let's go then Minato, what are we waiting for." And they were off.
Seconds later they were back, Minato getting out of the car and hurrying into the house screaming, "Kyuubi! Kyuubi!." The telephone rang again and Minato picked it up. "Hello...Dang! ok, we'll be right over," and they were off again.
Fugaku looked like a man whose wife was about to have a baby...which was exactly the case. A tall man with jet black hair, dressed in what might have been crisp a business suit, walked up and down the hallway outside a private room in a maternity ward, his jacket now a little crushed, tie loose and his collar button open and sporting a small frown that to close family and friends meant he was nearing breakdown. Uchiha Fugaku never lost his cool. But there are always exceptions that, every man would know, almost always had to do with either women or babies or the both put together. You'd think that after having done this once before that you'd be ready for it when it came around the second time but no...exceptions would always be exceptions. No amount of practice or mind control games seemed to help. Fugaku walked (not paced...Uchiha's didn't pace) up and down while two little boys (a redhead and one with jet black hair just like Fugaku) around the age of 5 watched him do so while sipping on juice.
At long last he heard the voice he had been waiting for. "Fugaku...how's Mikoto doing?" Minato walked in holding Kushina's hand as she waddled in. Fugaku quickly walked forward taking Kushina's other hand and helping her into a seat. Kushina cringed while wriggling her nose at the medicated smell of the hospital. "We came as soon as we could," Minato said knowing the deepening in the frown meant that the Uchiha was displeased with his delay. Minato knew Fugaku was usually at loss in such situations, never really sure of what he was supposed to do with himself. Being a man of purpose he always occupied himself with something to do. But here, right now, he had nothing he could do so he felt intimidated by the situation and nobody but the blond understood that; which was why Minato knew Fugaku must have been close to hysterics with him not having been there for the last couple of hours.
"They say she's doing well. Kushina can go in and see her if she wants." said Fugaku, the tension now beginning to ebb away. "No thanks, I'm fine," Kushina said her voice rising an octave higher, "How far along is she?"
"According to the nurses it'll be a while...3 to 4 hours atleast." Fugaku answered sitting down. 'So there was nothing left to do but wait.' Everyone completed Fugaku's sentence in their head. They sat in silence as the evening sun poured sheets of light into the room through the windows. Minato looked at Fugaku. He suddenly looked weary and old. He knew having a child did that to you.
Minato had known Fugaku since their genin days. After an initial friction, they had bonded instantly much to everyone's amazement. The two were nothing like each other. Fugaku was an Uchiha, proud cold and arrogant as they all were, while Minato was just a commoner, yet warm and friendly enough for many to consider him special. Their personalities were like oil and water, all said. They wouldn't have been able to deny it. Yet there they were; the best of friends. In fact, silently, everyone had blessed their friendship because the barriers that existed between the likes of the elite Uchiha and the rest of the village had slowly disappeared as the two, inadvertently, merged their worlds.
At that time Fugaku was individualistic to a fault. He cared for no one. It wasn't that he held any sort of malice towards anyone, quite the opposite actually. He just didn't see anyone. They were as good as objects. He was ruthless during missions so much so that his own teammates had feared him. But he did it on his own terms, never compromising his principles. Minato had admired him for it. He had hoped, however, to soften the man's unforgiving demeanour by befriending him. And although he mellowed down, opened up a bit even, Minato found that Fugaku was exceptionally soft on him. He was just as indifferent to the rest of the world as caring as he was of the blond. Even Mikoto hadn't been able to melt that cold heart.
But the first time Fugaku had held his first born in his arms in that very same hospital, all the walls had come down. He looked just as human as the next person. That was the very first time Minato had seen his best friend care, truly care, for someone other than himself. It reflected in his eyes that he would do anything for his son, anything at all. Such was the power of a child, Minato had mused.
Even on that day, seeing his best friend completely lose control whenever faced with his child amused the blond to no end. But he had to admit, his own experience counting, that the wait was the worst part of it all.
Three hours later, there was still no sign of the baby. Kushina was getting blue in the face, Fugaku had started pacing..ahem..walking again and Minato was beginning to feel weary. The two little boys sat quietly watching their parents' antics, knowing better that to open their mouths. Nurses kept walking in and out of the private room.
Two more hours later, Kushina had found herself an empty room after getting something to eat and gone to lie down, refusing Minato's pleas to return home. The boys were busy disrupting peace in whichever section they decided to victimize. Minato was watching his best friend slowly fall apart. He knew at this point nothing he said would help the man.
Another hour later the kids were asleep on the couch Minato sitting next to them barely awake while Fugaku leaned against the wall staring aimlessly.
Four hours later, at 3 am, Minato sat, head resting on the couch, eyes closed, each hand on one of the boys as they slept on his lap while Fugaku had passed out on another couch. That's how Namikaze Kushina found them as she waddled her way into the lobby. She had about a minute to watch them and smile before all hell broke loose.
Hurried steps could be heard from behind the door as it burst open, two nurses coming out.
"Get Dr Tsunade," yelled one as the other made her way through the lobby. The noise startled Fugaku awake just as Minato rose as well.
"What's going on?" asked Kushina aggressively.
"I'm sorry, I cant divulge – "
"What is going on?" asked Kushina menacingly grinding her teeth.
"Er...the patient has lost too much blood...she's critical" was the nervous reply.
"And the baby?"
"He's fine."
Before Kushina could ask any further questions a big bosomed blond burst her way through them into the delivery room.
The atmosphere in the lobby was tense. Fugaku had frozen the minute they had said that Mikoto was in danger. All of them waited hoping, praying that everything would turn out alright.
The last half an hour seemed longer that all the 13 hours put together, but the doctor finally came out and told them that Mikoto was out of danger now although it would take a while for her to recover completely and that they could now see the baby boy.
Some time later Fugaku was holding a pink little baby with a mop of black hair in awe as Kushina and Minato watched him cradle the baby.
Then Fugaku chuckled, much to Minato and Kushina's surprise, "He's going to be a troublemaker," Fugaku said, "He's had me worried sick from the moment of his birth," he said so lovingly one would think that it was a good thing, but both his friends were touched to see this other side to their bull headed friend.
At that moment a whimper was heard by the three and they turned around to see Mikoto coming to. Fugaku walked upto his wife and kissed her forehead lingering a bit before mumbling 'welcome back' with a sigh of relief. He then put the little boy in her arms. Mikoto looked like she could barely lift her arms let alone carry a baby but she cradled the boy all the same, watching her son sleep, tears forming in her eyes.
"Have you named the child yet?" asked Minato breaking the heavy silence.
Mikoto and Fugaku exchanged glances, "We've decided the name, yes" replied Mikoto, voice still hoarse from disuse.
"We decided to name him Sasuke," Fugaku said smiling at Minato and then looking back at his son, "Uchiha Sasuke"
Minato's eyes registered shock before smiling brightly. Fugaku had named his son after Minato's favourite hero, Sarutobi Sasuke.
Three months later the cycle was repeated all over again. Kushina was rushed to the hospital as she went into labour prematurely. Fugaku informed Mikoto as she was trying to feed a very stubborn 3 month old Sasuke. She grabbed the baby things along with Itachi and Kyuubi, who was once again playing at their house, and left for the hospital.
This time the labour period was short lasting only about 5 hours before the baby was delivered. Kushina was perfectly healthy after the birth, however, the little blond baby was another story. Having been born prematurely he was small and frail, struggling to survive, so he was put in an incubator and was to be monitored by the doctors for a while.
This time Fugaku watched with no words of comfort to offer as the broken blond watched his son from outside the nursery.
About 5 days after his birth Namikaze Naruto was deemed healthy enough to be taken home. When he arrived Sasuke was placed next to the sleeping baby. It was very soon noticed that whenever Sasuke was pulled away from the little blond he would begin to cry.
Thus Uchiha Sasuke met Namikaze Naruto and their lives began.