Born Anew

Chapter 32

Kakashi POV

It's been a quick week and a half that passed since Karin woke up from her coma. Her confusion slowly ebbed away and just like Lady Tsunade said, Karin's absentmindedness disappeared. I filled her in on everything she missed- everything about Obito being alive and Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto's massive contribution toward ending the war. She was mostly back to her normal self. But I wouldn't let her do anything that puts stress on her.

Karin wobbles out of my room and yawns. "I'm starving. Want something?" she asks.

I smile at her when I see her. She's so beautiful that it makes my heart ache something fierce when I catch that barefoot, pregnant woman coming toward me. I still can't believe that she's awake. That I wouldn't have to be a single parent after all. "Good morning, beautiful."

Her face flushes the same color as her hair and she ducks her head to hide her face behind her curtain of super long hair. For a brief moment, she looks like Kushina Uzumaki. And remembering Minato-Sensei's wife makes me remember about Naruto and the news that he was waiting for, without even being aware of it.

"I'm already making something for you," I say, gesturing behind me.

She pulls out a chair for herself and slowly drops her weight onto it. "This stomach is so difficult to get used to," she admits. "It's in the way."

I pull out the seat across from hers and nod. "You didn't have the opportunity to slowly adjust to the extra stomach as your pregnancy progressed. You went from flat to suddenly walking around with a balloon for a stomach."

She laughs, wrinkling her nose. "You do know that this is your child in this balloon stomach of mine."

My heart squeezes again. "I know," I say softly.

She rubs her tummy and I can't help but walk around the table and kneel down in front of Karin. On my knees, I place a hand on her protruding belly and give it a nice rub. "Hey, there, little one. Hope you're not giving your mom a hard time," I say softly. I'm about to stand up when there's a sharp jab against my palm and I jerk my hand away. "What..."

She gives me a soft smile. "I've only been awake for a week but he's been doing that so much."

My head jerks up. "He?"

"Just assuming," she says. There's a twinkle in her eye and she looks unbelievably happy.

"Maybe he-" I put an extra emphasis on the word with a small smile "-is so relieved to finally hear his mother's voice."

Karin's smile is so wide. "He's just as happy to hear your voice. He's kicking up a storm."

I can't help myself; my smile is just as wide. "I'm glad."

Karin leans forward and kisses me softly. "I love you, Kakashi. And thank Kami you're back home. I was so nervous... Nervous that I would be forced to raise this little one on my own if you didn't come home after the war."

My smile falls away. "That was my fear too," I say. "When you fell into the coma, I was so nervous that you wouldn't wake up and that I'd have to raise him all on my own. I even went to visit Kurenai to see how she was coping with raising her daughter on her own without Asuma."

Karin's red eyes fill with tears. "You really thought I wouldn't make it?"

I look away. "Everyone was pretty sure you'd wake up in the beginning but apparently coma patients have a lower chance of waking up as their vegetable state goes on." I look up into her face and try to smile. But tears are welling up in my eyes too and Karin's face is blurry to me. I reach up and wipe away a fallen tear. "But I have you back now. And I'm so grateful for that. I love you so much. What would I do without you?"