In a different world

CHAPTER 5

The father and son sat on the grass facing Hinata Uzumaki's tomb stone. Boruto calmed down but his eyes were blood-shot and stinging. Naruto surprisingly didn't burst into tears unlike every time he came here alone. Seeing Boruto shed so much tears for his deceased wife, his first instinct is to comfort the teenager given the fact, although not yet confirm, that he is his son. Naruto allowed Boruto to caress the stone, again, he could see tears forming threatening to fall but it didn't. Boruto turned his head back to the Hokage,

"How did this happen? You said she died 17 years ago?" Boruto choked trying hard to speak up.

Naruto took out his wallet from his back pocket and opened it to reveal a photo of Hinata sitting on their couch. Naruto handed Boruto the picture which he slowly reached out for.

"Here, this was the day we found out we were pregnant one year after our marriage. She looked so happy. I was so happy we were about to have our own family." Naruto simply said with a broken smile.

Boruto focused on the picture. He noticed that it was the same picture hung on the wall in his parents bedroom from his reality. Everything was the same, the couch she sat on, her clothes, the hairstyle, her expression was undeniably similar. But he still couldn't believe that this was most probably the last happy picture his dad in this reality has. In the world Boruto lives in, there were more memories made, much happier ones.

"You can tell? It is the last picture of her healthy and smiling before she fell ill. I took it without her noticing. She was sitting near the window, holding her belly with our peanut of a baby. I had to." Naruto quickly wiped the tear from his cheek and let out a small chuckle.

Boruto asked Naruto everything he wanted to know. 'What was she diagnosed with?', 'How long was she when she passed away?', 'How did Hiashi and Hanabi take her passing?', and most importantly 'What was her last wishes?' He needed to know. This reality might not be his but it's a reality that involves his parents and it hurts him.

Naruto slapped himself mentally. Whatever Boruto was asking has him digging up his past. In the early years, Naruto has been keeping himself busy with Hokage work, meetings, he would even stay up to forget almost everything about the pain. He saw how pale and fragile she became as she was trying to keep up a strong face. Her movements were decreasing until she had to use a wheelchair to get to one place. He knew she was hurting and there was nothing he could do to ease the pain. Moreover, she had their child growing in her, scared couldn't even begin to describe how he would feel of he lost both. But he did, and it crushed him. His best friend and advisor was worried sick about his condition. Everyone was mourning her loss but he took it harder.

Naruto shifted closer to Boruto. This was it. His is going to open up this scars he so badly wanted to disappear.

"I was in the office when I got a call from Sakura that Hinata was doing her regular check-up. I sent a few ANBU's to watch over her when I was copped up with work. She insisted I let her go alone. When Sakura called, I didn't suspect a thing but her breath was hitched like she had been running."
Flashback

In Konoha Hospital, Sakura Haruno, now doctor after being Tsunade's apprentice. She was indeed running from lab to test room with a friend's result. Hinata Uzumaki. After Hinata's fourth check up with Sakura, Hinata collapsed before exiting the room. Sakura had called a few other medics to quickly carry her into a room before doing a few more health check ups. She ran tests to see if their unborn baby was okay despite the fall and it was. However she found something else, a tumour, and it was growing in her actively. Sakura tried nit to panic at her friend's test results. How was this possible? Hinata is a kunochi all her life, and for a shinobi to be diagnosed with this new is rare. She ran a few more tests before concluding that the tumour was dormant before getting pregnant. Her pregnancy must have triggered the tumour to grow and spread.

Sakura called Naruto immediately, once she heard his chirpy voice, a pang of guilt hits her. He would definitely drop and leave whatever he's doing to rush to Hinata's side especially when she's pregnant. She dialed the number and got rejected a few times but when he answered, she got straight to it.

Naruto's heart beat quicken. He shouted for Shikamaru to take over and quickly made his way towards the hospital. He located Hinata's chakra and found her laying soundly on the bed. Sakura saw Naruto's entrance and showed him the results. The first thing that came out was, "Is the baby okay?!" Sakura vigorously nodded her head as reassurance. The two looked back to Hinata, it was a matter of time before she wakes up and knows. Naruto banged his hand on the window. How could this happen and why now? He remembered what Sakura told him,

"There are possibilities that she'll survive if she chooses to take up the required treatment but not the baby. It treatment may be too much for it but if she chooses not to, the baby could survive but the tumour will continue to grow in her until it takes over her." To Naruto, it wasn't a win-win situation. He was about to lose either one of the most important people in his life. Their baby or his wife.
~~~

After a few days, Naruto took it to himself to leave work and let Shikamaru to cover for him. He was more than happy to help Naruto.  Hinata sat near the window staring straight into their garden. "It's beautiful. The flowers." Naruto walked over to his wife, carrying her medicine on a tray. After the news, Hinata went quiet. She hadn't told him her decision yet, whether to accept the treatment they suggested or not.

He sat down and held her hand. Kissing the top and placing it near his face before looking up to hers. "Sakura told me the baby's gender, Naruto-kun. Do you want to know?" Hinata have him a smile that seemed too pure for Naruto. "of course, Hime."
She took her free hand and gently ruffled his hair, Naruto got a tingling sensation he loves. "She told me it's a boy. Maybe he'll be an exact carbon copy of you when we see him, Naruto-kun." Hinata giggled and placed her hand back onto her stomach.

Naruto was grinning widely. A son. 'An exact copy of him.' He could imagine the days they would spent spoiling their child, hearing him say his first
word, his first steps, buying clothes he chooses as he grows older and all the mischief he'd get himself into. In a second his smile turned into a frown. It means Hinata has made her mind. She was going to sacrifice herself for their child. A prove of their love. But she would not be there to share the joy with him.

Naruto moved until he was able to stare directly into hers. A smile graced her lips as she brought her hands to his cheeks. "You understand, don't you, Naruto-kun." His tears were already blinding his sight. "But I don't want to lose you. I want you to be there when...when I scold him and you to comfort him, Hime. I want him to feel what you're giving me!" With that, Naruto buried his face on her lap, making her skirt wet. She shushed him trying to comfort her husband. Hinata knew well, that she would eventually died from this but her love for her child was greater. And to not let him feel life is selfish of her.

"Naruto-kun, please let me look at you." He followed her request and faced her. "Remember when we first found out we were pregnant? I immediately love it or now, him. I wanted more than to protect our child. Before and now, I would devout my life to you, but after knowing I have someone else, this baby, my devotion falls on him too. So, Naruto-kun. I want to see our baby grow. If it means that I have to sacrifice myself, I will do it. I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun." She cried in front of him, lowing her head letting her bangs cover her face.

Naruto loves this woman. A really beautiful woman. She choose to save their son than her own life. He can't change her mind about it when she's made her. A stubbornness he isn't fond of. Although the chances of her surviving is low now that she choose not to go with the treatment, Naruto would still bring in the best medics to care to her. It might delay and give her more time.

Naruto nodded his head in defeat. The next 4-5 months will be harsh.
~~~
Naruto told Boruto the first half of his story. Boruto thought about his own mother in his reality. True, if giving the chance to save him, his dad or his sister, Hinata would lay down her life. A growing tumour in his mother was what changed fate. Was what caused this reality to be so different than his. Boruto hugged Naruto because he seemed to be shaking. He had to dig out something painful. Boruto wants to know more and what happened afterwards but decided to let his father rest first.

"Let's go back...home."