Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine or else things would get really screwy!
Okay, for those of you who followed "The Adventures and Perils of Sasuke and 'Sasuke-chan' ", here's the sequel, which won't be all sunshine and daisies, considering the title.
Well, enough out of me, here's chapter one of my new story!
Death and Life
"YOU CAN'T DIE! NO! I WON'T LET YOU! STOP BLEEDING!"
"It's…too…late… He…wou…ld've…been…a…beau…ti…ful…baby…"
Emerald eyes slid closed and blood red ones squeezed shut as their owner screamed at the sky, tears intermixed with the downpour.
Pale hands came to rest on the heaving shoulders, and the owner of the delicate appendages whispered, "I'm so sorry—"
"I've suffered the deaths of my parents, older brother, twin brother… Why…why…WHY DOES THIS FEEL SO DIFFERENT?! WHY HER?! WHY?!"
This short rant was followed by another roar of despair.
Another pair of hands took the despairing face and made the streaming eyes turn to face a pair of gentle blue ones. "Don't fall apart on us, not now. She wouldn't want it."
"I know getting revenge means nothing, even if I'm tempted to seek out who killed her. Revenge isn't something I'll get stuck in. I'll never be like him…"
"You're so strong and I know you'll pull through this. Just please, tell me what you need to ease the pain for now and it's yours."
"…A jug of sake and two beautiful women to pour it for me until I pass out."
The blue eyes met bespectacled crimson ones and the two nodded before hauling the silent ANBU captain up and back to the village, the members of the assisting ANBU squad lifting the corpse of their pink-haired sister-wife.
"Karin, after you get changed out of your wet clothes, get out the sake and three pillows. I'll be back with him in a few minutes."
"Okay, Ino."
Ino carried her husband to his room and changed him into a thicker kimono and put a haori over his shoulders before she dressed herself in a yukata with a kimono hanging off her elbows. She walked him to the dining room table, just as Karin came in with a saucer and a jug of sake, placing the pillows on one side of the table and kneeling on her beloved's right side, while Ino sat on his left. Ino placed the saucer in his hands and picked up the jug, pouring the alcoholic beverage until the saucer was almost full.
He stared at it for a moment, his crimson tomoed eyes half-mast in weariness and sorrow.
"Ryo?" Karin prompted. "Aren't you going to drink?"
He began to lift it to his lips when there was a loud knock at the front door. He paused and began to lower the shallow vessel when Ino placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll get that. Karin, make sure he gets at least one saucer-full down."
The blonde walked to the door and slid it open, jerking when she saw Naruto, Kakashi, Shizune and Tsunade herself on the other side of the door.
"Where's Ryo?" the blonde woman demanded, leaning forward in Ino's face.
"Tsunade-sensei…he's in the dining room—"
The Godaime Hokage pushed past the expecting teen and hurried down the hall, Ino following her to try and stop her, Naruto, Kakashi and Shizune bringing up the rear. The brown-eyed woman saw Karin coaxing the sake to her husband's mouth and shouted, "Stop right there!"
Karin jumped, the sake sloshing a little as she trembled underneath the powerful woman's glare. "Tsu-Tsunade-sama! What are you doing here?"
"I came here because I heard of my beloved apprentice's brutal death along with her unborn son's, and what do I find?! The two of you trying to get your husband drunk! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, YOU MORONS?!"
Ino clenched her fist and defended, "He's obviously in anguish from losing Sakura! We weren't going to take advantage of him while he was intoxicated! Besides, we wouldn't be doing anything wrong if we did! We're his wives, Tsunade-sensei!"
Naruto slugged the other blonde in the back of the head. "You're trying to get my best friend wasted so you can get lucky?! You're worse than Ero-sennin was!"
"Karin, you're not supposed to even try to have another child with your husband unless Ryo refuses to marry again and Ino has a girl! Have you no sense for the rules of the Uchiha Clan?!" Shizune scolded, crossing her arms.
As this was happening, Kakashi assessed Ryo's condition. He shook the young man's shoulders and was alarmed by how unresponsive he was. He snapped his fingers in front of the Sharingan eyes and only the slightest twitch of the eyelids was what he noticed. He felt Ryo's hands to find them ice-cold before feeling his face, flinching at how hot he was. "Hokage-sama, he's burning up! We have to get him to the hospital to check for hypothermia!"
"He's suffering from a chill and you were going to give him alcohol?! Just hope I don't come back to beat you two senseless for this stupidity!" Tsunade yelled, before she followed Kakashi who disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Naruto scowled and commented, "You two must suck as medical ninjas if you didn't notice his state earlier."
Shizune confiscated the sake and narrowed her eyes. "You two, not a drop of alcohol, he's never had any of his life and I don't need him becoming an alcoholic because he's suffering through Sakura's death. If you want to see him once Tsunade-sama is done treating him, you have to promise not to let him near anything with the slightest amount of the stuff."
Karin squeaked, "Yes, Shizune-sama!"
Ino snorted and nodded. "Of course, Shizune. We were all kind of chilled from being soaked to the bone so we didn't notice he was developing a fever. I apologize for my lack of awareness."
"Me too!"
Naruto's scowl softened to a sad smile. "He must've not even noticed how he felt through what he's agonizing over with losing Sakura-chan. Tell me you two, what happened that caused her to die when she's not even supposed to be outside the village because of her condition?"
Karin bowed and proclaimed, "It was my fault! All mine! You see, I was careless by wandering around wearing the Uchiha emblem so openly and I was attacked, but Sakura had followed me and tried to protect me and got stabbed in the stomach! Ryo came just as she got stuck through and chased the murderer off!"
"He tried so hard to save her," Ino continued as her sister-wife dissolved into sobs. "But she was bleeding so much and it wouldn't stop. We couldn't even save the baby in time."
Shizune covered her mouth with her hands and whispered, "He must be so broken up about this."
The messy-blonde young man looked to the weeping Karin. "And he doesn't blame you?"
Karin didn't answer, so Ino did for her. "It's not in Ryo to blame anyone for her death save the one who killed her, and even then he would never sink so low as to try and claim vengeance. That's a dark place he never wants to go. In fact, I'd bet he blames himself for not being able to save her, even if the wound was horrible."
Ryo was almost comatose for a whole week before he was able to recover enough to return home. When he did, he held the only piece of his favorite wife he had left, Mikoto. The toddler girl was unaware of the source of her father's sudden affection, but she was glad because he gave her his undivided attention.
He didn't talk with anyone, even as Ino gave birth to her second daughter, who she called Sakura, in honor of her fallen best friend. The baby girl had blonde hair with black bangs, and deep blue eyes.
After several months of this distant behavior, everyone who knew him was sick of it.
"Ryo, get your rear in gear and get over Sakura's death! I told you not to do this, yet you are!" Ino insisted, pinching his ear and yanking hard on it. "You're missing important parts of your five daughters' lives! Mikoto isn't the only child you have, and she's getting tired of you cuddling her all the time, even if she's too nice to get her way out of your hold!"
"Please Ryo! We both need you and this time of mourning has to end!" Karin added, placing her hands on his shoulders.
He looked at the both of them with eyes full of pain, but he got up, putting Mikoto down. He sighed and gave both his wives a warm embrace before whispering hoarsely, "I'm sorry, I've been so lost inside myself for all this time. Sakura was a very important part of my life and losing her has been very hard on my heart."
Ino smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome back to the world of the living, Megane-kun."
"I'm so happy that you've finally spoken after all this time!" Karin exclaimed, hugging him tighter.
"Thank you for being patient with me, but now I will only mourn on her day of death, just like Nii-san and Sasuke. This has taught me an important lesson and now I'll move on a better person."
He went straight to the Hokage and requested a mission to Sunagakure no Sato. Tsunade blinked and asked, "You look like a train wreck, there's no way I can send you in this condition. Besides, what would I tell the Kazekage?"
"Their medical ninjas need instruction on how to improve on their skills. My chakra is intact, and my mind is focused. My physical condition will improve in time."
"When was the last time you slept, had a decent meal, or taken care of yourself at all? You have shadows under your eyes, your skin is paler than death, your hair and clothes are a mess, and that's just what I can see. With your constant Sharingan, they're gonna think you're Sasuke come back from the dead. No, you can't go like this."
"I have something I must do there besides the position as instructor. Something of…a more personal nature."
Tsunade raised her eyebrows. "May I ask what this is?"
"Let's just say there might be a more…permanent alliance with Suna when I come back."
"Hmmm…if you fix yourself up a little, I'll let you go, only if I don't hear of any incidents from the Kazekage, especially if you relapse."
"Of course, Hokage-sama. I won't make any undue trouble for the Kazekage. When do I leave?"
"I just had an inquiry only a week ago of this nature from Suna, so you should go as soon as possible."
"Yes, Hokage-sama. Thank you for giving this opportunity to me."
He packed all he needed for an extended trip, before he left posthaste.
I bet none of you guessed I'd kill another character, but then again, I think this story kinda deserved an unusual start compared to my others.
Sakura lovers, don't kill me, this is a rare event, since I really like her as a character! Sakura haters, I don't want anyone knocking her! Sakura's the strongest kunoichi in Konoha! There, I said it, let you all know my opinion on the subject. *shrugs*
Well, can anyone think of what Ryo was referring to when he said "a more permanent alliance with Suna"? *glances away and whistles*
Please review!