Hey darlings! long time no see, I know I know, but I've been busy like crazy and I'm here now, I'd like to take a moment to send virtual kisses to all of you wonderful readers

Ok, so this is my contribution to SSM this year, this is a the first part of a five-shot? anyway, each of the first five prompts will be basis for a part, so this is holding hands

Enjoy

Sasuke was in the middle of the most important recital of his life when he heard. He had just left the stage, his guitar still hang to his shoulder, and the sweat still glistened on the back of his neck. The young Uchiha was still struggling to catch hold of his breath.

The crowd was still cheering. He raised his head and saw her approaching, her eyes sparkling, and her rosy lips were set in a wide smile, she was taking fast and hurried steps towards him.

He opened his mouth to call her name when his phone vibrated in the pocket of his leather jacket. He frowned and reached for the phone, his guardian's name flashed across the screen. Sasuke frowned and stuffed the device back into his pocket.

"Sas-, hey, what's with the frown?" Sakura asked. "Who was that on the phone?"

Sasuke shook his head. "It was just Kakashi. What did you think?"

The rosette smiled and wrapped her hands around his neck, as best as she could with is guitar still in the way, she planted a kiss on his cheek, then the other.

"It was great, they loved it." She exclaimed. "You'll get in, I just know it."

Sasuke did his version of a smile, the one where the left corner of his mouth would lift up, and a hint of a dimple would appear on his cheek.

Attending KIA was not a dream for him, it was a goal, he wanted to attend the institute of art, one of the best in the country, when auditions opened, providing an opportunity for an early entry, instead of just waiting for the fall, he seized it. Sakura was confident that he would get in, he wouldn't admit it, but he wasn't so sure. He had faith in his vocal abilities and instrumental prowess, but KIA was for the exceptional and the superior only.

His phone vibrated in his pocket once more, he sighed haughtily, and reached for the device, quickly unlocking the screen and accepting the incoming call. "What do you want?" Was his greeting.

His girlfriend fixed him with a chastising look, he simply raised an eyebrow at her, then shook his head, telling her that it was alright.

Kakashi's tone unnerved him, the man was playful, mischievous, sly-humored, and anything but serious. Now, over the phone, his tone sounded almost…grave. Like he was hoisting the weight of the world on his shoulders, and somehow, Sasuke sensed that that weight would be hoisted on to his own shoulders.

Sakura spotted the shift in his expression and squeezed his elbow, her eyes questioning and innocently wide.

"Now?" Sasuke said. "You want me to leave, now?"

Sakura could not hear Kakashi's voice but she knew that something was not right, even Sasuke did, she could see it in his face. "Yes, she's here, ok, I'll see you in a bit."

"What's that all about?" Sakura inquired. "What did he say?"

Sasuke pulled his guitar over his head. "He said that there's a car waiting outside, he wants you to come with me."

Sakura's confusion escalated. "Did he say why?" She asked, as her boyfriend packed his guitar in its leather case.

"No, he just said that it was important, and that I needed to be there, now with you."

Sasuke kept his expression neutral, he slid into the backseat of the car that Kakashi sent, the rosette beside him, he did not want her to worry, he didn't want her to be alarmed, even if war itself was raging on inside him. It could be considered as intuition, or even a premonition, but he knew, deep down, that whatever Kakashi needed him for, it was not good. And when Sakura squeezed his hand and did not let go, he realized that she knew as well.

In spite of himself, he touched the leather string around his neck, it held a musical note, his mother gave it to him, his fist closed around the small pendant, Sakura saw the movement and squeezed again.

The car stopped in front of the airport. Sakura's eyes widened as they were hauled into a private jet, courtesy of the Uchiha corporation, Sakura's hand remained laced around his the whole length of the flight, which lasted a little over an hour.

Sasuke swallowed thickly as they landed in Oto Airport. God, he knew, he just knew. He wanted to turn back, to jump back into the jet and fly back to Konoha, he'd walk there if need be, but Sakura's grip anchored him to the ground.

Kakashi met them at a place that screamed doom and warning, they had arrived at a hospital. His guardian touched his shoulder and did not relent, Sasuke found himself flanked in both sides, on his right, Sakura held his clammy hand tightly, and on his left, Kakashi clasped his shoulder.

"Kakashi-" He started, and in that one word, in that breath of a whisper, he asked everything, and Kakashi understood exactly what he was asking.

The older man's eyes were red rimmed, and bloodshot, his own cheeks glistened with what seemed like the salty residue of dry tear stains. "I am sorry, kid." He breathed out, his voice hoarse and chapped, almost like he hadn't talked for days, or he had screamed for hours.

Beside him, he could faintly hear Sakura's gasp, and he could see, out of the corner of his eye, her free hand flying to her mouth.

"There was a plane crash, just off the main road of Oto." Kakashi's voice was distant, Sasuke could hear the words, but he could not decipher them, he could not understand them.

"Fugaku and Itachi," Kakashi choked, he was fighting back tears, "They were gone instantly, the doctors said that it was painless, Mikoto, she, god," It wasn't like him, it wasn't like his pervert of a guardian to lose his composure. "She passed on in the ambulance, I am sorry."

Sakura's gasp was louder this time, it was tortured and pained, she let out a startled sob, then threw her hands around him. The Uchiha remained rooted to the floor, his girlfriend draped around him, but he stayed frozen, completely still, he faintly caught her sobs, and he could barely see fresh tears glistening tears on his guardian's face. He tried to raise his hand to his own face, to see if there were tears there, but he found it locked to a much smaller, daintier one, and he wondered, at the exact time, it was the only thought that crossed his mind, that his head could process, he wondered if Sakura's grip on his hand was the only thing that kept him from slipping away, to a place where it didn't hurt so damn much.

So, what did you think?

Happy SSM everyone

ps. missmarryXD, thanks so much for the wonderful things that you had to say about this story