A/N: Here's the sequel to Way Back, which I have decided to write when I saw that the great number of two people wanted one. Ahem. So, yeah, I hope you like it. It took me two weeks to come up with the plot, so believe me, I will not be able to stand doing sequels to everything I write. My brain's gonna burn out! I still have loads to write, I need to concentrate on new stuff rather than sequels, okay?
Anyway, the other reason why I wrote this is because recently (three weeks ago. Do not judge me!), I promised my most fervent reader, who has been so nice to me in her reviews (yes people, I actually do get reviews), that I would dedicate her one of the fanfics I write. Then, when I wrote in my profile my future plots, she sent me a message asking me to write and post n° 18, which was the sequel to Way Back that I had come up with.
So I dedicate this to KimmiUchiha. Thanks for your wonderful (and LONG! YAY!) reviews! -wink-.
Disclaimer: Er, hello? Canadian fanfiction writer here! Me no own Japanese manga!
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Sasuke looked at the pink-haired woman in front of him. She was the most beautiful thing in his life. Even when she was running around a hotel room trying to find her underwear.
"Sasuke-kun, can you see it?" She asked him.
Sasuke smirked. Of course he couldn't see it, she wasn't wearing it, and whenever he did see it (most of the time when she was wearing it) he would make a point of tearing it off of her and tossing it somewhere on the floor (exactly where, he didn't know and honestly couldn't care less). Sakura was (in his opinion) much better without it, although she was always beautiful to him.
"Sasuke, could you help me a little, instead of staying in bed like a lazy potato?" she asked, getting cranky.
"You and I both know the reason why I'm a lazy potato," he answered smugly.
Sakura rolled her eyes at him. She still remembered the days where he wouldn't say anything to her because of his all-time coldness. She couldn't say she missed those days, but it still felt weird to have Uchiha Sasuke actually say something smug, let alone say more than three words in her presence. However, there were three words she never wanted to stop hearing him say.
I love you.
She didn't hear them quite often, but when she did, she was the happiest person in the world. Most of the time, it was when they were, ahem, reviving his clan, but she did hear him once or twice at perfectly random times. He never said it loud, it was always just a little whisper in her ear, even when he was very happy (no sexual pun intended), but he still said it.
She, on the other hand, said it almost anytime of the day or the night. She told him when they went to bed, when they got up from bed, when they ate, when they walked and most importantly, when he did say it. Though, in those moments, it transformed in the four-word sentence.
I love you too.
He never did repeat it, either. He always said it once, just to remind her he did, then went back to whatever he was doing. The only time he did repeat it was when she found out she was pregnant. But that, my friends, was eight months, twenty-nine days, four hours, thirty-five minutes and twenty-two seconds ago.
He told her he'd been counting.
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Two years and a month before
"Are you coming with us, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked her cheerfully.
"No, Naruto, I'm sorry, I… Er, I… I need to go home early today," she lied. She hated lying.
"Oh… Okay. Well, good night Sakura-chan," he replied, obviously a lot less cheerfully.
"Yeah, good night, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, Sai."
She walked away, taking the path to her house, making sure they believed her excuse for not going at Ichiraku's with them. As soon as she couldn't feel their presence close, she took another path and walked towards the forbidden part of the village.
The Uchiha district.
Sasuke had been hiding there since he came back to Konoha. They had decided it wasn't wise to show himself to everyone at the moment and they kept it a secret. Sakura didn't know how wrong she had been when she thought it was going to be easy. She absolutely despised lying and was running out of excuses to miss any appointment Team Seven was putting up together.
She couldn't fake an illness for too long, considering she was a ninja and a medic. She couldn't always say her parents wanted her home early. She couldn't always say she was tired. She couldn't always say she had to work. It only had been two months and she was already on the verge of giving up.
When she arrived to the Uchiha district, she was running and tears were threatening to fall from her eyes. She entered the main house where she knew Sasuke was (he couldn't wander freely on the grounds for he could be seen by people living close by), insuring herself no one could see her. She really hated this idea of hiding the last Uchiha, in the place where his whole clan had been wiped out nonetheless.
"Sasuke-kun?" She called, her voice quivering.
"What's wrong?" Came his voice behind her. She jumped, startled, and turned around to face him.
As soon as she saw his slightly worried face, she burst out in tears and leaned into his chest to cry in his shirt. She gripped the fabric tightly and pulled him to herself. He put his arms around her, hugging her like he had never hugged anyone before. He put his chin on top of her head, closed his eyes and sighed.
"I'm s-sorry, I'm just…"She started, sobbing. "I'm j-just tired of l-lying to everyone. I don't want t-to tell them y-you're here, b-but…" He sobs increased.
He held her tighter. He knew it was going to happen, he hadn't thought as soon as that, but he had still expected it. He brought her in the living room, which was the closest to where they were standing. He sat her on the couch with him, letting her cuddle and snuggle into him. She was still gripping and wetting his shirt.
When she finally stopped crying, he leant back a little and looked at her.
"Are you better now? He asked softly.
She nodded and gave him a peck on his lips. He pulled her back to himself and hugged her once more. She sniffled a bit more before she fell asleep. He brought her up to the bedroom he was using and placed her on the bed, under the covers. He sat next to her for a moment, observing her. Her eyelids were still a bit red and wet from her crying but her face was peaceful.
He hated forcing her into such a situation, but they had made the decision together that he would live there secretly until she knew the spirits of the villagers were down about him. He hated seeing her suffer, he knew she hated lying to people around her, but there wasn't much they could do about it. They both didn't want him to be killed just yet.
He got up and walked towards the door.
"Sasuke-kun," he heard her call.
He turned around and looked at her. Her eyes were open and upon him. She motioned him to approach the bed and he obliged. He sat back down on the mattress and put a hand on her cheek, caressing it. She closed her eyes for a moment before looking at him again. She didn't say anything but he knew. He knew she hadn't wanted to cry for such a silly thing, he knew she wanted him to live safely, he knew she knew she had to keep the secret. Most of all, he knew she wanted him to stay with her.
He lay down next to her, under the covers, and took her in his arms again. She closed her eyes and snuggled into him. He caressed the back of her head gently, almost unconsciously. Her arms encircled his chest and pulled him closer if possible. He didn't say anything, but he knew she knew. She knew he was sorry. She knew he wanted her to be happy. She knew he never wanted to leave her.
There was one thing she didn't know yet.
"I love you."
Her eyes snapped open.
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Fifteen months and thirty days later
"Run, Sasuke!" She hissed, trying to avoid giving away their location.
Naruto had followed her to the Uchiha district. He obviously wanted to know why his team mate and best friend had been avoiding him and their team for the past two years. She never went to Ichiraku's with them, she hadn't come to any of their birthdays, she had refused to throw a party for her own birthday, she never took any long missions and she always insisted on going home early and alone every night.
Naruto was worried, to say the least, and the rest of the team was too. Kakashi had sent him to spy on her for a few weeks but she had always managed to discover him and send him back to Team Seven without any information. Except for that night. He had finally been able to follow her without being seen.
Oh how he regretted it now.
He had seen her enter the main house, looking around suspiciously so as if to make sure nobody was watching her. He approached the door and heard her call out for Sasuke. His heart sank. He had believed his pink-haired friend had gotten over the remaining Uchiha and moved on. He was thinking she was calling out to him as if trying to convince herself he would come to her if she did.
Wrong. But he didn't know that.
Inside the house, Sasuke was holding a hand on the girl's mouth and whispering in her ear that Naruto was outside and that he was probably going to enter the house after her. They hurried to the back of the house, making the least noise they could muster, all the while hearing Naruto open the door, enter the hall and call out to her. They got out, hoping he didn't hear them.
"Run, Sasuke!" She hissed.
She didn't take the time to look at where he had gone, she went back into the house and waited for her blond friend. He finally arrived, looking at her with worry written all over his face.
"Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"What are you doing here?" She replied, faking to be on the verge of crying.
"I-… I followed you, Sakura-chan. Kakashi-sensei and I are worried about you! Even Sai is! We-… We miss you, Sakura-chan! Why do you avoid us? Why did you come here? Do you come here every night?" He hurried her.
She hesitated.
"Yes, Naruto. I come here every night," she answered.
"Why? Didn't you say you had gotten over Sasuke? Are you here for him? Do you think he'll come to you if you call him like you just did?" He asked, almost getting angry.
She was taken aback. She had actually been searching for a reason for her coming to that place every night, but he had just given one to her. She chose to go along with it.
"Yes! Yes, that's exactly it!" She exclaimed, still faking sadness. "Now that you know, leave me alone."
"But Sakura-chan, I want to help you! If you wouldn't just avoid us, we could-…"
"No, Naruto! You can't do anything for me. I'll get over it in due time, but for now, just leave me alone."
"But, Sakura-chan, we-…"
"Leave! Now!" She yelled.
He sent her one last sad glance before turning around and leaving. She followed him to the door of the house. As soon as he was gone, he face softened and she sighted. She really hated doing this. She went back to the back of the house and got out, looking around for Sasuke.
She felt someone grip her wrist and pull her towards her left. It was Sasuke. He didn't even look at her, he just brought her to the empty space behind the house. When he came to a stop, he turned around and took both of her hands, looking at her intensely.
"Sakura, will you marry me?" He blurted out.
"W-what?"
"Will you marry me? Will you become my wife? Will you live with me until the day I die?" He hurried her.
She looked at him, dumbfounded. He seemed to be so nervous, but her brain just couldn't process what he had just said. He tightened his hold on her hands and leaned in slightly. Then, her mind clicked.
"Yes! Yes, I will! Until the day we die and even after!" She exclaimed.
He sent her an amused glance, then his expression softened, relieved, and he leaned in to kiss her. Then, he pulled her a little farther behind the house, came to a stop and whistled. A man suddenly appeared and walked up to them. Sasuke turned to her again and smiled.
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One night later
Another day was rising up over Konohagakure. Sakura's eyes fluttered open, slowly taking in the sunlight creeping through the curtains of her bedroom. She turned around slightly, stopping her gaze on the peacefully sleeping face of her husband. She felt his arm tighten around her waist, pulling her closer, and she heard him emit a small, sleepy grunt. She completely turned around and snuggled into his naked chest.
Her mind traveled back to the events of the previous night. The in-extremis escape from the sight of her poor best friend, the proposal, the wedding, and then the honeymoon night. It had been her first time. And her second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth. Each time with a different level of intensity. She had to admit, Sasuke did deserve to use all of his energy in one single night since she had made him wait for two years and five months.
Her right arm snaked under his left one and around his waist. She snuggled a bit more, making every centimetre of her skin touch his. Her head found its way in the crook of his neck, where she took a deep breath to catch a whiff of his scent. He mostly smelled of cold sweat and morning breath, but she still thought he had a wonderful smell. What do you know, maybe love is blind and unable to smell anything.
It had taken her a rather short time to get him to fall in love with her. She had expected it to take much more time, but she wouldn't complain, would she? She knew he hadn't "loved her all along since they met as Genin", because that was an utterly stupid idea to believe in, but he had still been in love with her for quite a long time. He just didn't know it. It took him about a month to realize it.
What a genius.
Sakura sighed, pulled away from her husband and got out of bed. She found the clothes she had been wearing the previous, which were discarded in about every corner of the room, and put them back on. Her back and legs hurt, her muscles were tired, but her heart leapt with joy every time it came back to her mind that she was married to the sleeping man whose room she was standing in, who happened to be the one she considered the love of her life and about who she knew more than anyone else (except probably himself).
She kneeled down on the bed, looked at the boyish-looking man who was sleeping peacefully. She smiled, touched his face with her hand, sighed again, fighting the urge to go back to bed with him, placed a kiss on his temple and left the room.
Time to go to work.
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One month later
"Tsunade-shishou, I need a solo mission. A long one. Now," Sakura ordered, obviously irritated and stressed out.
Tsunade sent her apprentice a questioning look over her ever-so-entertaining paperwork. Usually, Sakura asked always the shortest mission, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family. However, in this very moment, she was literally commanding her to give her a long mission.
"Why is that, Sakura?" She asked calmly.
"I- er…" Sakura seemed taken aback. She stumbled over her words for a moment until she had a regain of courage. "You don't need to know that! You should be happy I'm asking for a mission! So now, just give me the safest of your longest solo missions before I change my mind!"
It was Tsunade's turn to be taken aback. Her apprentice's reaction had been childish, sudden and strangely defensive.
"Sakura, is there something wrong?" She asked, ever-so-calmly.
Sakura's face switched from irritated to tearfully panicked with stunning speed.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!" She whined, letting herself fall on her knees in front of he master's desk, leaning her head on her arms and starting to cry like a big baby on Tsunade's paperwork, all in the record time of four seconds and a half.
"Sakura, what's wrong?" Tsunade asked, worried.
She stood up, walked around her desk, kneeled next to the pink-haired fountain and took her in her arms. Just as Sakura took a grip on her shirt, Tsunade sensed a small concentration of chakra somewhere in the middle of her young apprentice. She pulled away swiftly, surprised, and stared at the girl.
"Sakura… You-…" She started but never got the chance to finish as Sakura nodded slowly, looking up at her with tears streaming down her face.
"But, how-…?"
"Shishou, you honestly don't want me to explain to you how it happens."
"No, you're right… But, who-…?"
"I can't tell you that…"
"Sakura…"
"Yet. Just… Just wait. I'll tell you eventually. I just don't want anyone to know about it. Especially my team. Please don't tell them, I beg of you, not before I do," she begged her master, clinging to her shirt like the little panicked girl she currently was.
Tsunade looked in her apprentice's eyes, trying to find some answers she knew the young girl would never tell her, and slowly nodded. Sakura smiled weakly at her teacher, stood up and walked out, not saying another word.
When she arrived at the Uchiha district, she closed the door, took off her boots, stepped in and waited. She counted down from five to one, and just as she counted "one", Sasuke appeared in front of her and took her in his arms. She snuggled into his chest, embraced his waist and sighed.
"I have something to tell you, Sasuke-kun," she said.
He pulled away and looked at her suspiciously, trying to find out what she wanted to tell him. His heart sank to his stomach when he noticed her puffy red eyes. Did she have bad news? Did someone find out? Was she going to be forbidden to see him? Was he going to be killed?
"I'm pregnant."
Oh.
That's…
Unexpected.
But…
"Thank you."
…
"What?"
"Thank you. This is the best gift I've ever had."
"Oh, well, you're welc-…"
Hug.
"I love you."
Sakura closed her eyes and returned his embrace, a content smile on her face.
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Eight months later (as in, the beginning of the story)
"Uchiha Sasuke, give me my panties. Now," she hissed, annoyed.
"No." He grinned.
"I hate you."
"You know you don't."
"Oh, believe me, I do. Because of you I'm fat, I can't walk properly, I have permanent nausea and I eat disgusting stuff. And I like it! And in less than two days, I'll be due for delivery, and I'm not having my baby on a forest floor, because it hurts a whole damn lot, which means you'd better give me my panties and carry me all the way to the village if you want another child after this one!"
Woo.
Scary pregnant woman.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice was telling Sasuke that it would be a good idea to obey her. He handed the desperately-wanted panties to his wife and got out of bed to dress up. When she finally smiled at him (meaning she had another mood swing and that it was a good one), he put their bag on his back, pushed chakra in his muscles and took her in his arms. Hey, a pregnant woman is heavy, even for an Uchiha!
He exited the room, walked down the stairs to the lobby, put Sakura on her feet while he threw the key at the woman behind the counter (who let it hit her forehead because she was to occupied sighing at the fact that this gorgeous man was leaving and that he was married), picked Sakura up again and walked out.
"You know, Sasuke-kun, I don't think they're ever going to let another couple from Konoha stay at that inn. With all the noise we made. And I'm not only talking about this morning."
"Might I remind you that you, Sakura, were the one screaming the loudest? And I'm not only talking about this morning either," he teased.
"Might I remind you, dear Sasuke-kun, that you were the one who made me scream?"
"Just so you know, I am actually very proud of that fact."
"I know you are."
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Two days later
"Now, Sasuke-kun, you remember th- Ouch! Ow, oh that one hurt. So you… remember the plan?"
"Of course Sakura, I made it up."
"With my help," she whimpered, apparently in pain.
"Are you okay?" He asked her bluntly.
"Do I look okay to you? My waters broke two hours ago and I'm having contractions," she hissed, irritated. "Now shut up and get me to that hospital."
Sasuke sighed. What he wouldn't do for his pregnant wife? He could have told her off, made her walk on her own, even make a random guy carry her through the village, but nooooo. He had to be in love with her.
They hadn't made three meters past the gates that an orange placed itself in their way. No, wait, it was Naruto. His eyes sending flames, his arms crossed over his chest, he sent Sasuke a death glare.
"Teme. You were supposed to let me come and get you home," he said, too threateningly to actually be taken seriously.
Sweat.
Drop.
"Sakura-chan, get away from tha-… Wait, you're pregnant?! When did that happen?! Who did this to you?!"
Sasuke fought the urge to grin and instead gave one of his usual replies.
"Nine months ago, idiot."
Oh, I think Naruto's jaw has just touch the ground. Hm, no, not yet? Oh wait, there, it did now. Not from surprise, though, nooo. Just from… speechlessness.
"And obviously, it was a man, don't you think?" Sasuke added, secretly and inwardly laughing his behind off in the back of his mind. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a pregnant and delivering woman to get to the hospital."
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A few hours later
"So, Teme, why did you bring Sakura home?"
"I found her on my way here, she told me she was about to deliver, so I helped her," Sasuke answered for the thirty-fourth time of the day.
"But why did you decide to help her?" Naruto insisted for the thirty-fourth time of the day.
"Because she was my teammate once, she was in trouble and I was on my way here," Sasuke replied for the, guess what, thirty-fourth time of the day.
"But-…"
"Uchiha-san, Sakura-san wants to see you," a young nurse said, obviously desperately trying to stop herself from drooling.
Sasuke rolled his eyes at her and walked to Sakura's room. He opened the door, put his gaze upon her and stopped short. She wasn't alone. It was there now. This beautiful little it who apparently was a boy, judging from the blue blanket around it. Sasuke approached Sakura's bed slowly, carefully. She smiled widely at him, looking extremely tired, her face all sweaty and red.
He sat down on the bed, stared at the tiny baby boy in his wife's arms for a moment, then softly reached out and caressed his face with the tip of his finger. Sakura's smile spread even wider.
"Do you want to take him in your arms?" She offered.
Sasuke shot her a glance, nervous glance.
"Can I?" He asked, feeling strangely weak, powerless, all mushy inside, and yet so strong that he was afraid to crush the thing.
"Of course, silly," she chuckled. "He's your son."
Sasuke sighed, feeling a heavy weigh lifting from his chest, to be replaced by another one, just as heavy but slightly different. Sakura extended her arms a little and placed the little boy in his father's hands. As soon as his son was secured in his arms, Sasuke brought him to his chest and observed his tiny sleeping face. The baby shifted towards his body heat and gave a tiny little (but still there) smile of content.
For the first time in years, Sasuke felt tears stream down his face and he didn't even try to hold them back.
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Again a few hours later
"Let me get this straight. You've been living in the village for two years, you married Sakura, got her pregnant, lied about her pregnancy and got her to lie, herself?" tsunade asked, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, we could say that," Sasuke answered innocently.
"You know I could have you killed for that, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know, but you won't do it."
"And what makes you think that?"
"Because you love Sakura as a daughter as much as I love her as my wife and it would kill you to see her crushed because I'm dead. And because you can't afford to have her drop out of every mission she has because she is alone with a baby. Oh, and because it could be my probation, while she works, I don't do anything else but look after our baby until he is old enough to go to the Academy's kindergarten."
And now, ladies and gentlemen, you can see on your left Tsunade's jaw that just hit the floor from all the words that flew out of Sasuke's mouth in one speech.
"O-okay, you're o-off," she stammered.
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About five minutes later
"Welcome home, baby," Sakura whispered to her son who was fast asleep in her arms.
Sasuke approached her, giving another soft look at his son. He suddenly had a flash. There was something he needed to do, to make sure of. He took the baby in his arms delicately and fiddled with his nose until he woke up. The little baby opened his big grey eyes and looked at his father.
"Now, baby," Sasuke said. "You will never kill your whole family, you will never try to do anything in your power to get the Mangekyo Sharingan, you will never persecute your siblings, you will never become an avenger and you will never, ever discriminate or even underestimate people, especially women, with pink hair. You got that?"
The little baby stared at him for a minute, then started giggling. Sasuke's expression softened and he brought his son to his chest. He heard Sakura chuckle behind him, turned around, motioned her to approach him and took her in his arms with his son.
Life couldn't get any better.
But really, nobody knows.
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A/N: Phew, finished! I know I promised this thing a month ago (you can go back and re-read the thing, it did take a month to write) but I really did my best. Next time, it will be A Walk to Remember that gets an update. I already have the plot for the chapter so it shouldn't take me too long.
Go check out my profile, I have some ideas of plots posted there. Tell me which one you want me to write and I'll tell you if it can be done. Try to vote for the ones who are labelled as oneshots. Thanks.
So, that's it.
Oh, by the way, those of you who might not know, Heath Ledger is dead.
And I am a psychic.
See ya!
Queen of Pascalities