A/N: Title ideas for this?
Promises Are Meant to be Broken
The hospital was quite today, no dire injuries, no unheard of poison tainting the blood of my fellow comrades, ugh, those were the worst, I spend days on finding a remedy for one person, maybe a handful if it was a team, and don't even get me started on the flu, parents think their kid is dying. Ugh.
This kind of day was a treat.
"Sakura-chan! We brought you lunch!" Naruto announced, barging through my office-door uninvited with two bags of what I could only guess was ramen. Sasuke came in after him, nodding.
"Hi you guys." I smiled, getting up from my chair to sit on the fluffy carpet with them. Naruto passed around styrofoam-bowls of steaming ramen and I reached behind me to get some bottles of water, tossing a bright-red tomato to Sasuke, smiling as he caught it without even looking.
"Naruto, I hope you're not trying to make me fat, you've brought lunch for me everyday this week." I didn't miss the uncomfortable glance that my two boys shared.
"Oh, why would you think that, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, scratching the back of his head, his voice steadily rising in octave. I shrugged, breaking apart my chop-sticks, watching Naruto flinch slightly.
"I don't know, I just can't help but think of the last time you guys did this…" I didn't need to evaluate, they knew perfectly well that I was talking about a certain 'suicide' mission that Danzo sent them on about a year ago. They came back ripped, ragged, bloody, broken, and mangled. They each almost died right in front of me..
Sasuke fidgeted.
Naruto slurped a little too loudly.
A few seconds ticked by in silence before another word was spoken. "Sakura…" Sasuke started, laying aside the tomato. "We-"
"-But, I know you wouldn't do that to me again. After all, you promised." A knot twisted in my chest as I set down the bowl, fiddling with the chopsticks, a lump lodging in my throat.
"Sakura-chan…"
"No, it's okay guys," I forced a smile, knowing perfectly well that they knew it was fake. "How…For how long this time?"
Sasuke cleared his throat before mumbling an answer. "Two months…" that was almost twice as long as the last one. Naruto sighed, scooting closer to me.
"It's not going to be like last time…I promise, Sakura-chan…" I figured it slipped out before he could stop it. I almost laughed at the irony.
"I've heard you say that already, Naruto."
"Sakura, you know we can't refuse the Council." I nodded again, trying to find my voice.
"Yea, we would if we could."
"I know…" I took a deep breath, picking up my chopsticks and ramen again, slapping on a fake face. "You're right." Even I was sure of how stupid I sounded. I cleared my throat, swallowing tears. "When do you leave?" I was almost afraid of the answer.
"Next Monday…" Sasuke said, avoiding my eyes.
"That's only four days…" I found myself whispering. I tried a laugh. "I'm going to be so bored without you two here." Naruto sighed deeply.
"Sakura-chan, we'll be back before you know it."
"I've heard that one too…" Another minute went pass before I decided to suck it up and deal with it. They are strong. I shouldn't be worried.
"Let's spend the weekend together," I suggested, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll take off from work, we'll get Kakashi and Sai and we'll have a sleepover or something." Naruto smiled at the mention of Sai. No matter how much he hated the former ROOT agent, even he can't deny that his tendency to be socially-retarded made things interesting. Sai was assigned to Team 7 a little after we all became Chunin at fifteen and he was completely and utterly oblivious to the obvious. He once asked Sasuke about sex…yea…
"Absolutely! Let's do that, how 'bout it Teme?"
"Sure, just as long as Sai keeps his distance…" Naruto laughed and I forced a smile. I risked a glance at Sasuke and immediately knew he saw right through me, then again, that's not really difficult.
I had just pushed the coffee table aside when the doorbell rang. I sensed Sasuke's chakra signature and smiled. He was always early.
I skipped over to open the door and smiled even wider at the sight of him clad in gray sweat pants, a dark blue t-shirt, mussed hair, and a small duffel hanging over his shoulder. I almost laughed.
I ushered him inside and sat him down on the couch, and, as routine, tossed a tomato, and, as always, he caught it with perfected ease. I lingered a few moments in the kitchen, watching him, feeling the deep sorrow curling in the pit of my stomach. I chocked back tears and took a deep breath. I knew he heard me by the way his back suddenly straightened and he took just a second too long to finish off the tomato. That's the way Team 7 is, we know each other in a way no one can ever understand.
I eventually sat down next to him, my feet in his lap. I wanted to ask more about the mission and by the way Sasuke was sitting and glancing over at my silence he knew that too. Suddenly the doorbell rang and I knew it was Sai, always on time down to the second.
"It's open, Sai!" I called, the door-knob twisted and I was proved right once again. Sai was a little less comfortable in my home than Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke were, since he had only been with us for about a year, and, well, he's Sai.
"Hello, Sakura-chan, how do you always know it's me?" A curious look settled on his face as he sat in the dark leather arm chair.
"Because you're always on time." I answered.
"Why do you remember something so insignificant?"
I shrugged. "I know my team just as well, if not better, than I do myself. You are always on time, Sasuke is always early, Naruto is always late by at least five minutes, and Kakashi will always and forever be late."
"Yes, I know," Ugh, this was turning into the sex talk all over again. "But why do girls scream when they do it?" "But-" Fortunately, the doorbell rang and Naruto (Never waiting for permission) came in, throwing his bag to the side and jumping onto the couch.
"Hey, guys! What're we gonna do first?" I smiled at him, pushing thoughts of the mission as far away as I could and sat in between Naruto and Sasuke.
"Well, it's movie-night, of course," As Sasuke's face grew red Naruto howled with laughter and Sai stared on, confused. No one has used the term 'movie night' since we were all fourteen, stupid, naive, and gullible.
It was one of the first times I had met Sasuke's family and Naruto had the not-so-brilliant idea of sleeping over. It wasn't such a bad thing at the time though, Sasuke's parents have known Naruto since he was born, taking him in when his parents died until he insisted that he move out on his own (At thirteen) I had only met them once before, a dinner that went awfully wrong but that's a story for another time.
Anyway, instead of the action movie Naruto had promised he'd get from Kakashi, he accidentally snagged a porno that was in the wrong case. It was a highly eventful night.
"Naruto, did you remember the right movie this time?" He nodded, digging through his bag, still giggling.
"I thought we vowed never to speak of that again?" Sasuke said, burying his face in his hands.
I laughed. "Oh come on, you didn't get in any trouble. And besides, it's a perfect story for one of those 'looking back ten years later and laughing' things."
"It's only been five." I shrugged.
"Half's not too bad." He rolled his eyes. "Hn…" I laughed, leaning into his side and relishing with the feeling of his tight muscles uncoiling. "Alright Naruto, put in the movie, there's pop-corn in the cabinet and drinks. I'd say help yourself but you'd do it anyway…" He grinned and slid the disk into the DVD player, leaving the previews to play as he and Sai went to get the food.
"Sakura…" Sasuke started gruffly, his voice a whisper. "I don't want you to worry about us…" He didn't need to evaluate. I shrank closer into his side and sighed.
"I know, but you can't blame me. I think it'll be better this time though, I have Sai with me so I guess that'll be sort of a distraction…Maybe…" Sasuke didn't reply and I let the conversation be dropped, this wasn't a subject I wanted to think about right now.
Naruto jumped back on the couch, Sai sitting gingerly next to him, and shoved a handful of pop-corn into his mouth, fully engrossed in the previews.
"See? I told ya I got the right one…" He sipped some sake and I made a face at him.
"Naruto that is disgusting, really? You're drinking alcohol with pop-corn?" He shrugged and passed the bucket over to me.
When the movie started all talking was dropped, even Sai got into it. By the end of the movie (Which was totally a horror, not an action) Naruto and I were in each other's laps, scared out of our minds as we watched the last few minutes. Sasuke seemed impassive but I could tell he was either grossed out with the fact that blood just totally spurted twenty feet out of a guy's neck, or mildly scared.
When the credits started rolling Naruto dived for the remote, immediately turning off the movie and switching back to regular T.V.
"That was horrifying…"
"Dobe, you didn't get the right one. Again." Sasuke back handed Naruto in the back of his head. "You idiot." I cuffed him in the shoulder.
"That was stupid," Sai said, turning attention to himself. "It was clearly fake, nothing could make blood travel that far. I should know." Kakashi chose that moment to arrive, a smile outlining his mask.
"Yo." He greeted.
"Kakashi, you missed the whole movie, where were you?" I asked after giving him a hug.
"Right, about that, you see, there was this little calf who had lost it's mother and-" Sasuke scoffed.
"Forget it." Kakashi smiled again, ruffling Sasuke's hair.
"Always a pleasure to see you, Sasuke." I clapped my hands together.
"Well, now that sensei finally got his sorry ass over here, we can officially start!"
"So that horror film you two made me sit through wasn't enough?" I slapped Sasuke's shoulder.
"Shut-up, you're gonna wish you were watching a horror by the time I'm done with you." Their expressions turned timid and anxious as I got out my make-up kit, straightener, curling iron, face masks and those table-top conversation starters.
"OW! Damn it Sakura, you're burning my head!"
"Then quit moving so I can finally straighten your stupid hair!"
"I liked it the way it was!"
"It's unnatural, you're totally gonna thank me for this one day."
"Not if I don't burn first…" A purposeful knock to Sasuke's head with the hot iron.
"OW!"
"Hehe…Oops…"
"Kakashi, you have to take off your mask."
"No."
"Yes."
"Never."
"Kakashi-sensie~!"
"Stop whining."
"DO IT!"
"…No." Growl.
"Fine, then your hair is getting curled!"
"Fine." Kakashi didn't feel so hot after I burned him for the tenth time…And made him look like a Mary-Sue…
"Sakura-chan, if you are doing this for me than I would like something to do for you." Applying red lip-stick, touching up bright blue eye-shadow.
"You don't have to, Sai. This is more than enough for me…hehe…" Heavy blush, curling iron. Bright, BRIGHT, hair pins. Hehe…Sai, you poor soul.
"Sakura-chan, would like to see my pe-"
"No."
"S-Sakura-chan, this really isn't necessary."
"Oh, yes it is."
"Sakura-chan, why are you even-"
"Do not ask questions." Reluctant obedience.
"Alright, but if you take any pictures…"
"Oh, Naruto, it's like you don't even know me."
"I do, and that's what scares me…"
"Oh, just shut-up and hand me the pink nail-polish…And the clips…Hehe…"
"Okay, Kakashi, what is your fondest memory?" Kakashi rolled his eyes, trying desperately to uncurl his hair.
"When you three graduated and I didn't have to deal with your whining anymore." Naruto, Sai and Sasuke already undid their hair and their make-up and Naruto took off his pretty pink nail-polish. But, not before I snuck in some snap shots.
"Aw, Kakashi-sensei~! That's so mean!"
"Shut-up Naruto…"
"Next question!" I put the previous card in the back and pulled out a new one. "Oh, this one's fun! Okay, Sasuke-kun, if you could-" The doorbell interrupted me and I think I saw a slight look of momentary relief on Sasuke's face. I groaned when it rang again, irritated, standing and striding over to the door.
I unlatched the locks and deactivated the traps. When I opened the door, three ANBU stood before me. I took a sharp-intake of breath and almost stumbled backwards. Naruto and Sasuke were by my side in a minute.
"What brings you here?" I asked as evenly as I could manage.
The one in front nodded to Naruto. "You're leaving on your mission earlier than planned. We were sent to retrieve you and Sasuke-san." My hands reached out to grasp their wrists, a childish whimper almost escaping my throat.
"But…But Danzo said that-"
"We know," the ANBU cut in. "Danzo-sama said plans have changed and you two are required to be there by noon two days from now." Naruto swallowed, nodding stiffly.
"You have two hours before you are required to leave." My breathing hitched, a lump rising in my throat.
"Thank you…" Naruto said sullenly, closing the door and turning to me. "Sakura-chan…I'm sorry…" I shook my head, eyes watering.
"S'okay…" my voice raised an octave and I threw my arms around the both of them.
"Sakura-chan…"
"I-I'm s-sorry Naruto…" I hiccuped, wiping my cheeks. "I-I just…L-last ti-me you two almost…al-most…" before I could finish Sasuke's arms wrapped around me. He's hardly reassuring and on the rare occasion that he is I try to savor it as much as I can.
"It's…it's okay Sakura…" I knew he was trying but honestly I didn't think he knew how to be compassionate about these things. In his world, when he was upset, he didn't cry, he didn't break, he took his anger out training. I'm sure his father had something to do with this.
I nodded into his chest and held out my arm for Naruto, holding him as tightly as I held Sasuke. We stood like that for a few minutes, up until Kakashi cleared his throat and I remembered we weren't exactly alone.
Sai sat up with Kakashi and said they would be at the gates to see Naruto and Sasuke off, I nodded to them, not ready to let go of my boys. Another few minutes passed before Sasuke fidgeted.
"Sakura…We need to get going." I drew in a shaky breath but nodded nonetheless, walking them back to the door and watching their sulking backs until I couldn't see them anymore.
I got dressed in my usual ninja garb, minus my hiate-ate and my apron-like skirt. I sat on the couch for a little while after I had cleaned up our failed sleepover and just moped.
I couldn't believe this was happening again. I felt so useless, I wanted so badly to go with them, to protect them in any way I knew how.
Since I couldn't be by their sides every moment, I gathered some medical supplies into a large ninja-pouch. I threw in some poison gases, a travel-sized instruction manual for making antidotes and one on poisonous plants, flowers, and animals. I also added some newly sharpened weapons and the scroll that held my axes.
I searched my library for anything else I might think they needed, my home-office for any important medical information I thought they should know about. I went through the large pouch again and sorted everything, remembering extra bandages, tape, wire, and a magnesium-block for starting fires.
An hour had passed by the time I was done and I raced to catch them in time, jumping silently over roof-tops and running through the streets. When the large gates came into view I could make out Naruto and Sasuke turning to leave. A spasm of fear suddenly overtook my and I pushed even more chakra into my feet and jumped, landing more than a hundred feet from where I last was.
"Naruto! Sasuke!" I shouted as I neared them. Naruto turned first, immediately brightening and caught me in his arms. I hugged him tight and then Sasuke.
"Sakura, what do you have there?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow at me, Sai doing the same and Sasuke's family.
I pushed the bag into Naruto's hands and held them both by their shirts. "Okay, this is everything I think you two will need out there. There's a book on any poisonous thing you could ever think of, how to treat wounds and make antidotes on every poison I've handled. I packed you guys extra bandages, weapons, wire, some poison-gas pouches and with what I've taught you about medical nin-jutsu you should come back home in one piece." Naruto grinned and hugged me again.
"So that's what you were doing? Damn it Sakura-chan, you shouldn't worry so much, we'll be fine."
"That's exactly what you told me the last time Naruto," Everyone stiffened and I glared at nothing. "I have no idea why I can't go with you guys, Danzo knows we work best as a team, I didn't do anything to help you two last time and I will not make the same mistake again. Promise me you'll use this stuff guys, I can't sit around all day worrying about you two and if I can't be with you I at least want to help you. Swear that if anything goes wrong you come right back home, sent a messenger hawk and I'll meet you half-way. Promise me."
"We promise, Sakura-chan." Naruto said. "Swear." I sniffed and held them again.
"Okay…" My voice broke and a tear slipped, Kakashi and Sai came up beside me, I stepped away and held onto their wrists.
"Sasuke-chan, you be careful, alright?" Sasuke's mother said, on the brink of tears herself. "Make sure you get enough sleep and eat and Naruto too, you look after each other." Naruto and Sasuke hugged her, shook hands with Sasuke's wordless dad and, to my utmost shock, Itachi gave his little brother a hug, whispering something I couldn't catch.
Sasuke gave a hard nod and soon they turned to leave. They were only a foot out of the gate before I shouted.
"Guys! Wait!" and bolted towards them, evading Kakashi and running back into their ready arms. "Be careful, please be careful, don't do anything stupid, think things through for once and Sasuke, do not let Naruto talk you into anything."
"We know Sakura-chan, please, stop crying…" I tried, I really did, but the images of their mangled bodies kept coming back and it seemed to only make the tears come even more, but I swallowed thickly and nodded.
"Kakashi, Sai, stay with her tonight." Sasuke instructed, his own way of comfort.
"We will." Kakashi replied. "Worry about yourselves." I couldn't watch this time as they left, burying my head into Kakashi's chest and clutching Sai's arm.
Sai spoke in a few seconds. "They're gone." I looked up, a sudden feeling of anger washing through me after I had stared out at the rising sun, fists clentching.
"Ugh! Why does he keep doing this! He wants them dead, I just know it!" Sai took hold of both my shoulders, holding me still and looking straight into my eyes.
"Sakura-chan, calm down." I made a move to punch him but he ducked, still holding on to me. "Do NOT tell me to CALM DOWN!"
"They'll be fine."
"You don't know that!"
"Sakura," Kakashi's smooth, even tone broke in. "You should listen to Sai, to all of us. You can worry all you want about them but it won't do any good. You did the best you could making sure they were taken care of. You can only wait now." His words did not make me feel better, only more frustrated. I turned my anger on Kakashi next.
"I've spent two years of my life waiting! Watching from the side-lines as they protected me, did all the fighting while I did nothing! Why do you think I requested to become Tsunade's apprentice? I was tired of being so weak. My teammates are the Kyuubi-container and Uchiha Sasuke, I was nothing; no one even knew my name, not like those two."
"Sakura, please-"
"NO! I promised myself I would be better, I would be protecting them just like they did with me, now I'm expected to be the best freaking medic since Tsunade and I can't do anything!" By now I was panting with pure rage, I wanted to hit something, anything, but Kakashi suddenly pulled me into a firm hug, not moving an inch as I struggled and whined and tried to kick him. Finally I relaxed with a heavy sigh and fell into my sensei's embrace.
"I don't know what I'll do without them…" I whispered.
He pulled away and behind him I could see the Uchiha's, their expressions unreadable, standing straight and watching us.
Kakashi leaned down so he was at eye-level with me. "You will go on living your life just like they would have wanted. Sakura, I felt the same as you're feeling right now when I lost Obito," I mentally gasped at the mention of Kakashi's deceased teammate, his name hardly came up anywhere. "I was so lost without him, but I had Minato and Rin to help me, just like you'll have Sai and me to help you." I sniffed, my reply hard and unrelenting in cold agony.
"You know I can't help but worry for them…Ever since Sasuke left I've been so afraid that one of them might leave me again. Naruto eventually left with Jiriya-san, Sasuke was so distant, so cold, where were you then, Kakashi-sensei?" He looked taken aback by my words, not even trying to stop me when I shrugged his arms off.
"I'm going to bed…" The anger was gone just as suddenly as it had come. Now I just felt tired, drained. I wanted to sleep but I knew I wouldn't get even an hours worth.
"Sai, make sure she gets home alright." I heard Kakashi say, his voice far-away and then the slight breeze as Sai flashed beside me.
"They'll be alright Sakura. If I have learned anything being with you and Naruto and Sasuke, it's that the bonds you three share are more powerful than any jutsu." I laughed slightly.
"Which book did you get that one out of?" I could hear the smile in his voice, fake or not.
"Yours."
A/N: Moderate Sasusaku-fluff and a little mindless SaiSaku-fluff there at the end. Hope you all like it, more Uchiha family in the near future and yes, you will find out my version of when Sasuke 'left' soon, don't worry lovies.
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